Alexandra Spaulding

Last updated
Alexandra Spaulding
Guiding Light character
Portrayed by
Duration
  • 1984–1999
  • 2002–2009
First appearanceFebruary 10, 1984
Last appearanceSeptember 18, 2009
Classification Former; regular
Created by Pam Long and Richard Culliton
Introduced by
In-universe information
Other namesAlexandra Von Halkein
Alexandra Thorpe
Alexandra Foley
OccupationCEO and president of Spaulding Enterprises
Business Consultant
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Spaulding Enterprises
Parents
  • Brandon Spaulding
  • Penelope Winthrop
Brothers Alan Spaulding
Half-sisters
  • Victoria Spaulding
  • Amanda Spaulding
Husband
Sons
  • Lujack Luvonaczek
  • Nick McHenry–Spaulding
Grandparents
  • Samuel Spaulding
  • Victoria Spaulding
Nephews
Nieces
Other relatives
  • Alexander Spaulding
  • Lizzie Spaulding (adoptive)
  • Zach Spaulding (adoptive)
  • James Spaulding
  • James Spaulding (adoptive)
  • Emma Spaulding (adoptive)
  • Rafe Rivera
  • Sarah Elizabeth Randall
  • Sarah Randall (adoptive)
  • Herbert Spaulding

Alexandra Spaulding is a fictional character from Guiding Light , an American soap opera on the CBS network.

Contents

Beverlee McKinsey originally played the role from February 10, 1984, to August 21, 1992. [1] McKinsey made the character one of the most memorable women on daytime television and although she loved her family, "her voice dripped venom when she addressed her enemies." [2] Lydia Bruce played the role of Alexandra for a couple of days in the fall of 1984 after the death of McKinsey's husband. After an extensive search for a permanent replacement, Marj Dusay, who had played the ruthless matriarch/businessman Myrna Clegg on Capitol , was hired and portrayed the character from September 24, 1993, to March 11, 1997, from November 20, 1998, to January 21, 1999, and finally from December 26, 2002, until the final episode on September 18, 2009. She received an Emmy Nomination for the role in 1995. Legendary film and television actress Joan Collins, best known for her role as Alexis Colby on the primetime soap Dynasty , guest starred in the role from September 23, 2002, to December 23, 2002, having originally signed for six months. Collins' portrayal brought a large amount of press and attention to the show as her incarnation of the character was known as "your typical rich bitch." [3] Collins was even reported to have re-written her lines to accommodate the large amount of dialogue she needed to learn and grueling work schedule. [4]

Background

I always loved the storylines where they let her be a little absurd and show her power. I was so in favor of seeing a woman of my age show power, intelligence and also the gift of tongue and cheek and the gift of not being perfect. I love seeing women like that and how they battle to stay strong. I loved it when they put her in the big boy battles and as well as the vulnerability of love and the missing of love and standing by your family. Alex has been great to play. Soaps are fantastic to give you the human side. You roll around in time as the character evolves.

Marj Dusay, Guiding Light: Finale Interviews

Storylines

After a difficult childhood, throughout which she and her brother, Alan, alternated between feuding and supporting one another against their domineering father, Brandon, the young Alexandra ran away from her family wealth to gallivant across Europe in a series of relationships with poor musicians before marrying a baron, divorcing him and finally arriving in Springfield. She soon became a close ally of Phillip Spaulding and made it her life's duty to destroy her brother Alan Spaulding's plots. This included the 'Dreaming Death' conspiracy, for which she turned him in to the FBI. He vanished soon after and she used her influence to help bring her friends and lovers into the company. She remained a central power figure in Spaulding Enterprises for decades, with a series of successful tenures as the corporations diva CEO. Spaulding experienced a Golden Era during her tenures as CEO during the 1980s and 1990s.

Over the years, she's searched out many of the relatives she believed she lost, including a sister, Victoria, with whom she offered to share the family fortune. More important was her reunion with wayward son Lujack, who she eventually won over despite his misgivings. She supported him in his endeavors, although sadly he would die in an explosion. Her life got more complicated when her supposedly dead brother reappeared looking for revenge of his own. She fled to San Rios where she was kidnapped by rebels before being rescued and returned to Springfield. Her complicated love/hate relationship with Alan would endure for the rest of his life, with them alternately defending and confiding in one another and battling one another for control of the family company.

