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This is a list of characters from the ABC Daytime soap opera, One Life to Live, that began their run between the show's pilot episode and the end of 1979.

Becky Lee Abbott

Becky Lee Abbott is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated by Jill Voight in February 1977, a role she played through December 1978. Mary Gordon Murray stepped into the role in August 1979 and played Becky until May 1985. Murray later made several guest appearances in 1986, 1988, 1996, 1998 and from November 15 to 19, 2001.

Pat Ashley

Patricia "Pat" Ashley Lord (formerly Kendall and Brewster) is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was played by actress Jacqueline Courtney from the character's inception in April 1975^[1] continually through its onscreen departure in December 1983.^[2]

Steve Burke

Steven "Steve" Burke is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated by actor Bernard Grant in August 1970, who played the character continually through 1975.

Herb Callison

Herbert "Herb" Callison is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The character was played by actor Anthony Call from its inception in 1978 through its last regular appearance in 1992. Call reprised the role in 1993.

Herb gains notoriety (and a friend in Dorian Lord) upon serving as the Llanview District Attorney during the Marco Dane murder trial against Victoria "Viki" Lord Riley. Viki who was ultimately acquitted, and which resulted in the shocking revelation that Karen Wolek was a prostitute involved with client and actual murderer Talbot Huddleston.

Upon marrying Dorian at Llanfair in 1981, he adopts her daughter Cassie Reynolds, who soon takes her stepfather's surname as he adopts her. Herb and Dorian divorce in 1985, though the two remain close friends. Herb departs fictional Llanview in 1992, returning briefly for Christmas episodes in December 1993.

Melinda Cramer

Melinda Cramer is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The character debuted on April 30, 1973 with leading series antagonist Dr. Dorian Cramer. She last appeared onscreen on August 2, 2004, and died off-screen February 28, 2010.

Character history

Sisters Melinda and Dorian arrive in fictional Llanview in 1973. Mentally-disturbed Melinda stabs Dorian's lover, Mark Toland, in 1974, leading to her institutionalization.

A recovered Melinda returns to Llanview in 1978, but soon sabotages Dorian's new relationship with Dr. Peter Janssen, wanting him for herself. Melinda seems to win when she and Peter elope, but her obsessive-compulsive behavior returns. Resuming her career as a concert pianist, Melinda practices day and night, putting a strain on her marriage to Peter. She becomes more unbalanced when a failed audition put a close to her musical ambitions. In 1979, Melinda checks herself into the Compton Clinic. Dorian then has Melinda declared mentally incompetent; by 1980, Peter hopes to marry Jenny Wolek Vernon, but couldn't divorce Melinda until she was mentally stable. After threatening Jenny with a letter opener and sinking further into psychosis, Melinda returns to the clinic in 1981. She is seen again briefly in 1983, as Herb Callison visits her in order to learn the truth about Dorian's past with David Reynolds.

Melinda returns again in 1987 after Dorian's departure, and moves into Dorian's penthouse with Dorian's daughter Cassie Callison, the latter who leaves Llanview in 1988. Melinda has a relationship with Jon Russell, and leaves town herself in 1989.

It is later discovered that Melinda has returned to living in a sanitarium, now in Californina. Her daughter Kelly Cramer moves to Llanview in 1995. Melinda herself returns to Llanview in 1997, briefly, before leaving once again, choosing to return to the sanitarium.

In 2004, her daughter Kelly visits her while she is now living in Boston, in a different sanitarium.

On March 1, 2010, Cassie returns to Llanview to inform Dorian of Melinda's offscreen death. Although the Cramer family originally believed Mitch Laurence and Allison Perkins to be the culprits of Melinda's death, it was later revealed that Elijah Clarke, the husband of her niece Blair, actually was responsible for her death. According to him, she had recognized him from a photograph in the newspaper, and threatened to warn her niece about his murderous past.

Greg Huddleston

Gregory "Greg" Huddleston is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was played by Paul Joynt from 1977 until his final appearance in April 1979.

Talbot Huddleston

Talbot Huddleston is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was played by actor Byron Sanders onscreen from May 1977 until April 1979.

A wealthy businessman, Talbot engages in affair with married call girl Karen Wolek. In April 1978 Talbot accidentally ran over and killed Brian Kendall after learned his birth father was not Tony Lord, not Paul Kendall. He is arrested on manslaughter charges and last appears in 1979.

Peter Janssen

Dr. Peter Janssen is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime serial One Life to Live. The role was originated and notably played by actor Jeff Pomerantz, who appeared in the role March 1976 through 1979 and again in 1987. Robert Burton stepped into the role in January 1980 and was subsequently replaced by Denny Albee. Albee appeared onscreen November 12, 1980 through the character's death May 20, 1982.

