‘Dynasty’ Dudes: Studs & Duds 1981-89

Geoffrey Scott was a familiar handsome face to audiences from the '70s through '90s.
Most famous for "Dynasty," Scott retired to Colorado and skiing, and lived to be 79. 

Peter Mark Richman as Andrew Laird. If you were Blake Carrington's lawyer,
you'd wanna holler, too. Laird was the voice of reason, even when he had to raise his!

Dreamy Al Corley as Steven Carrington #1! About to be "awakened" by Sammy Jo!

Dynasty had better luck casting the female stars than their male counterparts. Veteran stars Joan Collins and Linda Evans carried the show, with later assist from Stephanie Beacham and Diahann Carroll. There were also a bevy of younger actresses who were more than pretty faces: Pamela Sue Martin, Pamela Bellwood, and as she got better, Heather Locklear.

John Forsythe as Blake Carrington, who brings Jack Coleman, as Steven 2.0, back home to Denver.

As for the men of Dynasty, John Forsythe brought great authority, class, and warmth to the role of contradictory character, Blake Carrington. John James was likeable, empathetic, and boyishly attractive as Jeff Colby. But aside from some attractive eye candy who were also competent, like Al Corley, Michael Nader, and Geoffrey Scott, who else was there? Dynasty cast some Barbie doll actresses, but the show cast more than their share of Ken dolls.

Silver fox John Forsythe aged elegantly and with ease.

I thought John Forsythe got better looking with age. Perhaps it was the silver hair and tan, which brought out those warm, brown eyes. There was always that great speaking voice, too. If you think John was a square daddy, compare Forsythe to Charlton Heston, who later brought his aging sardonic stud act to The Colbys.

John James as good guy Jeff Colby, who just happened to be boyishly good looking!

One of the advantages of living in the age of binge-watching TV shows is that you notice things more than the olden days of watching weekly TV. How many times did John James’ Jeff Colby sport swimsuits, pajama bottoms, workout gear, and writhe in his sweaty sleep? I know Fallon’s taste in men were “diverse.” But are we really to believe that she found reptilian gazillionaire Cecil Colby more appealing than his nephew Jeff, dreamy John James? True, James always looked like he had a slight headache, with that furrowed brow, but his handsome face and fine form made up for all that.

Sadly, John James wasn't wearing this when I waited on him back in the '80s!

I had the pleasure of meeting John James, when I was a young waiter at the Park Place Hotel in Traverse City, MI. They hosted the Cherry County Playhouse, which brought TV and aging movie stars for summer stock each year. And at this opening night party, star John James kindly asked me if I could bring him some stone ground mustard. For that stone cold fox, yes, sir! And yeah, he was just as handsome in person… and tall.

Al Corley's Stephen was prone to lying prone and ruminating over the family's reaction to his homosexuality.

As Blake’s gay son Steven Carrington, how dreamy was Al Corley? The curly blonde actor was reminiscent of young Ryan O’Neal in TV’s past Peyton Place. Al Corley didn’t have the greatest range. In Dynasty’s pilot episode, Corley’s drunk scene is laughable. However, Corley had empathy and sensitivity. The young actor complained even then that his character was written as a mope, and he was right. Corley plays it the best that he can, despite the show’s constant flip flops about Steven’s sexuality. Today, they could call it sexual fluidity. Back then, it was just hedging their bets. Yet, it’s a credit to the writers and Corley that Steven isn’t a gay cliché.

Jack Coleman took over the part of Steven Carrington after the character survived an oil explosion. 
Steven got a new face, but no personality!

When Corley left, the character Steven came back, surviving an explosion, with the aid of an Asian plastic surgeon. The doc warns Steven that he had no pictures to work with—when he is unveiled to be Jack Coleman—was his model was a Ken doll? Corley was no James Dean, but he offered a vulnerable character, unlike the stiff Coleman, who had an odd habit of smiling before delivering emotional dialogue.

Michael Nader as sexy Dex Dexter, who wears his heart on his sleeve, 
when he's wearing clothes!

Michael Nader as Dex Dexter was one of Alexis’ best romantic alliances. Nader was a lean machine, with a sculpted face, furry chest, and rough voice. As Joan Collins has noted, she and Nader hit it off and enjoyed a nice chemistry. Certainly, Nader’s no-nonsense Dex was much better than James Healey’s posturing as Sean Rowan, Collins’ last cougar catch. Healey was very attractive, but reminded me of former Collins’ co-star, Farley Granger, who also acted with his eyebrows and pouting lower lip.

