Rare Behind-The-Scenes Photos From the ‘Dynasty’ Set in All Its Glamorous ‘80s Glory

This striking black-and-white portrait from 1981 holds the distinction of being the first picture ever taken of Joan Collins as Alexis Carrington Colby. History was made with this shot, and she’d only get more glam and powerful from there.

The many gorgeous gowns on Dynasty, designed by Nolan Miller, were highly influential on the fashion trends of the day, and in this shot of Collins wearing a ruffled metallic number on set, it’s easy to see why.

Alexis may have been one of the ultimate ’80s villains, but in this photo from the set, Collins looks pretty innocent while wearing pastel pink and making a kissy face. Looks can be deceiving!

In this 1985 candid, Collins studies a script in her dressing room, the walls of which look to be collaged with photos of her friends and family. Reflecting on playing Alexis, the actress said, “I absolutely loved playing her. I adored her. In fact, if you gave me the scripts of Dynasty and said, 'What do you wanna play here? Do you wanna play Fallon? Or you wanna play Krystle? Do you wanna play Alexis?' I'd say, 'No question. I want to play Alexis.'"

The drama between Alexis and Krystle (played by Linda Evans) was a classic example of the eternal pop culture rivalry between blondes and brunettes. Here, Collins playfully complicates the dynamic by sporting a blonde wig while reading a script in her dressing room in 1984.

All the drama of Dynasty could get pretty exhausting to act out, and in this 1985 shot, Collins takes a much-needed relaxation break while rocking a cute summer look.

Alexis and Krystle were notorious for their catfights and there were rumors that Collins and Evans didn’t get along, but in this 1984 moment from the set, the stars look perfectly civilized as they chat while sitting in their director’s chairs. In an interview years after Dynasty ended, Collins admitted of Evans, “she felt that I didn’t like her, and she didn’t like me.”

In this 1982 shot, Collins and Evans prepare for a scene with Dynasty’s stunt coordinator, Roy Harrison, and director, Jerome Courtland. Reflecting on the show’s famous fights, Collins said, "It was a very interesting relationship because Linda and I are opposite ends of the spectrum. She loves doing her stunts and I was informed by Gene Kelly when I first came to Hollywood, 'Do not do your own stunts, honey. First of all, you're putting a stunt gal out of work, and second, it's dangerous.' So many actors have had serious problems and I know a lot of actors today who have got hip replacements and things like that because they're doing their own stunts."

The shot captures the filming of a 1987 episode in which Alexis hosts a Medieval-themed charity event. Unsurprisingly, the party features fancy costumes and serious drama. If you look closely, you can see a few non-Medievally attired crew members gathered off to the side.

Here, Collins and John Forsythe, who played her oil tycoon ex-husband, Blake Carrington, enjoy a toast in producer Aaron Spelling’s boardroom at the height of Dynasty’s success in 1985. Collins and Forsythe may look happy in this shot, but Forsythe revealed that he was much more comfortable working with Evans, who played his new wife and Collins’ antagonist, while Collins complained that Forsythe was sexist and demanded to be paid more than the rest of the cast.  

Evans and Forsythe are filmed while sitting at the breakfast table in this behind-the-scenes shot. Note the tabloid Evans is reading, which features pictures of her and Collins with the headline “I WAS HIS LOVE SLAVE.”

Evans looks every bit the high-society dame in this shot from the Dynasty set. She called acting in the show, “every woman's dream,” and said, "It gave people an insight into what life could be like if they had everything they wanted, and yet showed that even if you are rich doesn't mean that you are happy, because there was a lot of drama."

Diahann Carroll played the devious Dominique Deveraux, who is revealed to be Blake’s half-sister. Here, she relaxes in a tub on set in 1985. Carroll was a trailblazer as the first Black actress to have a prominent role in a prime-time soap, and she proudly called herself, “The first Black bitch on television.”

Dynasty ran for an impressive 220 episodes, and in this 1986 shot, the cast and Spelling celebrate episode 150 with cake and champagne on set.