Jessica Buchanan
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| Jessica Buchanan | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 Bree Williamson as Jessica Buchanan in the One Life to Live opening sequence |
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| One Life to Live | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Janelle and Tamara DeMent (1986-1988) Alex and Brittany Smith (1988) Eliza Clark (1990) Erin Torpey (1990-2003) Maggie Andersson (1998) Bree Williamson (2003-present) |
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| First appearance | 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Peggy O'Shea | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Jess, Jessie | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Aliases | Tess (alternate personality) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Gender | Female | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | September 23, 1978 [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Executive of Buchanan Enterprises | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Jessica Eugenia Buchanan Brennan[2] (formerly Santi and Vega) is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, One Life to Live. Actress Erin Torpey is best known in the role, playing her continuously for 13 years from 1990 to 2003. Bree Williamson assumed the role in 2003.
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[edit] Character history
The daughter of Victoria Lord and Clint Buchanan, Jessica is born on 23 September 1986[1] and soon kidnapped by the mentally unstable Allison Perkins on instructions from Viki's nemesis, Mitch Laurence. Putting on a red wig and flashy dress to look like Viki's former alternate personality Niki Smith, Allison sneaks into Viki's mansion, Llanfair, and takes Jessica while Viki is asleep. As the search for Jessica commences, Viki denies the suggestion that she had stolen the child as Niki. Maria Roberts, the old flame of Clint's, had already been plotting to separate Viki and Clint and take him for herself; Maria discovers Allison's involvement, and manipulates the situation further so that Clint begins to believe that Niki is the kidnapper after all. When Maria is later sure she has ruined Clint and Viki's marriage, she persuades Allison to return Jessica. Allison does, but is subsequently hit by a car and falls into a coma before she can tell anyone about Maria's scheming. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
[edit] Young Jessica
As a teenager, Jessica meets Cristian Vega, and they are instantly attracted to each other. Jessica's father Clint and Cristian's mother Carlotta initially object to the relationship, forcing them to see each other in secret. The issues are eventually worked out, but Cristian and Jessica ultimately separate. Later, Jessica becomes involved with Will Rappaport; they commiserate about their problems and have a one-night stand. Jessica becomes pregnant and they try to build a relationship, but in 1999 Dorian Lord accidentally hits Jessica with her car, and the baby (later named Megan) is stillborn.
[edit] The other sister
Natalie Balsom appears in 2001, stirring up trouble and soon making the startling claim that she is in fact the biological daughter of Jessica's parents Clint Buchanan and Viki Lord Davidson. After this is confirmed by a DNA test, it is at first believed that when Allison Perkins had kidnapped the Buchanan baby in 1986, another child had been returned and had grown up to be Jessica. Jessica begins a tenuous relationship with Natalie's wild adoptive mother Roxy Balsom, whom Jessica believes to be her own biological mother, and with Roxy's biological son Rex. But when a DNA test on Jessica proves that she is also Viki's daughter, the real story comes out.
