Alexis Carrington Colby (;
formerly Dexter and Rowan) is a fictional character on the American TV series ''
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
''. She is the ex-wife of
Blake Carrington
Blake Alexander Carrington is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. The role of Blake was originally portrayed by actor John Forsythe from 1981 to 1989. Forsythe returned for the min ...
(
John Forsythe
John Forsythe (January 29, 1918 – April 1, 2010) was an American stage, film/television actor, producer, narrator, drama teacher and philanthropist whose career spanned six decades. He also appeared as a guest on several talk and variety s ...
) whose schemes cause one problem after another for him and their children.
The role was originated by
Joan Collins
Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...
in the first episode of the show's second season in 1981, though the character appeared briefly in the first season finale, non-speaking and face unseen. Collins remained on the show until the finale in 1989, and then returned as Alexis for the 1991
miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
''
Dynasty: The Reunion''. The character appeared later in the first season of the 2017
''Dynasty'' reboot series, portrayed by
Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan (born 21 November 1963) is an English-born American actress. She began her career as a fashion model before landing a role in the short-lived ABC primetime soap opera ''Paper Dolls'' in 1984, as well as starring in the roman ...
from the sixteenth episode of the first season to the fifteenth episode of the second season. Stand-in Amy Sutherland played a bandaged, non-speaking Alexis in the sixteenth and seventeenth episodes of the second season.
Elizabeth Gillies
Elizabeth Egan Gillies (born July 26, 1993) is an American actress and singer. She gained prominence for her starring roles as Jade West in the Nickelodeon series ''Victorious'' (2010–2013), and as Fallon Carrington on The CW revival of ''D ...
, who stars as Alexis's daughter
Fallon, played the role of Alexis after Sheridan's departure for three episodes near the end of the second season. The role was recast with
Elaine Hendrix
Katherine Elaine Hendrix (born December 28, 1970) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in ''Superstar'', ''Romy and Michele's High School Reunion'', the 1995 ''Get Smart'' series, the 1998 remake of '' The Parent Trap'', ''Dynasty' ...
for season three.
Alexis' schemes to destroy ex-husband Blake, undermine his marriage to
Krystle (
Linda Evans
Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad; November 18, 1942) is an American actress known primarily for her roles on television. In the 1960s she played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by Barbara Stanwyck) in the Western tel ...
), and control her children drive much of the action over the series' run. Passionate yet vengeful, Alexis loves her children fiercely and will do anything to protect them, but she often ignores their own needs and desires in place of what she thinks is best. Alexis marries three additional times, to
Cecil Colby
''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy fa ...
(
Lloyd Bochner
Lloyd Wolfe Bochner (July 29, 1924 – October 29, 2005) was a Canadian actor. He appeared in many Canadian and Hollywood productions between the 1950s and 1990s, including the films ''Point Blank'' (1967), '' The Detective'' (1968), '' The ...
),
Dex Dexter
Farnsworth "Dex" Dexter is a fictional character on the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty''. Portrayed by Michael Nader, the character was introduced as a love interest for Alexis Colby in the series' fourth season in 1983. He became her thir ...
(
Michael Nader
Michael Nader (February 19, 1945 – August 23, 2021) was an American actor, known for his roles as Dex Dexter on the ABC primetime soap opera ''Dynasty'' from 1983 to 1989, and Dimitri Marick on the ABC daytime soap opera ''All My Children'' fr ...
), and
Sean Rowan
''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy f ...
(
James Healey). She is widowed twice, first by Cecil and then by fourth husband Sean, prompting Alexis' cousin
Sable
The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kaza ...
to remark that with Alexis "death is always a simpler solution than divorce." Her third marriage (to Dex) ends in divorce after Alexis catches him in bed with her adult daughter
Amanda (
Catherine Oxenberg
Catherine Oxenberg (born September 22, 1961) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Amanda Carrington on the 1980s prime time soap opera ''Dynasty''. Oxenberg is the daughter of Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia and Howard Oxe ...
). The name Alexis uses the most consistently over the course of the series is Alexis Colby, though her marriage to Cecil Colby is her shortest. Alexis is romantically linked to a number of men over the years, including oilman
Rashid Ahmed
Rear-Admiral Rashid Ahmed (Urdu:رشيد احمد; b. 1918–2005), , was a two-star rank, two-star rank Two-star admiral, admiral in the Pakistan Navy, who is known for serving as Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Navy, Chief of Staff under Command ...
(
John Saxon
John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Western (genre), Westerns and horror film ...
); tennis pro (and Krystle's first husband)
Mark Jennings (
Geoffrey Scott);
King Galen of Moldavia
''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy fa ...
(
Joel Fabiani
Joel Fabiani (born September 28, 1936, in Watsonville, California) is an American film, television and theater actor. Known for his leading role in the British TV series '' Department S'', Fabiani has guest starred in ''The FBI'', ''Barnaby Jone ...
); shipping tycoon
Zach Powers
''The Colbys'' is an American prime time television soap opera TV show that originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985, to March 26, 1987. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and Eileen and Robert Pollock and produced by Aaron Spelling, it ...
(
Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG (; ; November 25, 1920 – January 14, 2009) was a Mexican and American film and television actor. Montalbán's career spanned seven decades, during which he became known for performances in a var ...
); Congressman
Neal McVane
''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy ...
(
Paul Burke); Blake's brother
Ben Carrington
''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy fa ...
(
Christopher Cazenove
Christopher de Lerisson Cazenove (17 December 1943 – 7 April 2010) was an English film, television and stage actor.
Early life and career
He was born Christopher de Lerisson Cazenove, on 17 December 1943, the son of Arnold Cazenove, Brigadie ...
); Dirk Maurier (
Jon Cypher
Jon Cypher (born January 13, 1932) is an American actor and singer. He is best known as playing Chief of Police Fletcher Daniels in ''Hill Street Blues'' throughout the series' run. He is also known for his work in ''Cinderella'', ''As the World Tu ...
) and his nephew Gavin Maurier (
Neil Dickson
Neil Dickson (born November 26, 1950) is an English actor, who has worked extensively in both American and British film and television.
Biography
At the age of five, Dickson contracted poliomyelitis, but he was fortunate enough to make a comp ...
); Cecil's brother
Jason Colby
''The Colbys'' is an American prime time television soap opera TV show that originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985, to March 26, 1987. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and Eileen and Robert Pollock and produced by Aaron Spelling, ...
(
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist.
As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...
); and even a near-reconciliation with an
amnesia
Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...
c Blake.
''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' named Alexis No. 7 in their 2013 list of "The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time", and in 2016 ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' ranked her No. 27 of their "40 Greatest TV Villains of All Time". In 2015, executive producer
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was '' Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...
noted that
Taraji P. Henson
Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in '' Baby Boy'' (2001). Sh ...
's character
Cookie Lyon
Loretha "Cookie" Lyon ( née Holloway) is a fictional character from the American musical drama ''Empire'' on Fox. Portrayed by Taraji P. Henson, Cookie is one of the main characters within the series, the queen bee and the wife of former dru ...
in his TV series ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' was partially based on Alexis.
