Televisn: Dynasty’s dismal gay character

PRI MONTH 2020: DYNASTY’S STEVEN CARRGTON CREASED GAY VISIBILY ON TV, SO WHY DID THE CW DROP HIM FOR THE REBOOT?
‘I’M GAY’: GORDON THOMSON, DYNASTY’S ADAM CARRGTON, COM OUT—AND TRASH CW’S REBOOTMR. NASTYIN AN EXCLIVE TERVIEW, GORDON THOMSON TELLS TIM TEEMAN ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD CLOSET, G OUT, JOAN COLLS VS. LDA EVANS, AND WHY CW'S 'DYNASTY' REBOOT IS AN ‘ABOMATN.’TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED SEP. 25, 2017 8:47PM EDT / PUBLISHED SEP. 25, 2017 12:00AM EDT EXCLIVEPHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEASTTHE BRISH UNTRYSI ON A WTER’S NIGHT THE EARLY 1980S: KY DARKNS ALL AROUND, THE OUTL OF HIGH CORNISH HEDG, FIELDS AND PS OF TRE SPEEDG BY AS THIS REPORTER’S FATHER DRIV HIM HOME OM A CHOIR PRACTICE.THERE IS NO VIO RERR AT HOME. INSTEAD, MY FATHER, AS REQUTED, HAS SET UP AN OLD-SCHOOL TAPE RERR ONT OF THE TV TO RERD THAT NIGHT’S EPISO—SEASON 3, EPISO 6—OF DYNASTY. THAT TAPE IS NOW PLAYG AS THE R SPEEDS THROUGH THE CORNISH NIGHT.THE EPISO’S CLIFFHANGER APPROACH, WH ALEXIS (JOAN COLLS) STERNLY STCTG HER EVIL SON ADAM: “I’LL CI IF JEFF COLBY BE A REAL THREAT. NOT YOU. I.”SWELL OF MIC, UNSEEN CLIMACTIC EEZE AME WH THE NAM OF AARON SPELLG, THE FAMED -EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE SHOW, ALONGSI DOUGLAS S. CRAMER. ECSTASY. THIRTY-FOUR YEARS LATER, NEAR THE END OF OUR TERVIEW, THE ACTOR GORDON THOMSON, WHO PLAYED ADAM, ONE OF THE NASTIT, SEXIT VILLAS ON PRIME-TIME TELEVISN THE 1980S, SAYS: “IT’S VERY NICE TO BE AS NDID AS I HAVE BEEN, BELIEVE ME.” HE HAS JT E OUT.THOMSON HAD WONRED BEFORE WE SPOKE WHETHER HIS SEXUALY WOULD E UP OUR NVERSATN, AND WHAT HE WOULD SAY IF DID. WOULD HE SHOUT “HOW DARE YOU?” AND “GET ON MY HIGH HORSE” AND TERMATE THE LL, OR—THE UNSPOKEN ALTERNATIVE—WOULD HE FALLY SAY WHAT HE HAS NOT FELT ABLE TO SAY ALL THE YEARS: THAT Y, HE IS GAY.THOMSON HAS AN ACTOR’S VOICE—RICH, EP-TONED—AND HIS W IS AS ARCH AS HE IS DIRECT.COMG OUT MAY SEEM A FAIAR THG FOR PUBLIC FIGUR TO DO THE DAYS, YET REMAS A BRAVE AND LIFE-CHANGG ACT WHETHER YOU’RE A HIGH SCHOOL KID, OR TV STAR, OR FORMER STAR. FOR THOMSON—ALTHOUGH SOME FANS HAVE MED ABOUT HIS SEXUALY ONLE AND FOR MANY THIS MAY NOT SEEM ANY KD OF BIG AL 2017—THIS IS A MOMENTO MOMENT, PECIALLY AS WHEN HE WAS A HUGE PRIME-TIME STAR G OUT WOULD HAVE BEEN “PROFSNAL SUICI,” AS HE PUTS . THOMSON’S EXPERIENCE SH AN ILLUMATG LIGHT ON WHAT LIFE THE CLOSET FOR A CELEBRY IS ACTUALLY LIKE: THE LCULATNS MA, BENEFS ACCED AND STS CURRED.NOW THOMSON IS 72, HIS LIFE HAS MOVED ON, AND HE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT HIS LIFE AND OUT OF THE CLOSET, AND THE “SHAME” OF WHICH HE ONLY NOW FEELS HE IS MANAGG TO RID HIMSELF.HE WILL TALK NOT JT ABOUT BEG GAY BUT DYNASTY SELF (THE ORIGAL SHOW IS BEG RELEASED ON OCT. 10 BY PARAMOUNT HOME VIO AS A 57-DISC SET, WHICH CLUS ALL 217 EPISOS), THE CRAZY STORYL (FALLON’S ALIEN ABDUCTN WAS THE SHOW’S ATH KNELL, THOMSON SAYS), THE SHOW’S LEADG LADI JOAN COLLS AND LDA EVANS, AND WHY THE REBOOT—SET TO PREMIERE ON THE CW ON OCT. 11—IS “TOTAL SH, AN ABOMATN.”THIS IS THE KD OF STRAIGHT TALK YOU’D EXPECT OM ADAM, FAMED OVER SEVEN SEASONS OF HIGH DRAMA FOR POISONG GOOD-GUY HUNK JEFF COLBY (THOMSON’S IEND JOHN JAM, AKA “J.J.”) WH LEAD PAT, OR RAPG HIS LOVE KIRBY (KATHLEEN BELLER), AND GENERALLY BEG A SNEAKY, SPIBLE WEASEL.ADAM WAS ALSO EXTREMELY SEXY, WHETHER A TOWEL OR GYM SHORTS; MOST GAY IENDS GROWG UP THE 1980S WHO WATCHED DYNASTY LATER SAID THEY WERE JEFF FANS. I WAS ADAM-ALL-THE-WAY: HE WAS SUCH A STRANGE, TRANSFIXG VILLA TO WATCH, AND THE CHARACTER HIMSELF—JOG THE SHOW AS A RECENTLY DISVERED CARRGTON, KIDNAPPED AS A YOUNG BOY—ALWAYS SET HIM APART. DPERATE FOR A PLACE THIS REGAL, MPY DYSFUNCTNAL, PANY-OWNG AND STROYG, ALEXIS-AND-KRYSTLE EPIC TFIGHTG, SHOULR-PADD NIGHTMARE OF A FAY, ADAM DID ANYTHG HE ULD TO GA POWER. STEVEN CARRGTON (AL CORLEY, LATER JACK COLEMAN) MAY HAVE BEEN GAY, BUT THE HETEROSEXUAL ADAM WAS QUEER THE TT SENSE OF THE WORD.‘THE SHAME, THE BREATHTAKG LACK OF SELF-TEEM, HAS ONLY JT BEGUN TO SEEP OUT OF MY SOUL’BEFORE WE TALKED ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, I HAD ASKED THOMSON WHAT HE MA OF STEVEN’S NE YEARS OF GAY-ONE-MUTE, STRAIGHT-THE-NEXT OSCILLATG SEXUALY. IT WAS BOTH A RADIL PRIME-TIME CHARACTER, AND A PUZZLG, NSISTENTLY WRTEN ONE.“I THOUGHT WAS BULLSH,” THOMSON SAYS. “AT THE TIME, THE AIDS CRISIS HAD A LOT TO DO WH PRSURE ON THE WORK. I KNOW THAT AL CORLEY QU BEE HE FELT THEY WERE NOT ALLOWG HIM TO PLAY THE PART HONTLY. AND THEY WEREN’T.“I WAS VERY IMPRSED TO HEAR HIM SAY THAT AS STEVEN WHEN HE MET HIS BOYIEND THEY WOULD ONLY ALLOW THEM TO SHAKE HANDS. HE LEFT THE SHOW BEE HE THOUGHT THAT WAS CRAP, AND OF URSE WAS.“TODAY THERE IS GAY MARRIAGE, AND WHAT AN ENORMO DIFFERENCE. IT WAS APPALLGLY HANDLED. THEY OPENED A N OF WORMS AND WEREN’T TE TO , AND THEY ULD HAVE BEEN. THEY HAD GOOD ACTORS PLAYG THE PARTS. IT WAS A BIG SHAME. I’M VERY SORRY.”PRUMG THOMSON MIGHT BE GAY, I ASK IF, AS A GAY ACTOR PERFORMG DYNASTY ( ANOTHER TWIST, ADAM WAS HOMOPHOBIC), THOMSON EVER WANTED TO SAY TO THE WRERS AND PRODUCERS OF STEVEN’S BIZARRE TRAJECTORY: “THIS IS NOT WHAT BEG GAY IS.”“OH NO. NO. I WASN’T OUT, ARE YOU KIDDG?” THOMSON SAYS. “THE SHOW, THE TIME, THE FACT I WAS A LEADG MAN TO LOOK AT. NO. NO. NO. ROCK [HUDSON, WHO APPEARED DYNASTY BEFORE DYG OF PLITNS DUE TO AIDS, AND WHOSE KISS WH LDA EVANS’ KRYSTLE WAS NOTOR BEE OF ’80S AIDS PANIC] ONLY ME OUT WHEN HE GOT SICK. THIS WAS AN UTTERLY DIFFERENT TIME.“RICHARD CHAMBERLA (DR. KILDARE, THE THORN BIRDS), WHO I KNOW VERY SLIGHTLY, HAD WHAT I THK WAS THE RIGHT ATTU TO . IF YOU LOOK LIKE A LEADG MAN, WHY BOTHER G OUT? YOU DON’T HAVE TO. THE FACT IS HALF YOUR DIENCE IS WOMEN AND MOST OF THOSE WOMEN ARE STRAIGHT, AND THIS IS WHO YOU ARE PLAYG TO PECIALLY WH A SHOW LIKE DYNASTY, OR A SOAP OPERA.“YOU’RE ALSO A SOURCE OF FANTASY. IAN MCKELLEN AND DEREK JABI ARE WONRFUL PEOPLE, BUT PARDON ME, HOW MANY DIENCE MEMBERS FANTASIZE ABOUT FUCKG EHER ONE OF THEM? REALLY. IT HAD A LOT TO DO WH WHAT YOU LOOKED LIKE, I’M AAID.“IT’S NOT SOMETHG I’VE EVER ANNOUNCED,” HE SAYS OF HIS SEXUALY. “I’M ASSUMG THAT PEOPLE KNOW, AND NOW THAT I’M MY AGE THAT’S FE. I DON’T GO OUT OF MY WAY BEE ’S MY GENERATN, I THK. I’M PROBABLY AS HOMOPHOBIC AS ANY GAY MAN ALIVE BEE OF MY BACKGROUND.”THOMSON WAS BORN AND RAISED OTTAWA, STUDIED ENGLISH AT MCGILL UNIVERSY MONTREAL, AND BEFORE DYNASTY HAD DONE STAGE WORK (J GODSPELL, LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST), AS WELL AS DAYTIME SOAP (RYAN’S HOPE). HE WAS A VERY YOUNG-LOOKG 37 WHEN HE GOT THE ROLE OF ADAM CARRGTON, WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HIS MID-TWENTI.“WHEN I WAS GROWG UP [HOMOSEXUALY] WAS A CRIME, AND THEN CLASSIFIED AS A MENTAL ILLNS. IT WAS NOT UNTIL PIERRE T WAS PRIME MISTER OF CANADA WHEN I WAS 23, 24 YEARS OLD, DID CEASE BEG A CRIME, AND WAS NOT UNTIL I WAS NEARLY 30 THAT STOPPED BEG CLASSIFIED AS A MENTAL ILLNS THE U.S. SO YOU’RE ALG WH THAT. AND THE SHAME, THE BREATHTAKG LACK OF SELF-TEEM, HAS ONLY JT BEGUN TO SEEP OUT OF MY SOUL.”REALLY, I SAY, THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN AWFULLY LONG TIME OF FEELG BAD ABOUT ONELF.“OH Y, ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY,” THOMSON REPLI QUIETLY.HOWEVER MUCH HE HAS E TO TERMS WH HIS SEXUALY, THOMSON SAYS, A RIDUE OF SHAME WILL REMA PART OF WHO HE IS.“I AM OK, BUT WHAT HAS CHANGED ABOUT ME SI IS NOT ENOUGH, AND NEVER WILL BE BEE OF MY BACKGROUND. I WENT TO PRIVATE SCHOOL. MY FATHER WENT THERE. HE WAS AN ABSOLUTE DISHONORABLE CUNT, NOT A NICE MAN. THE SCHOOL HAS A REALLY RTRICTIVE, ALL-BOYS ATMOSPHERE.