List of One Life to Live characters introduced in the 1980s
This is a list of characters from the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live that began theirs and run between the beginning of 1980 and the end of 1989.
Austin Buchanan
Austin Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The fraternal nephew of Asa Buchanan, the role was played by actor David Gautreaux from March 1989 until the character's onscreen death in August of that year. Gautreaux briefly reappeared in March 1990.Drew Buchanan
Drew Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The son of Bo Buchanan and Becky Lee Abbott, he was conceived during a one-night stand between the two when Bo cheated on his then-fiancée Delilah Ralston. Upon the realization of her pregnancy with Drew, Becky Lee accepts the marriage proposal of Delilah's brother, Drew Ralston, to legitimize the pregnancy. The morning of Becky and Drew's wedding, Drew Ralston is killed. Asa Buchanan, assuming the child to be the illegitimate child of his son Bo, offered to marry Becky Lee to give the child the surname "Buchanan". The child is born to Becky Lee Buchanan on the episode first run on September 23, 1983, and Becky Lee later leaves Llanview with new husband Jesse Wilde and infant Drew Buchanan in tow in 1985. A SORAS, teenaged Drew returns to Llanview in 1988 for the funeral of Bo's then-wife and his stepmother, Didi O'Neill, leaving shortly thereafter in 1989. Drew returns as the bitter estranged son of Bo in 1996, influenced by his mother's torrid feelings toward the Buchanan family. A charming and troubled young man, he engages in romantic liaisons with some women in Llanview before leaving again in 1997. In 1998, a reformed Drew, freshly graduated from the police academy, returns to Llanview to repair his broken relationship with his father, and is hired by Bo as an officer for the Llanview Police Department. Months later, he is shot and killed in the line of duty by Barbara Graham while trying to stop her from shooting Kevin Buchanan.Olympia Buchanan
Olympia Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The first wife of Asa Buchanan and mother of Bo and Clint, the role was played by Taina Elg from August 1980 through Olympia's onscreen death in early January 1982. She was first seen in Paris as "Nichole Bernard" when Pat Ashley and Bo Buchanan were there on vacation, but ended up the prisoner of ex-husband Asa in the creepy mansion "Moorecliffe" where Asa's nephew Rafe Garretson took care of her. Olympia managed to escape several times, interrupting Asa and Samantha Vernon's wedding celebration. It was at this masked ball that she shot Asa and in a struggle with Samantha fell over a balcony mortally wounding herself. On her deathbed, she revealed to Bo that his real father was Yancy Ralston, although this was later to be proven a lie. It was later revealed that Olympia truly loved Asa and her sons Clint and Bo but that Asa's unfaithfulness and corrupt ways had driven her to madness.Cassie Callison
Cassie Callison is a fictional character on the American ABC daytime drama One Life to Live. She is the daughter of Dr. Dorian Cramer Lord and musician David "David Renaldi" Reynolds, and adopted by former stepfather and attorney Herb Callison. The role was portrayed for the longest duration by actress Laura Koffman.Storylines
In 1981, a young girl named Cassie Reynolds appeared and soon revealed herself as Dorian's daughter. Dorian had been in medical school when she had given birth to Cassie, whose father David Renaldi had run off with her. The mother and daughter reunited, and Dorian's husband Herb Callison adopted Cassie. In 1985, Cassie became engaged to Rob Coronal, but by 1986 their marriage had ended in divorce. Dorian left Llanview in 1987 after discovering that Cassie was having an affair with Dorian's boyfriend, private detective Jon Russell. Cassie and Jon's relationship later fizzled as she reunited with ex-husband Rob.Cassie lives with a returned Melinda in Dorian's penthouse, but leaves town in 1988. Dorian returns in 1989, followed by Cassie in 1991.
Much to Dorian's chagrin, Cassie becomes involved with Bo Buchanan; Dorian's machinations do not stop the couple from marrying. Immediately after the wedding, however, Bo's presumed-dead wife Sarah Gordon appears, very much alive. An anguished Bo chooses to stay with Cassie, but their marriage later falls apart after Cassie realizes Bo is still in love with Sarah.
In 1993, Cassie marries the Reverend Andrew Carpenter; she later miscarries their son, William. She finds an abandoned baby in the manger outside St. James Church. Beth, the mother of Cassie's foundling, appears but soon dies; her last wish is for Cassie and Andrew to adopt baby River.
