Adam Carrington
Adam Alexander Carrington is a fictional character from the ABC prime time soap opera Dynasty, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Introduced at the beginning of the series' third season, the role was originated by Gordon Thomson in 1982. He continued to appear as a series regular until the series finale in 1989. For the 1991 miniseries continuation, the role of Adam Carrington was recast with Robin Sachs as Thomson was unavailable. In the 2017 reboot of the series, Sam Underwood played Adam from 2019 to 2022.
The addition of Adam to the cast provided a male villain to the show. Over the next seven seasons, Adam would be motivated primarily by jealousy, undermining the professional successes of his brother Steven and brother-in-law Jeff, in an attempt to curry favor with his parents, especially his father. Adam would betray both his parents multiple times but would be forgiven, even when his acts were criminal, due to residual feelings of guilt for Adam's difficult childhood. When circumstances arise that truly make Adam sympathetic, he squanders that good will due to his selfish, jealous nature.
Original series
Appearances
Gordon Thomson originated the role of Adam Carrington in "The Plea", the September 1982 season premiere of Dynasty third season. According to Thomson, "They had planned on Adam being an impostor but they liked him so much they decided to keep him on. They tested me for 13 shows, then extended that to 24." Thomson played the character until the series finale in 1989.Adam was recast with British actor Robin Sachs for the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion because Thomson was unavailable, filming the daytime series Santa Barbara.
Characterization
In 1986, the New Sunday Times called Adam "one of the truly imaginative, despicable villains on television", noting that "Adam has raped the butler's daughter, painted poor Jeff Colby's office with poisonous, lead-based paint, tricked Blake into signing over power of attorney while he lay at death's door—and blew a competitor out of the water by plastering his son's homosexuality all over Denver's front pages."Comparing Adam to J.R. Ewing, the villainous oil baron on Dallas, Thomson said, "Adam doesn't have as much money or power. But Adam is more underhanded and he isn't as blatant." He added, "Ruthless men usually attain power." Thompson explained that soap operas need villains to drive story, and said, "I've played heavies before but none as demonic as Adam. He's the most rotten guy in prime time."
Storylines
Season 3
In "The Plea", former spouses Blake and Alexis Carrington make a televised plea for the return of their kidnapped infant grandson L.B. Colby. While on the air, Alexis confesses a dark secret from their past: their firstborn son, Adam, had been kidnapped as a baby and was never recovered. Traumatized by the event, they had hidden his existence from their subsequent children Fallon and Steven. Meanwhile, in Billings, Montana, an elderly woman named Kate Torrance watches the broadcast from her deathbed. She tearfully tells her grandson Michael—whom she has raised since he was a baby after his parents supposedly died in a car crash—that he is really Adam Carrington. After her real grandson had died in the crash, a distraught Kate had kidnapped Adam. As proof of her story, she shows Michael an engraved silver baby rattle with the monogram AAC. As her dying wish, Kate tells a stunned Michael to find and rejoin his real family. Michael agrees, telling Kate, "My name is Adam Carrington."Still using the name Michael Torrance, Adam travels to Denver in "The Roof", and checks into the La Miranda Hotel. He meets a beautiful woman in "The Wedding", and while they flirt with each other and share a kiss, she playfully refuses to tell him her name. Adam first goes to meet Blake, who assumes that he is a con artist who saw the TV broadcast. Stunned by Blake's abrupt rejection, Adam leaves without showing him the baby rattle. In "The Will", Adam meets Alexis. She immediately accepts him as her lost child, and they have an emotional reunion. When Alexis introduces Adam to his sister Fallon, they are shocked—she is the woman from the hotel. Adam is not bothered by their close-call with incest, but notices that it troubles Fallon. Alexis and Adam also visit a doubtful Blake, who gradually accepts the idea that Adam could be his son. Alexis offers Adam, a lawyer, a job at ColbyCo. Adam is jealous when she also recruits Fallon's husband Jeff Colby, so Adam has Jeff's office painted with toxic paint. Gradually, Jeff's behavior becomes increasingly erratic. In "Madness", Alexis sends Jeff away on a vacation. Realizing that Jeff will "recover" when he's not breathing toxic fumes every day, Adam confesses to Alexis. She orders Adam to have the paint removed. He warns his mother that if she betrays him, he will implicate her in the scheme, since Alexis used Jeff's poor health to trick him into signing over his son's shares in Denver-Carrington to her. Blake and his wife Krystle are suspicious of Alexis when they learn from Jeff's doctors that there is poison in his bloodstream. Fallon, however, suspects Adam, and vows to learn the truth. She notes that Adam is distressed that his family doctor from Billings is in Denver for a conference. Fallon questions Dr. Edwards, who reveals that Adam once won a court case that involved poisoning by toxic paint fumes.
During this time, Adam is attracted to Kirby, Jeff and Fallon's nanny and the daughter of the Carrington majordomo, Joseph. Jeff protects Kirby from Adam's unwanted advances, increasing tension between the two men. In "The Search", a drunken Adam rapes Kirby. Adam attacks Kirby again in "Reunion in Singapore", but she is rescued by Jeff, who proposes to her.