“I DIDN’T HAVE ANY SEXUAL SENSE UNTIL I WAS 12 OR 13. MY OLR BROTHER RECENTLY TOLD ME WHEN HE HAD HIS FIRST WET DREAM HE THOUGHT, ‘WHAT IS WRONG WH ME?’ NOBODY HAD TOLD HIM, HE THOUGHT, ‘WHAT IS THIS STUFF?’ HOPEFULLY PARENTG HAS IMPROVED.”I ASK THOMSON IF HE HAS EVER HAD A BOYIEND. “I DID HAVE A PARTNER, THOUGH NOT SUCCSFULLY—SADLY, ULTIMATELY, BEE OF MY LACK OF SELF-TEEM,” HE REPLI.I ASK HOW HIS SELF-TEEM IS NOW, AND HE TAK AN DIBLY EP BREATH. “MUCH HEALTHIER. HOW’S YOURS?”I SAY I WAS FORTUNATE TO MEET A GROUP OF OUT, AND POLILLY AND SOCIALLY ENGAGED LGBTQ PEOPLE WHEN I ME OUT AT 16.“GOOD FOR YOU, THAT’S GOOD LUCK,” THOMSON SAYS SOFTLY.I TELL HIM HOW EXTREMELY SEXY I AND A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE FOUND HIM DYNASTY; HE SHOULD AT LEAST KNOW THAT GAY MEN LTED AFTER HIM.THOMSON LETS OUT A ROAR OF LGHTER. “ONCE A WHILE I GET SENT PHOTOGRAPHS OF MYSELF, SHIRTLS A BLACK LEATHER JACKET, TO TOGRAPH OM FANS, AND I THK, ‘Y, I WOULD GET A WOODY LOOKG AT MYSELF.’ I EXAGGERATE, BUT THAT IS A SURPRISE.”HE NEVER GOT LUCKY WH GROUPI? “NO. IT’S LIKE WHAT RICHARD CHAMBERLA SAID, ‘DON’T FUCK WH THE FANTASY.’”THOMSON SAYS THAT OUT ACTOR MATT BOMER, WHO HE THKS IS EXTRAORDARILY GOOD-LOOKG AND TALENTED, HAS THE LATU TO BE OPEN “BEE HE HAS A RICH, SUCCSFUL HBAND. HE DON’T NEED HIS WORK TO LIVE,” AS THOMSON DID AND STILL DO. I ASK IF THOMSON THKS HOLLYWOOD STILL HAS “A CLOSET PROBLEM”; IS STILL A PLACE WHERE ACTORS ARE RETICENT ABOUT G OUT? “WHOUT QUTN, ABSOLUTELY,” SAYS THOMSON, AND GIV THE EXAMPLE OF A SHOW HE RECENTLY SHOT, PLAYG THE FATHER OF THE HERO CHARACTER. “THE ‘VIBE’ ON THAT SET—SORRY I HATE THAT WORD BUT THAT’S WHAT WAS—WAS SO HETEROSEXUAL. I DIDN’T WANT TO SAY, ‘GUS WHAT EVERYBODY, THE GUY PLAYG THE FATHER IS GAY.’ IF I HAD THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SLIGHT SHIFT AWAY WHICH I WASN’T READY TO AL WH.”SURELY, EVEN IF HE WASN’T OUT, THOMSON WOULD HAVE BEEN AROUND OTHER GAYS HOLLYWOOD. “NOT THAT MUCH NOT TO BEG WH,” HE SAYS. “WHEN I BEGAN TO DO SANTA BARBARA (THE NOW-EXTCT DAYTIME SOAP HE APPEARED AFTER DYNASTY) THGS GOT MUCH LOOSER. I ULD NOT HAVE GONE TO THE GYM IF WERE LIKE TODAY WH PEOPLE AND THEIR IPHON AND NO PRIVACY.”HE LGHS, RELLG HIMSELF AND JACK COLEMAN HTG THE BARS OF SUNSET BOULEVARD. “I’M A GAY MAN PLAYG AN HOMOPHOBIC ASSHOLE, HE’S PROVG HE ISN’T GAY WHILE PLAYG THIS MAN LONGG TO BE LOVE WH ANOTHER MAN. SOMEONE SHOULD MAKE THAT TO THE TV MOVIE OF THE WEEK.”ALL THIS, AND YOU WERE THE GAYT SHOW ON TV, I SAY. THOMSON ROARS WH LGHTER. “FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE,” HE SAYS.‘IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PROFSNAL SUICI WHOUT QUTN’IN A LATER PHONE LL, I ASK WHAT WAS LIKE FOR THOMSON BEG GAY AND ALSO PLAYG A HOMOPHOBE. “I’M AN ACTOR, WAS MY JOB,” THOMSON SAYS PLALY. “ASK (LRENCE) OLIVIER WHAT WAS LIKEN PLAYG OTHELLO. HE’S NOT BLACK, AND I DOUBT WE’LL SEE MANY WHE ACTORS PLAY OTHELLO AGA, BUT ADAM WAS A ROLE I PLAYED. ‘YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE ONE TO PLAY ONE.’”ON SET, JOHN FORSYTHE (BLAKE) SET THE TONE OF A SUPREMELY PROFSNAL ENTENTE RDIALE. “THERE WASN’T A LOT OF SOCIALIZG,” HE SAYS OF HIS OFF-SET IENDSHIPS WH THE RT OF THE ST. “I WAS SHY, BEE OF THE GAY THG.”HE WASN’T OUT TO HIS FELLOW ACTORS?“NO, THEY DIDN’T HAVE A CLUE. NEVER. NO, NO, NO.” HE PS. “I SUPPOSE IF THEY RED, PEOPLE KNEW.”THOMSON SAYS HE HAD A MON-LAW WIFE TORONTO FOR A LONG TIME. “IT WAS A LEGIMATE, GENUE RELATNSHIP OF 15 YEARS,” HE SAYS. “SHE’S THE REASON I DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY TODAY.” HE LGHS. “WE LOVED EACH OTHER AND DIDN’T SIGN ANYTHG. I SUPPORTED HER AFTERWARDS VERY HANDSOMELY, BUT THAT WASN’T DUCTIBLE, SO WAS ALL DOLLARS.”IN SOME TERVIEWS HE WOULD REFER TO HER, HE SAYS. “ONCE A WHILE A TABLOID WOULD START SNIFFG AROUND. THEY HAD NO PROOF, AND I WASN’T GOG TO FURNISH THE STORY BEE I WAS NOT SUICIDAL PROFSNALLY, AND TO E OUT WOULD HAVE BEEN PROFSNAL SUICI WHOUT QUTN.”LATER, AFTER THE SHOW END AND HE WAS SANTA BARBARA, THOMSON SAYS HE BEGAN TO GET A SOCIAL LIFE UNRWAY, AND THEN GOT TOGETHER WH THE LONG-TERM PARTNER HE MENTNED. “NOW I HAVE VERY GOOD IENDS WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE AND ’S NOT AN ISSUE AND ALSO, THANK GOD, I’M NOT 40 LOOKG 30 ANY MORE, I’M 72 LOOKG 60.”THOMSON LETS OUT ONE OF HIS MAGNIFICENT ROARS OF LGHTER. WOULD HE LIKE A PARTNER NOW? “NO, NO, NO, NO, NO,” HE SAYS, EACH A LTLE BULLET OF HEARTFELT DISSENT. “I DO NOT. DEFELY DO NOT.“I MET SOMEBODY AT SOMEBODY’S BIRTHDAY PARTY FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO AND THIS MAN WAS VERY ATTRACTIVE. HIS FIRST WORDS TO ME WERE: ‘YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY WONRFUL.’” THOMSON LGHS. “YOU DON’T SAY THAT TO SOMEBODY! IT WAS BT FIRST LE I’VE EVER HEARD PRACTILLY. “I SAID, ‘THANK YOU VERY MUCH,’ AND WE WERE GOG TO HAVE LUNCH A WEEK LATER. I GOT LOST. I HAVE NO SENSE OF DIRECTN AND NO GPS MY R I END UP KOREATOWN ( LOS ANGEL) FOR CHRISSAKE. I FALLY FOUND A PHONE TO E A STORE. I HAD NO RMATN FOR HIM. I FALLY FOUND THE RTRANT AND APOLOGIZED PROFELY: ‘I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE 10 MUT AGO, SORRY.’“AND THEN I REALIZED, ‘LET’S NOT DO THIS AGA.’ I DID FALLY EMAIL HIM AND SAY, ‘LOOK, THERE’S A REASON WHY THIS HAPPENED. I’M NOT READY FOR ANYBODY.’ I PROBABLY NEVER WILL BE. I’VE TURNED TO HERM, A RECLE, I HAVE MANY WAYS AND I WANT TO KEEP THAT WAY.”WHY SO? THOMSON LGHED SOFTLY AND PSED. “THAT’S ANOTHER HOUR NVERSATN. THERE ARE REASONS I KNOW ABOUT, AND A FEW I DON’T KNOW ABOUT. BUT BASILLY I LIKE MY OWN PANY A LOT. THERE’S ONE DOG LEFT AND WHEN SHE GO, NO MORE PETS. “I AM NOT AN UNKD DIVIDUAL. I DON’T THK I HAVE THE ENERGY, AND I DON’T WANT TO TAKE MY CLOTH OFF ONT OF ANYBODY—NOT EVEN MY DOCTOR UNLS I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO. SO, TAKG MY CLOTH OFF NOW, YOU WOULDN’T GO: ‘OH MY GOODNS WOW.’ YOU WOULDN’T GET A WOODY IS WHAT I’M TRYG TO SAY.”‘IF THE AFTERLIFE EXISTS— DON’T, BUT IF DID—AARON SPELLG WOULD BE HAVG MAJOR FS HIS GRAVE’THOMSON IS STILL ANGRY THAT HE DID NOT APPEAR ON THE UTTERLY SANE DYNASTY: THE RNN 1991, AS HE WAS APPEARG SANTA BARBARA AT THE TIME. “WHEN I READ THE SCRIPT I’D NEVER READ SUCH CRAP MY LIFE. I REMEMBER ONE LE THAT I THOUGHT I ULD NEVER SAY: ‘I WAS SCED BY THE LURE OF THE GOLD.’ WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT AN APPALLG LE.”HE WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE PERFORMED , BUT WHEN HE HEARD THAT ROB SACHS HAD BEEN GIVEN THE ROLE OF ADAM “BEE HE F THE CLOTH,” WAS HURTFUL. “THAT’S SULTG TO HIM, THE DIENCE, THE CHARACTER, AND ME. HE DID A CENT JOB I GUS, BUT NO EFFORT WAS MA AROUND WORKG WH MY SCHLE AND THAT MA ME VERY ANGRY.”NOT WISHG TO RETRACT HIS TALONS, THOMSON THEN STARTS ON THE REBOOT. “I HAVE HAD A LOOK AT THE NEW DYNASTY AND I AM APPALLED,” HE SAYS. “WHAT THE FUCK IS THE CW DOG? IT’S UTTER SH.” THE SHOW’S ORIGAL EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, RICHARD AND ESTHER SHAPIRO, REMA SO FOR THE REBOOT. KRYSTLE IS NOW THE LATA CRISTAL; SHE AND FALLON ARE VYG FOR RPORATE GLORY AND HAVG TFIGHTS; JEFF COLBY IS PLAYED BY AIN-AMERIN ACTOR SAM AGOKE; STEVEN IS OPENLY GAY, FATHER BLAKE IS FE WH , AND SAMMY JO IS NOW MALE. ALEXIS’ TRODUCTN REMAS A MYSTERY, THOUGH APPARENTLY SHOWS UP SEASON 1. THE STORY IS BEG TOLD OM THE BEGNG, WH THE SEQUENCE AND NATURE OF STORYL AND CHARACTERS TWEAKED.