‘Duck Dynasty’ star Willie Robertson keeps late father Phil’s legacy alive
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Willie Robertson keeps his faith and his late father’s legacy alive on the big screen.
As “Duck Dynasty: The Revival” prepares for its second season, the Robertson family announced that the premiere will be a heartfelt tribute to their late patriarch Phil Robertson, who died earlier this year.
For Willie, the timing of his father’s death was almost perfect.
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The “Duck Dynasty” family misses Phil Robertson, but Willie told Fox News Digital: “I think he was ready to move on to the next life that he talked about every day of his life while he was on this earth.” (Duck Dynasty: Resurrection / Hulu)
“I think it was literally a transitional period because the show aired when Phil died… just a few days apart,” Willie told Fox News Digital exclusively.
“We definitely miss Phil, and of course we’d love to talk to him and have him around. But I think he was ready to move on to the next life that he talked about every day of his life while he was on this Earth.”
“We definitely miss Phil, and of course we’d love to talk to him and have him around. But I think he was ready to move on to the next life that he talked about every day of his life while he was on this Earth.”
Willie said that although filming without Phil was emotional, he believes his father would be proud to have the family carry the torch.
“It’s sad, but I think you’ll be happy,” said Willie. “He’d be happy we kept that going – especially his belief in family as part of the show. Maybe the next generation might not have as many ducks as he’d like, but we’re working on that.”
In May, Phil Robertson, famous for founding the Duck Commander hunting company that became the focus of the A&E show, died at the age of 79. (Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Phil, who founded the Duck Commander hunting company that became the focus of the A&E show in May, has died at the age of 79.
The patriarch of the “Duck Dynasty” family has battled health problems, including early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
“I think it’s important for the country right now to see a family, to see a healthy family and to see the happiness that comes out of our family.”
Beyond the ducks, beards and laughter, the new season of “Duck Dynasty: The Revival” aims to bring something wholesome to television, Willie said.
WATCH: ‘DUCK DYNASTY: THE REVIVAL’ STAR WILLIE ROBERTSON FILMING WITHOUT HIS LATE FATHER PHIL
“I think it’s important for the country right now to see a family, to see a healthy family, and to see the joys that come out of our family,” he told Fox News Digital.
The “Duck Dynasty” family gathers for a multi-generational outdoor portrait. (Duck Dynasty: Resurrection / Hulu)
“We’ve definitely seen this before in our family, with a lot of people coming up to us and saying, ‘Thank you for wearing this,'” said Willie. “Maybe we can’t all live together. We can’t all sit together and pray at the end of the meal. But we like to see that. It encourages us. So I think it can be helpful in these times.”
Willie, who has long served as the steadfast patriarch of the Robertson clan through fame, criticism and comebacks, told Fox News Digital that its fundamentals remain unchanged.
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“The anchor has actually been the belief that goes back to the three things we started ‘Duck Dynasty’ with: faith, family and ducks, in that order,” he said.
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“Things in life will start to trump each other. So you’ll look up and maybe say, ‘Ah-ah, my faith is slipping a little bit.'”
Willie said keeping faith first has always been the key to keeping the family strong.
Members of the “Duck Dynasty” family and production crew take a hilarious behind-the-scenes selfie during filming. (Duck Dynasty: Resurrection / Hulu)
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“We’ve noticed that it helps. The stronger our faith is, it helps keep our families together… When the family is together, it can help you no matter what you’re doing at work,” he said.
He added that this tight-knit dynamic doesn’t just happen behind closed doors, it’s what fans see on screen, too.
“If not, you’ll definitely see it at work; especially on a show like this, you’ll see it come out,” explained Willie. “If there was a problem at our house, you would definitely see it on camera.”
Season 2 of “Duck Dynasty: The Revival” is in production and the premiere date will be announced soon. (ALSO)
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Despite their busy shooting schedule, the Robertsons have kept their Louisiana roots and family cooking intact.
“Duck Dynasty” family matriarch Korie Robertson, who recently launched a bag line with Fount, told Fox News Digital how she manages to balance the spotlight while keeping family meals sacred.
Despite their busy shooting schedule, the Robertsons have kept their Louisiana roots and family cooking intact. (A&E Network/Bryan Tarnowski)
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“We actually understood from the very beginning that this was something bigger than us. It wasn’t about you or me being famous. It was about something bigger than us. And I think when we did the show, we had that prayer around the dinner table — and we didn’t do that for some of them because we planned it. We just did it because that’s what we do,” Korie said.
“We love having dinner together as part of our family life. And we had this prayer that God used in a really powerful way.”
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Season 2 of “Duck Dynasty: The Revival” is in production and the premiere date will be announced soon.
All 10 episodes of Season 1 are available on Hulu.
