Dominique Deveraux

Dominique Deveraux (born Millie Cox; formerly Lloyd) is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty and its spin-off The Colbys. The role was portrayed by Diahann Carroll from 1984 through 1987.

Dynasty (Season 4): 1983–1984

Successful and wealthy chanteuse Dominique Deveraux arrives in Denver in "New Lady in Town" (1984) with a flourish, asking Fallon Carrington Colby (Pamela Sue Martin) questions about her mother, Alexis Colby (Joan Collins). In the next episode, the fourth season finale, Dominique wonders aloud to herself, "Won't it just knock their socks off when they find out I'm a Carrington?"

Dynasty (Season 5): 1984–1985

Dominique's husband Brady Lloyd (Billy Dee Williams) arrives in Denver in the September 26, 1984 season premiere episode, "Disappearance." He asks why Dominique is performing at La Mirage. Brady and Dominique fight when she will not tell him why she is choosing to remain in Denver. Dominique's hostility toward oil tycoon Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) is noticed by Blake's wife Krystle (Linda Evans).

Following Fallon's memorial service in "The Rescue", Dominique makes the shocking claim that she is the daughter of Blake's father Tom Carrington and his longtime mistress, Laura Matthews, and offers proof (found in a letter in an old trunk left in the care of Laura's sister Bessie), therefore making her Blake's half-sister. A financially strapped Blake makes a business deal with the very wealthy Dominique: Forty percent of Denver-Carrington in exchange for $70 million. This subsequently makes Dominique an enemy of Alexis Colby, who has been scheming to destroy her ex-husband Blake. When Brady learns the truth, he is furious that Dominique didn't confide in him earlier.

As Blake's business partner, Dominique travels to Istanbul to meet with the shady Rashid Ahmed in order to help Blake obtain a confession from him. Despite this assistance, in episode 100, Blake tells Dominique that Tom denies that he is her father. Furious, Dominique instigates a lawsuit against Blake for misappropriation of company funds after Blake uses some of the money she invested in Denver-Carrington to prevent losing his mansion. However, episode 102, "The Will", Dominique and Blake visit their father Tom on his deathbed in Sumatra; Alexis, a favorite of Tom's, follows them. Tom meets his illegitimate daughter Dominique for the first time, and she convinces him to accept her. Tom dies, but not before including Dominique in his will, as well as making her the executor, which further infuriates Alexis (who is also a beneficiary). In episode 103, "The Treasure", Blake and Dominique discuss the matter between them and Blake finally acknowledges her as his half-sister. Dominique, in a show of gratitude, tells Blake that she has dropped her lawsuit against him. Later on, Blake summons Alexis to his office and tells her that if she persists in trying to break Tom's will, he will put his support firmly behind Dominique. Furthermore, he reiterates the fact that she is now family and that he will fight to the death for her. Alexis concedes to Blake's demands, but tells him she'll find a way to destroy Dominique regardless. Later that evening at the Carrington mansion, Blake holds a dinner gathering to formally welcome Dominique into the family. Adam goes out of his way to welcome her as well and Dominique is overcome with emotion. Later on, Amanda tells Alexis about the gathering and that she is proud to have Dominique as her new aunt, much to Alexis' annoyance. Alexis then places a call to one of her associates and orders him to find out everything he can about Dominique.

In episode 108, Dominique learns that Brady has filed for divorce and that Alexis is attempting to take over her company, Deveraux Group, Inc., after which she collapses. At the hospital Dominique learns that she needs heart surgery. She pulls through her illness and becomes closer to Blake and Krystle. Although the divorce goes through, Brady refuses to sell his shares in Deveraux Group, Inc. to Alexis, foiling the takeover. Noticing that famed photojournalist Lady Ashley Mitchell appears to have designs on Blake, she warns Ashley to keep away and advises Krystle to watch out.

Dominique is among the family guests invited to Moldavia to celebrate the wedding of her niece, Amanda, to Prince Michael, where a military coup takes place and insurgents take over the chapel and gun down the entire wedding party.