Katrina Karr

Katrina Karr is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The colleague of fellow prostitute Karen Wolek, role was portrayed onscreen by actress Nancy Snyder from February 1979 until 1983.

Kristine Karr

Regan McManus (1981–83)

Kristine Karr (born Mary Vernon) is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live that appeared onscreen from November 1, 1979 until 1983.

Character history

Brad Vernon engages in an extramarital affair with prostitute Katrina Karr. Katrina conceives a daughter, born the same night as his stillborn daughter to his wife, Jenny Wolek Vernon, onscreen November 1, 1979 at Llanview Hospital. Con man Marco Dane elicits Jenny's sister Karen Wolek to switch Jenny's dead child with Katrina's baby. Katrina long believes her live-born child died in the nursery of the hospital, while Jenny raises a child she and Brad name Mary Vernon. After nearly three years of deception, Karen and Marco tell Jenny the truth about the two children, and Jenny returns Mary Vernon to Katrina. Katrina soon renames the child Kristine Karr, and departs offscreen with the child in 1983.

Con woman Aubrey Wentworth appears in fictional Llanview in 2010, marrying Joey Riley Buchanan, the son of town businesswoman Victoria "Viki" Lord Banks and her deceased former husband Joe Riley born mere months after Kristine Karr. Aubrey reveals onscreen her name, "Aubrey Wentworth," to be an alias for her real name Kristine Karr. As leading Karen Wolek portrayer Judith Light declined to appear on the ABC Daytime finale of OLTL, Aubrey's possible identity as the Kristine Karr born to Katrina and Brad was not divulged onscreen, and Aubrey last appears in December 2011.

Brian Kendall

Brian Kendall is introduced as the eight-year-old son of new Banner reporter Patricia "Pat" Ashley (Jacqueline Courtney) in 1975. Shortly after his introduction, Pat reveals to new boss Victoria "Viki" Lord Riley (Erika Slezak) that her son is, in fact, Viki's nephew and the son of Viki's maternal cousin and newly uncovered brother, Anthony "Tony" Harris Lord (George Reinholt). As Pat and Tony become romantically involved, Brian grows to greatly despise her mother's new beau as he pined for his late father Paul Kendall (Tom Fuccello), who apparently died before Brian and his mother relocated to Llanview.

On the episode first-run April 27, 1978, after years of speculation, mother Pat confirms Brian's worst suspicions — that Tony is his natural father; revealed out in the streets of the busy Llanview town square by Pat and Tony (Philip MacHale), a devastated Brian runs out into the street, where he is accidentally hit in a car driven by married businessman Talbot Huddleston in the company of his call girl, also married Karen Wolek (Judith Light). Panicked that their romantic indiscretions would be uncovered, Talbot and Karen decidedly drive away, leaving a severely-injured Brian on the road to succumb to injuries.

Paul Kendall

Paul Kendall is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was played by actor Tom Fuccello from October 1977 until its onscreen departure in March 1979.

Edwina Lewis

Edwina Lewis (formerly Dane) is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was played by actress Margaret Klenck from July 1977 until November 1984.

Karen Martin

Karen Martin (formerly Wolek) is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated on the show pilot by Niki Flacks July 15, 1968. Flacks continued in the role until the character's last appearance in 1970.

Gwendolyn Lord

Gwendolyn Lord Abbott is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime serial One Life to Live. The role was originated and played by actress Joan Copeland from 1978 through 1979.

Lana McClain

Lana McClain is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The character was the first contract soap role for actress Jacklyn Zeman, who became most recognized for long-playing Bobbie Spencer on sister serial General Hospital. Zeman appeared as Lana onscreen from September 1976 until the character's death December 1977, when she was cast days later for GH by Gloria Monty based on her OLTL performance.^[4]

Character history

Lana first appears as a waitress at Tony's Place, a diner owned by Tony Lord (George Reinholt). She is soon hit on by womanizer Brad Vernon (Jameson Parker), who dated Jenny Wolek (Katherine Glass) at the time. As Brad carried on a relationship with both, Lana becomes a nurse at Llanview Hospital and reveals her pregnancy with his child in November 1977. The following month, a drunk Lana dies after Brad gives her a glass of milk laced with sleeping pills.^[5] Brad is soon convicted of manslaughter in Lana's death in January 1978.

Dorothy Randolph

Dorothy Randolph is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role appeared onscreen in April and May 1975 opposite leading role Mark Toland (Tom Lee Jones).

Eugenia Randolph Lord

Eugenia Randolph Lord is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The deceased character exists at the show's inception in 1968, first appearing onscreen in flashbacks in 1969. Lori March assumed the role in 1987, and the character is last shown in 1995.

Megan Craig Riley

Megan Craig Riley is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. She was played by unnamed infant actors from December 2, 1974 until October 3, 1975. Megan is the daughter of Joe Riley (Lee Patterson) and Cathy Craig (Dorrie Kavanaugh).