“IT’S NOT A NTUATN, AS DALLAS DID,” SAYS THOMSON, “BUT GO WAY BACK TO THE BEGNG. BLAKE FUCKS CRISTAL ACROSS A SK. THE TFIGHTS ARE KTY SNS. THE ACTG IS DREADFUL, TLY DREADFUL. THE WRG IS APPALLG. I DON’T KNOW WHAT POSSSED THE SHAPIROS TO BOTHER. “WHY LL DYNASTY? IT’S NOTHG TO DO WH DYNASTY AT ALL. IT’S SULTG. IF THE AFTERLIFE EXISTS— DON’T, BUT IF DID—AARON WOULD BE HAVG MAJOR FS HIS GRAVE. AND THE DIENCE THE CW IS AIMG FOR IS GOG TO THK ’S SH BEE IS SUCH SH THAT A CRETO 6-YEAR-OLD WOULD NOT BE TERTED. IT’S ABOMABLE.”NONE OF THE ORIGAL ST WAS APPROACHED TO PLAY , SAYS THOMSON. “NOBODY OVER THE AGE OF 30 IS THE SHOW,” THOMSON SAYS. PAMELA BELLWOOD (CLDIA BLAISL) PUT WELL WHEN SHE SAID THE ORIGAL SHOW HAD THREE MA CHARACTERS WHO WERE ADULTS OVER 40 WHO HAD “WONRFUL LIV, EMOTNAL LIV SEX LIV, WHO WERE PASSNATE DIVIDUALS.”IF THE NEW DYNASTY LLED THOMSON, WOULD HE RETURN? “NO, NOT TO THIS. I DON’T THK ANY OF WOULD.” IN THE DYNASTY HE AND OTHER STARS HAD IMAGED REVIVG, ADAM MIGHT BE ERNOR OF COLORADO, JEFF THE HEAD OF COLBYCO, AND FALLON THE HEAD OF DENVER CARRGTON. BUT, SEEMS, THAT IS NOT TO BE.‘ADAM WAS SUCH A SON OF A BCH’THOMSON DIDN’T REALIZE HOW FAMO HE HAD BEE UNTIL A TRIP TO NORWAY ON 1984, WHOSE THEN-SOCIALIST ERNMENT HAD DISAPPROVED OF DYNASTY. ENTERPRISG DIVIDUALS THERE HAD BEEN PUTTG ON VIOTAPE, AND VED HIM OVER. THOMSON WALKED OUT ONTO A STAGE TO FACE 10,000 HAPPILY SCREAMG FANS. “I BRIEFLY FELT LIKE HOW MICK JAGGER MT FEEL ALL THE TIME. THAT WAS MY TRODUCTN TO THE POWER OF AARON’S SHOW. IT WAS QUE EXTRAORDARY.”HE WAS THANKFUL THAT HE WAS AS OLD AS HE WAS. “I HAD BEEN WORKG AS AN ACTOR FOR 16 YEARS BY THAT TIME SO I KNEW MY JOB, WHICH HAD ALWAYS PROVED—AND DO TO THIS DAY—MY SOLE SOURCE OF SAFETY, FORT, AND PLEASURE. I LOVE WHAT I DO. NO MATTER WHERE I AM THE WORLD, AS LONG AS I AM DOG , I AM HAPPY.”HE MET PRCE CHARL 1987, WHO TOLD HIM DYNASTY WAS PRCS DIANA’S FAVORE SHOW. “I HAVE A PHOTOGRAPH OF OUR MEETG, AND A HUGE DITN OF THE POWER OF THE SHOW IS THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE AROUND ARE LOOKG AT ME, NOT HIM.”PEOPLE RPOND TO HIM WH SHY HELLOS AND THANK YO. IN BRA, THE TABLOIDS CHRISTENED ADAM “MR. NASTY.”“ADAM WAS SUCH A SON OF A BCH, A EPLY UNPLEASANT DIVIDUAL, THAT PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED THAT I SED,” THOMSON RELLS. “PEOPLE WERE APPREHENSIVE AROUND ME. THEIR SIGH OF RELIEF WAS ALMOST DIBLE. J.J. (JOHN JAM) AS JEFF WAS THE PRCE OF THE SHOW AND HAD TO LIVE UP TO THAT. I DIDN’T HAVE TO LIVE UP TO WHO I PLAYED. I HAD TO BASILLY LIVE DOWN.”OF JAM’ SEXS, THOMSON SAYS, “I HAD NOT A SHRIVEL IF TERT HIM BACK THEN.” (LATER THIS WEEK, THE DAILY BEAST WILL ALSO SPEAK TO JOHN JAM AND PAMELA BELLWOOD.) ORIGALLY, ADAM WAS SLATED TO APPEAR JT SIX EPISOS. “JOAN (COLLS, ALEXIS) WASN’T HAPPY. I WAS A LOT OLR THAN SHE WAS ED TO WHEN ME TO HER TV CHILDREN. SUDNLY, ON DYNASTY, SHE HAD THREE OR FOUR CHILDREN WHO WERE OLD ENOUGH TO VOTE. THANK GOD AT THE TIME FOR MY GEN. I WAS MY FORTI WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WAS HOT MY TOWEL. I WOULDN’T HAVE GOT THE JOB HAD I LOOKED 37,” THOMSON SAYS. IN HIS TWENTI, WHEN HE WAS GODSPELL OPPOSE GILDA RADNER, MART SHORT, AND EUGENE LEVY (“SIX MONTHS, $234 A WEEK, NOBODY ULD LIVE ANYWHERE ON THAT MONEY”), THOMSON WAS ALSO A TALOG MOL. “IT WASN’T GLAMORO BUT PAID THE BILLS. I HAD TO BE GOOD SHAPE. I HAD A 29-CH WAIST WHEN I WAS RYAN’S HOPE, AND A 32-CH WAIST FOR MOST OF DYNASTY.”THOMSON BROUGHT TO ADAM A SENSE OF DANGER; ADAM’S SCEN ARE FULL OF HIS POISONO FURY AT THE WORLD AND HIS PERCEIVED ENEMI; SOMETIM THE FURY IS SUPPRSED, SOMETIM IS ON EXPLOSIVE DISPLAY. THOMSON SAYS HE BROUGHT THE SAME QUALI TO PLAYG DRACULA ON STAGE. HE WAS ON THE CP, HE SAYS, OF BEG THE LEADG MAN THE 1973-74 STRATFORD SHAKPEARE SEASON. “BUT I WOULDN’T SLEEP WH THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR. MY REER ME TO END ON STAGE. I LOVED DOG SHAKPEARE. I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN BETTER AT . I WAS ROBBED. SHAKPEARE IS SO MULTI-FACETED AND HAS AFFECTED HOW I LOOK AT ANY ROLE.”INED, YOU N SEE TRAC OF THE BENIGHTED, TRAGILLY FLAWED, AND POISONO IAGO, HAMLET, AND MACBETH ADAM CARRGTON.WAS THOMSON LIKE ADAM ANY WAY? “NOT PARTICULARLY. WE LOOK ALIKE, THAT’S . WE ULDN’T BE MORE DIFFERENT SO MANY WAYS.”I ASKED IF THOMSON’S THEN-CLOSETEDNS ANY WAY RMED ADAM’S BROODG DISTANCE OM HIS LOVED ON. “I WASN’T AWARE OF THAT, BUT THAT KD OF THG IS PART OF AN ACTOR’S TOOLBOX, CERTALY. I WAS READY FOR THE ROLE. I HAD CUT MY TEETH. I DON’T KNOW HOW ANYONE AGED 23 OR 24 WOULD HAVE MATAED THEIR SANY, BEE ANYTHG YOU WANT YOU N HAVE. YOU’LL PAY FOR , BUT YOU N HAVE .“KNOWG AT 18 I WANTED TO ACT CUT OUT A LOT OF CRAP. I NEVER DID DGS, I, NO THANK YOU. I KNEW WHAT I HAD TO DO: ACTG WAS MY TEMPLE, MY RELIGN. I’M AN ATHEIST: ACTG IS WHAT I LOVE, TST, AND BELIEVE . THAT WAS AN ENORMO ARMOR FOR ME, AND SO WAS MY AGE. I WAS NEVER PREY, THANK GOD.”THE PROBLEM THE WOMEN ON THE SHOW FACED WAS THE RELENTLS ON- AND OFF-SET SCTY OF THEIR LOOKS, SAYS THOMSON. THE SHOW WAS SHORT BY TWO MUT ONE WEEK, HE RELLS, AND PRODUCERS LLED BELLER (KIRBY) TO RERD A FILLER SCENE LATE ON A FRIDAY, “WHICH SHE DID LIKE A PRO.”ON MONDAY, THE PRODUCERS HAD NOT ABOUT HAIR AND WARDROBE, AND NOT ONE THANK YOU FOR HER STERLG IMPROMPTU SCENE. “THAT FUCKG PHRASE: ‘THE LOOK OF THE SHOW,’” THOMSON SAYS SRNFULLY. “THEY PAID SO MUCH ATTENTN TO LOOKS, AND NOT ENOUGH TO CHARACTERS—AND STEVEN WAS THE ONE WHO WAS SHORT-CHANGED THE MOST, WHOUT QUTN.”IN NTRAST TO THE WOMEN, KTED OUT THEIR GLTERG, MASSIVE-SHOULRED GOWNS BY NOLAN MILLER, THE MEN WERE MA UP FIVE TO 10 MUT, HE SAYS.‘JOAN WAS JEALO OF LDA. LDA WAS NOT THE ACTRS JOAN WAS AND IS, AND WAS JT EFFORTLSLY ADORED’THOMSON’S FAVORE SCEN WERE HIS TRODUCTORY SCEN WH LURENE TUTTLE PLAYG HIS GRANDMOTHER, REVEALG HIS LONG-LOST CARRGTON STAT, AND LATER HIS FIRST WH COLLS. “THERE I WAS (AS MICHAEL TORRANCE AS ADAM WAS FIRST KNOWN), LOOKG THROUGH MY GRANDMOTHER’S UNDI TO FD THAT SILVER BABY RATTLE.” HE PUTS ON THE ADAM VOICE, AS HE RE-ENACTS STARG TO THE MIRROR THAT SCENE. “‘MY NAME IS ADAM ALEXANR CARRGTON.’ I GOT A SHIVER SAYG JT NOW. WHAT A GREAT BACKSTORY.”HE AND COLLS HAD AN STANT SPARK, EVEN IF WHEN THOMSON FIRST MET HER, HER FIRST WORDS TO HIM WERE, “OH Y, YOU’RE HERE TO TT FOR THE PART OF MY SON. IT’S RIDICULO DARLG, YOU’RE MUCH TOO OLD.”THOMSON LGHS. “IT TOOK ME FOUR YEARS TO REALIZE WHAT AN APPALLG THG THAT WAS TO SAY TO SOMEBODY. I DIDN’T TAKE THAT PERSONALLY. HER JTIFIABLE VANY IS LOSSAL, AND I KNEW SHE WAS RIGHT. JOAN AND I HAD CHEMISTRY OM THE WORD GO.”BUT WHILE THOMSON AND COLLS “GOT ALONG LIKE A HOE,” SHE DID NOT WH JOHN FORSYTHE AND LDA EVANS, ACRDG TO THOMSON. “JOAN DIDN’T LIKE LDA BEE LDA WAS LOVED. SHE WAS A STAR EFFORTLSLY. JOAN WAS AT BT A GRA B MOVIE STAR, AND SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A HUGE STAR. SHE KNEW SHE WAS THREE OR FOUR ON THE TOTEM POLE OF ENGLISH BT, AT THE TOP OF WHICH WAS HER IEND ELIZABETH TAYLOR. “JOAN HAD A WONRFUL SEX LIFE, MARRIAG, AND KIDS, AND SHE ARRIVED ON DYNASTY WH A LOT OF RéSUMé. JOAN KNEW ALEXIS WAS ‘KAPOW’ AND DUG ALL 10 FGERNAILS TO THE PART AND WENT WH . IT WAS A BIG TREAT TO WATCH. I WAS TOLD AARON SAID TO HER, ‘YOU SAVED MY SHOW,’ AND SHE DID.”WHEN FORSYTHE FOUND OUT COLLS HAD POSED FOR PLAYBOY WHEN SHE TURNED 50, HE STORMED TO SPELLG’S OFFICE TO PLA, SAYS THOMSON. “I JT THOUGHT HOW BLOODY GOOD SHE LOOKS, BRAVO!”