How Dynasty Stars Would Like to Change Their Characters

[Michael Torrance]

This was at the beginning of season 6

 

[Tony]

I thought Jack Coleman’s comments were interesting that he found Steven humourless and aggressive.

And we all thought it was the fault of his portrayal!

But that also speaks about his limitations as an actor as Joan Collins managed to pull Alexis off as being devious but likeable at least in the early years.

 

[thomaswak]

I thought Jack Coleman’s comments were interesting that he found Steven humourless and aggressive.

And we all thought it was the fault of his portrayal!

But that also speaks about his limitations as an actor as Joan Collins managed to pull Alexis off as being devious but likeable at least in the early years.

I hated that "resting bitch face Steven" that Coleman portrayed. I thought it was his acting skills. But maybe it was just just the Emma Samms Syndrome : bad character writing/rebooting, then blame the actor.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Joan wants more power for Alexis. Do I really have to make a sarcastic comment here?
Come to think of it, I thought Alexis was taking her job as oil tycoonette quite seriously in season 4.

Pamela B wants Claudia to be happy at last. It's an interesting idea, but I wouldn't want it to be because of a man or romance.
I want to see her standing in autumnal, downtown Denver, looking around for the last time. She and another passenger get on the bus.
"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" "Yes, very beautiful" she replies with a faint smile.
Once seated, she takes some papers out of her bag and starts reading. The camera zooms in on the title: "Sister Dearest" by Caress Morell.
It may not be Emily Dickinson, but with the manuscript it sorta kinda comes full circle.

Catherine O loves being paid to be horrible. Oh! the irony.

Jack C wishes that Steven's sexuality wasn't so ambiguous. And carefully avoids to mention what Steven should choose.

 

[Alexis]

That's fascinating! It seems that the writers were really just assholes. For years I have somehow blamed Jack Coleman on his uptight angry Steven when it had nothing to do with him. It was Fallon all over again, they just rebooted the characters to suit what ever nonsense they had dreamed up. I don't think much of what Evans has to say about Krystle really, it's very boring. She wants Blake's kids to confide in her more, she wants Blake to talk to her about business, She wants Alexis to meddle less in her life... Yes, but what does Krystle want to do or be?
I wish Claudia would have been stronger and happier in her last season. Even if they were still going to fire Bellwood. It would have been more bittersweet had Claudia finally found happiness and peace, and then unexpectedly was killed. It would have been all the more tragic. Diahann Carroll wanted an interracial love affair with a gorgeous, exciting man. So she got Garrett Boydston! Oxenberg on wanting Amanda to remain a spoiled little bitch, then they confuse her with her character and sack her I swear half the time it's really like the writers are punishing the cast. Find out what they want and then do the opposite.
There was all kinds of bad juju on that set!

 

[Alexis]

And carefully avoids to mention what Steven should choose.

Well he's pushing for happy. Could be interpreted as GAY.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Diahann Carroll wanted an interracial love affair with a gorgeous, exciting man. So she got Garrett Boydston!

!!

Yes, but what does Krystle want to do or be?

Listening to Yanni's LPs by the fireplace.
She ended up in the attic with a Danielle Steel novel. Karma is a bitch, as they say.

 

[Alexis]

She ended up in the attic with a Danielle Steel novel. Karma is a bitch, as they say.

Seems like they put her in the attic because Krystle didn't want to do anything. She could have tossed a few ideas around?

 

[Willie Oleson]

Seems like they put her in the attic because Krystle didn't want to do anything

And she never had unwanted visits from Alexis. The attic must have been like paradise for Krystle.

 

[GillesDenver]

Aside from Catherine Oxenberg and Joan Collins, they all wanted to play boring characters living peaceful lifes. We could be lucky that they were not in charge of the scripts because the show would have became as boring as season 7B (if not worst ! )

 

[thomaswak]

Yep. Thinking about it, each time the show recasted a Carrington sibling they kinda changed his/her personality.

Writers : Emma, your character is sweet, emotional, sensitive, generous, fragile, crying. You know. Be a proud victim!
Emma Samms : But Fallon was fiery, selfish, strong, unapologetic and...
Writers : You're the NEW Fallon. Get it??? Now read and learn your script. And keep that brit accent, it's charming.

Writers : Jack, your character is cold, always unhappy, strongly opinionated, confident, into chicks...
Jack Coleman : But... Steven was a sweet and warm guy, full of doubts, melancholic, and into dicks...
Writers : You don't get it, don't you? You're the NEW Steven! Now stop smiling and go shoot that scene! No emotion please.

Writers : Karen... Well... Karen, you're the NEW Amanda, so... Just smile, ok? Smile. Always. Whatever happens, SMILE!
Karen Cellini : I don't understand, Amanda is a spoiled brat, moody, hard to please. Why would she...
Writers : Gosh... Your hair is so wrong! (whispering) I feel someone is going back to Hard Rock Café sooner than intended.

And I thought Nu Dynasty's writers were schizophrenic...

 

[bmasters9]

I hated that "resting bitch face Steven" that Coleman portrayed. I thought it was his acting skills. But maybe it was just just the Emma Samms Syndrome : bad character writing/rebooting, then blame the actor.