Dynasty (Season 6)/The Colbys (Season 1): 1985–1986

Dominique survives the wedding massacre, and rejects an offer by the rebel leader to remain in Moldavia to "entertain the troops and improve morale". Back in Denver, Dominique works with Blake on a pipeline deal with Jason Colby (Charlton Heston). She encounters Jonathan Lake (Calvin Lockhart), a state department employee, who reminds Dominique that they met years ago in Paris. Romance seems to be blossoming between the pair, but then a man from her past returns: Garrett Boydston (Ken Howard), Jason Colby's lawyer. Garrett tries to rekindle their romance, but Dominque is resistant.^[1] Years earlier, Dominique and Garrett had an affair. At the time, Garrett claimed that he was married and refused to leave his wife. Dominique is torn between the two men until she learns that Jonathan has aligned himself with Bart Fallmont, a politician who is fighting the pipeline project.

Dominique travels frequently to Los Angeles, and hires Monica Colby (Tracy Scoggins) to help run her L.A.-based record company. While there, she continues to see Garrett. He cannot understand her reluctance to resume their relationship.

In episode 134, Dominique's daughter, Jackie (Troy Beyer) visits her mother and asks to remain in Denver instead of returning to finishing school in Lausanne, Switzerland. In episode 136, Garrett meets Jackie and is immediately convinced that he is her father. Garrett presses Dominique but she continues to deny that he is Jackie's father. Jackie, who would like to see her mother married and happy, also wonders about the true nature of their relationship. In episode 143, Jackie runs away when she learns that her father is listed as "unknown" on her birth certificate. Alexis encounters Jackie and manipulates the girl into telling her troubles. Dominique finally admits to Garrett that he is indeed Jackie's father. Jackie returns home in episode 145 and finally learns that Garrett is her father.

In episode 146, Dominique and Garrett decide to marry. In the season finale, at their engagement party Alexis reveals that Garrett was never married before. He lied in order to avoid a long-term relationship. Dominique slaps Alexis and orders her to leave. She confronts Garrett with the story who admits that he lied so many years ago. Stunned, Dominique breaks off the engagement. Her guests continue to celebrate, unaware that the wedding is cancelled — or that a fire is raging in other parts of the hotel.

Dynasty (Season 7)/The Colbys (Season 2): 1986–1987

During the fire, Dominique panics when she cannot find Jackie. Dex Dexter manages to rescue Jackie, but she is badly burned. Jackie provides eye witness testimony to the cause of the fire, before leaving Denver for state-of-the-art burn treatment.

During this time, Dominique helps Blake to fight Alexis, who has taken over Blake's company with the assistance of their estranged brother, Ben. She also attempts to revive her singing career. When a bad review appears in Alexis's newspaper, Dominique goes to confront her in episode 160 and a cat fight ensues.

In episode 154, Dominique meets geologist Nick Kimball, who romantically pursues her. Dominique resists him at first, but by episode 158 she gives in to his advances and they share a passionate night together. In episode 163, Nick saves Dominique from two thugs who were sent by businessman Gary Tilden to "rough her up" after she rejected a business deal from Tilden. But Dominique is still restrained about their relationship – and draws closer to Alexis's ex-husband Dex. Nick returns in episode 173 to whisk Dominique off for a romantic weekend in San Francisco, where he proposes. While Dominique contemplates marrying Nick, Jackie returns to Denver to tell her mother that Garrett is still in love with her. In episode 175, Jackie asks Nick to break it off with Dominique. When Dominique states that she will not get back together with Garrett, a defeated Jackie leaves Denver again. In episode 176, the season finale, Dominique and Nick attend the wedding of her nephew, Adam. After the ceremony, Dominique accepts his proposal and the two leave Denver.

Dynasty (Season 9): 1988–1989

Though not physically seen after Season Seven, Dominique (having revived her singing career touring Europe) was mentioned in Season Nine as Blake investigated the murder of Roger Grimes. Blake visited Dominique's uncle Charles Matthews, brother to her mother Laura and Aunt Bessie. Charles and his wife Jane later provided Blake with some of his father's belongings, left with them by Laura and then Bessie for safekeeping.

Behind the scenes

Dominique was added as a foil for Joan Collins' Alexis, though when the character was originally written, the producers had not decided how to use her. A number of scenes were filmed to introduce her (to circumvent any chance the storyline would leak to the press) including alternative lines that revealed Dominique to be the mother of Kirby Anders, and also the former wife of Cecil Colby.

When first landing the role, actress Diahann Carroll stated that she wanted to be television's "first black bitch".^[2][3] She appeared as Dominique in 71 episodes of Dynasty, and 7 episodes of The Colbys.^[4] Carroll, who is also a singer, was repeatedly featured rehearsing and/or performing songs on several episodes of both series.

Notes and references

See also

• Carrington family tree
• List of soap opera villains