“JOAN WAS JEALO OF LDA,” SAYS THOMSON. “LDA WAS NOT THE ACTRS JOAN WAS AND IS, AND WAS JT EFFORTLSLY ADORED BY EVERYBODY ON SET, OFF SET, THE PUBLIC. I HAVE NEVER MET A MORE SYMPATHETIC, EMPATHIC, GENERO, GEO-LOOKG HUMAN MY LIFE. SHE WAS MIRACULO, AND THE DIENCE KNEW THAT.”THOMSON HAD THE MOST FUN PLAYG THE BAD GUY, HE SAYS, AND WHEN PEOPLE ASK HOW HE FELT PLAYG SUCH AN APPALLG CHARACTER, HE SAYS THAT HE WAS JT PLAYG ADAM, NOT JUDGG HIM. “ADAM AND ALEXIS WERE MANY PEOPLE’S FAVORE CHARACTERS,” THOMSON SAYS WH A CHUCKLE, “BEE WE WERE SEXY, ATTRACTIVE, VERY FUCKED-UP, AND VERY THLS.”HE BLAM HIS “BAD MANAGEMENT” AT THE TIME FOR MAKG HIM THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE DYNASTY ST NOT TO GET A MOVIE OF THE WEEK DURG THE 1980S. “EVER,” HE SAYS SHARPLY. “AND I WAS WELL-EQUIPPED—BETTER EQUIPPED THAN MOST OF THE ST.”POISONG POOR JEFF FOR MONTHS WH A TOXIC PAT POUND WAS “ABSOLUTELY WONRFUL.” HE RELISHED THE STORY, PECIALLY PARISON TO “THE REALLY GHASTLY ALIEN STORY POOR EMMA (SAMMS, FALLON) HAD TO PE WH. THAT WAS THE KISS OF ATH FOR THE SHOW. THAT WAS THE WORST THG THAT THE SHOW CID TO STICK ON THE PUBLIC. THE WORST. IT HAD NOTHG TO DO WH ANYTHG DYNASTY WAS EVER NNECTED WH.” IT REMD HIM OF BEG ST RYAN’S HOPE AS AN EGYPTOLOGIST, ST BEE ONE OF THE SHOW’S CREATORS HAD GONE TO EGYPT AND FALLEN LOVE WH . BUT, HE SAYS LGHG, AN EGYPTOLOGIST HAD NO PLACE A SHOW CENTERED AROUND AN IRISH PUB NEW YORK CY. “IT’S A MISTAKE TO VEER TOO FAR OM THE SENCE OF A SHOW. THE GOLN GIRLS HAD THE LIVG ROOM AND THE KCHEN. DYNASTY HAD THE MANSN. ALIENS OM MARS: WHAT AN SANE IA THAT WAS.” THOMSON SAYS THAT THE SHOW’S -CREATOR ESTHER SHAPIRO HAD TOLD A ROOM FULL OF WRERS: “THE FIRST PERSON TO LGH IS FIRED. RICHARD (SHAPIRO, HER HBAND AND THIS SHOW’S OTHER CREATOR) HAS HAD A VISN: ALIENS.”‘WE WALKED OUT OF THAT MASSACRE, TWO BY TWO, LIKE NOAH’S ARK. IT WAS LUDICRO’THOMSON DIDN’T LIKE THE WRERS MAKG ADAM NICER AS TIME WENT ON. “ME WAS THE MOST TERTG PART FOR A GUY ON DYNASTY. HE WAS SO FUCKED-UP, ATTRACTIVE, BRIGHT, AND TENSE. PASSN IS VERY SEXY UNLS THE PERSON GO BERSERK, WHICH ADAM DID ONCE AWHILE. BUT THIS SHOW WAS AN HOUR’S WORTH OF HOLIDAY ONCE EVERY WEEK. IT WASN’T ST. ELSEWHERE OR L.A. LAW, OR SOME OTHER EQUALLY WELL-TENTNED DRAMA. WE WERE THIS EXTRAORDARY SERIAL OF BETIFUL FUCKED-UP PEOPLE.”THE FAMO “MOLDAVIAN MASSACRE” OF THE 1985 SEASON FALE, WHEN TERRORISTS SHOT ALL THE ST MEMBERS (WH ALL THE SHOW’S LEAD CHARACTERS SUBSEQUENTLY SURVIVG) LEFT THOMSON CRLO. “WHEN I SAW , I THOUGHT, ‘WHAT A WASTED OPPORTUNY THAT WAS. WE WALKED OUT OF THAT MASSACRE, TWO BY TWO, LIKE NOAH’S ARK. IT WAS LUDICRO. NOBODY HAD A SCRATCH. WE WERE BETIFULLY DRSED. NOBODY WAS LIMPG. I THOUGHT, ‘AT LEAST PUT SOMEONE’S LIFE JEOPARDY.’”ALI MACGRAW AND ROCK HUDSON HAD JOED THE SHOW THAT SEASON, TOO, THE IA BEG THEIR CHARACTERS WOULD HAVE AFFAIRS WH BLAKE AND KRYSTLE RPECTIVELY. “JOHN FORSYTHE WAS HAVG NONE OF ,” SAYS THOMSON. HE GAVE ALI A BIG BUNCH OF FLOWERS WHEN SHE ARRIVED AS IF TO SAY: WELE, AND THAT IS NOT GOG TO HAPPEN. FOR HIM THERE WAS NEVER A REMOTE POSSIBILY THAT BLAKE AND KRYSTLE WOULD BE UNFAHFUL TO ONE ANOTHER. “HE HAD A STRA-LACED TERMATN TO MAKE THIS UPLE THE MOST MAGIL AND UNREAL UPLE THERE EVER WAS. HE WAS LOVE WH LDA PROBABLY, QUIETLY AND BY HIMSELF.”THOMSON SAID HUDSON WAS SO ILL ON THE SET THAT TOOK THE MAKE-UP ARTIST AN HOUR AND A HALF TO MAKE HIM LOOK PRENTABLE. “HE WAS STILL VERY HANDSOME, AND WAS VERY NCERNED ABOUT HIS KISS WH KRYSTLE. BUT WHEN YOU WATCH , ’S THE KISS YOU GIVE A 2-YEAR-OLD BABY. THERE WAS NOTHG SEXUAL ABOUT . WE WERE ALL SO IGNORANT ABOUT HOW HIV WAS TRANSMTED 1985.”AT THE TIME, ABC WAS KNOWN, SAYS THOMSON, AS THE “AARON BROADSTG COMPANY” AS SPELLG HAD NTRIBUTED SO MANY H SHOWS TO THE WORK’S SCHL. THE SHOW MIGHT HAVE SURVIVED A B LONGER BEYOND S ATH 1989, THOMSON SAYS, BUT “NOBODY WAS HEARTBROKEN WHEN STOPPED, BEE WHATEVER HAD BEEN JUICY ABOUT THE SHOW WAS GONE. I WAS LUCKY TO BE VOLVED S JUICIT YEARS.”IT’S GREAT TO SEE HIS STMAT FOR EVENTS AND TV RNNS, THOMSON SAYS. HE SAW BELLER AND LEANN HUNLEY, WHO PLAYED ADAM’S LAST ON-SCREEN WIFE DANA, A UPLE OF YEARS AGO, “LOOKG GEO AND WAS LOVELY.”I ASK IF THERE WAS ANYTHG HE HADN’T DONE AS ADAM THAT HE WOULD LOVED TO HAVE DONE? “I N’T REMEMBER WHAT HE DIDN’T DO,” SAYS THOMSON, LGHG. HAD THE SHOW NTUED HE THKS ADAM’S WIFE DANA MAY HAVE MA HIM A LTLE SOCIALLY EASIER, BUT—PHEW!—NOT ALTERED HIS FUNDAMENTAL ROTTENNS. ‘I’D LIKE TO PLAY ANOTHER MONSTER, I REALLY WOULD’THOMSON MISS ADAM CARRGTON, HE SAYS, AND NEXT WOULD LIKE TO PLAY SOMEONE LIKE HIM. HE ME CLOSE TO SANTA BARBARA, EVEN THOUGH HIS CHARACTER WASN’T EVIL. “IT WAS 35 PAG A DAY, FIVE DAYS A WEEK, 50 WEEKS A YEAR: IT WAS WONRFUL,” HE SAYS. “I’D LOVE TO PLAY SOME ADAM-LIKE GROWN UP EXECUTIVE BEHD A SK BEG AN ABSOLUTE SH,” THOMSON SAYS WH RELISH. “I’D LIKE TO PLAY ANOTHER MONSTER, I REALLY WOULD, A LAYERED MONSTER, AND IF HE WASN’T LAYERED ON THE PAGE I’D FD A WAY TO MAKE HIM SO, FILLG L WH PS AND ATTU THAT ANY GOOD ACTOR KNOWS HOW TO DO.”AN ANKLE JURY THOMSON STAED AT 22 RURFACED FIVE YEARS AGO, WHICH MEANT HE ULDN’T WORK FOR A LONG PERD OF TIME. THE TWO ORIGAL STEVEN CARRGTONS, AL CORLEY, AND JACK COLEMAN, BEECHED THOMSON TO GO TO AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON, “AND SO NOW I HAVE A NEW ANKLE. I’M NOT LIMPG ANY MORE, BUT I DON’T MOVE AS EASILY AS I ED TO. I N’T N. STAIRS ARE DIFFICULT.”AGG IS A BCH, BEE HE IS NSTANTLY REMD OF HOW ATTRACTIVE AND SIRABLE HE WAS BEE OF FANS’ PASSNATE NOSTALGIA FOR THE SHOW. “THEY WANT YOU TO TOGRAPH SOMETHG WH YOU AGED 40. THAT WAS ME THEN, AND THIS IS ME NOW. YOU’RE HNTED BY WHAT YOU ED TO LOOK LIKE. IT’S VERY STRANGE.”DO ONE MAKE PEACE WH ? “I DON’T THK N MAKE PEACE WH ,” SAYS THOMSON. “YOU’RE AROUND ALL THE TIME.”THOMSON STOUTLY SISTS, HOWEVER, THAT WHILE HE MAY NOT BE THE YOUNG, HANDSOME ACTOR HE WAS BACK THEN, HE’S NOT BAD LOOKG NOW. HE NOT THAT JOHN JAM’ HAIR IS THNER THAN WAS, “AND HE WAS THE BT-LOOKG MAN ON TV AT THAT TIME.” THOMSON PAR JAM’ TLE RD AT THE BEGNG OF THE SHOW (“NOTHG GOG ON BEHD THE EY”) WH ADAM’S SH-EATG GR AS A CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE’S RK POPS OFF.THOMSON LGHS AS HE RELLS ONE ATRALIAN TERVIEWER NOTG HOW DIFFERENT HE LOOKED TO HIS 40-YEAR-OLD SELF. “I MEAN, YOU GIVE ME A HAIRDRSER AND A BOTTLE OF DYE AND WE’LL DO AGA IF YOU LIKE,” HE SAYS.HE SISTS HE IS NOT LONELY. “I’M A LUCKY MAN. LUCK, GOOD OR ILL, IS THE LOSTAR OF EVERY LIFE AND GOOD LUCK IS THE RART THG MY BS, AND I GOT LUCKY FOR A WHILE AND I’M STILL LUCKY TO A GREE,” HE SAYS.WHAT WAS THE MAGIC OF DYNASTY, DO THOMSON THK? HE SAYS HE WAS ONCE TOLD, ON THAT TRIP TO NORWAY, “BY MY FIRST SOCIALIST JOURNALIST, ‘MR. THOMSON, YOUR SHOW IS SO IMMORAL.’“I SAID, ‘EXCE ME, DO YOU LIKE HOLIDAYS?’“SHE SAID, ‘WELL Y, ANYONE LIK HOLIDAYS.’“‘THAT’S ALL WE SUPPLY: AN HOUR’S HOLIDAY EVERY WEEK,’ I SAID TO HER. THAT WAS GOOD, QUICK THKG ON MY FEET. YOU ULDN’T AFFORD TO GO TO CAPRI BUT YOU TURNED THE TV ON AND WATCHED DYNASTY FOR AN HOUR, AND THAT’S WHAT WAS AND THAT’S WHO WE WERE.”OUR NVERSATN MEANRS PLEASANTLY ON FOR A WHILE, ABOUT THE BLOOMSBURY SET (THOMSON IS READG BILL GOLDSTE’S ACCLAIMED, JT-PUBLISHED THE WORLD BROKE IN TWO: T. S. ELT, D. H. LAWRENCE, E. M. FORSTER, AND THE YEAR THAT CHANGED LERATURE). I ASK IF THOMSON IS ALRIGHT, IMAGG WHAT A BIG AL MT HAVE BEEN FOR HIM TO E OUT, AND BE AS OPEN AS HE HAS BEEN. THOMSON SAYS HE IS FE. “I’M GOG TO HAVE A CUP OF TEA,” HE ANNOUNC. “I’VE HAD A VERY GOOD TIME. UNEXPECTED.” HE PS AGA, AND ADDS SOFTLY, “UNEXPECTED.”DYNASTY: THE COMPLETE SERI, A 57 DVD-SET WH MANY EXTRAS LIKE TERVIEWS WH AL CORLEY AND PAMELA SUE MART, IS RELEASED BY PARAMOUNT HOME VIO ON OCT. 10. DYNASTY BEGS ON THE CW, WEDNDAY OCT. 11 AT 9 P.M. TIM TEEMAN
TELEVISN: DYNASTY’S DISMAL GAY CHARACTER

PRI MONTH 2020: DYNASTY’S STEVEN CARRGTON CREASED GAY VISIBILY ON TV, SO WHY DID THE CW DROP HIM FOR THE REBOOT?

* dynasty gay character *

Soon, his character ma a transn to one of the first ma gay characters on TV and champned the e of LBGTQ muny those days. Irked that the shownners haven't mentned him at all, fans hailed him as the first gay character and want him back. Steven Carrgton was the first gay character on Amerin televisn.