While Joe is presumed dead, wife Victoria "Viki" Lord Riley (Erika Slezak) marries Steve Burke in 1972; Viki is overjoyed when Joe returns, but chooses to stay loyal to Steve in 1973. Joe begins a relationship with Cathy, but he and Viki soon reunite. Viki's divorce from Steve is finalized, but Cathy is pregnant with Joe's child. He offers to marry her, but she refuses. Joe and Viki remarry in a simple ceremony in New York City. Cathy gives birth to Megan on-screen on the episode first-run December 2, 1974, but the child has a congenital heart defect that assures she will not live past adolescence. On the episode first-run October 3, 1975, Viki babysits baby Megan and, while in Viki's care, Megan stops breathing. Viki frantically puts Megan in her car to take her to the hospital but gets into a car accident as she drives in a storm. The accident seriously injures Viki, and Megan dies. Viki recovers, but Cathy swears revenge.

Jack Scott

Jack Scott is a fictional character from the American soap opera One Life to Live portrayed by actor Arthur Burghardt. He played the role from 1978 until 1980.

Bert Skelly

Herbert "Bert" Skelly is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated by Wayne Jones in 1969, and subsequently played by Herb Davis from 1969 until the character's last appearance in 1972.

Dave Siegel

Dave Siegel is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was played by actor Allen Miller from the series debut in July 1968 through the character's onscreen death December 13, 1972.

Character history

The Jewish husband of Eileen Riley and brother-in-law to original male protagonist Joe Riley, attorney Dave Siegel is first introduced just after the series debut in July 1968, and provides regular legal defense to more dynamic series character during his appearance. In 1972, Dave manages to get Steve Burke acquitted for the accidental death of his secretary Marcy Wade. Unbeknownst to Dave, the crucial evidence comes from Joe, who was presumed dead. Eileen and close friend Vince Wolek (Antony Ponzini) never give up hope on Joe's impending return, and she is overjoyed when he finally reappears. Dave dies onscreen of a heart attack, leaving Eileen devastated.

Julie Siegel Toland

Julie Siegel Toland is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated by actress Lee Warrick from June 1969 until September 1974, when she was replaced by Leonie Norton. Norton continued in the role until May 1976, when the character was written off the series as moving to Florida.

Niece of male protagonist Joe Riley, Julie first arrives in fictional Llanview in June 1969 for the wedding of Joe to leading heroine Victoria Lord. In 1970, she becomes close friends to Cathy Craig and falls in love with lothario law school student Jack Lawson (David Snell) and moves in with him without marrying, to the chagrin of her socially conservative parents. Julie assumes Jack would marry her upon completion of his law school work, but when she discovers him to be a womanizer and realizes he never intends to tie the knot, she retires to a nervous breakdown. While recovering from this breakdown, Julie meets Dr. Mark Toland, and they fall in love and get married on the May 5, 1971 episode.^[6]

Following the death of her father in December 1972, Julie's mother Eileen begins to date again, bothering Julie tremendously. She attempts to seduce her mother's lover, but to no avail. She leaves Llanview in 1976, months after Mark widows her in a Lord family caper.

Tim Siegel

Timothy "Tim" Siegel is fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role debuted on the series in June 1969, briefly originated by newcomer Bill Fowler. The role was assumed by William Cox from 1970 until 1971. Actor Tom Berenger stepped in as Tim when the character returns a law school dropout in April 1975. Tim last dies onscreen when Berenger left the series in April 1976.

Law student Tim briefly appears in fictional Llanview in June 1969 with sister Julie (Lee Warwick) for the wedding of his maternal uncle Joe Riley (Lee Patterson) to media heiress and heroine Victoria Lord. He returns in 1970 when Joe is presumed dead, a fate he, his mother Eileen, and family refused to believe. After briefly engaging in a relationship with Cathy Craig, Tim returns to school. Tom Berenger steps into the role as Tim returns in April 1975 as a law school dropout. He becomes a construction worker and falls in love with novitiate nun Jenny Wolek (Katherine Glass). Jenny gives up the cloistured life for Tim, and the two get engaged. Her cousin Vince, outraged that Tim is stealing Jenny from the church, gets into a fight that exacerbates a latent brain aneurysm in Tim. When it becomes apparent that Tim was dying, Jenny arranges for a hasty wedding ceremony in Tim's hospital room, and with Joe, Eileen, and Julie looking on, the two marry on the April 5, 1976 episode. Tim dies shortly after the marriage is officiated on the following April 6 episode.

Price Trainor

Dr. Price Trainor is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated on the pilot July 15, 1968 by actor Peter DeAnda, who played the role through 1970. Thurman Scott played the role through the character's last appearance in December 1970.

Naomi Vernon

Naomi Vernon is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated and played by Terri Keane from June 1976 until the character's onscreen death September 30, 1977.

