Phil Robertson hints he may be leaving Duck Dynasty in Parade interview

The bearded Robertson boys of Duck Dynasty cover the new issue of Parade Magazine as the headline proclaims “THE MIGHTY DUCKS: How the Robertson of Duck Dynasty Became Reality TV’s Biggest Stars.” In the article writer Shawna Malcom talks with the Robertsons about how the show came about as well as the nuts and bolts of how the show is made and what the impact of so much fame and exposure has had on their family. It is revealed that family patriarch (and the creator of the duck calls at the heart of the Robertson family business) Phil Robertson had to be talked into participating initially, and apparently the success of the show hasn’t gone to his head because he suggests he will be leaving soon.

Malcom asks the former standout college quarterback and NFL draftee how long he plans to remain a part of Duck Dynasty and Phil responded with, “Not long.” He’s not too concerned about the impact his departure will have on the show’s popularity however, adding, “But I think it’ll go on without me.”

One way the show will be going on without Phil is by adding his oldest son, the beardless (well, most of the time) Alan Richardson, to the cast! Alan has been a preacher at the devout Robertson family’s church for more than two decades, and his addition is not something the show’s producers are not taking lightly. “We’re extremely careful about where we take the show editorially,” says McKillop, executive vice president and general manager of A&E and an executive producer of Duck Dynasty. If them words are too “yuppified” for you, Willie says it a little more plainly. “You get a show that’s working and everybody’s nervous about screwing it up,” he says.

But Alan Robertson is less concerned. “What [the producers] don’t know that I know,” he says, “is whatever way I roll in, they’re my family; I know how to best work them and work with them.”

Alan’s mentality seems to jibe with the show’s recipe for success, which includes the unique trait of a cast of a reality show “more interested in coming together than tearing each other apart,” as writer Shawna Malcom so accurately puts it. “For so long we thought only bad behavior made good television,” says McKillop. “This is one of the rare exceptions. They’re great folk. There’s also a sense of integrity and a [feeling] that they’re fulfilling the American dream.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself! And who are we to get in the way of Phil Robertson’s American dream if it doesn’t involve doing the show any more? And what exactly does Phil imagine he will do with his life if he does leave the show? “Catch a few fish,” he says. “Hunt squirrels, deer, ducks. Stay out in the woods. Come in. Make the jam. Enjoy life.” In other words, be “happy, happy, happy.”

Duck Dynasty Season 4 premieres with a one-hour episode on August 14, which includes a vow renewal ceremony between Phil and Miss Kay! (CLICK HERE to see tons of photos from the ceremony!)

Until then, enjoy this behind-the-scenes video of the Robertsons shooting the Parade Magazine cover!