It is ultimately revealed that Mitch Laurence had secretly raped a drugged Viki around the same time she conceived a child with Clint. Viki had unknowingly become pregnant with fraternal twins, one fathered by Clint (Natalie) and the other fathered by Mitch (Jessica). Viki's obstetrician Dr. Walter Balsom, who had been one of religious leader Mitch's disciples, had taken Mitch's daughter during delivery, and Viki had never known she had given birth to more than one child. Mitch, however, had wanted his daughter to grow up loved by Viki in the lap of luxury, and had sent Allison to kidnap Clint's child. They had replaced her with Mitch's daughter (who would become Jessica), and had given Clint's daughter (who would become Natalie) to Dr. Balsom and his wife Roxy. [8]
[edit] Antonio and the Santis
In 2003, Jessica falls in love with Cristian's brother, Llanview Police Detective Antonio Vega (Cristian had married her sister Natalie before being presumed dead). During the summer, a returned-from-the-dead Mitch is desperate for his daughter to love him. When his efforts are continually rebuffed, he finally kidnaps Jessica and keeps her drugged at his mysterious estate. Antonio and Police Commissioner Bo Buchanan find Jessica; a short while later, Mitch is found dead on the docks. Ultimately Jessica remembers hitting Mitch in the head with a pipe to save her uncle, Todd Manning (who had been posing as Mitch's brother, Walker Laurence). [9] Due to the multiple suspects and conflicting evidence surrounding the case, Bo drops the investigation.[9]
Jessica and Antonio's deepening relationship is complicated by the return of Antonio's ex, Keri Reynolds, and daughter Jamie, who had been presumed dead in a plane crash. When Keri is later killed, Antonio is accused; Jessica stands by him, and he is ultimately exonerated. In the summer of 2004, Jessica and Antonio visit Puerto Rico as part of his ongoing investigation of the Santi crime family. Jessica comes upon a man left for dead in the Santi vault — Tico Santi, son of deceased crime lord Manuel, tortured by his father's enemies who are looking for Manuel's missing fortune. They take a grateful Tico back to Llanview, but the Santi heir takes a growing interest in Jessica and begins driving a wedge between her and Antonio.
It revealed that Antonio's mother Carlotta Vega is Manuel's sister, and soon Antonio is shocked to discover that he is in fact Manuel's eldest son, thought killed as a baby. Carlotta relates how she and husband Diego adopted Antonio to protect him from his father's enemies. Antonio is furious with Carlotta over the deception, and his obsession with the "Santi case" leads Jessica to return his engagement ring to him. Antonio becomes involved with Tico's adopted sister Sonia Toledo as Jessica suddenly marries Tico. Antonio forgives Carlotta, and in November discovers that a presumed-dead Cristian is still alive but possessing no memories of his former life. It is revealed that Tico is actually "El Tiburon," the mysterious druglord who has resurrected the Santi criminal empire. Responsible for Cristian's disappearance, Tico has programmed Cristian to kill Antonio; the attempt fails as the trauma of trying to kill his own brother brings Cristian's memories flooding back. Antonio shoots Tico; at the hospital, an injured Jessica sees someone pull the plug on Tico's life support, but cannot remember who. It is revealed that Cristian had killed Tico; he is sent to prison in 2005, but his sentence is later overturned.
[edit] Enter Tess
Following Tico's death, Jessica begins to suffer from blackouts and losses of time. It is soon revealed that, like her mother, Jessica suffers from dissociative identity disorder. Jessica is once again romantically involved with Antonio in 2005, but her wild alter ego, Tess, parties and meets other men. Antonio is engaged in a custody battle with R.J. over Jamie, and the stability of his relationship with Jessica is an important factor; Jessica discovers her condition, and soon realizes that she is a danger to not only the case, but Jamie's safety and well-being. She quietly checks herself into St. Ann's sanitarium to get treatment to integrate her personalities, but soon Tess emerges and plots to escape. Fellow patient Addie Cramer shows Tess some of her treasured belongings, including the report card of her granddaughter Starr Manning — the daughter of Jessica's uncle Todd and Addie's daughter Blair. Tess uses Todd's signature from the card to get herself released, but Todd, already suspicious of Jessica's behavior, figures out that Jessica is under the influence of an alternate personality and drags her to Llanfair to tell Viki. Not wanting to be integrated out of existence, Tess incites a huge argument with Todd that causes Viki to have a heart attack. She survives, but Tess escapes to New York City.
Tess steals a car belonging to Nash Brennan; through frustrated by her attitude and troublemaking, Nash finds himself attracted to her. He saves Tess from a would-be rapist and, realizing she has nowhere to go but will not admit it, takes her into his home. The icy Tess warms to Nash, telling him that the "Jessica" she blames for ruining her life is her dead twin sister. Todd tracks Tess down but is thrown off the trail by a protective Nash; Tess begins falling for Nash, but Jessica reemerges and flees back to Llanview. Nash follows, and whisks Tess off to his Napa Valley winery. During the few instances she is in control, Jessica manages to send Antonio clues to her whereabouts; he finds her and brings her back to Llanview. Nash follows, he and Viki finding out about Jessica's condition in October 2005; Jessica is soon revealed to be pregnant.
