Maggie Stone
Maggie Stone is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. She was portrayed by actress Elizabeth Hendrickson, who also portrayed Maggie's identical twin sister Frankie Stone. The character came to Pine Valley in 2002 after Frankie's death, and befriended Bianca Montgomery whilst investigating her sister's murder. The series portrayed Bianca as having fallen in love with Maggie, with Maggie initially maintaining that she is only interested in men. The series featured her dating several men, taking a few of them to bed, sometimes out of confusion and other times out of a clear attempt to dispel her growing romantic attraction to Bianca. The two eventually become girlfriends, though heartbreak follows.
Beyond fiction, Maggie is recognized as one of the notable lesbian characters and LGBT icons in American daytime television history. TV Guide called her a "sensation".
Background
Creation and characterization
Actress Elizabeth Hendrickson debuted on All My Children in 2001 as character Frankie Stone. The character was killed off after only three months on the series. Her death attracted criticism when viewers reasoned that the show was afraid to portray a homosexual romance, one that was blossoming with Frankie's developing relationship with out-and-proud lesbian Bianca Montgomery. When creator of the character, Richard Culliton, stated that she was always intended to die, it did not help ease the discontent viewers expressed about her demise. As a result, Maggie Stone, the character's identical twin sister, was created in order to bring Hendrickson back to the series.Maggie debuted in 2002. Hendrickson, at first, had a difficult time differentiating her from Frankie. "Oh, my gosh, I was so afraid about that," she said. "I was trying to go for something completely different, but the problem was that the writers left it so ambiguous; the character was such a blank slate. I just decided to make her lighter, prettier . I kept the humor; I always like to play a little bit of humor. And I was playing her straight—at first ! So I went for heterosexual, pretty, funny. And smarter!"
Hendrickson described her first day as Maggie as feeling she was actually Frankie. Her scenes were with Bianca's portrayer, Riegel, whose character thought she was Frankie. Hendrickson attributed her initial difficulty with the role to not being over Frankie yet. She eventually began to feel the difference between the two characters, and related Maggie more to herself. "I wanted to keep Maggie light, with a bit more humor," she said. "Frankie was more dark. Maggie's very true to her feelings. She's honest. She's loving and hopeful. Maggie is much closer to myself. I am an optimistic person and a realist." When detailing the difference in the characters' backgrounds and personalities further and the portrayals, she said, "Maggie went to school; Frankie didn't show up. Maggie's more feminine and knows how to control her anger. Frankie lashed out. As Maggie, I walk differently. I'm trying to concentrate on my speech more, to enunciate and act more proper."
The change in wardrobe was a factor Hendrickson especially needed to become accustomed to. "On my first day, Maggie was wearing a miniskirt," she said. "In one of the scenes, Bianca fainted to the floor, and we had to do a few takes. The one that they was when I went to catch her and bent over, forgetting that I was wearing a miniskirt. When I realized, I turned to everyone and was like, ' Oh, my goodness! I flashed the entire set. Sorry, guys. I'm not used to wearing miniskirts on the show—I'm used to wearing baggy pants!.'" Though the change in wardrobe was a different feel, Hendrickson welcomed the new look. "I used to get a little frustrated with what I wore as Frankie; I was sick of looking like a rugrat," she stated. "But now, I really like my wardrobe. I'm excited that Maggie wears skirts all the time!"
In addition to feminine personality and wardrobe, the series characterized Maggie as extremely loyal and the ultimate friend. Her sense of humor is brought together by witty one-liners, often relying on such when angry, confrontational, or happy. Somewhat of a risk-taker, the character is frequently known to handle matters her way, no matter the consequence.