‘I’M GAY’: GORDON THOMSON, DYNASTY’S ADAM CARRGTON, COM OUT—AND TRASH CW’S REBOOTMR. NASTYIN AN EXCLIVE TERVIEW, GORDON THOMSON TELLS TIM TEEMAN ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD CLOSET, G OUT, JOAN COLLS VS. LDA EVANS, AND WHY CW'S 'DYNASTY' REBOOT IS AN ‘ABOMATN.’TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED SEP. 25, 2017 8:47PM EDT / PUBLISHED SEP. 25, 2017 12:00AM EDT EXCLIVEPHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEASTTHE BRISH UNTRYSI ON A WTER’S NIGHT THE EARLY 1980S: KY DARKNS ALL AROUND, THE OUTL OF HIGH CORNISH HEDG, FIELDS AND PS OF TRE SPEEDG BY AS THIS REPORTER’S FATHER DRIV HIM HOME OM A CHOIR PRACTICE.THERE IS NO VIO RERR AT HOME. INSTEAD, MY FATHER, AS REQUTED, HAS SET UP AN OLD-SCHOOL TAPE RERR ONT OF THE TV TO RERD THAT NIGHT’S EPISO—SEASON 3, EPISO 6—OF DYNASTY. THAT TAPE IS NOW PLAYG AS THE R SPEEDS THROUGH THE CORNISH NIGHT.THE EPISO’S CLIFFHANGER APPROACH, WH ALEXIS (JOAN COLLS) STERNLY STCTG HER EVIL SON ADAM: “I’LL CI IF JEFF COLBY BE A REAL THREAT. NOT YOU. I.”SWELL OF MIC, UNSEEN CLIMACTIC EEZE AME WH THE NAM OF AARON SPELLG, THE FAMED -EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE SHOW, ALONGSI DOUGLAS S. CRAMER. ECSTASY. THIRTY-FOUR YEARS LATER, NEAR THE END OF OUR TERVIEW, THE ACTOR GORDON THOMSON, WHO PLAYED ADAM, ONE OF THE NASTIT, SEXIT VILLAS ON PRIME-TIME TELEVISN THE 1980S, SAYS: “IT’S VERY NICE TO BE AS NDID AS I HAVE BEEN, BELIEVE ME.” HE HAS JT E OUT.THOMSON HAD WONRED BEFORE WE SPOKE WHETHER HIS SEXUALY WOULD E UP OUR NVERSATN, AND WHAT HE WOULD SAY IF DID. WOULD HE SHOUT “HOW DARE YOU?” AND “GET ON MY HIGH HORSE” AND TERMATE THE LL, OR—THE UNSPOKEN ALTERNATIVE—WOULD HE FALLY SAY WHAT HE HAS NOT FELT ABLE TO SAY ALL THE YEARS: THAT Y, HE IS GAY.THOMSON HAS AN ACTOR’S VOICE—RICH, EP-TONED—AND HIS W IS AS ARCH AS HE IS DIRECT.COMG OUT MAY SEEM A FAIAR THG FOR PUBLIC FIGUR TO DO THE DAYS, YET REMAS A BRAVE AND LIFE-CHANGG ACT WHETHER YOU’RE A HIGH SCHOOL KID, OR TV STAR, OR FORMER STAR. FOR THOMSON—ALTHOUGH SOME FANS HAVE MED ABOUT HIS SEXUALY ONLE AND FOR MANY THIS MAY NOT SEEM ANY KD OF BIG AL 2017—THIS IS A MOMENTO MOMENT, PECIALLY AS WHEN HE WAS A HUGE PRIME-TIME STAR G OUT WOULD HAVE BEEN “PROFSNAL SUICI,” AS HE PUTS . THOMSON’S EXPERIENCE SH AN ILLUMATG LIGHT ON WHAT LIFE THE CLOSET FOR A CELEBRY IS ACTUALLY LIKE: THE LCULATNS MA, BENEFS ACCED AND STS CURRED.NOW THOMSON IS 72, HIS LIFE HAS MOVED ON, AND HE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT HIS LIFE AND OUT OF THE CLOSET, AND THE “SHAME” OF WHICH HE ONLY NOW FEELS HE IS MANAGG TO RID HIMSELF.HE WILL TALK NOT JT ABOUT BEG GAY BUT DYNASTY SELF (THE ORIGAL SHOW IS BEG RELEASED ON OCT. 10 BY PARAMOUNT HOME VIO AS A 57-DISC SET, WHICH CLUS ALL 217 EPISOS), THE CRAZY STORYL (FALLON’S ALIEN ABDUCTN WAS THE SHOW’S ATH KNELL, THOMSON SAYS), THE SHOW’S LEADG LADI JOAN COLLS AND LDA EVANS, AND WHY THE REBOOT—SET TO PREMIERE ON THE CW ON OCT. 11—IS “TOTAL SH, AN ABOMATN.”THIS IS THE KD OF STRAIGHT TALK YOU’D EXPECT OM ADAM, FAMED OVER SEVEN SEASONS OF HIGH DRAMA FOR POISONG GOOD-GUY HUNK JEFF COLBY (THOMSON’S IEND JOHN JAM, AKA “J.J.”) WH LEAD PAT, OR RAPG HIS LOVE KIRBY (KATHLEEN BELLER), AND GENERALLY BEG A SNEAKY, SPIBLE WEASEL.ADAM WAS ALSO EXTREMELY SEXY, WHETHER A TOWEL OR GYM SHORTS; MOST GAY IENDS GROWG UP THE 1980S WHO WATCHED DYNASTY LATER SAID THEY WERE JEFF FANS. I WAS ADAM-ALL-THE-WAY: HE WAS SUCH A STRANGE, TRANSFIXG VILLA TO WATCH, AND THE CHARACTER HIMSELF—JOG THE SHOW AS A RECENTLY DISVERED CARRGTON, KIDNAPPED AS A YOUNG BOY—ALWAYS SET HIM APART. DPERATE FOR A PLACE THIS REGAL, MPY DYSFUNCTNAL, PANY-OWNG AND STROYG, ALEXIS-AND-KRYSTLE EPIC TFIGHTG, SHOULR-PADD NIGHTMARE OF A FAY, ADAM DID ANYTHG HE ULD TO GA POWER. STEVEN CARRGTON (AL CORLEY, LATER JACK COLEMAN) MAY HAVE BEEN GAY, BUT THE HETEROSEXUAL ADAM WAS QUEER THE TT SENSE OF THE WORD.‘THE SHAME, THE BREATHTAKG LACK OF SELF-TEEM, HAS ONLY JT BEGUN TO SEEP OUT OF MY SOUL’BEFORE WE TALKED ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, I HAD ASKED THOMSON WHAT HE MA OF STEVEN’S NE YEARS OF GAY-ONE-MUTE, STRAIGHT-THE-NEXT OSCILLATG SEXUALY. IT WAS BOTH A RADIL PRIME-TIME CHARACTER, AND A PUZZLG, NSISTENTLY WRTEN ONE.“I THOUGHT WAS BULLSH,” THOMSON SAYS. “AT THE TIME, THE AIDS CRISIS HAD A LOT TO DO WH PRSURE ON THE WORK. I KNOW THAT AL CORLEY QU BEE HE FELT THEY WERE NOT ALLOWG HIM TO PLAY THE PART HONTLY. AND THEY WEREN’T.“I WAS VERY IMPRSED TO HEAR HIM SAY THAT AS STEVEN WHEN HE MET HIS BOYIEND THEY WOULD ONLY ALLOW THEM TO SHAKE HANDS. HE LEFT THE SHOW BEE HE THOUGHT THAT WAS CRAP, AND OF URSE WAS.“TODAY THERE IS GAY MARRIAGE, AND WHAT AN ENORMO DIFFERENCE. IT WAS APPALLGLY HANDLED. THEY OPENED A N OF WORMS AND WEREN’T TE TO , AND THEY ULD HAVE BEEN. THEY HAD GOOD ACTORS PLAYG THE PARTS. IT WAS A BIG SHAME. I’M VERY SORRY.”PRUMG THOMSON MIGHT BE GAY, I ASK IF, AS A GAY ACTOR PERFORMG DYNASTY ( ANOTHER TWIST, ADAM WAS HOMOPHOBIC), THOMSON EVER WANTED TO SAY TO THE WRERS AND PRODUCERS OF STEVEN’S BIZARRE TRAJECTORY: “THIS IS NOT WHAT BEG GAY IS.”“OH NO. NO. I WASN’T OUT, ARE YOU KIDDG?” THOMSON SAYS. “THE SHOW, THE TIME, THE FACT I WAS A LEADG MAN TO LOOK AT. NO. NO. NO. ROCK [HUDSON, WHO APPEARED DYNASTY BEFORE DYG OF PLITNS DUE TO AIDS, AND WHOSE KISS WH LDA EVANS’ KRYSTLE WAS NOTOR BEE OF ’80S AIDS PANIC] ONLY ME OUT WHEN HE GOT SICK. THIS WAS AN UTTERLY DIFFERENT TIME.“RICHARD CHAMBERLA (DR. KILDARE, THE THORN BIRDS), WHO I KNOW VERY SLIGHTLY, HAD WHAT I THK WAS THE RIGHT ATTU TO . IF YOU LOOK LIKE A LEADG MAN, WHY BOTHER G OUT? YOU DON’T HAVE TO. THE FACT IS HALF YOUR DIENCE IS WOMEN AND MOST OF THOSE WOMEN ARE STRAIGHT, AND THIS IS WHO YOU ARE PLAYG TO PECIALLY WH A SHOW LIKE DYNASTY, OR A SOAP OPERA.“YOU’RE ALSO A SOURCE OF FANTASY. IAN MCKELLEN AND DEREK JABI ARE WONRFUL PEOPLE, BUT PARDON ME, HOW MANY DIENCE MEMBERS FANTASIZE ABOUT FUCKG EHER ONE OF THEM? REALLY. IT HAD A LOT TO DO WH WHAT YOU LOOKED LIKE, I’M AAID.“IT’S NOT SOMETHG I’VE EVER ANNOUNCED,” HE SAYS OF HIS SEXUALY. “I’M ASSUMG THAT PEOPLE KNOW, AND NOW THAT I’M MY AGE THAT’S FE. I DON’T GO OUT OF MY WAY BEE ’S MY GENERATN, I THK. I’M PROBABLY AS HOMOPHOBIC AS ANY GAY MAN ALIVE BEE OF MY BACKGROUND.”THOMSON WAS BORN AND RAISED OTTAWA, STUDIED ENGLISH AT MCGILL UNIVERSY MONTREAL, AND BEFORE DYNASTY HAD DONE STAGE WORK (J GODSPELL, LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST), AS WELL AS DAYTIME SOAP (RYAN’S HOPE). HE WAS A VERY YOUNG-LOOKG 37 WHEN HE GOT THE ROLE OF ADAM CARRGTON, WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HIS MID-TWENTI.“WHEN I WAS GROWG UP [HOMOSEXUALY] WAS A CRIME, AND THEN CLASSIFIED AS A MENTAL ILLNS. IT WAS NOT UNTIL PIERRE T WAS PRIME MISTER OF CANADA WHEN I WAS 23, 24 YEARS OLD, DID CEASE BEG A CRIME, AND WAS NOT UNTIL I WAS NEARLY 30 THAT STOPPED BEG CLASSIFIED AS A MENTAL ILLNS THE U.S. SO YOU’RE ALG WH THAT. AND THE SHAME, THE BREATHTAKG LACK OF SELF-TEEM, HAS ONLY JT BEGUN TO SEEP OUT OF MY SOUL.”REALLY, I SAY, THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN AWFULLY LONG TIME OF FEELG BAD ABOUT ONELF.“OH Y, ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY,” THOMSON REPLI QUIETLY.HOWEVER MUCH HE HAS E TO TERMS WH HIS SEXUALY, THOMSON SAYS, A RIDUE OF SHAME WILL REMA PART OF WHO HE IS.“I AM OK, BUT WHAT HAS CHANGED ABOUT ME SI IS NOT ENOUGH, AND NEVER WILL BE BEE OF MY BACKGROUND. I WENT TO PRIVATE SCHOOL. MY FATHER WENT THERE. HE WAS AN ABSOLUTE DISHONORABLE CUNT, NOT A NICE MAN. THE SCHOOL HAS A REALLY RTRICTIVE, ALL-BOYS ATMOSPHERE.“I DIDN’T HAVE ANY SEXUAL SENSE UNTIL I WAS 12 OR 13. MY OLR BROTHER RECENTLY TOLD ME WHEN HE HAD HIS FIRST WET DREAM HE THOUGHT, ‘WHAT IS WRONG WH ME?’ NOBODY HAD TOLD HIM, HE THOUGHT, ‘WHAT IS THIS STUFF?’ HOPEFULLY PARENTG HAS IMPROVED.”I ASK THOMSON IF HE HAS EVER HAD A BOYIEND. “I DID HAVE A PARTNER, THOUGH NOT SUCCSFULLY—SADLY, ULTIMATELY, BEE OF MY LACK OF SELF-TEEM,” HE REPLI.I ASK HOW HIS SELF-TEEM IS NOW, AND HE TAK AN DIBLY EP BREATH. “MUCH HEALTHIER. HOW’S YOURS?”I SAY I WAS FORTUNATE TO MEET A GROUP OF OUT, AND POLILLY AND SOCIALLY ENGAGED LGBTQ PEOPLE WHEN I ME OUT AT 16.