In love with conflicting parts of the same woman, Antonio and Nash are at odds; Jessica is getting treatment but Tess is still not under control. Jessica's stepfather Clint takes a liking to Nash, who promises not to run off with Tess and is only concerned with her well-being. In February 2006, Clint and Viki discover the cause of Jessica's mental illness — had been molested as a child by a man named Norman Leeds. Viki is devastated, as her own alternate personality Niki Smith had been around at the time and left Jessica unattended. On April 28, 2006, Tess is in control when Jessica gives birth to her daughter, named Brennan Buchanan by Tess and later nicknamed "Bree" by Jessica and Antonio. In June 2006, a paternity test establishes that Nash is Bree's father; with Jessica now in control, Nash decides that it is best for Jessica and Antonio to raise her. Jessica and Tess are fully integrated in August, and Jessica and Antonio become engaged. Nash and Antonio form an unlikely friendship as Jessica adjusts to the aspects of Tess now present in her own personality. Jessica marries Antonio in November 2006.
Soon after the marriage in 2007, Jessica begins to develop feelings for Nash, who has let go of his love for Tess but finds himself also falling for Jessica. They fight the attraction; Jessica soon realizes she is in love with Nash, but wants to be loyal to Antonio. She agrees to adopt Jamie, and tells Nash she does not love him. Nash is on his way out of town as a guilty Jessica flees the adoption hearing; they both find themselves at the stone quarry, finally giving into temptation and making love. In May 2007, Jessica is about to tell Antonio that she wants to be with Nash when she collapses. She is soon diagnosed with Hepatitis C, presumably a result of Tess' wild lifestyle. It is also determined that as a result Jessica has now has a related form of liver cancer and needs a transplant. As the search for a suitable donor begins, Jessica tells Antonio about her feelings for Nash; furious and devastated, he leaves town with Jamie. Antonio turns out to be a match, but not even his mother Carlotta knows where he is. Nash manages to track Antonio down and convince him to return to save Jessica. Jessica and Antonio divorce in July 2007, but she collapses in the courthouse as her body rejects the transplanted liver. David Vickers is determined to be a suitable liver donor; he makes a deal with Clint to donate in exchange for $10 million. A desperate Clint agrees as Nash proposes to Jessica, and they marry in her hospital room on 12 July 2007. Jessica pulls through, and a guilty David returns Clint's money as a goodwill gesture to friend Viki.
[edit] Jared and Allison
Recently released from prison, the mysterious Jared Banks arrives in Llanview in August 2007 with a particular interest in the Buchanan family. He manipulates Natalie into giving him a job at Buchanan Enterprises, swindles Nash at a game of poker and buys Antonio's shares of Nash's vineyard. It revealed that Jared shares a secret past with Tess, who had been responsible for sending him to prison and ruining his chances at a good business job. Jared wants revenge on Jessica, not believing that "Tess" had ever existed. His attraction to Natalie and understanding of Jessica's former mental illness soften him toward Jessica, but his ambition prompts him to step into the role of Asa Buchanan's long-lost son when the opportunity arises. Wanting to keep the identity of the real Buchanan heir — David Vickers — a secret to protect the family, Asa's butler Nigel goes along with Jared's plan. Suspicious of Jared, Jessica pretends to be Tess to hopefully gain his confidence; he counters by notifying the doctors at St. Anne's, who take Jessica into custody under her own orders established should Tess ever return.
