Dynasty: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Cristal | ScreenRant
Cristal has been a key character in the CW series Dynasty since its second season. The character was first introduced in Season One but there was a twist. It was later revealed that the person audiences thought was Cristal was actually a woman named Celia Machado, who Cristal had allowed to use her identity.
After Celia's death, Cristal showed up to comfort Blake and the two soon fell in love. However, their relationship has been a troubled one. Blake's ex-wife Alexis has constantly interfered, leading the couple to grow distant from each other and have affairs.
10 Food Allergies
Food is always in abundance at the Carrington Manor. While there are a few characters (like Sammy Jo) who enjoy eating everything that has been placed on the table, some have their preferences. For example, Cristal doesn't like pork. In fact, she is allergic to it.
This little detail was revealed in the Season 3 episode: "You See Most Things in Terms of Black & White." In it, Cristal seemed to have had enough of Alexis. When she was offered pork by her husband's ex, she politely refused, stating that she has an allergy.
9 Why The Character Was Recast
Cristal was played by Ana Brenda Contreras at the start of the series but she was later recast, with telenovela star Daniella Alonso taking the role. Back in July 2019, Dynasty showrunner, Josh Reims told TVLine that Contreras had left due to personal reasons.
The personal reasons were not explained in detail but Contreras herself lifted the lid during an interview with People Magazine by saying: "It was a decision I made with the producers and it took a lot of work. I had been carrying a heavy workload, stress, and personal things that made my stay in Atlanta very difficult and had an impact on my health."
8 Name Spelling
The Dynasty reboot spells her name as Cristal but in the original series, the name was spelled as Krystle. According to the producers, the reasons for this is that the two versions have very different personalities.
While the older Krystle was calm and nice, the new Cristal happens to be tough and more formidable. She isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and would do anything to fight for her marriage. She also has her own ambitions and doesn't like relaxing in her comfort zone.
7 Relationships
Cristal's most obvious romantic relationship is with her husband Blake Carrington. Given the many scenes the two share together, it might seem like Blake is the only man Cristal has been with but that is not the case.
Before Blake, she was married to a man named Mark Jennings. She even used the name, Cristal Jennings. Mark was accidentally killed by Alexis as she attempted to shoot Cristal. In the third season, Cristal also had an affair with a priest named Caleb Collins.
6 Her Age
Cristal is in her 30s though the specific age is not mentioned. Apparently, it was the cast members who suggested that Cristal be at least be in her 30s, unlike the 80s Cristal who was in her 20s.
With the changing times, some felt that it wouldn't look so good for a tycoon who is in his 50s to date such a young woman. Being in her 20s would also make her the same age as Fallon. As a result of this new development, her age had to be modified.
5 Business Ventures
Speaking of ambitions, Cristal has had a number of her own business ventures that might be hard to keep up with given the show's many moving parts. She is currently the Director of Veteran's Clinic, which is a wing of Northend Memorial Hospital also known as Atlanta General.
Cristal has also served as Co-President of Blue Belt Winery. This was a winery and vineyard that Blake previously owned. She was also a Co-owner of the soccer team The Atlantix. And before she was wealthy, she worked at the Sedona Health and Wellness Center.
4 The Original Cristal/Krystle Was More Loved By Critics
While the Dynasty reboot has been a hit with audiences, it hasn't really been a strong contender during award seasons. The same can't be said of the original series. The original Krystle was so adored that actress Linda Evans got nominated for the big awards every single year.
Evans was nominated for a Golden Globe award for four consecutive years (1981-1984). She was also nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1983.
3 Nationality Change
In the original Dynasty series, Krystle was an American woman who was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio in a stable family. She was also close to her sister, Iris. Both his parents had decent jobs.
In the reboot, Cristal is of Latin-American descent. She is originally from Venezuela where she has spent most of her life. She also happens to be related to Sammy Jo. Her family isn't that stable and some of the members are shown to be criminals.
2 Episode Appearances
Ever since she was introduced in the reboot, the character has appeared in every single episode. The only other characters that have been favored that much by the writers are Blake and Fallon. Every other character has missed an episode or two.
Cristal first appeared in the episode: "Twenty-Three Skidoo" which was also the Season 2 premiere. She appeared as the "Real Cristal" after the Season One Cristal was said to be an impostor.
1 Kill Count
In the episode titled "Parisian Legend Has It..." Cristal assisted Blake in killing a hitman named Mac so as to cover up his crimes. And in the Season One episode titled "Rotten Things," Cristal admitted to Sammy Jo that she killed his father Alejandro Raya because he was assaulting her sister Iris.
In the episode titled "A Well-Dressed Tarantula," Cristal also admitted to killing three more people in Venezuela. These figures put her kill count even higher than that of Blake which stands at 3.