Bo Hopkins was one of the best actors on 'Dynasty,' but was dumped when the show wanted to focus on the rich and beautiful only. The show's loss, I say.

Several promising actors that sprung outside the box of usual Dynasty characters could have brought more edge to the show, given a chance. First, there was Bo Hopkins as Matthew Blaisdel, a middle-aged James Dean’s Jett Rink to Blake Carrington’s Bick Benedict. The show’s writers should have had Matthew strike it rich and stay normal, a sexy guy with rough edges. Instead, like so many Dynasty characters, he disappears. Of course, he comes back much later, seeking revenge, but is killed for real this time. A shame, since Hopkins’ naturalistic acting and rugged good looks were refreshing. Matthew’s character could have been much more interesting than just one of many men carrying the torch for Krystle.

Not only was Bo Hopkins a strong actor, he looked damned good, too.

Then there was Geoffrey Scott, as Krystle’s first husband Mark Jennings, was sleazy fun in a Burt Reynolds/Playgirl model kind of way. Scott played him as a likeable scamp, who was not shy showing off his hot body. And why did Dynasty writers fall back so often on creating tension between the male and female characters with rape? Even in the ‘80s, it was kind of icky as a plot device. Scott drunkenly attempts to coerce Krystle into sex; since she has already been spouse-raped by Blake, was it necessary to repeat this tawdry trope? The sexy ex’s other character flaws eventually get him murdered. Mark could have been written a differently, as Geoffrey Scott was a keeper. Instead, he was another character with nowhere to go, and finally, to be disposed of.

Geoffrey Scott was appealing as bad boy Mark Jennings, Krystle's ex. Especially out of his clothes!

Also, there was Wayne Northrop as Michael Culhane, the sexy bad boy chauffeur who was servicing Carrington daughter Fallon. On Dallas, Steve Kenaly played Ray Krebbs, the Southfork hired hand dallying with Ewing princess Lucy. Kenaly came across so well that his character was cleaned up a bit and given more dimension. Northrop should have gotten the same treatment on Dynasty. He had a twinkle in his eyes, muscular and attractive without being a Dynasty pretty boy, and a solid actor to boot. The show brought him back once more, just to make him a conniver yet again. Dynasty was all about recycling!

Wayne Northrop, who did quite well on other soaps, should have been given a promotion from sleazy chauffeur on 'Dynasty,' to something more substantial.

Also, Paul Keenan as the Carrington’s handyman/stable hand Tony Driscoll, had potential. Even in his small role, Keenan was not only competent, but his likeable and charming personality came through. Paul was also very cute and muscular. Who was deciding what cast members got promoted or the pink slip on Dynasty, anyway? The bad hiring and firing casting decisions were nearly as bad as the writing. Sadly, Keenan dropped out of the show early on and later died of AIDS in December, 1986. Out to friends and family all along, Keenan publicly came out and spoke about his AIDS diagnosis.

Paul Keenan played Tony Driscoll, the Carrington hired hand, who was loyal AND hot.

Finally, Billy Dee Williams as Brady, was a class act and one of the few black actors on Dynasty, though his role is all about dealing with Dominique Deveraux’ diva demands. Since they barely knew what to do with Dominique, handsome and talented Billy Dee didn’t rate any character development. What if they had kept Williams, and pushed the racial envelope by having “the black Clark Gable” romance some of the Dynasty divas?

"'Empire of the Ants?' Why, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Joan Collins parries with prosecutor Brian Dennehy, who is sneering as usual!

We all have actors we cannot abide. More than a few of mine appeared on Dynasty: “intense” James Farentino, deadpan George Hamilton, and oily Lloyd Bochner—all of whom I can watch on a camp level. However, one actor that I cannot stand to even look at is Brian Dennehy: his blockhead face, hambone acting, and that leering grin. I had no idea he was the prosecutor for Blake’s trial, who brought Alexis back to Denver, until I re-watched recently!

"I'm all yours!" Uhh, no thanks! Adam Carrington, defenses down...