“GOOD FOR YOU, THAT’S GOOD LUCK,” THOMSON SAYS SOFTLY.I TELL HIM HOW EXTREMELY SEXY I AND A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE FOUND HIM DYNASTY; HE SHOULD AT LEAST KNOW THAT GAY MEN LTED AFTER HIM.THOMSON LETS OUT A ROAR OF LGHTER. “ONCE A WHILE I GET SENT PHOTOGRAPHS OF MYSELF, SHIRTLS A BLACK LEATHER JACKET, TO TOGRAPH OM FANS, AND I THK, ‘Y, I WOULD GET A WOODY LOOKG AT MYSELF.’ I EXAGGERATE, BUT THAT IS A SURPRISE.”HE NEVER GOT LUCKY WH GROUPI? “NO. IT’S LIKE WHAT RICHARD CHAMBERLA SAID, ‘DON’T FUCK WH THE FANTASY.’”THOMSON SAYS THAT OUT ACTOR MATT BOMER, WHO HE THKS IS EXTRAORDARILY GOOD-LOOKG AND TALENTED, HAS THE LATU TO BE OPEN “BEE HE HAS A RICH, SUCCSFUL HBAND. HE DON’T NEED HIS WORK TO LIVE,” AS THOMSON DID AND STILL DO. I ASK IF THOMSON THKS HOLLYWOOD STILL HAS “A CLOSET PROBLEM”; IS STILL A PLACE WHERE ACTORS ARE RETICENT ABOUT G OUT? “WHOUT QUTN, ABSOLUTELY,” SAYS THOMSON, AND GIV THE EXAMPLE OF A SHOW HE RECENTLY SHOT, PLAYG THE FATHER OF THE HERO CHARACTER. “THE ‘VIBE’ ON THAT SET—SORRY I HATE THAT WORD BUT THAT’S WHAT WAS—WAS SO HETEROSEXUAL. I DIDN’T WANT TO SAY, ‘GUS WHAT EVERYBODY, THE GUY PLAYG THE FATHER IS GAY.’ IF I HAD THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SLIGHT SHIFT AWAY WHICH I WASN’T READY TO AL WH.”SURELY, EVEN IF HE WASN’T OUT, THOMSON WOULD HAVE BEEN AROUND OTHER GAYS HOLLYWOOD. “NOT THAT MUCH NOT TO BEG WH,” HE SAYS. “WHEN I BEGAN TO DO SANTA BARBARA (THE NOW-EXTCT DAYTIME SOAP HE APPEARED AFTER DYNASTY) THGS GOT MUCH LOOSER. I ULD NOT HAVE GONE TO THE GYM IF WERE LIKE TODAY WH PEOPLE AND THEIR IPHON AND NO PRIVACY.”HE LGHS, RELLG HIMSELF AND JACK COLEMAN HTG THE BARS OF SUNSET BOULEVARD. “I’M A GAY MAN PLAYG AN HOMOPHOBIC ASSHOLE, HE’S PROVG HE ISN’T GAY WHILE PLAYG THIS MAN LONGG TO BE LOVE WH ANOTHER MAN. SOMEONE SHOULD MAKE THAT TO THE TV MOVIE OF THE WEEK.”ALL THIS, AND YOU WERE THE GAYT SHOW ON TV, I SAY. THOMSON ROARS WH LGHTER. “FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE,” HE SAYS.‘IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PROFSNAL SUICI WHOUT QUTN’IN A LATER PHONE LL, I ASK WHAT WAS LIKE FOR THOMSON BEG GAY AND ALSO PLAYG A HOMOPHOBE. “I’M AN ACTOR, WAS MY JOB,” THOMSON SAYS PLALY. “ASK (LRENCE) OLIVIER WHAT WAS LIKEN PLAYG OTHELLO. HE’S NOT BLACK, AND I DOUBT WE’LL SEE MANY WHE ACTORS PLAY OTHELLO AGA, BUT ADAM WAS A ROLE I PLAYED. ‘YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE ONE TO PLAY ONE.’”ON SET, JOHN FORSYTHE (BLAKE) SET THE TONE OF A SUPREMELY PROFSNAL ENTENTE RDIALE. “THERE WASN’T A LOT OF SOCIALIZG,” HE SAYS OF HIS OFF-SET IENDSHIPS WH THE RT OF THE ST. “I WAS SHY, BEE OF THE GAY THG.”HE WASN’T OUT TO HIS FELLOW ACTORS?“NO, THEY DIDN’T HAVE A CLUE. NEVER. NO, NO, NO.” HE PS. “I SUPPOSE IF THEY RED, PEOPLE KNEW.”THOMSON SAYS HE HAD A MON-LAW WIFE TORONTO FOR A LONG TIME. “IT WAS A LEGIMATE, GENUE RELATNSHIP OF 15 YEARS,” HE SAYS. “SHE’S THE REASON I DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY TODAY.” HE LGHS. “WE LOVED EACH OTHER AND DIDN’T SIGN ANYTHG. I SUPPORTED HER AFTERWARDS VERY HANDSOMELY, BUT THAT WASN’T DUCTIBLE, SO WAS ALL DOLLARS.”IN SOME TERVIEWS HE WOULD REFER TO HER, HE SAYS. “ONCE A WHILE A TABLOID WOULD START SNIFFG AROUND. THEY HAD NO PROOF, AND I WASN’T GOG TO FURNISH THE STORY BEE I WAS NOT SUICIDAL PROFSNALLY, AND TO E OUT WOULD HAVE BEEN PROFSNAL SUICI WHOUT QUTN.”LATER, AFTER THE SHOW END AND HE WAS SANTA BARBARA, THOMSON SAYS HE BEGAN TO GET A SOCIAL LIFE UNRWAY, AND THEN GOT TOGETHER WH THE LONG-TERM PARTNER HE MENTNED. “NOW I HAVE VERY GOOD IENDS WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE AND ’S NOT AN ISSUE AND ALSO, THANK GOD, I’M NOT 40 LOOKG 30 ANY MORE, I’M 72 LOOKG 60.”THOMSON LETS OUT ONE OF HIS MAGNIFICENT ROARS OF LGHTER. WOULD HE LIKE A PARTNER NOW? “NO, NO, NO, NO, NO,” HE SAYS, EACH A LTLE BULLET OF HEARTFELT DISSENT. “I DO NOT. DEFELY DO NOT.“I MET SOMEBODY AT SOMEBODY’S BIRTHDAY PARTY FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO AND THIS MAN WAS VERY ATTRACTIVE. HIS FIRST WORDS TO ME WERE: ‘YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY WONRFUL.’” THOMSON LGHS. “YOU DON’T SAY THAT TO SOMEBODY! IT WAS BT FIRST LE I’VE EVER HEARD PRACTILLY. “I SAID, ‘THANK YOU VERY MUCH,’ AND WE WERE GOG TO HAVE LUNCH A WEEK LATER. I GOT LOST. I HAVE NO SENSE OF DIRECTN AND NO GPS MY R I END UP KOREATOWN ( LOS ANGEL) FOR CHRISSAKE. I FALLY FOUND A PHONE TO E A STORE. I HAD NO RMATN FOR HIM. I FALLY FOUND THE RTRANT AND APOLOGIZED PROFELY: ‘I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE 10 MUT AGO, SORRY.’“AND THEN I REALIZED, ‘LET’S NOT DO THIS AGA.’ I DID FALLY EMAIL HIM AND SAY, ‘LOOK, THERE’S A REASON WHY THIS HAPPENED. I’M NOT READY FOR ANYBODY.’ I PROBABLY NEVER WILL BE. I’VE TURNED TO HERM, A RECLE, I HAVE MANY WAYS AND I WANT TO KEEP THAT WAY.”WHY SO? THOMSON LGHED SOFTLY AND PSED. “THAT’S ANOTHER HOUR NVERSATN. THERE ARE REASONS I KNOW ABOUT, AND A FEW I DON’T KNOW ABOUT. BUT BASILLY I LIKE MY OWN PANY A LOT. THERE’S ONE DOG LEFT AND WHEN SHE GO, NO MORE PETS. “I AM NOT AN UNKD DIVIDUAL. I DON’T THK I HAVE THE ENERGY, AND I DON’T WANT TO TAKE MY CLOTH OFF ONT OF ANYBODY—NOT EVEN MY DOCTOR UNLS I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO. SO, TAKG MY CLOTH OFF NOW, YOU WOULDN’T GO: ‘OH MY GOODNS WOW.’ YOU WOULDN’T GET A WOODY IS WHAT I’M TRYG TO SAY.”‘IF THE AFTERLIFE EXISTS— DON’T, BUT IF DID—AARON SPELLG WOULD BE HAVG MAJOR FS HIS GRAVE’THOMSON IS STILL ANGRY THAT HE DID NOT APPEAR ON THE UTTERLY SANE DYNASTY: THE RNN 1991, AS HE WAS APPEARG SANTA BARBARA AT THE TIME. “WHEN I READ THE SCRIPT I’D NEVER READ SUCH CRAP MY LIFE. I REMEMBER ONE LE THAT I THOUGHT I ULD NEVER SAY: ‘I WAS SCED BY THE LURE OF THE GOLD.’ WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT AN APPALLG LE.”HE WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE PERFORMED , BUT WHEN HE HEARD THAT ROB SACHS HAD BEEN GIVEN THE ROLE OF ADAM “BEE HE F THE CLOTH,” WAS HURTFUL. “THAT’S SULTG TO HIM, THE DIENCE, THE CHARACTER, AND ME. HE DID A CENT JOB I GUS, BUT NO EFFORT WAS MA AROUND WORKG WH MY SCHLE AND THAT MA ME VERY ANGRY.”NOT WISHG TO RETRACT HIS TALONS, THOMSON THEN STARTS ON THE REBOOT. “I HAVE HAD A LOOK AT THE NEW DYNASTY AND I AM APPALLED,” HE SAYS. “WHAT THE FUCK IS THE CW DOG? IT’S UTTER SH.” THE SHOW’S ORIGAL EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, RICHARD AND ESTHER SHAPIRO, REMA SO FOR THE REBOOT. KRYSTLE IS NOW THE LATA CRISTAL; SHE AND FALLON ARE VYG FOR RPORATE GLORY AND HAVG TFIGHTS; JEFF COLBY IS PLAYED BY AIN-AMERIN ACTOR SAM AGOKE; STEVEN IS OPENLY GAY, FATHER BLAKE IS FE WH , AND SAMMY JO IS NOW MALE. ALEXIS’ TRODUCTN REMAS A MYSTERY, THOUGH APPARENTLY SHOWS UP SEASON 1. THE STORY IS BEG TOLD OM THE BEGNG, WH THE SEQUENCE AND NATURE OF STORYL AND CHARACTERS TWEAKED.“IT’S NOT A NTUATN, AS DALLAS DID,” SAYS THOMSON, “BUT GO WAY BACK TO THE BEGNG. BLAKE FUCKS CRISTAL ACROSS A SK. THE TFIGHTS ARE KTY SNS. THE ACTG IS DREADFUL, TLY DREADFUL. THE WRG IS APPALLG. I DON’T KNOW WHAT POSSSED THE SHAPIROS TO BOTHER. “WHY LL DYNASTY? IT’S NOTHG TO DO WH DYNASTY AT ALL. IT’S SULTG. IF THE AFTERLIFE EXISTS— DON’T, BUT IF DID—AARON WOULD BE HAVG MAJOR FS HIS GRAVE. AND THE DIENCE THE CW IS AIMG FOR IS GOG TO THK ’S SH BEE IS SUCH SH THAT A CRETO 6-YEAR-OLD WOULD NOT BE TERTED. IT’S ABOMABLE.”NONE OF THE ORIGAL ST WAS APPROACHED TO PLAY , SAYS THOMSON. “NOBODY OVER THE AGE OF 30 IS THE SHOW,” THOMSON SAYS. PAMELA BELLWOOD (CLDIA BLAISL) PUT WELL WHEN SHE SAID THE ORIGAL SHOW HAD THREE MA CHARACTERS WHO WERE ADULTS OVER 40 WHO HAD “WONRFUL LIV, EMOTNAL LIV SEX LIV, WHO WERE PASSNATE DIVIDUALS.”IF THE NEW DYNASTY LLED THOMSON, WOULD HE RETURN? “NO, NOT TO THIS. I DON’T THK ANY OF WOULD.” IN THE DYNASTY HE AND OTHER STARS HAD IMAGED REVIVG, ADAM MIGHT BE ERNOR OF COLORADO, JEFF THE HEAD OF COLBYCO, AND FALLON THE HEAD OF DENVER CARRGTON. BUT, SEEMS, THAT IS NOT TO BE.