Bruce Patman

Bruce Patman is a character who appears in most of the Sweet Valley Series. He was portrayed by Brock Burnett from 1994-to-1995 and Christopher Jackson from 1995-to-1996.

Character
Bruce Patman is rich, handsome, and arrogant and the son of one of the wealthiest families in Sweet Valley. Considered to be a rival, as he and his family want to preserve the town as it was when canning was the main industry, as opposed to the modernizing Fowlers. He is a hotshot tennis player and race-car driver, and is known for his trademark black Porsche with license plates 1Bruce1.

Bruce was considered to be a womanizer. He once dated Jessica, which ended badly (he also dated her friends, Lila Fowler and Cara Walker alongside another girl named Heather Morgan); and for a time, he dated equally wealthy Regina Morrow, who helped him become a bit more sincere, but later, after her death, he fell back into his arrogant routine. He later dated Pamela Robertson. Despite his arrogance, he genuinely cares about his cousin, Roger.

Although, their families were rivals, Bruce and Lila would very rarely team up together when it suits a mutual goal (usually putting Jessica in her place). In S.V.H. #71 (Starring Jessica), Lila was vying with Jessica to be on a special teenage episode of Eric Parker's television talk show. Bruce impersonated a police officer (Detective Tapnam, a very obvious misspelling of his last name) to warn the shopkeepers of Cold Springs, a nearby town, of a shoplifter, which matched Jessica's description. After being cleared, and discovering that Bruce and Lila had concocted the prank, Jessica headed back to Sweet Valley. Elizabeth assured Jessica that Lila would NOT be on Eric's show, and she proceeded to tell Eric what was happening. After trapping the conniving Lila in a dressing room with a chair wedged in the doorknob, Elizabeth proceeded to impersonate Jessica on the show. Jessica was pleased and touched that her sister would do that for her.

By the time of Sweet Valley Confidential, Bruce had a personality change after his parents' death. Unlike the eventual miserly and suicidal Winston, he became more sensitive and kind-hearted, while Winston had become in reverse. Bruce comforted Elizabeth when she got hurt by Jessica and Todd. He was able to convince her to reconcile with them after telling the story about Winston.

Regina Morrow
Began dating Regina in S.V.H. #18 and had a long distance relationship for a while until he slowly returned to his old ways and cheated on her with Amy Sutton which later drove Regina to isolation and lead to her overdose and death.

Pamela Robertson
Bruce dated Pam during S.V.H. Books 96-102 (The Arrest through Almost Married). She was a clingy,irresponsible person who got by on her Southern good looks. Bruce dumped her to concentrate on saving his parents' marriage. During S.V.H. Books 123-125,Pam is dating an El Carro basketball player.

Tracy Atkins
Bruce's romantic interest in Bruce's Story. After learning about his plans to destroy Rogers project, she decides she only wants to be friends.

Elizabeth Wakefield
Elizabeth always distrusted Bruce. She saw him for the narcissistic game-player he was. In the book, Sweet Valley Confidential, it was revealed that after the death of his parents, Bruce became more sincere and sensitive. He and Elizabeth eventually became best friends, and closer than they had ever been in high school or at any other point in their lives. After a while, Elizabeth realized that Bruce was in love with her, and she with him. They became a couple at the end of Sweet Valley Confidential; in The Sweet Life, they have been living together. He eventually cheats on her with Annie Whitman whom he ends up falling in love with.

Jessica Wakefield
Jessica had been hopelessly enamored of him since she first met him. She swooned over his looks, his money and attitude. She and Bruce had a lot in common. She found herself falling at his feet and willing to do whatever to be near him. In Sweet Valley High, Jessica had her homecoming Queen pinned on Bruce becoming her king. When he manipulated her into thinking he had feelings for her, Jessica jumped at the opportunity to date him. Eventually, she realized Bruce was playing her for a fool and paid him back by publicly humiliating him in front of his date. She made it a point to warn other girls about getting involved with him. Once, she said he kisses like "a dead jellyfish."