Dynasty - Steven Carrington

Steven Carrington (Al Corley / Jack Coleman)
Show: Dynasty
Year Introduced: 1981

Jack Coleman (left) & Al Corley

Bio: Steven is the gay son of business tycoon Blake Carrington. Despite identifying as gay, Steven had relationships with both men and women throughout the series. Steven had a son with one of these women, and later, his father sued for custody of the child, claiming homosexuals couldn't be good parents. Steven wins custody of the child, but only by marrying another woman. In the series reunion in 1991, we learned that Steven eventually settled down with state senator Bart Fallmont, and his family comes to accept his relationship.

Significance: Steven Carrington was one of the first gay leads on television. Even though he often struggled with his sexuality, he did end up in a stable relationship with a man, and the show confronted many issues that hadn't been raised before on TV.

Trivia: Al Corley played the character in the first and second seasons (1981-82). Jack Coleman took over the role from 1983-88.  Despite the fact that Coleman played the character for far longer, it was Corley who reprised the role for the 1991 reunion.

Coleman would go on to play Mr. Bennett, aka H.R.G. ("horn-rimmed glasses") on the popular NBC series Heroes.

Coleman is a sixth-generation descendant of Benjamin Franklin.

Corley dated Carly Simon in the mid 1980's.