Skip to main content

Home Culture Culture Film & TV

Desperate Housewives star cast in Joan Collins’ iconic role of Alexis Carrington in Dynasty reboot

By Will Stroude

For years she ruled the US primetime TV roost as Dynasty‘s baddest bitch, but Alexis Carrington will look markedly different when she makes her debut in The CW’s reboot of the classic ’80s soap next year.

The scheming socialite, famously played in the original series by Dame Joan Collins, has been recast for the show’s modern re-imagining from the creators of Gossip Girl, but it turns out their their choice of replacement is an absolute corker.

Yep, Alexis is set to be played by none other than Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan, who thrilled audiences Desperate Housewives‘s resident uber-bitch for five seasons between 2004-2009.

Alexis, the first wife of Blake Carrington and mother to Fallon and Steven, will “return unexpectedly to their world, challenging Blake’s marriage to Cristal, seeking to reunite with her children, and fighting to claim what is hers,” according to show bosses.

Played by Joan Collins for eight seasons from 1981-89, the deliciously devilish Alexis gifted the world with enough hair, shoulder pads and pithy put-downs to fill a decade’s worth of RuPaul’s Drag Race during Dynasty’s original run.

It remains to be seen what Nicollette Sheridan brings to the iconic role when she makes her debut on the rebooted show in the new year, but given track record for trouble-making on on Wisteria Lane as Edie, we’re sure the character is in safe hands.

Meanwhile, we caught up with Dame Joan Collins earlier this year, where she revealed which of Alexis’s many, many catfights was her favourite – click here to find out more.

Dynasty airs on Wednesdays on The CW in the US, with new episodes coming to Netflix each Thursday in the UK.

More stories:
Strictly Come Dancing’s Gorka Marquez strips off and talks fitness with Attitude
Football’s first openly gay referee says game is stuck in the ‘dark ages’ when it comes to homophobia