Dynasty Actors You May Not Know Passed Away

At its height, "Dynasty" out-Dallased "Dallas" — even if it didn't last quite as long. 

The show began as a clear attempt by ABC to rip-off the CBS hit, right down to its wealthy oil families. While "Dallas" followed the Ewings and their Ewing Oil empire in Texas, the Aaron Spelling-produced "Dynasty" followed the Carringtons and Colorado's Denver-Carrington Oil company. Viewers, however, didn't have much interest in these upstart Carrington's business maneuvers at first. As show creator Esther Shapiro explained the first season to New York magazine, "We found that the audience wasn't very interested in the oil workers' stories. But people were just fascinated by what was going on inside that castle."

So beginning with Season 2, the show shifted away from oil intrigue and focused on the wild personal lives of the obscenely rich. Coupled with Joan Collins' entrance as the powerful and ruthless Alexis Morell Carrington Colby, primetime TV was never the same. 

Alexis made an enemy of practically everyone as she tried taking down her ex-husband, Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) and his new wife, Krystle (Linda Evans). For nine seasons, viewers just couldn't get enough of the wealth, glamour, fashion — and of course, catfights. It grew so popular, even actors you'd never suspect were banging on the door to join in on the fun. "Dynasty" took its final, campy bow 30 years ago, so while it's no surprise some of its cast are no longer with us, here are a few actors you may not realize have passed away.

Back in the first season of "Dynasty," before Alexis showed up to drag the Carringtons into gleefully over-the-top chaos, the show had quite a different feel. Wildcat oil driller Walter Lankershim was part of the original cast of characters, teaming up with geologist Matthew to battle the Carringtons in oil fields. The audience, though, wasn't much interested in oil intrigue, and Lankershim got the boot by Season 2 to make room for more fabulously wealthy shenanigans. We finally learned he'd died sometime off-screen in the Season 6 episode, "The Proposal."

To give Walt just the right amount of ruggedness, the show turned to veteran actor Dale Robertson, a man who had made his name in the '50s and '60s in a slew of Western movies and television shows. He got top billing in movies like "Return of the Texan" and starred in NBC's western "Tales of Wells Fargo." By the '70s and '80s, he stuck pretty much exclusively to television, even hopping over to "Dallas" for a bit once Walt had been written out. Like a true cowboy, the Oklahoman retired to his ranch in the '90s, where he lived out most of the rest of his life. Robertson was battling pneumonia and had just been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer when he died at the age of 89 on February 26, 2013.

The Carrington's majordomo, Joseph Anders, was a ... complicated man. 

Though loyal to Blake, Anders initially had little patience for secretary-turned-wife, Krystle. But that disdain was nothing compared to his loathing for the former Mrs. Carrington, Alexis. But then, he wasn't alone in that. What Anders was alone with was Alexis' constant threat to tell his daughter, Kirby (Kathleen Beller), the truth about her mother — that she was an adulterous murderer, institutionalized in a prison for the criminally insane. Anders was a prime example of how Alexis could wear down even the steadiest of people. Having reached the end of his rope by the Season 3 finale, "The Cabin," the majordomo tried burning Krystle and Alexis alive in a — you guessed it — cabin. When they survived, Joseph tried to take Alexis out in the hospital. That too failed, and Anders finally broke and shot himself in the chest.

A prolific character actor who began his career on Broadway as an understudy for Danny Kaye, Lee Bergere had appeared in over 70 TV series by the time he signed on to "Dynasty." From "Soap" and "Perry Mason," to a memorable turn as Abraham Lincoln in an episode of the original "Star Trek," Bergere did it all. Though he stepped back from acting shortly after "Dynasty," Bergere wrapped up his television career with a small recurring role on another '80s soapy mainstay, "Falcon Crest." He died in 2007 at the age of 88.

When Dr. Nick Toscanni showed up in the Season 2 episode, "Alexis' Secret," he seemed a decent enough fellow. He wasn't, of course, but then in the world of "Dynasty," decency wasn't exactly a winning trait. The unhinged psychologist had come to Denver for revenge, blaming Blake for the death of his brother. The not-so-good doctor, though, never seemed to have much of a plan in place. He first tried seducing Krystle, and then slept with Blake's married daughter, Fallon (Pamela Sue Martin). When he finally got tired of the subterfuge, he literally launched himself at Blake out in the wilderness, then rode off into the sunset and left Carrington for dead when he fell from his horse off of a cliff. Blake survived, and Nick never returned.

