Is Brenda Strong on the new Dallas, the same actress that was on Desperate Housewives?
–Tammy Littlejohn, Austin, Texas
Yes. Strong, 52, is best known for her role as Mary Alice Young on the ABC dramedy‚ even though we hardly ever saw her since her character committed suicide in the first episode, and, as a result, was only seen in flashbacks.
With Desperate Housewives coming to a close at the end of the season, Strong was able to take on the role of Ann Ewing, Bobby's (Patrick Duffy) wife‚ and she says the fact that she was heard on Desperate Housewives as the narrator but not seen may be a big help with viewers getting used to her in the new role.
"I feel extremely blessed that I'm not associated by face because I think it's given me the opportunity to step into this really cleanly," says the Brightwood, Ore.-born actress. "I am aware that I'm filling some big shoes. As far as being Bobby's wife, I feel like we actually have an amazing love story, and I think the audience is going to forgive whatever loyalty they have to previous wives simply because they want him to be happy."
So, did Strong watch the original Dallas? She says she did, and she has only kind things to say about Bobby Ewing. "He was extremely handsome, very loyal," she recalls. "In a lot of ways, he was the heart of the family, and, I think, a lot of people saw him as the pure goodness and the counterpart to J.R. [Larry Hagman]. I was really excited to be cast as his wife. We have a lot of fun together on and off camera."