Sexuality
Throughout Maggie's years on the series, the writers kept her sexual orientation ambiguous in nature; she was first detailed as heterosexual, and the executive producers insisted that the character was not gay. Although stern in their insistence, it did not stop viewers from speculating the character's sexuality. Subsequently, the media began to speculate on the matter as well. One query about the topic was the likelihood of identical twins sharing a homosexual orientation. Magazine Soaps in Depth asked the question of Van Cagle, a Director Of Research for GLAAD. "There is scant research on this ," said Cagle. He cited a 1991 study by Northwestern University professor Michael Bailey that found among female identical twins, one gay twin raised the likelihood of the other being gay to 48 percent, compared to fraternal twins, whose likelihood was only 12 percent. Cagle noted that despite this, "that study has never been replicated, and research is usually only valid if it is replicated and produces similar results."Bianca's best friend, Maggie's relationship with Bianca was to be strictly platonic. This began to change when viewers cited overwhelming chemistry between the characters' portrayers, Riegel and Hendrickson, and demanded that the show pair Bianca and Maggie romantically. Subtle hints started to appear in the series suggesting Maggie might not be as heterosexual as she claimed, such as her leaving a white rose on Bianca's desk the day she is to go on a date with character Tim Dillon, even insisting on spending more time with Bianca while on the date. In a confrontational episode where a sexually frustrated Bianca finally asks Maggie to define what they are to each other, Maggie, after some avoidance, states that, romantically, she is "into guys" and only guys. The scenes became some of the most debated in the show's history; fans were angry, frustrated, and saddened by the series' refusal to pursue a Bianca and Maggie romance. Riegel and Hendrickson received praise for their performances in the scenes, and Maggie was seen moving on with new male character Henry Chin. Hendrickson stated her dissatisfaction with Maggie becoming romantically involved with a man so quickly after declaring her heterosexuality. She said that it was only a week after Maggie's confrontation with Bianca.
Within the series, Maggie's relationship with Henry soon ends, but the character is not heavily romantically linked with any other man for months and Maggie's relationship with Bianca continues to deepen. Hendrickson was perplexed by this aspect. "Maggie was asexual for a long time. It was frustrating, and I was getting confused how I should play it," said Hendrickson. "So I kept it honest: She loved Bianca as a friend. There was a possibility that she could love her more intimately. She still does love her, and there was a point in time when she might have thought otherwise. But ultimately she likes men." Despite Hendrickson's early views about the character's sexual orientation, the show continued to showcase Maggie sending "mixed signals" to Bianca, with her romantic feelings for Bianca coming through as intense. The character is shown to resort to having sex with good guy and best friend Jamie Martin on several occasions to bury these feelings, though most of her sexual interaction with Jamie takes place offscreen. Maggie's romantic attraction to Bianca finally gets the better of her, and she impulsively kisses her. Maggie panics, however, and tells Bianca it meant nothing. Heartbroken, she finds comfort in Jamie.
Jamie and Reggie Montgomery were written as Maggie's two closest male friends, and "voices of reason" to Maggie's love life. Within the story, they urge Maggie to accept the reality of her feelings for Bianca. In one scene, Jamie tells a surprised Maggie that he knows what she and Bianca have going on is "far more" than friendship, and that everyone can see it. He tells her that when it comes to his romantic life, he wishes that someone loved him as deeply as she loves Bianca. Reggie often says that Bianca and Maggie have a "forever love."
Maggie eventually accepts her sexual attraction to Bianca. Alone with Bianca on a sofa in her apartment, she confesses to being in love with her. Like Bianca and Maggie's confrontational scenes over Maggie's sexual orientation, these scenes were praised by fans and critics as well.
Hendrickson stated following Maggie's coming out, she feared viewers would no longer care about Maggie's struggle to understand her unfolding sexual identity. In response to this, a soap opera columnist assured, "Not only do we still care, we care more than ever."
At the time, Bianca is in a romance with newcomer Lena Kundera. She declares her commitment to Lena, and Maggie is left feeling rejected. Maggie's next romance is with character Jonathan Lavery, a relationship brought on by her hurt feelings, as well as feeling second best to Bianca's other best friend, Babe Carey. Maggie and Jonathan's romance was new territory for Hendrickson, as her character's sexual activity increased:
Because I play a sexually confused character, I have not had to do a lot of sex scenes. Maggie lost her virginity to Henry in her dorm room, and it was PC, pretty chaste. Well, not with Jonathan! When we did our first big love scene, I was so surprised about how prudish and shy I became! It's like I became 16 again. I had to drop the blanket that was covering me, and in the middle of my kiss with Jeff Branson, Jonathan], I started cracking up. He was like, 'What did I do, what did I do?' And I was like, 'Nothing! It wasn't you! I'm a 25-year-old professional woman. What is wrong with me?' I couldn't believe myself!' Everyone else does these scenes all the time, they're basically naked and it's no big deal, and I'm like, 'I need everyone to leave the set!' I'm a prude!
Hendrickson considered Bianca and Maggie to be truly in love. "They're soul mates," she said. "They have an emotional bond that is stronger than Maggie has ever had with anyone." Maggie eventually grasps her sexuality months after jetting off to Paris, the location the writers scripted Bianca and Maggie to have become lovers, offscreen. Two years later, Hendrickson was relieved when Maggie's previous sexual confusion was revealed to be over.