The volatile Dr. Toscanni was played by James Farentino, a character actor who himself led a tumultuous life. He pleaded no contest to stalking his girlfriend, Tina Sinatra (yes, Ol' Blue Eyes' daughter), and was booked years later on misdemeanor battery charges. His career, which began in 1962, held steady through it all, as he made appearances on "ER" as the father of George Clooney's Dr. Ross, and was tapped again by Aaron Spelling for a recurring role on the '90s smash hit "Melrose Place." Farentino died on January 24, 2014 of heart failure, one month short of his 74^th birthday.

Though it may seem like Blake's side of the family had all the fun, Krystle's clan was far from drama-free. There was, for instance, her gold-digging niece, Sammy Jo (Heather Locklear). Then there was Sammy's father, Daniel Reece. He showed up in the Season 5 episode "That Holiday Spirit" to reconnect with the woman he'd long loved, Krystle. A millionaire, horse trainer, newspaper owner, and occasional mercenary (because why not?), Reece arrived knowing nothing about Sammy Jo. Krystle and her sister Iris were the only ones to know the truth — until she introduced father and daughter. It was their only meeting. Daniel died on a mission and left his fortune to Sammy Jo.

What folks may not remember is that Reece was played by one of the biggest heartthrobs of Hollywood's Golden Age, Rock Hudson. As his A-list star power began to wane, Hudson turned to TV, finding modest success in the '70s as the star of "McMillan and Wife." 

Though he kept his diagnosis a secret as long as possible, Hudson had already contracted HIV when he took on "Dynasty." It didn't take long for his HIV to progress, and when Hudson died of AIDS-related illness on October 2, 1985 at the age of 59, he was the first major celebrity to succumb to the disease. For much of the world, he became the first person to put a human face to the ravages of HIV and AIDS.

Towards the end of Season 6, Alexis decided she needed a new ally in the war against her ex. She tracked Blake's exiled younger brother, Ben Carrington, down in Australia and hauled him back to Denver in the aptly named episode, "Ben." They teamed up for revenge and, for a time, managed to take everything from Blake. But then the elder Carrington regained the upper hand and forced them to sign the house and Denver-Carrington back over to him.

Ben soon found that Alexis left a bad taste in his mouth, so when he soured on her, the Carrington brothers began repairing their relationship. But when his misdeeds kept resurfacing — his daughter, Leslie (Terri Garber), was in love with a man who may have been the illegitimate son Ben never knew he had — he left town with his tail between his legs in the Season 7 finale.

To play the estranged Carrington brother, the show tapped British actor Christopher Cazenove. A working actor since the early '70s, he made regular appearances on British television and eventually became best recognized in movies like "Three Men and a Little Lady" and "A Knight's Tale". Cazenove worked right up until his death in 2010, when he fell ill with septicemia. The actor fought a hard battle, but sadly died of blood poisoning on April 7, 2010. Cazenove was only 64 when he passed away, just a week after his "Dynasty" sibling, John Forsythe.

Zach Powers was many things; suave, sophisticated, dashing — and ruthless, underhanded, and manipulative. Though first introduced on the "Dynasty" spinoff "The Colbys" as a shipping tycoon hell-bent on revenge against the Colby clan, Powers had a huge impact when he visited Denver in the Season 6 episode "Souvenirs." It was, it turned out, his and Alexis' betrayal that had sent Caress up the river for murdering Powers' wife. He returned again in Season 7's "The Choice" to spar with Caress and wreak more havoc as he helped Carrington chauffer-turned-enemy Michael Culhane (Wayne Northrop) secretly invest in Blake's new business, Carrington Ventures.

Who better to play the charming and dangerous Spanish tycoon than Hollywood legend Ricardo Montalban? The Mexican-born actor had risen to stardom in his home country back in the '40s, before landing an MGM contract and playing against the likes of Clark Gable and Lana Turner. In his later years, Montalban stuck more to TV, but by the time he showed up on "Dynasty" and "The Colbys," he was well into a career resurgence, fueled by unforgettable turns as Mr. Roarke on "Fantasy Island" and Khan Noonien Singh in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." Montalban continued to work in notable movies like "The Naked Gun" and two "Spy Kids" films before passing away at the age of 88 on January 14, 2009, with his final voice role on "American Dad" released posthumously.