At St. Anne's, Jessica comes face to face with Allison Perkins, who claims to know a huge secret about Jessica's family.[10] Her interest piqued, Jessica eventually makes a deal with Allison; Jessica will help her escape from St. Anne's in exchange for what she knows.[11] Jessica is released, but she and Natalie smuggle Allison out, planning to return her once they have heard her tale.[12] Once free, Allison manages to elude them, but not before collecting a mysterious package from the Lord family mausoleum where Viki's father is buried.[13] Allison later confronts Jessica with a gun but Jared steps in to save her;[14] Allison lets herself fall from the Palace Hotel balcony, preferring to die with her secret rather than return to St. Anne's. She survives, but is left comatose and in critical condition. [15]
[edit] The Widow
In the spring of 2008, the Brennan family's personal fortunes begin to change. Nash becomes involved with mysterious investors willing to help him with his vineyard and make the Brennan Winery a major success, supplying Nash with large sums of cash to overhaul the business. Nash begins working with Jessica's cousin Sarah Roberts, making multiple trips to California as part of a promotional launch tour. Nash and Sarah's burgeoning friendship briefly makes Jessica and Sarah's new beau Cristian jealous, but all turns out well. Soon thereafter, Jessica discovers that she is pregnant again. Overjoyed, she prepares for the perfect moment to tell her husband the good news. Before she can do so, however, Nash discovers that his investors want to steal his land out from under him, and turn it into a "Mall of Tomorrow." Desperate, Nash agrees to an offer from Jared to buy the winery via Buchanan Enterprises in order to save his lifelong dream and keep his family's home from being bulldozed. Nash's eleventh-hour salvation disappears, however, when Dorian outs Jared as a fraud at the BE shareholders' meeting, and reveals that all transactions and contracts made by Jared are now null and void. The investors promptly swoop in and take Nash's land once and for all, ordering Nash and Jessica to move out. Enraged, Nash confronts Jared, blaming him and Natalie for their deception and the loss of his vineyard. When Nash gets in Natalie's face, Jared shoves him away, and Nash accidentally trips over a railing, falling through a skylight to the floor of the Palace Hotel far below.
Nash is rushed to Llanview Hospital, where Dr. Michael McBain determines that his massive internal injuries are too severe to attempt surgery. Michael warns the stunned Jessica and her family to say their goodbyes to Nash while they still have time. Jessica stays by Nash's side, finally able to tell him that she is pregnant again. She brings Bree to his side and swears that their children will never forget their father. Heartbroken, Jessica sobs as Nash traces the shape of a heart into the palm of her hand - echoing the gesture he had made on the glass outside her own hospital room during her hepatitis scare the year before - and then rips off his oxygen mask, kissing his wife one last time. Nash dies in Jessica's arms on 5 June 2008.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b Though the character of Jessica is born onscreen on 23 September 1986, she has been rapidly aged slightly over time; in the 22 March 2005 episode, Antonio Vega notes that Jessica is 26 years old. Her historical onscreen birthdate of September 23 has been used here for calculation, with the birth year adjusted accordingly.
- ^ According to the character's profile at SoapCentral.com, her full name at birth is "Jessica Lynn Buchanan," which is retconned to "Jessica Eugenia Buchanan" in 2004.
- ^ Notoriously Remembered: Allison Perkins
- ^ Allison Perkins profile - SoapCentral.com
- ^ Jessica Buchanan profile - SoapCentral.com
- ^ One Life to Live recap (1986, Part 4) - ABC.com
- ^ One Life to Live recap (1986, Part 5) - ABC.com
- ^ "Allison Perkins 101!" - ABC.com
- ^ a b "Case Files: One Life to Live." Soap Opera Digest, Vol. 33, No. 9, 26 February 2008, page 78.
- ^ One Life to Live recap (2/1/08) - ABC.com
- ^ One Life to Live recap (2/4/08) - ABC.com
- ^ One Life to Live recap (2/7/08) - ABC.com
- ^ One Life to Live recap (2/12/08) - ABC.com
- ^ One Life to Live recap (2/18/08) - ABC.com
- ^ One Life to Live recap (2/19/08) - ABC.com
[edit] External links
- "Just About Jessica: A History of One Life to Live's Buchanan Babe" - SoapOperaDigest.com
- Jessica Buchanan profile - SoapCentral.com
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