Original series
Development and casting
In the first season finale episode, "
The Testimony",
Blake Carrington
Blake Alexander Carrington is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. The role of Blake was originally portrayed by actor John Forsythe from 1981 to 1989. Forsythe returned for the min ...
is on trial for murder, and a female mystery witness in a large hat and veil appears.
Writers
Eileen
Eileen ( or ) is an Irish feminine given name anglicised from Eibhlín and may refer to:
People Artists
*Eileen Agar (1899–1991), British Surrealist painter and photographer
*Eileen Fisher (born 1950), clothing retailer and designer
*Eileen ...
and
Robert Mason Pollock
Eileen "Mike" Prince Pollock (March 22, 1926 – December 5, 2012) and Robert "Bob" Mason Pollock (March 19, 1917 – July 11, 2016) were an American married couple who worked as television screenwriters and producers best known for their work o ...
, brought in for season two, were told by series creators
Richard and Esther Shapiro
Richard Allen Shapiro (born June 27, 1934) and Esther June Shapiro (née Mayesh; born June 6, 1928) are an American married couple who work as television screenwriters and producers, through their Shapiro Film Corporation. They are best known as ...
that the character would be Blake's ex-wife Madeline, who would be played by
Sophia Loren
Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...
for four to six episodes.
The Pollocks renamed her Alexis, told
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986 ...
that Loren was not right for the part, and warned him that "If you get rid of this character in four episodes, you are throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars."
Joan Collins
Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...
said in 2018 that in addition to Loren, producers pursued
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
and
Jessica Walter
Jessica Walter (January 31, 1941 – March 24, 2021) was an American actress who appeared in over 170 film, stage and television productions. In film, she was best known for her role as a psychotic and obsessed fan of a local disc jockey in t ...
.
According to Collins, "They were waiting for Jessica until the very last minute, so they didn't cast me until two weeks before we started shooting."
Esther Shapiro later said that the character of Alexis was based on the Roman empress
Livia
Livia Drusilla (30 January 59 BC – 28 September AD 29) was a Roman empress from 27 BC to AD 14 as the wife of Roman emperor, Emperor Augustus Caesar. She was known as Julia Augusta after her formal Adoption in ancient Rome, adoption into the J ...
, as characterized in the 1934 novel ''
I, Claudius
''I, Claudius'' is a historical novel by English writer Robert Graves, published in 1934. Written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, it tells the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and the early years of the Roma ...
''. Of creating the character, Collins said in 2018, "I was basing her on all the businessmen I knew who were heartless, really. The other part of her brain, the glamorous part with the over-the-top clothes, I based on one of my best friends called Cappy Badrutt. She was extremely glamorous, and unfortunately very miserable. But I don’t think Alexis was miserable. I think she enjoyed her life and lived it to the fullest." She had previously singled out
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
to be one inspiration for the character in a 2013
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
interview.
Shapiro said in 1985 that she and costume designer
Nolan Miller
Nolan Bertrandoff Miller (January 8, 1933 – June 7, 2012) was an American fashion and jewelry designer on QVC and a television costume designer best known for his work on the long-running 1980s series ''Dynasty'', its spin-off series ''The Colb ...
"had the same vision" for Alexis:
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...
.
She added, "Nolan had designed for Crawford, and he told me that she had a photo index of every outfit she owned. Everything was coordinated: Each dress had its own particular hat, purse, gloves, shoes, and it never varied. Joan Crawford didn't mix and match. We decided to take it one step further: Alexis would never wear the same thing twice. In fact, no one on ''Dynasty'' would."
Characterization
The character of Alexis is a foil for "good girl"
Krystle (
Linda Evans
Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad; November 18, 1942) is an American actress known primarily for her roles on television. In the 1960s she played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by Barbara Stanwyck) in the Western tel ...
),
with an opposing moral stature and attitude.
Described as "scheming, conniving, and ruthless", Alexis was often called a "superbitch" and the "quintessential character you love to hate" by critics.
Vernon Scott of the ''
Sun-Sentinel
The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as well as surrounding Br ...
'' called the character "the scourge of ''Dynasty''".
In 2018, Collins said that she invented Alexis's backstory as a socialite exiled by Blake after he caught her in affair.
She explained, "Alexis had the affair because Blake was at his oil rigs all the time. She'd been young and lonely, and now she wanted to beat him at his own game. And she succeeded in many ways. I think that's what made the show so interesting and popular."
Collins said in 2017;
Appearances
Though Maggie Wickman appeared briefly at the end of the first season finale as the veiled surprise witness, the role of Alexis was originated by
Joan Collins
Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...
in the first episode of the show's second season in 1981.
Collins was an English actress with a prolific film and television career, best known at that point for appearing in the
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...
film ''
The Virgin Queen'' (1955), and for
B movies
A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...
like ''
Land of the Pharaohs
''Land of the Pharaohs'' is a 1955 American epic historical drama film in Cinemascope and WarnerColor from Warner Bros., produced and directed by Howard Hawks, that stars Jack Hawkins as Pharaoh Khufu, also known as Cheops, and Joan Collins as h ...
'' (1955), ''
The Stud'' (1978), and ''
The Bitch'' (1979).
The addition of Alexis, as well as the Pollocks' change in the writing, were credited with lifting ''Dynasty'' in the
ratings, and the character "quickly set off a host of female imitators in other prime-time soaps."
Producer
E. Duke Vincent
E. Duke Vincent (born Edward Ventimiglia on April 30, 1932, in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States) is an American television producer.Marill, Alvin. More theatre: stage to screen to television, 1993–2001. Scarecrow P, 2003. Page 205 He is ...
said of Collins in 2005, "Joan Collins is the queen of the archetype … How do you get that? You get it in the storytelling, obviously, but the actress herself, her personality, brought something to that role which I don't think anybody else could have done."
Spelling added, "We didn't write Joan Collins. She played Joan Collins … We wrote a character, but the character could have been played by 50 people and 49 of them would have failed. She made it work."
Collins said in 2012 that
Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera, ''Dal ...
's performance as
J.R. Ewing on ''
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
'' had inspired her to play Alexis.
Alexis' annual
catfights with
Linda Evans
Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad; November 18, 1942) is an American actress known primarily for her roles on television. In the 1960s she played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by Barbara Stanwyck) in the Western tel ...
' Krystle became eagerly anticipated,
and Alexis would later have similar brawls with
Dominique Deveraux (
Diahann Carroll
Diahann Carroll (; born Carol Diann Johnson; July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019) was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. She rose to prominence in some of the earliest major studio films to feature black casts, including ''Car ...
) and
Sable Colby
Sabella "Sable" Scott Colby is a fictional character from the ABC television series ''Dynasty'' and its spin-off ''The Colbys'', both created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by Stephanie Beacham, the character was introduced on ''Dynasty ...
(
Stephanie Beacham
Stephanie Beacham (born 28 February 1947) is an English television, film, radio and theatre actress. Although she has a wide number of credits to her name, Beacham is best known for for playing Sable Colby in the ABC soap operas ''The Colbys'' ...
). As the sixth season began, Collins was in a tense contract renegotiation with the show, seeking an increased salary. The first episode of the new season, which followed the "
Moldavian Massacre
''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981, to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy f ...
