The '80s were the golden age of television for some of the biggest, most beloved names in soap operas: All My Children, Days of Our Lives, and The Bold and the Beautiful, to name just a few. But even among that stiff competition, one show rose above the rest in 1985, securing the number one spot in ratings: the Aaron Spelling classic Dynasty.
A wildly popular soap, Dynasty told the story of a feud between two wealthy oil families in Colorado: the Carringtons and the Colbys. Of course, the real story was about so much more: love affairs, secrets revealed, sabotage, betrayal, and a slew of untimely deaths. Fans were enthralled by the characters, who served up these dramas by the barrelful.
Among the most memorable characters on Dynasty was Fallon Carrington, the spoiled daughter of oil tycoon Blake Carrington. For the first four seasons of the show, the role was played by young actress Pamela Sue Martin, and she quickly gained a major following among the series' devoted fans. Read on to see her now at 68 and to find out where her career has taken her since the show wrapped.
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She got her start in Hollywood as a teen.
John M. Heller/Getty ImagesMartin got her start in acting straight out of high school in the early '70s, first appearing in The Poseidon Adventure with Gene Hackman and Shelley Winters.
Just a few years later, having appeared in a handful of other films and made-for-television movies, Martin was cast as Nancy Drew on the TV series The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. Though the show only lasted from 1977 until the following year, she starred in 27 episodes, and became a household name acting opposite Shaun Cassidy.
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She never fully embraced her fame from Dynasty.
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic via Getty ImagesAfter Martin hung up her magnifying glass and retired from her role as Nancy Drew, She continued to act in film and TV. She appeared in The Lady in Red with Robert Conrad, and the TV movie Human Feelings with Billy Crystal. But it wasn’t until 1981 that her career reached new heights when she was cast in her most famous role as part of the Carrington clan.
"I remember that I became extremely famous during that time, and it was a little discomfiting for me," she recalled in a 2015 interview with ABC's Morning Guest List. Martin left the show voluntarily during its fourth season, reportedly dissatisfied with the writing and eager to pursue other acting roles. "I ended up moving to Idaho and raising a son," said the actress, referring to her only child with her fourth husband, Bruce Allen.
These days, Martin prefers being behind the scenes.
Tommaso Boddi/WireImage via Getty ImagesNow that her son, Nicholas Allen, has grown up and left the house, Martin says she has more time to focus on her career and personal pursuits again. "I have time to do reunions and I've just finished a book and I'm very excited about it," she told ABC.
The change of pace, she says, is intentional. "I really moved into a phase where I didn't want to be in front of the camera—I like being behind it—and writing of course is about as 'behind' as you can get," Martin shared, describing her work as "memoir-ish."
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The Dynasty cast says they're still fond of one another.
Paul Redmond/Getty ImagesIn 2015, Martin and her fellow Dynasty cast members John James, Al Corley, Pamela Bellwood, and Gordon Thompson all gathered for a reunion interview on the Hallmark Channel. The group shared memories of some of their favorite and most far-fetched scenes, and reminisced about the cast's on- and off-screen romances.
James, who played Martin's love interest Jeff Colby on the show, shared his admiration for Martin's work. "There's chemistry that happens on screen that you just can't create, and I think some of the best scenes that I've ever done, still, today, are with Pam," he said.
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