‘I LOVED FIGHTING WITH JOAN!'
SHE OPENS UP ABOUT FEUDING CO-STARS AND ESCAPING HOLLYWOOD
Dynasty was the soap opera of the 1980s – a heady mix of sex, backstabbing, bastards, bitches, big hair, and even bigger shoulder pads. And central to the show’s twisting and turning plot lines was actress Linda Evans, whose portrayal of the glamorous Krystle Carrington has led to lifelong international recognition – even almost 40 years on from the show’s first outing.
“Wow!” the actress exclaims to New Idea. “I didn’t even realise it was 40 years – it feels like another life!”
It was the bitter feud between Krystle and her conniving arch-nemesis, Joan Collins’ character Alexis, which saw the pair vying for the affections of Blake Carrington (John Forsythe), that remains one of the show’s most beloved hallmarks. “Joan hated the fight scenes, whereas I loved them,” says Linda of the camp catfight scenes. “She was great at verbal sparring, but I was excellent when it came to the physical scenes.” Many actors reference the fun involved in playing the baddie. In this case, Joan got to be the perennial bitch. So does Linda regret not getting more of a chance to get her claws out on camera? “Not at all!” she says, smiling. “I’m an idealist and to me, my character was the perfect person to play! I believe in love, I believe in good wins out … I believe in all that stuff. So my character was perfect for me.”
Kicking off in 1981, the US soap made its mark on the decade, even beating closest rival, Dallas, to the top spot in the ratings. In turn, Linda was launched to stardom. However, after years of fanfare and fame, the actress decided to call time on the biggest role of her career. “Yes, it was wonderful and exciting … everything you can imagine,” she recalls. “But at some point, I just wanted to have a life – my own life. Just the freedom to be, to express yourself without people watching you or to see how you’re doing or who you’re with.”
It was amid the awards, global fame and extravagant parties that marked the show’s heyday, that the actress first hatched her plan to escape Hollywood. Buying a remote lakeside villa on 28 hectares in Washington State in America’s Pacific Northwest, she soon decided to make it her permanent home.
“I thought to myself: ‘OK, time for me to get a reality check after Dynasty’, and I decided to move somewhere among nature and real people,” says the 77-year-old. “I kept my house in Beverly Hills, but never really spent another night in it again. I just completely love it here.”
Another hallmark of Dynasty was Krystle and Alexis’ costumes. Expensive, elaborate, covered in bling, and with shoulder pads that increased in size each season, the leading ladies’ wardrobes were as iconic as their performances.
“I couldn’t even fit into them anymore!” giggles Linda.
“I built a storage unit and I have a collection of my outfits inside. When I do go in to check on something and I see them, I think to myself: ‘Oh my God, look at that! Look at those shoulders – look at how we used to dress!’”
Yet despite the huge success she left behind, Linda says she has no regrets.
“I’ve never looked back like that,” says the Golden Globe winner.
“We had a lovely nine years, so I think that’s enough. I’m 77 now and that’s a big difference from when I did Dynasty (which has been released on DVD, along with its spin-off The Colbys) when I was 38. “Dipping back into that world at this point in my life has been fascinating, because it’s just so different and the industry has changed so much … but I’m enjoying it. “In fact, it’s much more fun right now. I’m having more fun and I’m more light-hearted than I’ve ever been in my life.”