15 Things Fans Were Never Supposed to Know About ‘Dynasty’

4. Rock Hudson had a controversial appearance

When Rock Hudson had guest appearances on the show he had not yet revealed his AIDS diagnosis. At that point in time, the virus was still a bit of a mystery and some people thought it could be transmitted through saliva. Linda Evans and Hudson were supposed to share a long, passionate kiss in the show, but he did not disclose his illness to her prior to shooting. The actress was confused that, “Instead of passionately kissing me, Rock just barely brushed his lips over mine and then backed away.” Later she wrote, “In retrospect, it was incredibly touching how hard he tried to protect me.” Hudson died in 1985 and was the first high-profile celebrity to succumb from an AIDS-related illness.

5. The show had the only African-American with a recurring role on a nighttime serial

In season four, Diahann Carroll joined the cast as Dominique Deveraux, and she hoped that it would help break through some of the color lines. She said: “They’ve done everything. They’ve done incest, homosexuality, murder. I think they’re slowly inching their way toward interracial. I want to be wealthy and ruthless. I want to be the first black b*tch on television.” You could say she was the prototype for Empire’s Cookie.

6. Dynasty merchandise made a lot of money

Dynasty merchandise was sold to capitalize on the show’s popularity, and sell it did. The available merchandise included pantyhose, “Forever Krystle” perfume (for $150), $500 tuxedos, $800 ball gowns, $10,000 handmade Alexis and Krystle dolls, and a $200,000 chinchilla coat. Overall the merchandise raked in over an impressive $400 million.