Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Blast from the Past: Jack Coleman in Dynasty


'What he's asking in essence is if I'm guilty of being gay. Well, nobody, not my father's lawyer, not you, not anybody in this courtroom or outside of it has the right to ask this because there is no guilt in that issue. Everybody in this state and in this country has the right to live his own life the way he wants. Provided that he's a decent human-being'
Steven


Although Al Corley seemed to take the role of playing the gay son on Dynasty seriously, he wasn't really the most talented of thespians.  Jack Coleman wasn't exactly Sir Laurence Olivier either, but he was coming off a few years on a daytime soap, and seemed better equipped to role with the confusing and chaotic writing the show gave the character of Steven. 


One moment, he's sleeping with slutty Sammy Jo, the next, he's visiting a gay bar in New York.  The next episode he's declaring his love for Claudia, only to be followed by lusting after Luke.  Coleman went with it for the most part and even when the story was hard to take seriously, Coleman was so purdy, you can still just sit back and enjoy the visuals.


The shot got Steven shirtless a lot.  I only watched sporadic episodes, but I'm pretty sure Coleman was shirtless in most of them.  Even though the writers couldn't decide whether to put him with man or with a woman, they did insist he change his shirt at regular intervals several times a day. 


In addition to Coleman's beautiful face he also has a great body, lean, but fit.  He also has a great chest and appetizingly nibbleble nipples.  Coleman also has an incredible pair of great long legs.  Steven was in shorts as much or more than he was shirtless, regularly shown exercising or playing racquetball, anything to show off the actors luscious lower limbs.


After Billy Campbell's Luke was written off the canvas, it looked like Steven was going to go back to women, but thankfully, they brought in another actor to grab his attention, and maintain his passion for penis. 


The actor was Kevin Conroy who was cast as Bart Fallmont, a would be politician.  Bart was stuck in the closest, worried about how coming out might impact his career.  It was interesting to see how he and Steven were introduced, rivals, on the opposite ends of an issue.  The sexual tension was immediate. 

It's worth noting again how ironic the casting for the show was.  As Billy Campbell's Luke tries to encourage Steven out of the closet, the closeted Rock Hudson is playing a romantic lead with Linda Evans.  Later, when Steven tries to encourage Bart of the closet, Steven's sexuality is taunted, and Bart is blackmailed because of his sexuality by Adam.  Adam was played by actor Gordon Thomson, who was then deep in the closet.  Thomson came out in 2017 at the age of 72.  No judgement, but it must have been fascinating for the actors playing the roles at the time.

In one of the last episodes I watched, Steven and Bart came to blows over an issue in one of the campiest, most enjoyable and silly fights I've seen on TV.  Steven didn't know Bart was gay when the fight began, but I think he figured it out by the time both ended up lying beside each other on the floor.  If you haven't seen it, check it out below.

Conroy

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