"
cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
, was rewritten without Alexis. Collins reportedly signed a $60,000 per episode contract, and returned for the season's second episode.
''Dynasty'' declined in ratings in later seasons.
Brought on for season nine, executive producer
David Paulsen found that there was no money left in the budget for any shoots outside of the studio, which he felt were important for the show. He hoped to reduce costs for the season by, among other things, cutting Collins from 22 episodes to 11 (she ultimately appeared in 13).
At that time, she reportedly earned at least $100,000 per episode.
Paulsen also brought in Beacham as her ''
The Colbys
''The Colbys'' (originally titled ''Dynasty II: The Colbys'') is an American prime time television soap opera that originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985, to March 26, 1987. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and Eileen and Robert ...
'' character Sable to play opposite Collins.
The ninth season finale ended with several characters in peril, including Alexis and Dex plunging from a balcony, which Paulsen said "meant that the following year we could get rid of anybody we wished."
Paulsen said, "I think Joan Collins was angry because she kind of saw what I was doing."
Collins was subsequently quoted at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
saying that she would not return the next season.
However, in May 1989, new ABC entertainment president
Robert A. Iger cancelled ''Dynasty'', leaving the cliffhanger last episode of season nine as the series finale.
The majority of the cast, including Collins, reunited for the two-part, four-hour
miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
''
Dynasty: The Reunion'' in 1991.
Storylines
Season 1
In ''Dynasty'' first season finale episode, "
The Testimony",
Blake Carrington
Blake Alexander Carrington is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. The role of Blake was originally portrayed by actor John Forsythe from 1981 to 1989. Forsythe returned for the min ...
is on trial for killing his son
Steven
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
's male lover,
Ted Dinard. A veiled surprise witness for the prosecution appears, and Blake angrily asks his lawyer: "What's she doing here?" Blake's daughter
Fallon gasps in recognition, "Oh my God, that's my mother."
Season 2
As the second season opens with the episode "
Enter Alexis", the character has not only a face but a name: Alexis Morell Carrington. She had been exiled from Denver by Blake after an affair with Carrington estate manager Roger Grimes; her testimony, that Blake has a violent temper, proves damaging to his case. At odds with his father, Steven is drawn to the mother he hardly remembers; Fallon, however, is devoted to Blake and has long held a grudge against Alexis, a grudge further fueled by her testimony. Fallon says to her mother:
Alexis soon sparks the ire of Blake's wife
Krystle, and brazenly moves into a cottage on the Carrington estate: her former art studio which she still owns, thanks to a technicality. The household staff remembers the first Mrs. Carrington all too well—especially longtime Carrington majordomo
Joseph Anders
Joseph Anders is a fictional character from the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by Lee Bergere, the character is introduced in the series' 1981 pilot episode as the majordomo of Denver oil tycoo ...
. Staunchly loyal to Blake, Joseph has a particular dislike for Alexis and has followed her scandalous adventures for years through the tabloids. Fallon, although not openly hostile, keeps an icy distance from Alexis and the two trade subtle barbs; Steven is seduced by his mother's apparent devotion to him, but soon gets a taste of her poison. According to Alexis, Fallon is not Blake's daughter at all: her father is really Blake's longtime friend and business rival,
Cecil Colby
''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy fa ...
. The secret eats at Steven, and Fallon eventually finds out. Ultimately, it is proven untrue. Alexis' consistent meddling and intrusions help improve Krystle's relationship with Fallon, Joseph, and the rest of the household staff, and they soon accept her unconditionally as Blake's wife. Alexis makes an enemy in Krystle when she purposefully fires a shotgun to make Krystle's horse throw her; the pregnant Krystle miscarries and is told she will probably be unable to have more. Alexis becomes romantically involved with Cecil, now Blake's adversary, but Cecil has a heart attack while in bed with her.
Season 3
In 1982, Alexis and Cecil marry on his deathbed (episode 40), Cecil exacting a promise from Alexis that she will use his company ColbyCo to ruin Blake, a condition that Alexis happily accepts. Two episodes previously, after their infant grandson
L.B. Colby
''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy ...
(son of Fallon and
Jeff Colby
Jeffrey Broderick "Jeff" Colby is a fictional character on the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by John James, Jeff Colby was introduced in the show's first episode in 1981 and appeared as a ...
) is kidnapped, former spouses Blake and Alexis make a televised plea that he be returned. Alexis confesses a dark secret from their past: their firstborn son,
Adam
Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
, had been kidnapped as a baby and had never been returned. Traumatized by the event, they had hidden his existence from their subsequent children, Fallon and Steven. Meanwhile, in
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Metrop ...
, an old woman named Kate Torrance tearfully tells her grandson Michael that he is really the Carrington heir. Armed with items from Adam Carrington's baby carriage, lawyer "Michael" comes to Denver and is eventually accepted as a Carrington; but like Alexis, his selfishness, greed and ambition put him at odds with all of his relatives at one time or another.
In episode 42, Alexis offers Adam a job at ColbyCo. When she also recruits Fallon's husband Jeff, Adam is jealous. Revealing his devious nature, Adam has Jeff's office painted with toxic paint. Gradually, Jeff's behavior becomes increasingly erratic. In episode 51, Alexis sends Jeff away on a vacation. Realizing that Jeff will "recover" when he's not breathing toxic fumes every day, Adam confesses to Alexis, who orders Adam to have the paint removed from Jeff's office. Adam warns his mother that if she betrays him, he will implicate her in the scheme, since Alexis used Jeff's poor health to trick him into signing over his son's shares in Denver-Carrington to her.
Season 4
In episode 66, Alexis learns that Fallon is investigating Jeff's mysterious illness and warns Adam that if Fallon learns the truth that he's on his own. In return, Adam tricks Alexis into signing documents that make it look like she ordered the office to be painted. Alexis travels to Montana to investigate her son's background and learns from Dr. Edwards that Adam had experimented with drugs as a teen and suffered a psychotic breakdown. She becomes more sympathetic to Adam at this point, feeling guilty that they gave up the search for their lost son so many years ago, condemning him to such a tragic life. As she doesn't want his past drug addiction to be widely known, Alexis is resigned to suffer the consequences of his actions. Therefore, she gave up her control of Denver-Carrington.
Later, in 1983, she becomes romantically involved with
Farnsworth "Dex" Dexter, the son of a Denver-Carrington board member Sam Dexter, an old friend of Blake Carrington's. Dex has been sent by his father to understand why ColbyCo. abruptly abandoned its plans to acquire Denver-Carrington. In episode 69, Dex confronts Blake and his ex-wife Alexis Colby. Dex and Alexis are immediately drawn to each other. Dex gets the best of Alexis in a business deal (he discovers information in her office and acts on it before she can) and offers her a 60-40 split so they can work together. Although Alexis resists, by episode 72 they become lovers.