She began a romance with H.B. Lewis before a plane crash left her on a desert island, with Fletcher Reade and a mysterious man who turned out to be Roger Thorpe. Surprisingly, she married Roger soon after returning, but the marriage was doomed and she publicly humiliated him before subjecting him to blackmail. More surprisingly, she discovered Lujack's twin, Nick McHenry, and pulled him into the family, but alienated him with her continuing meddling in his life and in his marriage to Mindy Lewis, Roger's former mistress. Over time, they came to trust one another as she tried to help him with a career. She eventually came around to accept his relationship with Mindy and encouraged him to fight for her. But Mindy was tired of the intrigue and divorced him before leaving town. When Alan returned in 1994 after being released from prison, Alexandra fought with him over control, but they eventually came to an understanding. When she discovered that Roger had manipulated her into giving Alan back his assets, she pretended to seduce him so Holly would break up with him. Her plan backfired when Holly ended up in Fletcher's arms and ended up marrying him. Alexandra attended the wedding and was amused when Roger showed up and created a scene. When Nick fell in love with Susan Bates, who was HIV positive, Alexandra was supportive of the relationship. Alexandra's days in Springfield came to a brief end in early 1997 after it was revealed that she knew the secret that Alan's supposed daughter, Amanda Wexler, was really their sister, having been fathered by Brandon. Alexandra came back for Philip and Harley's wedding in 1998 but didn't stay for long. Tired of endless corporate intrigue, she left for Europe with Nick and his wife Susan after discovering that Alan was hiding the nefarious Annie Dutton in the Spaulding attic.

She would return several years later, after Alan had a heart attack and the company was in turmoil. She pushed him out and tried to keep the bottle on Gus' parentage as long as possible. When it came out, desperate to hold onto the power she had left, she drugged Alan and tried to drive him mad. He went one better and managed to trick her into a confession of her crimes, not least of which was the stalking and covert harassment of Reva Shayne. He pushed her out of company leadership and into pharmaceuticals. There, she got involved with illegal trading and the sinister Antimonius drug ring. Alan, to her surprise, tried to save her from prosecution, but when Frank Cooper would not relent, she tried to frame him. This backfired, destroying her relationship with Frank's father Buzz Cooper and she ended up in jail only to be freed by her brother just as Phillip was 'murdered'. The siblings continued their fighting, if in a somewhat more low-key fashion, while she blackmailed him for his role in Phillip's death. Her testimony eventually freed Harley Cooper and almost jailed Alan. Subsequently, she played a more minor role, mostly as a help to Alan-Michael and a much needed balance to her brother. She had one final major storyline when Alexandra suddenly married her much younger chauffeur as an effort of keeping him in the country and committed several crimes in order to keep him out of the arms of the much younger Marina Cooper. During the last year of the show, Alexandra became a sounding board of advice to her back-from-the-dead nephew, Philip, his daughter Lizzie and various friends and family members who forgave her for her past schemes.

In the Guiding Light finale, Alexandra mourned the sudden death of her brother Alan and left Springfield to travel around Europe with Fletcher Reade, promising to return for an upcoming family wedding.

Reception

Charlie Mason from Soaps She Knows placed the 2002 recast of Alexandra on his list of the worst soap opera recasts of all time, commenting "As stunt-casting ideas go, it wasn't half bad: In 2002, the CBS soap hired Dynasty's Alexis, Joan Collins, to play its Alexis, Alexandra. Trouble was, the rigors of daytime were far greater than the rigors of primetime — and fans weren't pleased to see previous Alex Marj Dusay kicked to the curb, either — so halfway through her six-month contract, Collins quit, only to be replaced by the actress she'd replaced." [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Guiding Light</i> American radio and television soap opera (1937–2009)

Guiding Light is an American radio and television soap opera. Guiding Light aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio between January 25, 1937, and June 29, 1956. With 72 years of radio and television runs, Guiding Light is the longest running soap opera, ahead of General Hospital, and is the fifth-longest running program in all of broadcast history; only the American country music radio program Grand Ole Opry, the BBC religious program The Daily Service (1928), the CBS religious program Music and the Spoken Word (1929), and the Norwegian children's radio program Lørdagsbarnetimen (1924–2010) have been on the air longer.

<i>Capitol</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Capitol is an American soap opera which aired on CBS from March 29, 1982, to March 20, 1987, for 1,270 episodes. As its name suggests, the storyline usually revolved around the political intrigues of people whose lives are intertwined in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmen Duncan</span> Australian actress and activist (1942–2019)

Carmen Joan Duncan was an Australian-born stage and screen actress and activist, with a career locally and internationally in the United States that spanned over 50 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverlee McKinsey</span> American actress

Beverlee McKinsey was an American actress. She is best known for her roles on daytime serials, including Iris Cory Carrington on Another World and the spin-off series Texas from 1972 to 1981 and Alexandra Spaulding on Guiding Light from 1984 to 1992.