After baby William's death, Cassie and Andrew's marriage was never quite the same. Prior to their adopting River, Cassie suffered a mental breakdown, and Andrew nearly fell into an affair with close friend Marty Saybrooke. The Carpenters' marriage seemed to be getting back on even footing as they focused on raising their new son River, but when Cassie went back to work as a journalist at The Banner in 1997, she began a tempestuous working relationship with rival reporter Kevin Buchanan, one that slowly blossomed into mutual passion. Cassie broke her wedding vows and began an affair with Kevin, ruining her marriage and her reputation, even losing custody of River in the ensuing divorce and custody battle. Kevin and Cassie were deeply in love, however, and Kevin risked his life to save Cassie from the inferno that burnt down the Cramer homestead in Canton, Ohio. Meanwhile, Cassie's long-lost father, David Renaldi, returned to Llanview, stricken with ALS, to reconnect with his daughter and new grandson.
Wounded in the fire in Canton, Kevin became enamoured of his hospital nurse, Barbara Graham, who developed an obsessive fixation on Kevin after their brief affair went sour. Turning murderous, Barbara attempted to kill Cassie, who she believed stood in the way of her future with Kevin. On September 15, 1998, Barbara lured Cassie to the docks in the warehouse district of Llanview and attempted to gun her down; instead, she murdered Drew Buchanan and gravely injured Cassie, leaving her paralyzed and using a wheelchair. Eventually, Cassie discovered that Barbara was the shooter, and her rage and fury left her mind once again unhinged. Cassie turned the tables on Barbara, blackmailing her with knowledge of her crime, forcing Barbara to participate in her wedding to Kevin and become Cassie's personal nurse. As Cassie slowly regained the use of her legs, she hid the truth from her friends and family. Finally, Cassie dragged Barbara to a bell tower at gunpoint, attempting to force her to jump to her death. Kevin and Andrew arrived just in time to stop Cassie. Cassie was institutionalized, and Barbara was arrested.
When Kevin and the family visited Cassie, they discovered she had suffered a full psychotic break, believing she was still happily married to Andrew. Andrew and Kevin both attempted to break through to her, to little avail. Cassie's mother, Dorian, had never approved of Cassie and Kevin's relationship, and in early 1999 decided to send Cassie to Switzerland for further treatment. Kevin fought her every step of the way, even stowing away on the private plane bound for Switzerland to try one last time to get through to his wife. In a brief moment of lucidity, Cassie begged Kevin to let her go. Heartbroken, Kevin returned to Llanview and agreed to have his marriage annulled. Cassie had makes a series of recurring appearances. In the years since Cassie's departure to Switzerland, it was revealed that she was slowly recovering, and eventually River was even sent out of the country to spend time with his mother. Cassie herself finally reappeared in December 2001, as a guest at Todd and Blair's wedding. Cassie explained that she was almost fully recovered and living in Switzerland, and shared a somewhat awkward reunion with her cousin Kelly, who had since gone on to marry Kevin herself.
Fully recovered, Cassie next returned a year later in November 2002, rushing to Blair's aid after she was apparently attacked by mob hitmen. Cassie believed Blair had been rendered catatonic, and was tasked to take her out of the country. In reality, Todd and Blair had used Cassie to lure away her supposed assailants with the help of a body double, while Blair hid out at Todd's penthouse.
While back in town for Blair, Cassie also recounted her harrowing experiences with Mitch Laurence for Viki and Bo. Nothing could have prepared her for the shock of her life when she returned the following March to see Dorian, only to discover that her mother was marrying the resurrected Mitch - the man who had tried to rape Cassie. Cassie and Blair watched in shock and disgust as Dorian and Mitch took their unholy vows, and gained control of the Lord fortune. Cassie did not yet realize that Dorian was conning Mitch in the hopes of winning his trust and destroying him. Dorian haltingly tried to explain things to her daughter, but Cassie left town in disgust for her new home in Savannah. Later that year, on Mother's Day, Cassie and Dorian made peace after Cassie discovered Dorian and Blair's efforts to murder Mitch. Meanwhile, a now teenaged River came home from Savannah to spend time with his father and grandmother. During this visit, Cassie also painfully reunited with Kevin and Kelly.
In the fall of 2003, Cassie was part of the Cramers' competition to win "Aunt Betsy's" inheritance, but was immediately disqualified due to her own "lapses in judgment" with Andrew and Kevin. In 2004, Cassie returned, furious about River's relationship with Adriana Colon, his newfound "aunt". She and Adriana eventually made peace, and Cassie returned to Savannah, where she resides to this day. Dorian calls Cassie to warn her about a returned Mitch on February 15, 2010. She then returns to Llanview with her ex-husband, Andrew, in tow and reveals that Melinda has died. Following a short reunion with her mother, sisters and, cousins Cassie returns to Savannah. When Bo and Nora remarry, it is revealed that Andrew travelled back with her, to visit River.