Their relationship is tempestuous and passionate. In episodes 82 and 83, Dex learns that Alexis has slept with Rashid Ahmed in order to sabotage a deal he has with Blake. A furious Dex confronts Alexis. She slaps him - and much to her shock, he slaps her back. Their fight soon turns into a passionate kiss, before Dex resists. Dex turns to recently fired Denver-Carrington PR Director Tracy Kendall for solace in a one-night stand, then pays Tracy to get a job at ColbyCo & spy on Alexis for him. Tracy, fed up with Dex’s obsession with Alexis, tells Alexis about Dex’s plan. Alexis is simultaneously angry and intrigued, eventually reuniting with Dex before Fallon’s wedding and her arrest for Mark Jennings murder,.
Season 5
After Alexis was arrested for the murder of
Mark Jennings in episode 88, Dex rallies to her defense and bails her out of jail. Once she is found guilty because Steven testified against her, Dex and Adam desperately try to clear her name. They eventually uncover evidence that
Neal McVane
''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy ...
is the killer, trying to frame Alexis for ruining him. Alexis is freed.
Soon after, in 1984, a young woman named
Amanda Bedford appears on Alexis' doorstep; she is Alexis' daughter, and as news of her spreads, Blake takes a special interest. He soon learns that Alexis was pregnant when he banished her decades before. Though Alexis insists that Amanda's father is a ski instructor with whom she was involved, it is eventually revealed that she is indeed Blake's daughter.
Unaware of the brief affair Amanda had with Dex when they found themselves snowed in together in a remote cabin, Alexis proposes Dex to marry her and, as he regrets his actions, he accepts the proposal. Later, Alexis becomes suspicious and tries to keeps Amanda out from Dex by marrying her to Prince Michael of Moldavia, son of King Galen that she had known years ago. But during the wedding celebration which takes place in the 15 May 1985 season finale "
Royal Wedding
''Royal Wedding'' is a 1951 American musical comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, and starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Set in 1947 London at the time of the wedding of Princess ...
", terrorists interrupt the ceremony in an attempt to kill Galen and spray the chapel with gunfire, leaving the entire wedding party seemingly dead or dying on the floor.
Season 6
Alexis survives the wedding massacre, as do most of the wedding guests, but she is kept as prisoner as the rebels want to sign a deal with ColbyCo. Eventually she is released when Blake pays ransom for her (and for Krystle who was also imprisoned). The King is missing and presumed dead, however, Alexis learns that he is being held for ransom. Dex agrees to help her rescue the King. They sneak into Moldavia where they are captured. In episode 125, Dex escapes and rescues Alexis and Galen. Upon returning to Denver, Dex refuses to let a paralyzed Galen recuperate in their home. Dex suspects (correctly) that Galen is feigning his paralysis and tries to force him to walk. When Alexis rushes to his defense, Dex is driven closer to Amanda. When Dex catches Alexis imagining herself as Queen of Moldavia (complete with crown) in episode 135, he is heartbroken. Amanda finds a drunken Dex and they make love again - only to be caught in the act by Alexis in episode 136. Alexis immediately flies to St Thomas for a quick divorce.
In the meantime, Alexis' younger sister
Cassandra Morell is released from a Caracas, Venezuela prison, having been incarcerated years before after an incident involving Alexis and her then-paramour,
Zach Powers
''The Colbys'' is an American prime time television soap opera TV show that originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985, to March 26, 1987. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and Eileen and Robert Pollock and produced by Aaron Spelling, it ...
. Calling herself Caress, the younger Morell comes to Denver and hopes to make a fortune by writing a scathing tell-all book about Alexis and exposing her sister's darkest secrets. Alexis finds out about the book, secretly buys the publishing company and scuttles the project.
In 1986, Alexis turns on Blake as she wants him again in her life (episode 137). When he refuses to have an affair with her, she decides to destroy him for good. She flies to Australia and encourages Blake's brother
Ben
Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right.
Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( he, ...
to come back in Denver and claim his share of his late father's estate. Alexis commits perjury on the stand and helps Ben to win over Blake during the trial (episodes 141 & 142). Wanting revenge, Blake mortgages his house and holdings on the hope that he will gain control over ColbyCo. Thanks to Ben and Alexis, he loses both the house and the holdings and also his lucrative South China Sea oil leases. In the cliffhanger season finale, Alexis informs Blake she has bought his house. Furious, he grabs her by the throat and starts to strangle her.
Season 7
Alexis is saved when Krystle pulls Blake off of her. Weeks after, Blake finds a way to force Alexis and Ben to relinquish their ownership of Denver-Carrington and all its holdings back to him. Later on, Blake, Alexis, and Ben are in southeast Asia visiting an oil rig when it catches on fire. Ben rescues a trapped Blake moments before the rig explodes. Blake awakens in the hospital with no memories of the last 25 years. Alexis has him discharged from the hospital and convinces him that they're still married. However, when Krystle finds them, Blake's memories return.
Season 8
A handsome stranger saves Alexis from drowning in a river in 1987; dashing
Sean Rowan
''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy f ...
soon sweeps her off her feet and they marry. Sean soon insinuates himself into her business, alienating Alexis' son Adam. It is revealed that Sean is actually the son of former Carrington majordomo
Joseph Anders
Joseph Anders is a fictional character from the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by Lee Bergere, the character is introduced in the series' 1981 pilot episode as the majordomo of Denver oil tycoo ...
, and is bent on avenging his father (who committed suicide) and sister,
Kirby
Kirby may refer to:
Buildings
* Kirby Building, a skyscraper in Dallas, Texas, United States
* Kirby Hall, an Elizabethan country house near Corby, Northamptonshire, England
* Kirby House (disambiguation), various houses in England and the Unit ...
(who had been ill-treated by Alexis). Sean has an affair with
Leslie Carrington
''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy fa ...
and schemes to destroy the family, but is ultimately killed by Dex after trying to kill Alexis.
Season 9
A body is found at the bottom of a lake on the Carrington property in 1988. The dead body turns out to be Roger Grimes, the man with whom Alexis was sleeping when she and Blake divorced. He had been dead for 20 years but the cold temperatures in the lake preserved his body. Ultimately, it is revealed that 8-year-old Fallon had shot Grimes after finding him beating Alexis, and Blake's late father had hidden the body in a mine under the lake to protect Fallon.
The situation is complicated by the fact that the mine is full of stolen Nazi treasure, hidden there by Blake's late father. Roger's body had been disturbed from its hiding place by a man looking for the treasure. The man happens to have been hired by Alexis' cousin,
Sable Colby
Sabella "Sable" Scott Colby is a fictional character from the ABC television series ''Dynasty'' and its spin-off ''The Colbys'', both created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by Stephanie Beacham, the character was introduced on ''Dynasty ...
who was looking for some embarrassing information on her ex-husband
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...
. But Sable has not come to Denver for having a revenge on Jason only but also on Alexis, who has betrayed her at several times in the past. Most of the season's action revolves around the battle between Alexis and Sable.
In episode 220, the final episode of the series, at the Carlton Hotel Dex confronts Sable and Alexis for using him and throwing him aside. He mentions that Sable is pregnant, much to her chagrin. Alexis and Adam taunt Dex with the news, causing Dex to push Adam to the floor in frustration. When Dex turns his back, Adam rushes him. Dex falls backward into Alexis, sending them both crashing through a railing and falling off a second-story balcony while Adam, Sable, and Monica (Sable's daughter) watch in horror.
