Morning Man Classic: Al Corley!

After featuring John James a few days ago, I’ve got Dynasty hunks on the brain. So why not feature Al Corley, the original Steven Carrington.

There aren’t many actors who would walk away from a plum role on one of television’s hottest shows.

But that’s what the blond and beautiful and terrific Corley did nearly three decades ago when he left the cast of the legendary nighttime soap after playing the gay Carrington for the show’s first two seasons. He walked when producers wanted to have Steven be “straight” and Jack Coleman stepped into the role for the rest of the show’s long run.

Corley, now 65, returned to the role of Steven for the 1991 mini-series Dynasty: The Reunion and appeared in the 2006 special Dynasty Reunion: Catfights and Caviar (pictured, left).

He also appeared in the short-lived soap opera Bare Essence in 1983, playing Genie Francis’ love interest and co-starred opposite his former Dynasty co-star Pamela Sue Martin in the 1985 film Torchlight. His other film roles include Alpha City, Incident at Q, Hard Days, Hard Nights, Don Juan DeMarco, Cowboy Up, Scorched, Bigger Than the Sky, You Kill Me, Stolen, and Kill the Irishman.

He was also known as a singer in the 1980s. His 1984 single Square Rooms, from his debut album of the same name became a number one hit in France (in 1985), also reaching No. 6 in Switzerland, No. 12 in Italy (in 1985), No. 13 in Germany, No. 15 in Austria and No. 80 in the U.S. The same year, he released Cold Dresses, which was also a big hit in France, reaching No. 5. His second album, Riot of Color was released in 1986, and a third album, Big Picture followed in 1988.

Fun fact: In the late 1970s, Corley worked as a doorman at Studio 54. He would later appear in a VH1 Behind the Music special on Studio 54 to recount his experiences