Samantha Vernon

Samantha Vernon is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated by Julia Montgomery June 1976 until January 1981, briefly reprising the role in April 1987. Dorian Lopinto assumed the role in January 1981, playing Samantha through the character's onscreen death November 16, 1984.

Character history

Brad's little sister, Samantha, is introduced onscreen in June 1976, presented as resentful of her neglectful workaholic father, Dr. Will Vernon. Samantha soon chases much older Tony Lord around town in 1978. Tony soon loses his temper and tells Samantha off, devastating her into recklessly driving and causing a disfiguring accident which leaves her father's new fiancée, Dr. Pamela Shepard, dead, and Samantha herself disfigured.^[7] After leaving town for corrective plastic surgery, Samantha returns to Llanview, and marries much older Asa Buchanan in 1981. Unbeknownst to all, Asa's believed-to-be-dead first wife Olympia Buchanan appears in Llanview alive and refuses to grant Asa a divorce. Asa soon imprisons Olympia and invalidly marries Samantha. Olympia escapes several times and attempts to kill either Asa and Samantha, but her plans are repeatedly foiled and she returns to her imprisonment. Finally, the truth about Olympia comes out, and Samantha leaves Asa. Samantha soon falls in love with Asa's nephew Rafe Garretson, and marries him in 1984. Samantha becomes pregnant, but is later discovered lifeless floating facedown in a pool. Declared brain dead in November 1984, the child she was carrying was artificially implanted into her friend Delilah Ralston, and Rafe makes the painful decision to remove her from life support. The baby Delilah surrogates is born and named after Samantha. Samantha reappears in 1987 when friend Viki Lord Buchanan briefly dies and goes to Heaven.

Will Vernon

Vernons, from left clockwise: Julia Montgomery as Sam, Farley Granger as Will,Teri Keane as Naomi, and Jameson Parker as Brad, 1977

William "Will" Vernon Psy.D., M.D. is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime serial One Life to Live. The role was originated by film actor Farley Granger from June 1976 through early 1977. Bernie McInerney briefly assumed the role from March 1977 until late 1977. Anthony George last played Will from November 1977 through the character's last appearance in 1984.

Character history

Llanview Hospital psychotherapist Dr. Will Vernon first arrives in fictional Llanview in June 1976. Before arriving in town, he'd already had one mistress, prompting his neurotic wife Naomi to take pills to numb her pain. Will was genuinely remorseful over his cheating ways, but passive-aggressive and manipulating Naomi never let him forget his sins. Naomi grows furiously jealous at the close relationship Will shares with secretary Jenny Wolek. Fearful that Will might leave her, Naomi concocted a fake suicide attempt in order to elicit her husband's sympathy. Her plan went awry and she actually did die as a result of taking too many sleeping pills. Will spends the duration of his time in Llanview psychoanalyzing dynamic series characters and guilty over his wife's death. Burying his time in work and neglecting his children, Dr. Vernon last appears onscreen when his daughter Sam dies in November 1984.

Marcy Wade

Marcy Wade is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated and played by actress Francesca James from August 1970 until the character's onscreen death January 3, 1972.^[8][9]

Wanda Webb

Wanda Webb Wolek is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated by actress Marilyn Chris in February 1972, a role she played through 1977. Lee Lawson stepped into the role between 1977 until 1979, and Chris reprised the role from 1980 until Wanda's final appearance in 1994.

Character history

Waitress Wanda Webb first appears in fictional Llanview in February 1972. She soon becomes romantically involved with Vince Wolek, who she marries Valentine's Day 1975. Vince dies in 1981, leaving Wanda widowed.

Wanda is concurrently revealed to be a second cousin to Asa Buchanan, and remains in Llanview to run a restaurant. Offering her no-nonsense advice and delicious food, Wanda became a neighborhood friend to Llanview residents throughout the 1980s. Besides Wanda dating various men after Vince's death, She also took in her nephew, Jason Webb, who eventually left town to go to Texas with LeeAnn Demerest. She engaged in a serious confrontation with Dorian Lord when Dorian had Sloan Carpenter attacked outside her restaurant, and with Marty Saybrooke when Marty slept with newly engaged Jason, preparing to marry LeeAnn. Her restaurant, called Wanda's Place, was in the same Angel Square location which would later become home to Vega's café, and later the Buenos Dias Café. Wanda leaves town in 1994 when she remarries and moves to Seattle to open a bookstore.

Rachel Wilson

Rachel Wilson Farmer is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was played by actress Nancy Barrett from early 1974 until the character's notable onscreen death months later at the negligent hands of Drs. Mark Toland and Dorian Cramer in July.

See also

• List of One Life to Live characters

References

Notes

1. ^ Esther Rolle temporarily assumed the role for Hayman in 1971.