''The Reunion''
Two years after her fall at the Carlton, in 1991, Alexis (who managed to turn in mid-air and land on top of Dex, who "didn't fare that well") meets
Jeremy Van Dorn
''Dynasty (1981 TV series), Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron ...
, head of Trans-Media Relations, who convinces her she needs to diversify her business. However, Jeremy is actually working for an international consortium who has its eye on ColbyCo. When Alexis learns the truth and wants to put an end to their partnership, Jeremy tries to kill her but she gets saved at the last minute by Adam.
Impact
The additions of Collins as Alexis and the "formidable writing team" of
Eileen
Eileen ( or ) is an Irish feminine given name anglicised from Eibhlín and may refer to:
People Artists
*Eileen Agar (1899–1991), British Surrealist painter and photographer
*Eileen Fisher (born 1950), clothing retailer and designer
*Eileen ...
and
Robert Mason Pollock
Eileen "Mike" Prince Pollock (March 22, 1926 – December 5, 2012) and Robert "Bob" Mason Pollock (March 19, 1917 – July 11, 2016) were an American married couple who worked as television screenwriters and producers best known for their work o ...
are generally credited with ''Dynasty'' rise in the
Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
in its second season, the start of the series' rise to #1.
Collins's performance "set off a host of female imitators in other prime time soaps."
Esther Shapiro said in the season one DVD commentary, "When Alexis came into it, it changed the tenor ... And that's the way they are now on television: you have your traditional villain, and I think that plays to a different denominator."
In 2002, ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' ranked Alexis number 40 on its list of the 50 Greatest Television Characters of All Time. The magazine named her #7 in their 2013 list of The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time,
and in 2016 ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' ranked her #27 of their 40 Greatest TV Villains of All Time.
In 2015, executive producer
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was '' Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...
noted that
Taraji P. Henson
Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in '' Baby Boy'' (2001). Sh ...
's character
Cookie Lyon
Loretha "Cookie" Lyon ( née Holloway) is a fictional character from the American musical drama ''Empire'' on Fox. Portrayed by Taraji P. Henson, Cookie is one of the main characters within the series, the queen bee and the wife of former dru ...
in his TV series ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' was partially based on Alexis.
Praising Cookie and Henson, several journalists have compared Cookie to Alexis.
Awards and nominations
Collins was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for
Best Actress in a Television Drama Series every year from 1981 to 1986, winning in 1983. She was nominated for an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for
Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1984. In 1985, Collins shared a
People's Choice Award
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...
for Favorite Female TV Performer with her co-star,
Linda Evans
Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad; November 18, 1942) is an American actress known primarily for her roles on television. In the 1960s she played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by Barbara Stanwyck) in the Western tel ...
. She won a
''Soap Opera Digest'' Award for Outstanding Villainess in 1984, and again in 1985.
Reboot
Development and casting
![Elizabeth Gillies by Gage Skidmore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Elizabeth_Gillies_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg)
A
''Dynasty'' reboot premiered on
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
on October 11, 2017. Executive producer
Sallie Patrick
Sallie Patrick is an American screenwriter and television producer. She was the co-creator, executive producer, and showrunner of ''Dynasty'', a 2017 reboot of the 1980s series of the same name.
Early life
Patrick grew up in Atlanta, Georgia.
...
said in August 2017 that Alexis would be introduced during the first season, but that the role had yet to be cast.
She later said, "We knew Alexis was coming before we even started shooting the pilot, which allowed us to pave the way for her ... throughout the season, we hear Blake, Steven, and Fallon's memories about the woman who abandoned their family. So by the time she actually enters the series, we've established expectations about her character—which Alexis will happily break."
The character has a cameo in the
pilot episode
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
, seen briefly in a flashback sequence.
Patrick said in September 2017:
Nicollette Sheridan
The role was cast with
Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan (born 21 November 1963) is an English-born American actress. She began her career as a fashion model before landing a role in the short-lived ABC primetime soap opera ''Paper Dolls'' in 1984, as well as starring in the roman ...
in November 2017.
Sheridan, known for portraying
Paige Matheson on ''
Knots Landing
''Knots Landing'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centered on the lives of ...
'' and
Edie Britt
Edie Britt is a fictional character created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. Nicollette Sheridan portrayed Edie from her debut in the pilot episode of the series until th ...
on ''
Desperate Housewives
''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...
'', had been absent from series television since her character was killed off ''Desperate Housewives'' in 2009.
Though a longtime friend of Joan Collins, and an '80s soap star herself, Sheridan claimed to have never seen the 1980s version of ''Dynasty''.
The CW president
Mark Pedowitz
Mark Pedowitz is the former chairman and CEO of The CW. He replaced Dawn Ostroff in 2011, who had been the Head of Entertainment since the network's inception in 2006. Pedowitz oversaw all aspects of The CW, including programming, sales, marketing ...
, who had been president of
ABC Studios
ABC Signature is an American television Filmmaking#Production, production studio that is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a division of Walt Disney Television, which is part of the List of assets owned by The Walt Disney Company#Disne ...
during Sheridan's run on ''Desperate Housewives'', called her about the role himself.
He said, "I was big fan of Nicollette from way back when. She wanted it, and she will be great in it."
Sheridan said of the ''Dynasty'' role, "I thought
'Dynasty''was such a splashy, fun, strong comeback. It was just the right thing at the right time."
Sheridan admitted, "I have always been attracted to playing the naughty girl. And for some reason, my audience loves seeing me in that role. It's challenging to make that person likable, and I get to do it again
ith Alexis"
Sheridan's casting was a key factor in the decision to give ''Dynasty'' a
back nine order of episodes after the initial 13.
Pedowitz said in January 2018, "I'm disappointed in the ratings, I wanted it to do more, but I'm happy with the production values that Josh, Steph and Sallie are doing. There are changes coming, I'm thrilled to have Nicollette
heridan... I'm looking forward to Nicollette and Liz
illiesreally going at it as a mother-daughter situation, and I think that will add some juice to the show."
A
press release
A press release is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public release. Press releases are also considere ...
announced that the character "will return unexpectedly ... challenging Blake's marriage to Cristal, seeking to reunite with her children, and fighting to claim what is hers." Alexis first appeared in the
season one Season One may refer to:
Albums
* ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004
* ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012
* ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012
See also
*
*
* Season 2 (disambiguation)
* Season 4 (disambiguat ...
episode "
Poor Little Rich Girl" on March 23, 2018.
Patrick said:
Pedowitz later said, "Nicollette has been a great addition. She is a disrupting force, she is that diva." The CW announced on February 25, 2019 that Sheridan would be leaving ''Dynasty'' to focus on "some personal family responsibilities." Sheridan said in her own statement that she was leaving to spend more time with her terminally ill mother in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. She last appeared in the
season two Season 2 may refer to:
* ''Season 2'' (Infinite album)
* ''2econd Season
''2econd Season'' is the second and most recent album by Atlanta-based rapper Unk.
Release
It was released on November 4, 2008.
Guest Performers
The album features gu ...
episode "
Motherly Overprotectiveness
The second season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, originally aired in the United States on The CW from October 12, 2018, through May 24, 2019. The season was produced by CBS ...