OT-- I think that was a common problem with Star Trek: Voyager, especially the character of Capt. Kathryn Janeway as played by Kate Mulgrew. One time, she'd be for the Prime Directive, and the next against it, seemingly flip-flopping back and forth; I don't think it was Kate's fault though (I think it was really what you described; the character was written slipshod, but the actress was blamed).

 

[thomaswak]

Yes, but what does Krystle want to do or be?

She wanted to wear beige clothes and rearrange flowers. And that was already too much.
Actually, it's strange that Blake could see a difference between Krystle and comatose Krystle, in season 9. Oh, yes, comatose Krystle could not throw plates away.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Gordon T wants redeeming qualities for Adam. Personally I loved the ambiguity of this character.

Sophisticated, soft-spoken and romantic.

But with a touch of psycho ("Fallon….it is a beautiful name").

A villain doesn't have be to evil 24/7, but he has to be capable of doing or saying cruel things. There was too much of Blake and Alexis in him to make him a completely decent and reliable person.
And that made him perfect as the Dynasty successor for the next generation, with the beautiful Dynasty queen Dana as his suffering wife.

 

[Michael Torrance]

I don't think much of what Evans has to say about Krystle really, it's very boring.

Oxenberg on wanting Amanda to remain a spoiled little bitch, then they confuse her with her character and sack her I swear half the time it's really like the writers are punishing the cast. Find out what they want and then do the opposite.
There was all kinds of bad juju on that set!

Unlike flights, where turbulence is undesirable, in soap plots it is very desirable. Evans' dream for Krystle was a snoozefest.

As for Oxenberg, I think this was Spelling punishing the on-screen daughter for something the on-screen mother did: holding the show hostage for a raise.

Regarding the Coleman/Steven reboot: I remember seeing it when Coleman first appeared. Here is what I wrote about season three:
"The new Steven, in retrospect, has gotten quite a free pass from DYNASTY fandom. Not only is Jack Coleman a subpar actor, but the writers have also changed his persona to that of a jerk. He treats both Adam and Blake with suspicion and hostility, while both actually make an effort to come close to him. Amazingly, he does not do the same with the person who did manipulate his life, Alexis—instead he goes to work for her and he too is a shoe-in for an exec position same as Adam, even though the former has a law degree and he studied literature. Maybe that is why she constantly favors Steven over Adam. And in a moment of karma, he gets treated lousy by Claudia even though he has good intentions—I loved that scene."

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I've always said it was as if the producers were resentful of their actors.

Joan wants more power for Alexis. Do I really have to make a sarcastic comment here?

At one point, Joan did say that Alexis should meet heads of state --- and that was even after Moldavia!

I don't think much of what Evans has to say about Krystle really, it's very boring.

Although the yearly extramarital attraction was a tired convention pretty fast.

Diahann Carroll wanted an interracial love affair with a gorgeous, exciting man. So she got Garrett Boydston

It was well-known that Carroll was unhappy with his casting.

 

[tommie]

I thought Jack Coleman’s comments were interesting that he found Steven humourless and aggressive.

And we all thought it was the fault of his portrayal!

I'm not sure why people have put all the blame on Coleman - ultimately, he's now entering his fourth decade as a working actor and you don't get to do that if you're incompetent. Add that he's been good in other parts and going by what other actors have said about the producers and their instructions it's always been obvious to me that he acted that way because that was the direction he got. After all, Al Corley left because he was disatisfied with the direction his character, same with PSM, so I imagine any replacements they hired they made it very clear that they wouldn't allow the actors to step out of their boundaries...

I guess people go by his rumoured comments about wanting Steven to be straight, but then again if he made those comments he made them when the HIV scare was at its height.

 

[tommie]

I don't think much of what Evans has to say about Krystle really, it's very boring. She wants Blake's kids to confide in her more, she wants Blake to talk to her about business, She wants Alexis to meddle less in her life... Yes, but what does Krystle want to do or be?

I think it's very telling that Evans says nothing about what she wants from Krystle, but what she doesn't want for Krystle (but then resigns to the idea that the writers will do it anyway). It's like she's capitulated entirely at this point, which explains so much sadly.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

She wanted to wear beige clothes and rearrange flowers. And that was already too much.
Actually, it's strange that Blake could see a difference between Krystle and comatose Krystle, in season 9. Oh, yes, comatose Krystle could not throw plates away.

They should have just run with the idea that all Krystle really wanted to do was arrange flowers. They could have other characters making little quips regarding it:
Alexis to Krystle when she shows up at Colbyco: "Krystle! What are you doing here? Have you stopped by to rearrange the flowers in the lobby?"

Krystle could have become like Mrs. Wiggins on The Carol Burnett Show. She was the secretary who was always telling her boss she was so busy because she had pencils to sharpen. Anytime Krystle had to get involved in another character's drama she could sigh and say, "Ok, tell me about your ex wife married your brother and they're now buying out your company, just make it quick. I have flowers to rearrange!"

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

As I've always said, if Krystle didn't become psychic healer, played absolutely straight, by Season 7 or 8, then her character simply had no meaning.

It was the only place for her to ultimately go. And the limo accident sets it off.

The more you try to strike her down, the more powerful she becomes.