On the downright debit side, there was Gordon Thomson as Adam Carrington, the long-lost son who was the Laurence Harvey of Dynasty. Supercilious, petulant, and sneaky, with all of the charm of The Manchurian Candidate, though Thomson was handsome and hunky. He gave his all as Adam, but his pompous voice and creepy character made him one of my least favorite Dynasty characters.

James Farentino gave me the creeps, not the hots! He played a crazy doc out for revenge.

I found “handsome” James Farentino repellant as Dr. Nick Toscanni, both in appearance and acting. Despite his hard body, Farentino’s face was a cross between middle years Roddy McDowall and Wayne Newton. Nick’s character is absurd, both a brilliant psychiatrist AND medical doctor—so that he can be Johnny on the spot for every Dynasty cast member’s emotional and medical emergency! Like many guest characters, he has a secret agenda of revenge. Like many male guest stars, he falls madly in love with Krystle. All this is played by Farentino in glowering, shouting “Eye-talian” style.

An older Farentino looked like Wayne Newton without plastic surgery!

Helmut Berger was one of many guest stars on Dynasty who was a dud, as yet another character with a tongue twister name, Peter De Vilbis. I guess De Ville was already taken! Berger is yet another mysterious stranger who arrives to wreak havoc on the Carrington family. Berger was forty and still handsome, though his stunning youthful beauty was fading. His voice and accent are hilariously at odds with his aristocratic face. When he arrives at Fallon’s door with a huge bouquet and greets her with his nasal, squeaky voice, I kept hearing, “Paging Mr. Herman, paging Mr. Herman!”

Helmut Berger barely registered as La Mirage guest Peter De Vilbis, with designs on Fallon.

George Hamilton was a bad joke as Joel Abrigore, a shyster showbiz type who teams up with Sammy Jo to kidnap Krystle, and pass off his starlet girl friend, Rita, as Mrs. Carrington. Hamilton, a dud of a dramatic actor in the ‘60s, made a comeback in the ‘70s spoofing his playboy image. As Joel, the washed up director becomes obsessed with Krystle, Georgie boy plays him like a Hollywood Norman Bates, and Hamilton merely looks foolish.

George Hamilton as a washed up director who becomes obsessed with Krystle, of course.

I loved Billy Campbell as Rick on ABC’s Once and Again. I never realized this was the same actor who played Steven Carrington boyfriend, Luke Fuller. He’s impossibly boyish and earnest here. And who the hell greased their hair back in the ‘80s, besides Michael Douglas in Wall Street? But Billy’s still adorable and died a hero in Moldavia. Considering the following seasons, I’d say he got lucky!

Billy Campbell was just a baby when he played Steven's boyfriend Luke Fuller.

J. Eddie Peck, as Roger Grimes, was a hottie as the hunk from the past. He manages to come across with the charisma, even as he’s cheesily haunting Fallon’s dreams or starring in a Marnie rip-off climax. There were other handsome faces, not given much to do: Grant Goodeve went from Eight is Enough to one of Steven’s soon-to-be booted boyfriends, Chris Deegen. Battlestar Galactica’s Richard Hatch, as Dean Caldwell, has the thankless role of another suitor for the always-troubled Claudia. He would have had a lot more fun with Fallon. Michael Praed as Prince Michael of Moldavia was merely a dullard with helmet hair. Ted McKinley as Clay Fallmont was another Ken doll who looked like a 80’s porn star. As I mentioned earlier, Jack Coleman as Steve the Sequel was sexy as a Ken doll, and James Healey as Alexis’ last ex, Sean Rowan, was more campy than Collins. The list goes on and on.

Deja vu for Alexis/Joan? James Healey as her latest cougar catch poses and pouts like 
one-time co-star Farley Granger. R, Michael Nader as sexy ex Dex Dexter.

Watching Dynasty, I enjoyed the stronger male characters and the eye candy provided by the pretty boys, but when it’s all said and done, it was the divas who ruled Dynasty.

J. Eddie Peck as sexy dream lover Roger Grimes, which sums up the appeal of 'Dynasty' men!

Here's the other two parts of my Dynasty triple play!

On Dynasty, the show: 

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/02/dynasty-catfights-cliffhangers-clothes.html

On the divas of Dynasty: 

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-divas-of-dynasty-1981-89.html

FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB  movie page. 

Check it out & join!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/178488909366865/