".
Elizabeth Gillies
Elizabeth Gillies
Elizabeth Egan Gillies (born July 26, 1993) is an American actress and singer. She gained prominence for her starring roles as Jade West in the Nickelodeon series ''Victorious'' (2010–2013), and as Fallon Carrington on The CW revival of ''D ...
, who was already playing
Fallon on the show, took over the role after Sheridan's departure for three episodes near the end of the second season.
In the story, Alexis's vengeful son
Adam
Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
(
Sam Underwood
Sam Lewis Underwood (born 4 August 1987) is an English actor who portrayed the twins Luke and Mark Gray in the Fox thriller drama ''The Following'', Jake Otto in the AMC series '' Fear the Walking Dead'' (2017), and Adam Carrington in The CW se ...
) pushes her face into a fire,
and then arranges for her plastic surgeon to make her look like Fallon.
Gillies's portrayal, facilitated by prosthetics, was a temporary recast to give producers time to find a suitable replacement for Sheridan.
Patrick explained that the news of Sheridan's departure was sudden, but producers did not want to rush replacing her and "compromise the integrity of the casting process".
She said, "We have an amazing cast and wanted to add someone of their caliber to that role. We wanted to take our time with that."
Patrick added, "In the spirit of the OG ''Dynasty'', we just went for the biggest twist possible as an homage to the double castings and doppelgängers they had on the original series."
Gillies said:
Gillies said of Sheridan, "She has a very specific cadence in her speech, a way of talking that took a minute for me to make sure it was right...I hope she likes it. I really tried to do my absolute best."
Gillies noted, "
Grant Show
Grant Alan Show (born February 27, 1962) is an American actor best known for his role on ''Melrose Place'' as Jake Hanson, which he played from 1992 to 1997. Since 2017, Show has portrayed tycoon Blake Carrington in the soap opera reboot ''Dyna ...
couldn't even look at me...he was being incredibly squirmy and uncomfortable. It was probably my favorite of all the scenes I shot
s Alexis He's so funny and earnest in his performance, because he really is so uncomfortable."
Gillies explained that a
lifecast was made of her to create the prosthetics, which took five hours to get into and about 45 minutes to get out of.
Though Gillies said that she enjoyed the double role and would do it again if asked, she and Patrick agreed that "production-wise, it's challenging."
Reed Gaudens of ''Hidden Remote'' said, "Elizabeth Gillies's spot-on Nicollette Sheridan impression is
Emmy
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
-worthy."
Andy Swift of ''
TVLine
''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs.
History
In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving ''EW'' after nearly two years in their employ to est ...
'' called Gillies's portrayal of Alexis "the performance of a lifetime."
Elaine Hendrix
In October 2019, new ''Dynasty'' showrunner Josh Reims said, "Obviously she's Alexis and this is ''Dynasty'', so I would imagine she may show up at one point."
Days later, it was announced that the role of Alexis had been recast with
Elaine Hendrix
Katherine Elaine Hendrix (born December 28, 1970) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in ''Superstar'', ''Romy and Michele's High School Reunion'', the 1995 ''Get Smart'' series, the 1998 remake of '' The Parent Trap'', ''Dynasty' ...
, who would appear as a series regular.
The CW noted that "Alexis is back in Atlanta, with a new look, a new man, and plenty of scores to settle".
Of Hendrix's performance, costar Adam Huber stated, "She brings a new energy to
he role
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
she's excited to bring this character to life and to make it her own and not go off what Nicollette
heridandid or what the actors did on the original." Hendrix debuted as Alexis in the December 2019 episode "
The Sensational Blake Carrington Trial
The third season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, premiered in the United States on The CW on October 11, 2019. The season is produced by CBS Television Studios, with Josh Rei ...
".
She said, "
he producers
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
encouraged me to make it my own, and I have been", describing her performance as "a throwback to the OG ''Dynasty'', while also honoring the tone of what's happening now."
She added, "I'm just ready to be ruthless ... I'm ready to burn it all down."
Characterization
Sheridan called Alexis "a force to be reckoned with", explaining that "She’s a complicated person who is driven by power, money, and the dichotomy of an overwhelming desire to protect her children to have them flourish. She is back to reclaim both of her children and help them onto a different path."
She said that the character "truly is a loving mother", though "sometimes she gets a little lost in her quest for power or manipulation."
Of Fallon she noted, "Fallon Carrington is fierce, and upon mama's return, she has met her match tenfold. Alexis has the experience and the wisdom that comes with age. So as brilliant as her daughter is, she's in trouble now.
he writers
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
are really exploring the mother-daughter relationship, which to me is the most complicated relationship on the planet, so I love that."
Patrick said, "It's been a blast writing for Alexis, who in our version is part
Mildred Pierce
''Mildred Pierce'' is a psychological drama by James M. Cain published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1941.
A story of “social inequity and opportunity in America" set during the Great Depression, ''Mildred Pierce'' follows the trajectory of a lower- ...
(willing to do anything to help her daughter), part ''
Blue Jasmine
''Blue Jasmine'' is a 2013 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. The film tells the story of a rich Manhattan socialite ( Cate Blanchett) who falls on hard times and has to move into her working-class sister's (Sally Ha ...
'' (delusional on the verge of a nervous breakdown), and Nicollette is perfect for the role. When she goes toe-to-toe with Fallon, it's electric."
Sheridan said of her character's relationship with her ex-husband, "
lexis
Lexis may refer to:
* Lexis (linguistics), the total bank of words and phrases of a particular language, the artifact of which is known as a lexicon
*Lexis (Aristotle), a complete group of words in a language
*LexisNexis, part of the LexisNexis onl ...
and Blake were truly soulmates at one point in time, but their relationship was fraught. They have a very tempestuous dynamic which speaks to the passion that's still there."
Hendrix said of Alexis, "I'm really thinking about what drives Alexis. She's a survivor, and she loves her kids. With those two elements alone, she'll do anything to anyone anywhere at any time."
Explaining Alexis's sudden marriage to
Jeff Colby
Jeffrey Broderick "Jeff" Colby is a fictional character on the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by John James, Jeff Colby was introduced in the show's first episode in 1981 and appeared as a ...
(
Sam Adegoke
Samuel Oluwaseyi Adegoke is a Nigerian-American actor known for playing Jeff Colby in the ''Dynasty'' reboot series.
Personal life
Adegoke was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota and St. Paul, Minnesota. His parents we ...
), she said "They're putting it out there to the world that they love each other, but of course nobody believes them. Personally, I think she really does care about Jeff.”
Noting that in the 1980s series Alexis (
Joan Collins
Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...
) marries wealthy
Cecil Colby
''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy fa ...
(
Lloyd Bochner
Lloyd Wolfe Bochner (July 29, 1924 – October 29, 2005) was a Canadian actor. He appeared in many Canadian and Hollywood productions between the 1950s and 1990s, including the films ''Point Blank'' (1967), '' The Detective'' (1968), '' The ...
) but he dies, Hendrix said, "I love Sam Adegoke, so I'm really hoping the same thing doesn't happen to Jeff."