<i>Texas</i> (TV series) American daytime soap opera

Texas is an American daytime soap opera, which aired on NBC from August 4, 1980, until December 31, 1982, sponsored and produced by Procter and Gamble Productions at NBC Studios in Brooklyn, New York City. It is a spin-off of Another World, co-created by head writers John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington, and executive producer of Another World at the time, Paul Rauch. Rauch held the title of executive producer for the parent series and its spin-off until 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marj Dusay</span> American actress (1936–2020)

Marjorie Ellen Mahoney Dusay was an American actress known for her roles on American soap operas. She was especially known for her role as Alexandra Spaulding on Guiding Light, a role she played on and off from 1993 through the show's 2009 cancellation, as well as Jean MacArthur Faircloth, the wife of Douglas MacArthur, in the 1977 movie MacArthur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lizzie Spaulding</span> Soap opera character

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Spaulding Lewis is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera Guiding Light. The role was last portrayed by actress Emme Rylan from February 7, 2006 to September 18, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillip Spaulding</span> Soap opera character

Phillip Granville Spaulding is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera Guiding Light. Phillip has been portrayed by three different actors, most notably by Grant Aleksander.

The Guiding Light (TGL) was a long-running American television soap opera.

The Guiding Light (GL) is the longest-running American television soap opera. This article covers the show in the 1980s.

The Guiding Light (TGL) is the longest-running American television soap opera.

Guiding Light (GL) was the longest-running American soap opera.

Gretchen Oehler was an American actress, most recognized for her long-running role as Vivien Gorrow on the soap operas Another World and Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vivian Alamain</span> Soap opera character

Vivian Alamain is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by head writers Richard J. Allen and Beth Milstein, and introduced by executive producers Ken Corday and Al Rabin, the role is notably portrayed by actress Louise Sorel. In addition to Sorel, the role has subsequently been portrayed by Marj Dusay, Robin Strasser and Linda Dano.

Alan Spaulding is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light. He was played by Christopher Bernau from the time of the character's introduction in 1977 until 1984, and from 1986 to June 1988, when Bernau left the role due to health problems. David Bailey briefly portrayed the role in 1979. Daniel Pilon stepped into the role from 1988 until the character was sent to prison in 1990. From 1994 to the series 2009 conclusion, the character was played by Ron Raines. Jeff Branson briefly played a young Alan in a flashback scene during Carrie Carruther's murder investigation.

Alan-Michael Spaulding is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light. The character is the son of wealthy businessman, Alan Spaulding, and his former wife, Hope Bauer. Alan-Michael was born on-screen on September 23, 1981, but this was subsequently revised to 1970 when he turned 17 years old and then later to 1965 or 1966 during his brief dalliance with Marina Cooper in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth Raines</span> American soap character

Beth Raines is a fictional character from the long-running American soap opera, Guiding Light. Beth is the stepdaughter of the late Bradley Raines and daughter of Lillian Raines. She is the mother of Lizzie, James, and Peyton Spaulding and is known for her tumultuous relationship with her husband Phillip Spaulding. The character was originally portrayed by actress Judi Evans from her introduction in 1983 until 1986 and then by Beth Chamberlin who portrayed the character on and off from her re-introduction in 1989 until the finale in 2009.

Blake Marler is a fictional character from the CBS daytime soap opera Guiding Light with the role last portrayed by Elizabeth Keifer from August 19, 1992 to September 18, 2009.

Annie Dutton is a fictional character in the CBS soap opera Guiding Light. Cynthia Watros is the actress most closely identified with the role; she played Annie from November 29, 1994, until February 23, 1998. The role was later recast, after Watros left for other career ventures, with Signy Coleman, who portrayed Annie from July 30, 1998, until July 20, 1999. Coleman also briefly reprised the role from January 14 to 21, 2003. Annie is often considered one of Guiding Light's greatest villains and one of its more exciting characters. Annie has also been the main rival to heroine Reva Shayne. The two have long fought over the affections of Reva's then-husband, Josh Lewis.

Melinda Sue "Mindy" Lewis is a fictional character in the town of Springfield on the CBS daytime drama, Guiding Light, originated and, most notably, portrayed by actress, Krista Tesreau.

References

  1. Fox, Margalit (May 9, 2008). "Beverlee McKinsey, 72, Actress in Decades of Soap Operas, Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  2. Maloney, Michael (Mar 24, 2011). "The 15 Most Memorable Female Soap Opera Characters Ever". Huffington Post. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  3. CAVALLO, JO (2002-07-17). "Joan Collins to Play Nasty Again". People. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  4. Fox, Margalit (September 23, 2002). "Joan Collins: No Daytime Dynasty Reunion". Fox News.com. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  5. Mason, Charlie. "15 Soap Opera Recasts That Never Should've Happened [PHOTOS]". Soaps She Knows. Retrieved 20 July 2023.