‘ADAM WAS SUCH A SON OF A BCH’THOMSON DIDN’T REALIZE HOW FAMO HE HAD BEE UNTIL A TRIP TO NORWAY ON 1984, WHOSE THEN-SOCIALIST ERNMENT HAD DISAPPROVED OF DYNASTY. ENTERPRISG DIVIDUALS THERE HAD BEEN PUTTG ON VIOTAPE, AND VED HIM OVER. THOMSON WALKED OUT ONTO A STAGE TO FACE 10,000 HAPPILY SCREAMG FANS. “I BRIEFLY FELT LIKE HOW MICK JAGGER MT FEEL ALL THE TIME. THAT WAS MY TRODUCTN TO THE POWER OF AARON’S SHOW. IT WAS QUE EXTRAORDARY.”HE WAS THANKFUL THAT HE WAS AS OLD AS HE WAS. “I HAD BEEN WORKG AS AN ACTOR FOR 16 YEARS BY THAT TIME SO I KNEW MY JOB, WHICH HAD ALWAYS PROVED—AND DO TO THIS DAY—MY SOLE SOURCE OF SAFETY, FORT, AND PLEASURE. I LOVE WHAT I DO. NO MATTER WHERE I AM THE WORLD, AS LONG AS I AM DOG , I AM HAPPY.”HE MET PRCE CHARL 1987, WHO TOLD HIM DYNASTY WAS PRCS DIANA’S FAVORE SHOW. “I HAVE A PHOTOGRAPH OF OUR MEETG, AND A HUGE DITN OF THE POWER OF THE SHOW IS THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE AROUND ARE LOOKG AT ME, NOT HIM.”PEOPLE RPOND TO HIM WH SHY HELLOS AND THANK YO. IN BRA, THE TABLOIDS CHRISTENED ADAM “MR. NASTY.”“ADAM WAS SUCH A SON OF A BCH, A EPLY UNPLEASANT DIVIDUAL, THAT PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED THAT I SED,” THOMSON RELLS. “PEOPLE WERE APPREHENSIVE AROUND ME. THEIR SIGH OF RELIEF WAS ALMOST DIBLE. J.J. (JOHN JAM) AS JEFF WAS THE PRCE OF THE SHOW AND HAD TO LIVE UP TO THAT. I DIDN’T HAVE TO LIVE UP TO WHO I PLAYED. I HAD TO BASILLY LIVE DOWN.”OF JAM’ SEXS, THOMSON SAYS, “I HAD NOT A SHRIVEL IF TERT HIM BACK THEN.” (LATER THIS WEEK, THE DAILY BEAST WILL ALSO SPEAK TO JOHN JAM AND PAMELA BELLWOOD.) ORIGALLY, ADAM WAS SLATED TO APPEAR JT SIX EPISOS. “JOAN (COLLS, ALEXIS) WASN’T HAPPY. I WAS A LOT OLR THAN SHE WAS ED TO WHEN ME TO HER TV CHILDREN. SUDNLY, ON DYNASTY, SHE HAD THREE OR FOUR CHILDREN WHO WERE OLD ENOUGH TO VOTE. THANK GOD AT THE TIME FOR MY GEN. I WAS MY FORTI WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WAS HOT MY TOWEL. I WOULDN’T HAVE GOT THE JOB HAD I LOOKED 37,” THOMSON SAYS. IN HIS TWENTI, WHEN HE WAS GODSPELL OPPOSE GILDA RADNER, MART SHORT, AND EUGENE LEVY (“SIX MONTHS, $234 A WEEK, NOBODY ULD LIVE ANYWHERE ON THAT MONEY”), THOMSON WAS ALSO A TALOG MOL. “IT WASN’T GLAMORO BUT PAID THE BILLS. I HAD TO BE GOOD SHAPE. I HAD A 29-CH WAIST WHEN I WAS RYAN’S HOPE, AND A 32-CH WAIST FOR MOST OF DYNASTY.”THOMSON BROUGHT TO ADAM A SENSE OF DANGER; ADAM’S SCEN ARE FULL OF HIS POISONO FURY AT THE WORLD AND HIS PERCEIVED ENEMI; SOMETIM THE FURY IS SUPPRSED, SOMETIM IS ON EXPLOSIVE DISPLAY. THOMSON SAYS HE BROUGHT THE SAME QUALI TO PLAYG DRACULA ON STAGE. HE WAS ON THE CP, HE SAYS, OF BEG THE LEADG MAN THE 1973-74 STRATFORD SHAKPEARE SEASON. “BUT I WOULDN’T SLEEP WH THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR. MY REER ME TO END ON STAGE. I LOVED DOG SHAKPEARE. I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN BETTER AT . I WAS ROBBED. SHAKPEARE IS SO MULTI-FACETED AND HAS AFFECTED HOW I LOOK AT ANY ROLE.”INED, YOU N SEE TRAC OF THE BENIGHTED, TRAGILLY FLAWED, AND POISONO IAGO, HAMLET, AND MACBETH ADAM CARRGTON.WAS THOMSON LIKE ADAM ANY WAY? “NOT PARTICULARLY. WE LOOK ALIKE, THAT’S . WE ULDN’T BE MORE DIFFERENT SO MANY WAYS.”I ASKED IF THOMSON’S THEN-CLOSETEDNS ANY WAY RMED ADAM’S BROODG DISTANCE OM HIS LOVED ON. “I WASN’T AWARE OF THAT, BUT THAT KD OF THG IS PART OF AN ACTOR’S TOOLBOX, CERTALY. I WAS READY FOR THE ROLE. I HAD CUT MY TEETH. I DON’T KNOW HOW ANYONE AGED 23 OR 24 WOULD HAVE MATAED THEIR SANY, BEE ANYTHG YOU WANT YOU N HAVE. YOU’LL PAY FOR , BUT YOU N HAVE .“KNOWG AT 18 I WANTED TO ACT CUT OUT A LOT OF CRAP. I NEVER DID DGS, I, NO THANK YOU. I KNEW WHAT I HAD TO DO: ACTG WAS MY TEMPLE, MY RELIGN. I’M AN ATHEIST: ACTG IS WHAT I LOVE, TST, AND BELIEVE . THAT WAS AN ENORMO ARMOR FOR ME, AND SO WAS MY AGE. I WAS NEVER PREY, THANK GOD.”THE PROBLEM THE WOMEN ON THE SHOW FACED WAS THE RELENTLS ON- AND OFF-SET SCTY OF THEIR LOOKS, SAYS THOMSON. THE SHOW WAS SHORT BY TWO MUT ONE WEEK, HE RELLS, AND PRODUCERS LLED BELLER (KIRBY) TO RERD A FILLER SCENE LATE ON A FRIDAY, “WHICH SHE DID LIKE A PRO.”ON MONDAY, THE PRODUCERS HAD NOT ABOUT HAIR AND WARDROBE, AND NOT ONE THANK YOU FOR HER STERLG IMPROMPTU SCENE. “THAT FUCKG PHRASE: ‘THE LOOK OF THE SHOW,’” THOMSON SAYS SRNFULLY. “THEY PAID SO MUCH ATTENTN TO LOOKS, AND NOT ENOUGH TO CHARACTERS—AND STEVEN WAS THE ONE WHO WAS SHORT-CHANGED THE MOST, WHOUT QUTN.”IN NTRAST TO THE WOMEN, KTED OUT THEIR GLTERG, MASSIVE-SHOULRED GOWNS BY NOLAN MILLER, THE MEN WERE MA UP FIVE TO 10 MUT, HE SAYS.‘JOAN WAS JEALO OF LDA. LDA WAS NOT THE ACTRS JOAN WAS AND IS, AND WAS JT EFFORTLSLY ADORED’THOMSON’S FAVORE SCEN WERE HIS TRODUCTORY SCEN WH LURENE TUTTLE PLAYG HIS GRANDMOTHER, REVEALG HIS LONG-LOST CARRGTON STAT, AND LATER HIS FIRST WH COLLS. “THERE I WAS (AS MICHAEL TORRANCE AS ADAM WAS FIRST KNOWN), LOOKG THROUGH MY GRANDMOTHER’S UNDI TO FD THAT SILVER BABY RATTLE.” HE PUTS ON THE ADAM VOICE, AS HE RE-ENACTS STARG TO THE MIRROR THAT SCENE. “‘MY NAME IS ADAM ALEXANR CARRGTON.’ I GOT A SHIVER SAYG JT NOW. WHAT A GREAT BACKSTORY.”HE AND COLLS HAD AN STANT SPARK, EVEN IF WHEN THOMSON FIRST MET HER, HER FIRST WORDS TO HIM WERE, “OH Y, YOU’RE HERE TO TT FOR THE PART OF MY SON. IT’S RIDICULO DARLG, YOU’RE MUCH TOO OLD.”THOMSON LGHS. “IT TOOK ME FOUR YEARS TO REALIZE WHAT AN APPALLG THG THAT WAS TO SAY TO SOMEBODY. I DIDN’T TAKE THAT PERSONALLY. HER JTIFIABLE VANY IS LOSSAL, AND I KNEW SHE WAS RIGHT. JOAN AND I HAD CHEMISTRY OM THE WORD GO.”BUT WHILE THOMSON AND COLLS “GOT ALONG LIKE A HOE,” SHE DID NOT WH JOHN FORSYTHE AND LDA EVANS, ACRDG TO THOMSON. “JOAN DIDN’T LIKE LDA BEE LDA WAS LOVED. SHE WAS A STAR EFFORTLSLY. JOAN WAS AT BT A GRA B MOVIE STAR, AND SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A HUGE STAR. SHE KNEW SHE WAS THREE OR FOUR ON THE TOTEM POLE OF ENGLISH BT, AT THE TOP OF WHICH WAS HER IEND ELIZABETH TAYLOR. “JOAN HAD A WONRFUL SEX LIFE, MARRIAG, AND KIDS, AND SHE ARRIVED ON DYNASTY WH A LOT OF RéSUMé. JOAN KNEW ALEXIS WAS ‘KAPOW’ AND DUG ALL 10 FGERNAILS TO THE PART AND WENT WH . IT WAS A BIG TREAT TO WATCH. I WAS TOLD AARON SAID TO HER, ‘YOU SAVED MY SHOW,’ AND SHE DID.”WHEN FORSYTHE FOUND OUT COLLS HAD POSED FOR PLAYBOY WHEN SHE TURNED 50, HE STORMED TO SPELLG’S OFFICE TO PLA, SAYS THOMSON. “I JT THOUGHT HOW BLOODY GOOD SHE LOOKS, BRAVO!”“JOAN WAS JEALO OF LDA,” SAYS THOMSON. “LDA WAS NOT THE ACTRS JOAN WAS AND IS, AND WAS JT EFFORTLSLY ADORED BY EVERYBODY ON SET, OFF SET, THE PUBLIC. I HAVE NEVER MET A MORE SYMPATHETIC, EMPATHIC, GENERO, GEO-LOOKG HUMAN MY LIFE. SHE WAS MIRACULO, AND THE DIENCE KNEW THAT.”THOMSON HAD THE MOST FUN PLAYG THE BAD GUY, HE SAYS, AND WHEN PEOPLE ASK HOW HE FELT PLAYG SUCH AN APPALLG CHARACTER, HE SAYS THAT HE WAS JT PLAYG ADAM, NOT JUDGG HIM. “ADAM AND ALEXIS WERE MANY PEOPLE’S FAVORE CHARACTERS,” THOMSON SAYS WH A CHUCKLE, “BEE WE WERE SEXY, ATTRACTIVE, VERY FUCKED-UP, AND VERY THLS.”HE BLAM HIS “BAD MANAGEMENT” AT THE TIME FOR MAKG HIM THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE DYNASTY ST NOT TO GET A MOVIE OF THE WEEK DURG THE 1980S. “EVER,” HE SAYS SHARPLY. “AND I WAS WELL-EQUIPPED—BETTER EQUIPPED THAN MOST OF THE ST.”POISONG POOR JEFF FOR MONTHS WH A TOXIC PAT POUND WAS “ABSOLUTELY WONRFUL.” HE RELISHED THE STORY, PECIALLY PARISON TO “THE REALLY GHASTLY ALIEN STORY POOR EMMA (SAMMS, FALLON) HAD TO PE WH. THAT WAS THE KISS OF ATH FOR THE SHOW. THAT WAS THE WORST THG THAT THE SHOW CID TO STICK ON THE PUBLIC. THE WORST. IT HAD NOTHG TO DO WH ANYTHG DYNASTY WAS EVER NNECTED WH.” IT REMD HIM OF BEG ST RYAN’S HOPE AS AN EGYPTOLOGIST, ST BEE ONE OF THE SHOW’S CREATORS HAD GONE TO EGYPT AND FALLEN LOVE WH . BUT, HE SAYS LGHG, AN EGYPTOLOGIST HAD NO PLACE A SHOW CENTERED AROUND AN IRISH PUB NEW YORK CY. “IT’S A MISTAKE TO VEER TOO FAR OM THE SENCE OF A SHOW. THE GOLN GIRLS HAD THE LIVG ROOM AND THE KCHEN. DYNASTY HAD THE MANSN. ALIENS OM MARS: WHAT AN SANE IA THAT WAS.” THOMSON SAYS THAT THE SHOW’S -CREATOR ESTHER SHAPIRO HAD TOLD A ROOM FULL OF WRERS: “THE FIRST PERSON TO LGH IS FIRED. RICHARD (SHAPIRO, HER HBAND AND THIS SHOW’S OTHER CREATOR) HAS HAD A VISN: ALIENS.”