Jeff asks Alexis for a divorce in the season three finale "
My Hangover's Arrived
The third season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, premiered in the United States on The CW on October 11, 2019. The season is produced by CBS Television Studios, with Josh Rei ...
", but she admits that she has feelings for him and thinks he has some for her.
Reims explained Alexis's reveal: "It is genuine. She didn't go into that marriage expecting to like Jeff. It was purely a business arrangement, but she does like—as she said—being Mrs. Colby. She did develop feelings for him, and when she walks in on Jeff with Mia, it does hit her harder than she expected."
Storylines
Season one
In "Poor Little Rich Girl", Blake is eulogizing his father
Thomas Carrington
''Dynasty (2017 TV series), Dynasty'' is an American television series based on the Dynasty (1981 TV series), 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name.
In Dynasty (2017 TV series, season 1), season one, heiress Fallon Carrington (Elizabeth G ...
when a woman appears whom Fallon recognizes as her mother, Alexis.
In "
Enter Alexis", the Carringtons are shocked to discover that Thomas has left the mansion and the grounds to Alexis. Blake vows to overturn the codicil to Thomas' will as Fallon makes overtures to connect with her mother. Accused of abandoning her children, Alexis tells Fallon that Blake bribed a judge to seize custody and exile her, which Cristal confirms. Fallon soon discovers, however, that Alexis has not been living a life of luxury abroad, but is housed in a trailer nearby, and has stayed in touch with Steven. A furious Fallon confronts Alexis, and their catfight takes them into the pool. Through a bribe, Fallon ensures that the codicil is invalidated, but Alexis reveals that she does legally own Michael's stable house—her former art studio—and moves in.
Her renewed influence over the household staff sets off Blake, who issues an ultimatum to them. Believing Steven's new fiancé
Sam Jones to be a poor match for her son, Alexis tries to frame Sam for shoplifting in "
Don't Con a Con Artist". Fallon thwarts the plan, and Sam assists her in a plot to expose Alexis' machinations to Steven. Fallon manipulates Alexis into confessing, but Steven is more mad at Fallon for endangering Sam. A tearful Alexis admits to Steven that she spent all of her money trying to find her and Blake's kidnapped first child, Adam.
Distrusting of Fallon's faux husband
Liam Ridley
Liam Ridley (real name Jack Liam Ridley Lowden) is a fictional character from The CW's 2017 series ''Dynasty'', a reboot of the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name. Portrayed by Adam Huber, Liam is the first series regular role in the re ...
, Alexis tries to get between him and Fallon in "
Use or Be Used
The first season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, originally aired in the United States on The CW from October 11, 2017 through May 11, 2018. The season was produced by CBS T ...
". Alexis reveals to Fallon that Liam is really a journalist named Jack Lowden writing a tell-all, and Fallon cuts him loose.
Alexis leaks information about Carrington Atlantic's possible involvement in an environmental scandal to the press in "
A Line from the Past". As Alexis and Jeff discuss Blake's longstanding grudge against the Colbys, she tells him that he is actually a Carrington.
In "
Trashy Little Tramp", Steven finds his long-lost older brother Adam, now known as
Hank Sullivan. In actuality, Hank is Alexis's lover and a key part of her master plan to steal Carrington Atlantic away from Blake.
Things go awry in "
Dead Scratch
The first season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, originally aired in the United States on The CW from October 11, 2017 through May 11, 2018. The season was produced by CBS T ...
" when Fallon is unexpectedly promoted to CEO of the company, and Alexis loses influence over Jeff and Monica, who are determined to take from the Carringtons what they believe is owed to them. During Steven and Sam's wedding, Alexis has a nasty catfight with Cristal, who has discovered the truth about Hank. In order to buy time, Alexis locks Cristal in the stable house and encourages Hank to flee. The stables are later set on fire with the Carringtons trapped inside. Though Michael frees them, Alexis runs back upstairs to free Cristal.
Season two
In "
Twenty-Three Skidoo", Alexis returns to Carrington Manor after a month-long stay in the hospital for smoke inhalation. Hank reveals he started the fire and threatens to go to the police about Alexis's subterfuge if she does not pay him $1 million. After Alexis has a heated argument with Blake about money, they have sex. In "
Ship of Vipers
The second season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, originally aired in the United States on The CW from October 12, 2018, through May 24, 2019. The season was produced by CBS ...
", Alexis joins forces with Sam to determine if
Melissa Daniels
''Dynasty'' is an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name.
In season one, heiress Fallon Carrington (Elizabeth Gillies) is unhappy to find her billionaire father Blake (Grant Show) engaged to Crist ...
is really pregnant. Alexis gives Hank a painting to use as collateral until she can get him the money owed. In "
The Butler Did It", Alexis and Anders are revealed to have had an affair that produced Steven. Fallon kicks Alexis out of the Manor in "
Snowflakes in Hell
The second season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, originally aired in the United States on The CW from October 12, 2018, through May 24, 2019. The season was produced by CBS ...
", and she and Steven sever all ties with their mother. Alexis follows the Carringtons to
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
to mend her relationship with Steven, who in turn convinces Fallon to forgive Alexis. In "
Queen of Cups", Hank starts to grow impatient with Alexis, who finds herself competing with
Cristal Jennings
Krystle Carrington (maiden name Grant; formerly Jennings) is a fictional character from the 1980s American TV series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by Linda Evans, the character was introduced in the 1981 pilot ep ...
for Blake's affections. A psychic predicts that Alexis will remarry but that the man will die; Alexis interprets this to be Blake. In "
That Witch
The second season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, originally aired in the United States on The CW from October 12, 2018, through May 24, 2019. The season was produced by CBS ...
", Alexis sabotages Blake and Cristal's Thanksgiving travel plans while also obsessing over Blake's health. She acts as the
Good Witch of the North in Fallon's ''
Wizard of Oz'' fantasy and is later given a check by Fallon to aid in getting her life back together. Alexis gives this check to Hank, officially paying off her debt to him. Before leaving, however, Hank leaves Alexis with a baby. Christmas decorations start going up around the Manor in "
A Temporary Infestation", so Alexis plants the baby in the nativity scene to be discovered by Sam. Alexis moves back into the restored stable house, but her war with Cristal reaches new heights as the two women scheme to drive each other away from the Manor. In the process, Cristal discovers Alexis to be in possession of the baby Jesus from the nativity scene, indicating she knows more about the mysterious baby than she has been letting on. In "
A Real Instinct for the Jugular
The second season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, originally aired in the United States on The CW from October 12, 2018, through May 24, 2019. The season was produced by CBS ...
", Fallon includes Alexis in her wedding planning, but soon discovers her mother has ulterior motives. In exchange for talking Fallon out of trying to obtain the
Swan House for her wedding venue, Mimi Rose Prescott has promised Alexis a place in the Peachtree Preservation Society. This leads to a falling out between mother and daughter, and Fallon uninviting Alexis to her wedding. In order to make things right with Fallon, Alexis backs into Mimi with her car to ensure she will not be having her wedding on the same day as Fallon, thus leaving the venue available. Fallon forgives Alexis and re-extends her invitation, though now having decided to have the wedding at the Manor. In "
Crazy Lady", after baby L.B. has been kidnapped, Alexis and Blake make public plea to help find their "grandson". Alexis later convinces Hank's former accomplice, the mentally unstable Claudia Blaisdel, that he was a figment of her imagination in order to ensure her silence regarding Alexis's criminal activity.
