{"id":136503,"date":"2026-06-04T13:28:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T18:28:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=136503"},"modified":"2026-06-04T13:28:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T18:28:54","slug":"1980s-tv-shows-a-trip-down-memory-lane-with-ray-abruzzo-sgt-john-zorelli-in-dynasty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=136503","title":{"rendered":"1980s TV Shows:  A Trip Down Memory Lane with\u2026 Ray Abruzzo (Sgt. John Zorelli in \u201cDynasty\u201d)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1545664804358300\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block; text-align: center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1545664804358300\" data-ad-slot=\"8616314829\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=136503\" rel=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=136503\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-136504 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Ray-Abruzzo-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Ray-Abruzzo-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Ray-Abruzzo-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Ray-Abruzzo-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Ray-Abruzzo-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Ray-Abruzzo.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cDynasty\u201d was a prime time soap opera which was aired on ABC from 1981 to 1989. It ran for 222 episodes. It was the story about The Carringtons, a rich family in Denver. John Forsythe played Blake Carrington, an oil tycoon. Linda Evans played his wife Krystle and Joan Collins played his ex-wife Alexis. Ray Abruzzo played Sgt. John Zorelli for 20 episodes on the show. <!--more--><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: &#8220;Dynasty&#8221;: What was the show about?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>I think \u201cDynasty\u201d was a fantasy escape to a world of wealth, lavish life styles and scandal. Timely with a decade that focused much on \u2018greed\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: How did you get the part as Sgt. John Zorelli?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>It was a series of several auditions tied to a final one in front of Network executives. I had just had a several episode arc on the high profile show, \u201cL.A. Law\u201d, and I think that is how I first came to the attention of the producers.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: What did you like about the character and how did you make it your own?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Zorelli was very different from any other character on the show. He was a fish out of water. A blue collar, East Coast, relocated detective. He dressed differently, no hair spray, spoke differently than any other character on the show. They gave me room to find Zorelli\u2019s way.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: What was it like working with John Forsythe, Linda Evans and the others?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>I didn\u2019t have much interaction on the show with Linda. Although she was always so lovely and welcoming to me. John Forsythe was an icon. Pure class, an absolute professional, a bit intimidating at first but he was very supportive and put me at ease.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: How did a week on the set looked like from getting the script to filming?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The \u201cDynasty\u201d schedule was quicker than other shows I had done, so everything moved fast. I think they were shot in 5 and a half days where \u201cL.A. Law\u201d I think was 7 to 8. You\u2019d get the script just a few days before episode started shooting. I remember you\u2019d finish one episode the morning of last day and start the next in the afternoon.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: Where was the show filmed?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The show was filmed at Warner Hollywood Lot. Some scenes were shot on location, like the ranch in Westlake, CA.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: Do you have a favorite episode where you starred in and why this one?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Oh, there was a big lead up to episode 9 when Zorelli and Fallon would finally kiss. There was an ice skating scene where Zorelli hurts his ankle (I actually tore a ligament in my knee shooting that scene).<\/p>\n<p>Mostly, I remember that Emma\u2019s mother happened to be visiting from England and was on the set for our first kiss. That certainly added to my nervousness.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: Are you still in touch with the other actors on the show?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Emma and I are still in touch. I have recently become good friends with Maxwell Caufield, even though we weren\u2019t on the show at the same time and both played Fallon\u2019s love interests. I see Max and his wife Juliet Mills frequently.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: Looking back now would you have played John Zorelli differently?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t think I would change anything. It was such a fun, exciting time. My first series regular role. Emma and I had a lot of fun and they let us find our relationship on camera.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: How do you explain that this show is still so beloved after 40+ years?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cDynasty\u201d typifies the era, the 80\u2019s. Like certain songs that bring you back to a certain period in time, that\u2019s what \u201cDynasty\u201d does.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #808000;\"><a style=\"color: #808000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.authorhouse.com\/en\/bookstore\/bookdetails\/232300-BOXING-INTERVIEWS-OF-A-LIFETIME\">Click Here to Order Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime By &#8220;Bad&#8221; Brad Berkwitt<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"wpforms-container wpforms-container-full\" id=\"wpforms-126533\"><form id=\"wpforms-form-126533\" class=\"wpforms-validate wpforms-form wpforms-ajax-form\" data-formid=\"126533\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"multipart\/form-data\" action=\"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F136503\" data-token=\"ef4d546fcc23631a0eaef5986887e893\" data-token-time=\"1780605491\"><noscript class=\"wpforms-error-noscript\">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.<\/noscript><div class=\"wpforms-field-container\"><div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_1-container\" class=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-name\" data-field-id=\"1\"><label class=\"wpforms-field-label\">Name <span class=\"wpforms-required-label\">*<\/span><\/label><div class=\"wpforms-field-row wpforms-field-medium\"><div class=\"wpforms-field-row-block wpforms-first wpforms-one-half\"><input type=\"text\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_1\" class=\"wpforms-field-name-first wpforms-field-required\" name=\"wpforms[fields][1][first]\" required><label for=\"wpforms-126533-field_1\" class=\"wpforms-field-sublabel after\">First<\/label><\/div><div class=\"wpforms-field-row-block wpforms-one-half\"><input type=\"text\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_1-last\" class=\"wpforms-field-name-last wpforms-field-required\" name=\"wpforms[fields][1][last]\" required><label for=\"wpforms-126533-field_1-last\" class=\"wpforms-field-sublabel after\">Last<\/label><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_2-container\" class=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-email\" data-field-id=\"2\"><label class=\"wpforms-field-label\" for=\"wpforms-126533-field_2\">Email <span class=\"wpforms-required-label\">*<\/span><\/label><input type=\"email\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_2\" class=\"wpforms-field-medium wpforms-field-required\" name=\"wpforms[fields][2]\" spellcheck=\"false\" required><\/div>\t\t<div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_4-container\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-text\"\n\t\t\tdata-field-type=\"text\"\n\t\t\tdata-field-id=\"4\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<label class=\"wpforms-field-label\" for=\"wpforms-126533-field_4\" >or Name Comment<\/label>\n\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_4\" class=\"wpforms-field-medium\" name=\"wpforms[fields][4]\" >\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_3-container\" class=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-textarea\" data-field-id=\"3\"><label class=\"wpforms-field-label\" for=\"wpforms-126533-field_3\">Comment or Message<\/label><textarea id=\"wpforms-126533-field_3\" class=\"wpforms-field-medium\" name=\"wpforms[fields][3]\" ><\/textarea><\/div><script>\n\t\t\t\t( function() {\n\t\t\t\t\tconst style = document.createElement( 'style' );\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle.appendChild( document.createTextNode( '#wpforms-126533-field_4-container { position: absolute !important; 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It ran for 222 episodes. It was the story about The Carringtons, a rich family in Denver. John Forsythe played Blake Carrington, an oil tycoon. Linda Evans played his wife Krystle and Joan Collins [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":136504,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":5,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35042],"tags":[35281],"class_list":["post-136503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-1980s-tv-shows-a-trip-down-memory-lane-with","tag-1980s-tv-shows-a-trip-down-memory-lane-with-ray-abruzzo-sgt-john-zorelli-in-dynasty"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=136503"}],"version-history":[{"count":-3,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136503\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/136504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=136503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=136503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=136503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}