Before The Boys, Chace Crawford Starred In A Dallas-Esque Drama With Don Johnson – TVLine

From the golden boy charm of heartthrob Nate Archibald to the bizarre sea-creature fetishes of the Deep, Chace Crawford’s career has been defined by two iconic and wildly different roles. But there’s another big part sandwiched between those two you might’ve forgotten about. 

Four years before he joined the blood- and carnage-filled world of “The Boys” — currently in the midst of its skull-crushing fifth and final season — he took part in a short-lived “Dallas”-esque primetime soap opera called “Blood & Oil” starring opposite Don Johnson of ’80s “Miami Vice” fame.

Set during the present-day oil boom in North Dakota, 2015’s “Blood & Oil” follows Billy LeFever (Crawford), an ambitious working man who relocates to the bustling town of Rock Springs with his wife, Cody (Rebecca Rittenhouse), to try their luck in the black gold business. But drama soon unfolds after he engages in risky dealings with a swindling oil tycoon named Hap Briggs (Johnson).

Crawford signed up for the role just three years after “Gossip Girl” and he opened up to People about why he was excited to tackle the opportunity.

“It was a great situation, and I get to play a completely different character than the one I portrayed for six years,” he told the outlet. “It’s nice to be able to play something that’s closer to home for me. And to not have to shave my face off every day.”

“Blood & Oil” mostly scored mixed to average reviews (it has a 63% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a lower 40% audience score). Some critics brushed it off as just another pale “Dallas” wannabe, while others found Crawford’s presence insufficiently commanding for the lead role. 

Per The Hollywood Reporter, behind-the-scenes clashes resulted in a last-minute showrunner swap, and ABC reduced its original order of 13 episodes down to 10 during its run, which didn’t bode well. The outlet also reported that “Blood & Oil” opened with a modest 6.3 million total viewers which eventually dwindled to 3.1 million and a 0.7 rating by the time the final episode of “Blood & Oil” aired. The series was not renewed for a second season.

If you want to check out all 10 episodes of the show, they’re currently only available for purchase on Prime Video, Fandango at Home, and Apple TV.