Searching for a purpose, Alexis attempts to sell one of her paintings at a gala for Steven's foundation in "
A Champagne Mood". She is less than thrilled to hear that Cristal is pregnant. Alexis feels, sad, unwanted, and replaced by Cristal in "
The Sight of You", and plots Cristal's exile from the Manor once and for all. Alexis discovers that Cristal is unsure about the paternity of her unborn child in "
Filthy Games
The second season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, originally aired in the United States on The CW from October 12, 2018, through May 24, 2019. The season was produced by CBS ...
", and sees to it that this information gets back to Blake. Later, to toy with the situation even further, she calls and invites Cristal's ex-husband
Mark Jennings to the Manor. In "
Even Worms Can Procreate
The second season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, originally aired in the United States on The CW from October 12, 2018, through May 24, 2019. The season was produced by CBS ...
", Alexis tries to manipulate Mark's unresolved feelings for Cristal in order to pit him against Blake, only to find herself continually pushed away by everyone around her. Cristal confronts Alexis once the paternity test comes back, confirming that the child is Blake's and insisting Alexis' time at the Manor is over. This sends Alexis over the edge, and she gets drunk, takes one of Blake's handguns, and prepares to commit suicide out by the stables. Just before pulling the trigger, however, she sees Cristal and Mark riding horses in the distance and fires the gun in their direction. Mark is killed, and Cristal is thrown from her horse and dragged. As police investigate the incident in "
Parisian Legend Has It...", Alexis comforts Cristal and pins the crime on Blake's hitman Mack. The real Adam Carrington makes his way to the Manor in "
Motherly Overprotectiveness
The second season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, originally aired in the United States on The CW from October 12, 2018, through May 24, 2019. The season was produced by CBS ...
", sending Alexis into a panic. She rejects Adam's claims and maintains that Hank is her son, all the while disposing of any evidence tying her to Hank's impersonation. Once Adam passes a DNA test, he confronts Alexis, knowing what she did, and she regretfully apologizes. Adam feigns forgiveness but then pushes Alexis's face into her lit fireplace. In "
Miserably Ungrateful Men", Alexis's face is bandaged up and she is unable to speak, and the only people who express any interest in her predicament are Adam and Jeff Colby. Jeff offers to let Alexis recover at his home, but Adam convinces her to stay under his own care at the hospital. Before Alexis is sent in for facial reconstruction surgery, Adam gives the nurse a picture to use as a reference. In "
How Two-Faced Can You Get", the bandages come off and Alexis's face is shaped to resemble Fallon's. Adam unveils Alexis's new face at a masquerade party in "
Life is a Masquerade Party
The second season of ''Dynasty (2017 TV series), Dynasty'', an American television series based on the Dynasty (1981 TV series), 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, originally aired in the United States on The CW from October 12, 2018, t ...
", but Alexis is met with shock and horror from the entire family, particularly Fallon. In "
This Illness of Mine", Alexis is disgusted to learn that Adam is the reason she now has Fallon's face. Alexis makes amends with her daughter before leaving for Europe to have an entirely new face constructed. Alexis asks that Fallon keep her leaving the country a secret from Adam, and also warns her that Adam is dangerous.
Season three
Alexis returns to testify against Blake in "
The Sensational Blake Carrington Trial
The third season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, premiered in the United States on The CW on October 11, 2019. The season is produced by CBS Television Studios, with Josh Rei ...
", having married Jeff. In "
The Caviar, I Trust, Is Not Burned", she testifies that she saw Blake murder Mack, but Fallon is able to prove that Alexis is lying, resulting in a mistrial. Dominique is especially upset over Jeff's marriage, and confronts Alexis. Later, Dominique takes a public tumble down the courthouse stairs and makes it look like Alexis pushed her. Alexis reaffirms her commitment to help Jeff destroy Blake. In "
What Sorrows Are You Drowning?", Alexis learns that Cristal is investigating Mark's death herself, so Alexis attempts to collect the gun she used to shoot Mark. Realizing that Mack was not Mark's killer, Cristal confronts Alexis. When Alexis confesses, they brawl in the lily pond. In "
A Wound That May Never Heal
The third season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, premiered in the United States on The CW on October 11, 2019. The season is produced by CBS Television Studios, with Josh Rei ...
", Alexis manipulates Adam into helping her and Jeff in their plot against Blake, and convinces Adam to confess to poisoning Jeff on camera as a means for Adam to ingratiate himself to Jeff. Alexis and Jeff use blackmail to force a sale of Carrington Atlantic. Furious that Alexis caused her miscarriage, Cristal pays an assassin to kill Alexis in "
You See Most Things in Terms of Black & White", but Alexis cheats death in "
That Wicked Stepmother
The third season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, premiered in the United States on The CW on October 11, 2019. The season is produced by CBS Television Studios, with Josh Rei ...
" when the car bomb is placed under the wrong SUV. In "
Up a Tree", Alexis coerces Adam into helping an ailing Jeff by procuring experimental drugs not yet approved for Jeff's condition. Jeff refuses any help from Adam, so Alexis administers the drugs without Jeff knowing. Jeff collapses. Adam and Alexis scheme to steal a donor liver for Jeff in "
Is the Next Surgery on the House?", but they fail. In "
Robin Hood Rescues", Fallon is sued for bad advice Alexis gave in her podcast, but mother and daughter discover it is a scam. Alexis finds Jeff in bed with Mia in "
My Hangover's Arrived
The third season of ''Dynasty'', an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, premiered in the United States on The CW on October 11, 2019. The season is produced by CBS Television Studios, with Josh Rei ...
", and he asks for a divorce. Alexis conspires to make Jeff think Mia is a prostitute, but he sees through the ruse. Alexis confesses her feelings for Jeff, and they have sex.
Season four
After Blake leverages all of his assets to save Carrington Atlantic, Alexis and Jeff purchase the loan in "
That Unfortunate Dinner". Alexis tends to Fallon on her wedding day in "
Vows Are Still Sacred" before claiming ownership of the manor once Blake is unable to pay back the loan. Realizing that Jeff wants children, Alexis ends their marriage amicably and forms an alliance with Dominique, who owns the mineral rights to everything beneath the Carringtons' property. Keeping their newfound partnership a secret, Alexis goes back into business with Jeff, who agrees to fund the excavation. Alexis and Dominique's attempts to manipulate Jeff fail as he discovers their partnership in "
The Aftermath". Alexis refuses to sign the divorce papers, so Jeff moves into the manor.
See also
*
List of soap opera villains
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. In soap operas, the villain, sometimes called a "bad guy", is an antagonist, tending to have a negative effect on other characters. A f ...
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colby, Alexis
Dynasty (franchise) characters
Female characters in television
Fictional female businesspeople
Fictional people from London
Fictional socialites
Female villains
Television characters introduced in 1981