There can be no doubt that Dynasty has earned its place in popular culture today. The mega-popular soap opera ran from 1981 to 1989 and was a primetime television hit; in fact, at the end of season five, over 60 million viewers tuned in to see one of TV’s most memorable cliffhangers. Moreover, Dynasty was nominated for a Golden Globe every year from 1981 to 1986, proving just how much of a critical success it was too. But while there was plenty of drama on screen, there was also plenty of behind-the-scenes-drama that you might not have been aware of…
40. Al Corley quit for a reason
Al Corley was the first actor to play Steven, Dynasty’s only gay character. But then he upped and left, to be replaced by Jack Coleman instead. And Gordon Thomson, aka Adam Carrington, knew why. He told The Daily Beast website in 2017, “Al Corley quit because he felt they were not allowing him to play the part honestly. And they weren’t.” He added that whenever Steven met a boyfriend “they would only allow them to shake hands.”
39. Collins was resented by the rest of the cast
Joan Collins herself has said the Dynasty cast didn’t like her. In a 2019 interview with Attitude magazine she remembered, “There was a lot of resentment… And now I know there was because many people have come back to me who were around at that time and said, ‘They bloody hated you, Joan.’”
38. It was nominated for 24 Emmys during its lifetime… But only won one
While Dynasty was no doubt a success with viewers, it didn’t do so well when it came to awards season. Indeed, despite being nominated for a grand total of 24 Emmys, the show only ever took home one. It was in 1984, in fact, that Dynasty was finally awarded its Emmy for Nolan Miller’s costume design in the episode “The Wedding.”
37. John Forsythe often complained to producers
Forsythe seemed to consider himself as much a showrunner as the actual showrunners. In 2004 he told the USA Today newspaper, “Being the member of the cast with the most seniority, experience and long-standing work history with Aaron Spelling, I would proudly and yes, sometimes defiantly take my concerns to the executive producers for discussion.”