Soap Star News: Donna Mills Honors Late Knots Landing Co-Star Kevin Dobson

On-screen, their characters were never the best of friends, but now, actress Donna Mills is paying tribute to her late Knots Landing co-star Kevin Dobson, who passed away on Sunday, September 6.

Donna Mills Pays Tribute

On KNOTS, Mills was scheming Abby Fairgate Ewing Sumner, a woman who had a malleable moral compass, and Dobson was M. Patrick “Mack” Mackenzie, first introduced as a do-gooder federal prosecutor. So, it wasn’t so much that Mack later wed Abby’s widowed sister-in-law Karen (Michele Lee) that caused conflict between them, but rather their diametric outlooks on morality.

“We were a family,” Mills posted on Instagram along with a cast photo. “We still are. Our hearts ache to lose our dear Kevin. Rest in paradise Kevin❤️ #knotslanding.”

Abby and Mack didn’t share a great deal of screen time together outside of group scenes. However, after Abby got mixed up with the nefarious Wolfbridge Group, Mack faked Gary’s (Ted Shackelford) death to throw them off the trail. It was Mac who brought Abby to Gary. She was both thrilled that Gary was alive and furious that Mac had duped her.

Years later, Karen and Mac squared off against Abby and new husband Greg Sumner (William Devane) after Abby felt it would be to Greg’s political advantage that he regain custody of his daughter Meg with the late Laura (Constance McCashin) so that Greg could continue his career.

Mills and Dobson were also not original cast members of KNOTS. She joined the show in its second season as Sid’s (Don Murray) younger sister, newly divorced. Dobson came on board in the nighttime soap’s fourth year, hoping to bring to justice the men responsible for Sid’s death.

Like Mills, who did a post-KNOTS stint on daytime as Madeline Reeves, Dobson also appeared on daytime soaps after the nighttime serial ended. General Hospital airs weekdays on CBS. Check local listings for air times.