Alan Beam

[Billy Nolan]

We're currently in the final third of season 3. Alan Beam is becoming an increasingly important character. Will he be staying in Dallas much longer? At first, I thought Lucy was a spoiled brat. Now I just feel sorry for her.

The actor who plays Alan Beam, Randolph Powell, doesn't seem to have had any major roles in TV or film since Dallas. Is there anything more we know about him?

 

[Monzo]

I rewatched season 3 last year on the German channel Tele 5 (incidentally, they ended their broadcast of Dallas on New Year's Eve with the season 5 finale), and I liked Alan more than ever in my recent rewatch and thought he was a good match for Falcon Crest's Laura Johnson who played his secret girlfriend there.

I don't know much about Randolph Powell. Here's a recent interview with him:

By the way, I find this "Into the Vault" series, from which the interview is taken and which seems to be quite new, very interesting.

 

[James from London]

He was in Logan's Run beforehand and I think he was up for the role of Jeff Colby afterwards. I love Alan. He's one of my favourite supporting characters on Dallas.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

And his head is still awfully hairy for a guy whose chest is awfully hairy.

One usually precludes another -- those androgens and stuff.


"Dammit, yer the hairiest gorilla-boy I've ever seen,,,,!"

 

[Willie Oleson]

thought he was a good match for Falcon Crest's Laura Johnson who played his secret girlfriend there.

Betty Lou can be added to the list of disillusioned DALLAS girls, and Dallas seem to have more of them than the other soaps.
It's almost like the "Hollywood" of Texas, except that fame has been replaced with oil, money and power.
The early years of the prime time soaps had a world-building full of great supporting characters similar to the TV series with stand-alone episodes.
If you'd watch the scenes with Alan and Betty not knowing it was Dallas you could think it was POLICE WOMAN or something like that.
Laura Johnson had her impressive screen debut as the creepy fan of Gena Rowlands in the film OPENING NIGHT.
Gena is better know as Peyton Place's Adrienne Van Der Leyden here on tellytalk.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

If you'd watch the scenes with Alan and Betty not knowing it was Dallas you could think it was POLICE WOMAN or something like that.

I think you're gaslighting!

 

[Billy Nolan]

And his head is still awfully hairy for a guy whose chest is awfully hairy.

One usually precludes another -- those androgens and stuff.


"Dammit, yer the hairiest gorilla-boy I've ever seen,,,,!"

Even hairier than Alec Baldwin? LOL

 

[Svengali]

Even hairier than Alec Baldwin? LOL

 

[Billy Nolan]

Yes. More than Baldwin.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Did the other soaps have a multiple-functional "freelancer" like Alan?
There were other important city characters, like Leslie Stewart, but she was very tied to her story arc.

I want him to be Kenny Ward's cousin, just like Holly Harwood shoulda been Anne Matheson's cousin.

 

[Toni]

I rewatched season 3 last year on the German channel Tele 5 (incidentally, they ended their broadcast of Dallas on New Year's Eve with the season 5 finale), and I liked Alan more than ever in my recent rewatch and thought he was a good match for Falcon Crest's Laura Johnson who played his secret girlfriend there.

I don't know much about Randolph Powell. Here's a recent interview with him:

By the way, I find this "Into the Vault" series, from which the interview is taken and which seems to be quite new, very interesting.

Thanks a lot for this link, it´s highly valuable! There was almost nothing about him on the internet! Have a great 2026!