‘WE WALKED OUT OF THAT MASSACRE, TWO BY TWO, LIKE NOAH’S ARK. IT WAS LUDICRO’THOMSON DIDN’T LIKE THE WRERS MAKG ADAM NICER AS TIME WENT ON. “ME WAS THE MOST TERTG PART FOR A GUY ON DYNASTY. HE WAS SO FUCKED-UP, ATTRACTIVE, BRIGHT, AND TENSE. PASSN IS VERY SEXY UNLS THE PERSON GO BERSERK, WHICH ADAM DID ONCE AWHILE. BUT THIS SHOW WAS AN HOUR’S WORTH OF HOLIDAY ONCE EVERY WEEK. IT WASN’T ST. ELSEWHERE OR L.A. LAW, OR SOME OTHER EQUALLY WELL-TENTNED DRAMA. WE WERE THIS EXTRAORDARY SERIAL OF BETIFUL FUCKED-UP PEOPLE.”THE FAMO “MOLDAVIAN MASSACRE” OF THE 1985 SEASON FALE, WHEN TERRORISTS SHOT ALL THE ST MEMBERS (WH ALL THE SHOW’S LEAD CHARACTERS SUBSEQUENTLY SURVIVG) LEFT THOMSON CRLO. “WHEN I SAW , I THOUGHT, ‘WHAT A WASTED OPPORTUNY THAT WAS. WE WALKED OUT OF THAT MASSACRE, TWO BY TWO, LIKE NOAH’S ARK. IT WAS LUDICRO. NOBODY HAD A SCRATCH. WE WERE BETIFULLY DRSED. NOBODY WAS LIMPG. I THOUGHT, ‘AT LEAST PUT SOMEONE’S LIFE JEOPARDY.’”ALI MACGRAW AND ROCK HUDSON HAD JOED THE SHOW THAT SEASON, TOO, THE IA BEG THEIR CHARACTERS WOULD HAVE AFFAIRS WH BLAKE AND KRYSTLE RPECTIVELY. “JOHN FORSYTHE WAS HAVG NONE OF ,” SAYS THOMSON. HE GAVE ALI A BIG BUNCH OF FLOWERS WHEN SHE ARRIVED AS IF TO SAY: WELE, AND THAT IS NOT GOG TO HAPPEN. FOR HIM THERE WAS NEVER A REMOTE POSSIBILY THAT BLAKE AND KRYSTLE WOULD BE UNFAHFUL TO ONE ANOTHER. “HE HAD A STRA-LACED TERMATN TO MAKE THIS UPLE THE MOST MAGIL AND UNREAL UPLE THERE EVER WAS. HE WAS LOVE WH LDA PROBABLY, QUIETLY AND BY HIMSELF.”THOMSON SAID HUDSON WAS SO ILL ON THE SET THAT TOOK THE MAKE-UP ARTIST AN HOUR AND A HALF TO MAKE HIM LOOK PRENTABLE. “HE WAS STILL VERY HANDSOME, AND WAS VERY NCERNED ABOUT HIS KISS WH KRYSTLE. BUT WHEN YOU WATCH , ’S THE KISS YOU GIVE A 2-YEAR-OLD BABY. THERE WAS NOTHG SEXUAL ABOUT . WE WERE ALL SO IGNORANT ABOUT HOW HIV WAS TRANSMTED 1985.”AT THE TIME, ABC WAS KNOWN, SAYS THOMSON, AS THE “AARON BROADSTG COMPANY” AS SPELLG HAD NTRIBUTED SO MANY H SHOWS TO THE WORK’S SCHL. THE SHOW MIGHT HAVE SURVIVED A B LONGER BEYOND S ATH 1989, THOMSON SAYS, BUT “NOBODY WAS HEARTBROKEN WHEN STOPPED, BEE WHATEVER HAD BEEN JUICY ABOUT THE SHOW WAS GONE. I WAS LUCKY TO BE VOLVED S JUICIT YEARS.”IT’S GREAT TO SEE HIS STMAT FOR EVENTS AND TV RNNS, THOMSON SAYS. HE SAW BELLER AND LEANN HUNLEY, WHO PLAYED ADAM’S LAST ON-SCREEN WIFE DANA, A UPLE OF YEARS AGO, “LOOKG GEO AND WAS LOVELY.”I ASK IF THERE WAS ANYTHG HE HADN’T DONE AS ADAM THAT HE WOULD LOVED TO HAVE DONE? “I N’T REMEMBER WHAT HE DIDN’T DO,” SAYS THOMSON, LGHG. HAD THE SHOW NTUED HE THKS ADAM’S WIFE DANA MAY HAVE MA HIM A LTLE SOCIALLY EASIER, BUT—PHEW!—NOT ALTERED HIS FUNDAMENTAL ROTTENNS. ‘I’D LIKE TO PLAY ANOTHER MONSTER, I REALLY WOULD’THOMSON MISS ADAM CARRGTON, HE SAYS, AND NEXT WOULD LIKE TO PLAY SOMEONE LIKE HIM. HE ME CLOSE TO SANTA BARBARA, EVEN THOUGH HIS CHARACTER WASN’T EVIL. “IT WAS 35 PAG A DAY, FIVE DAYS A WEEK, 50 WEEKS A YEAR: IT WAS WONRFUL,” HE SAYS. “I’D LOVE TO PLAY SOME ADAM-LIKE GROWN UP EXECUTIVE BEHD A SK BEG AN ABSOLUTE SH,” THOMSON SAYS WH RELISH. “I’D LIKE TO PLAY ANOTHER MONSTER, I REALLY WOULD, A LAYERED MONSTER, AND IF HE WASN’T LAYERED ON THE PAGE I’D FD A WAY TO MAKE HIM SO, FILLG L WH PS AND ATTU THAT ANY GOOD ACTOR KNOWS HOW TO DO.”AN ANKLE JURY THOMSON STAED AT 22 RURFACED FIVE YEARS AGO, WHICH MEANT HE ULDN’T WORK FOR A LONG PERD OF TIME. THE TWO ORIGAL STEVEN CARRGTONS, AL CORLEY, AND JACK COLEMAN, BEECHED THOMSON TO GO TO AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON, “AND SO NOW I HAVE A NEW ANKLE. I’M NOT LIMPG ANY MORE, BUT I DON’T MOVE AS EASILY AS I ED TO. I N’T N. STAIRS ARE DIFFICULT.”AGG IS A BCH, BEE HE IS NSTANTLY REMD OF HOW ATTRACTIVE AND SIRABLE HE WAS BEE OF FANS’ PASSNATE NOSTALGIA FOR THE SHOW. “THEY WANT YOU TO TOGRAPH SOMETHG WH YOU AGED 40. THAT WAS ME THEN, AND THIS IS ME NOW. YOU’RE HNTED BY WHAT YOU ED TO LOOK LIKE. IT’S VERY STRANGE.”DO ONE MAKE PEACE WH ? “I DON’T THK N MAKE PEACE WH ,” SAYS THOMSON. “YOU’RE AROUND ALL THE TIME.”THOMSON STOUTLY SISTS, HOWEVER, THAT WHILE HE MAY NOT BE THE YOUNG, HANDSOME ACTOR HE WAS BACK THEN, HE’S NOT BAD LOOKG NOW. HE NOT THAT JOHN JAM’ HAIR IS THNER THAN WAS, “AND HE WAS THE BT-LOOKG MAN ON TV AT THAT TIME.” THOMSON PAR JAM’ TLE RD AT THE BEGNG OF THE SHOW (“NOTHG GOG ON BEHD THE EY”) WH ADAM’S SH-EATG GR AS A CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE’S RK POPS OFF.THOMSON LGHS AS HE RELLS ONE ATRALIAN TERVIEWER NOTG HOW DIFFERENT HE LOOKED TO HIS 40-YEAR-OLD SELF. “I MEAN, YOU GIVE ME A HAIRDRSER AND A BOTTLE OF DYE AND WE’LL DO AGA IF YOU LIKE,” HE SAYS.HE SISTS HE IS NOT LONELY. “I’M A LUCKY MAN. LUCK, GOOD OR ILL, IS THE LOSTAR OF EVERY LIFE AND GOOD LUCK IS THE RART THG MY BS, AND I GOT LUCKY FOR A WHILE AND I’M STILL LUCKY TO A GREE,” HE SAYS.WHAT WAS THE MAGIC OF DYNASTY, DO THOMSON THK? HE SAYS HE WAS ONCE TOLD, ON THAT TRIP TO NORWAY, “BY MY FIRST SOCIALIST JOURNALIST, ‘MR. THOMSON, YOUR SHOW IS SO IMMORAL.’“I SAID, ‘EXCE ME, DO YOU LIKE HOLIDAYS?’“SHE SAID, ‘WELL Y, ANYONE LIK HOLIDAYS.’“‘THAT’S ALL WE SUPPLY: AN HOUR’S HOLIDAY EVERY WEEK,’ I SAID TO HER. THAT WAS GOOD, QUICK THKG ON MY FEET. YOU ULDN’T AFFORD TO GO TO CAPRI BUT YOU TURNED THE TV ON AND WATCHED DYNASTY FOR AN HOUR, AND THAT’S WHAT WAS AND THAT’S WHO WE WERE.”OUR NVERSATN MEANRS PLEASANTLY ON FOR A WHILE, ABOUT THE BLOOMSBURY SET (THOMSON IS READG BILL GOLDSTE’S ACCLAIMED, JT-PUBLISHED THE WORLD BROKE IN TWO: T. S. ELT, D. H. LAWRENCE, E. M. FORSTER, AND THE YEAR THAT CHANGED LERATURE). I ASK IF THOMSON IS ALRIGHT, IMAGG WHAT A BIG AL MT HAVE BEEN FOR HIM TO E OUT, AND BE AS OPEN AS HE HAS BEEN. THOMSON SAYS HE IS FE. “I’M GOG TO HAVE A CUP OF TEA,” HE ANNOUNC. “I’VE HAD A VERY GOOD TIME. UNEXPECTED.” HE PS AGA, AND ADDS SOFTLY, “UNEXPECTED.”DYNASTY: THE COMPLETE SERI, A 57 DVD-SET WH MANY EXTRAS LIKE TERVIEWS WH AL CORLEY AND PAMELA SUE MART, IS RELEASED BY PARAMOUNT HOME VIO ON OCT. 10. DYNASTY BEGS ON THE CW, WEDNDAY OCT. 11 AT 9 P.M. TIM TEEMAN

Origal Dynasty Star Jack Coleman on playg the first gay character a primetime drama, a new stage show honorg the TV soap, and much more. * dynasty gay character *

Another said, "Steven Carrgton was my first tro to a gay character on televisn. One angry fan even went on to say: "Steven Carrgton is an inic TV character, one of the first gay leads on Amerin TV, and @TheCW threw him out like trash. #Dynasty, " and another posted, "Steven Carrgton and the first gay visibily on tv, I was so happy back time, to see some reprentatn, apart om that and tal of San Francis was very lame.

But to be clear, there were many stumbl durg those early years, as gay TV characters were quietly weaved to stori and met wh cidly mixed rults.

It was 49 years ago this month that the first recurrg gay character on Amerin televisn ma his but — set signer Peter Panama on the ltle-known ABC s The Corner Bar.

Played by Vcent Schiavelli (Fast Tim at Ridgemont High, Ghost), Peter was met wh risn by, among others, the Gay Activists Alliance, which took issue wh the character’s flamboyance. S to feature an openly gay lead character, though Billy Crystal’s Jodie Dallas drew siar cricism.

Five episos to All The Fay‘s ne-season n, and nearly three s before Will & Grace arrived on the scene, seri creator/social trailblazer Norman Lear already had LGBTQ reprentatn on the bra when he troduced Ameri’s first gay s character the form of Archie’s old iend Steve (played by the late Phil Carey). In the 1971 episo, -penned by Lear and Burt Styler, ragg bigot Archie was forced to reckon wh his prenceived notns about homosexualy (not only was Steve a former lebacker, but, like Archie, he was a stnch nservative!

‘I’m Gay’: Gordon Thomson, Dynasty’s Adam Carrgton, Com Out—and Trash CW’s Reboot

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PRI MONTH 2020: DYNASTY’S STEVEN CARRGTON CREASED GAY VISIBILY ON TV, SO WHY DID THE CW DROP HIM FOR THE REBOOT?