Casting
Actor Philip Carey portrayed patriarch Asa as a contract player for over 27 years from the character's on-screen inception in December 1979. Carey took medical leave from the soap in 2006, returning to the role later that year. [3] Brian Smiar temporarily played Asa on November 16 and 17, 2000. In 2007, Carey turned down the show's offer to play the character in a supporting capacity in 2007. [4] He made his final regular appearance as Asa on the episode first-run April 26, 2007. [5] The character subsequently died offscreen on August 16, 2007, coinciding with the series' 10,000th episode celebration, which brought back characters from the show's past to attend the funeral. [3] [6] [7] In November 2007, Carey briefly reprised the role for three episodes in Asa's videotaped will, airing November 9 to November 13, 2007. On July 16, 2008, Carey appeared as Asa's ghost, [8] and also returned on July 21, 2008, for the series' 40th anniversary, as character Victoria Lord, Asa's former daughter in law visits, visits Heaven after a car accident. [9] [10] [11] Beginning in the same episode, Robert S. Woods appears as a young Asa in a storyline in which the characters Bo and Rex find themselves in 1968. [11] Carey returned on August 19, 2008, as Asa's ghost, who appears to Bo. [12] Brian Victor Johnson took over the role of the young Asa from August 22, 2008 [13] to August 25, 2008 [14] after Bo is transported back to 2008. Carey appeared yet again on December 29, 2008, in a videotaped message recorded by Asa before his death. [2] [3]
Storylines
The patriarch of the Buchanan family, Asa is a self-made billionaire (having purchased his first oil well at age 22 [15] ) and Chief Executive Officer of Buchanan Enterprises (casually called "B.E." by the family). Born on October 31, 1924, [16] and raised in Texas, Buchanan moves the headquarters of his company to Llanview, Pennsylvania, in 1980 to stay close to his two headstrong, but troubled sons, Clint and Bo. [1] Thought dead by her sons, Asa's first wife Olympia had actually been banished to Europe by Asa after having an affair with Yancy Ralston. [1] Living in Paris as her twin sister Nicole Bonard, Olympia (Taina Elg) surreptitiously arrives in Llanview and attempts to shoot Asa as he marries Samantha Vernon (Julia Montgomery) but is snatched by Asa's nephew Rafe Garretson (Ken Meekler) before she can reveal herself. [17] An escaped Olympia dons a costume and mask identical to Samantha's and reveals herself at the Buchanan Ball. [18] [19] Olympia later falls over a balcony at a lavish costume party, and, on her deathbed, she tells Bo that Asa was not his father.
Desperate to know his real family, Bo visits his aunt Euphemia Ralston, who had a vendetta against Asa for helping to bankrupt her family after Olympia's affair with Yancy. Euphemia sends her nephew Drew to Llanview to help try to figure out a way to ruin Asa and get back some of the family money, but that is thwarted when Euphemia's daughter, Delila, shows up in Llanview and marries Asa while in love with Bo. Yancy's widow, Blanche, shows up and reveals that Yancy is sterile. Bo and Delilah order Euphemia, who knew all along about this, to leave town. Delilah divorces Asa and marries Bo, but that marriage ends quickly because of her lies. Drew Ralston marries Becky Lee Abbott after she becomes pregnant with Bo's baby, but after Drew is killed, Asa marries Becky so he can raise his grandson. That marriage ends after Becky Lee is believed to be dead.
In 1986, Tina Lord (Andrea Evans) discovers that Asa has been leading a double life for years; on the tropical island of Malakeva, he is known as Jeb Stuart and has been "married" to a woman named Pamela (Christine Jones) for a decade. Tina tells Pamela that her "husband" is not a sea captain, as she believes, but actually a millionaire with a family in Llanview. Noting that Asa and Pamela's marriage is not legal, Tina convinces Pamela to pretend she is dying to manipulate Asa into marrying her for real. He does on January 20, 1986, and Pamela springs from her "deathbed" and confronts her husband. Arriving in Llanview to live as "Mrs. Asa Buchanan", Pamela is at first a thorn in his side. As Asa realizes he wants her to be his wife in every sense of the word, she demands a divorce — and half of his fortune. [20] [21] Their marriage ends in 1987.
In 1999, it is revealed that Asa's on-again off-again wife Renée Divine (Patricia Elliott) had conceived a son by Asa when they had been involved in their youth and had put the boy up for adoption. Max Holden (James DePaiva) poses as the missing heir, but Asa and Renee's real son turns out to be Ben Davidson (Mark Derwin), adopted brother of Sam Rappaport and love interest of Asa's former daughter-in-law Viki Lord Carpenter.
In October 2006, David Vickers (Tuc Watkins) finds out that Asa once had an affair with David's mother, Emma Bradley, but Asa denies it. Later, David's brother Dr. Spencer Truman (Paul Satterfield) claims to be Asa's son, but a DNA test proves otherwise. A conversation between Asa and his longtime butler Nigel Bartholomew-Smythe (Peter Bartlett) hints that there is more to the story.
On August 16, 2007, Asa dies in his sleep and is found by Nigel. Grandsons Cord Roberts (John Loprieno), Kevin Buchanan (Dan Gauthier), and Joey Buchanan (Nathan Fillion), and ex-wife Alex Olanov (Tonja Walker), return for his funeral. [6] [22] On August 17, 2007, Nigel tells a returned Max Holden that Asa does indeed have another son: David Vickers. Max advises Nigel to wait to tell the rest of the family, and an eavesdropping Alex overhears. She begins a search for David herself. [7]
Asa's will is executed in November 2007 as a video is played featuring the Buchanan patriarch. He bequeaths his mansion to former daughter-in-law Nora Hanen (Hillary B. Smith), who has been living there with her and Bo's son Matthew (Eddie Alderson) since her house burned down; he also leaves his yacht, the Jeb Stuart, and his tropical island, St. Blaize's, to loyal servant Nigel. Asa also notes the existence of his other son, though not his identity, and finally states that he will not be splitting Buchanan Enterprises among his heirs and taking the chance that the company will be split up or partially sold. He instead challenges the family to run it as a cohesive team and, if the company's stock rises, be rewarded handsomely in a year. Alex appears, married to an in-the-dark David, and blackmails Nigel with the facts of David's parentage. Not wanting the Buchanans to discover that con man David is one of them, Nigel gives his inheritance to Alex in exchange for her silence. Meanwhile, Buchanan Enterprises up-and-comer Jared Banks (John Brotherton)— an admirer of Asa's who is already a favorite of widow Renee and circling Natalie Buchanan (Melissa Archer) romantically — overhears Alex's news and pressures Nigel to pass him off as Asa's heir instead. Nigel does, and Jared feigns disinterest, armed with a lock of David's hair to prove his claim.
Philip Carey was an American actor, well-known for playing the role of Asa Buchanan on the soap opera One Life to Live for nearly three decades.
Beaufort Oglethorpe "Bo" Buchanan is a fictional character from the American soap opera One Life to Live, portrayed by Robert S. Woods.
One Life to Live is an American soap opera created by Agnes Nixon. During the 1980s, the show was broadcast on the ABC television network and episodes were an hour long.
Kevin Buchanan is a fictional character from the American soap opera One Life to Live. The character is the first child born to original lead protagonists Victoria Lord and Joe Riley.
David Vickers is a fictional character from the American soap opera One Life to Live, portrayed by Tuc Watkins.
Joey Buchanan is a fictional character from the American daytime serial One Life to Live. The character is the son of original protagonists Victoria Lord and Joe Riley Sr.
Tina Lord Roberts is a fictional character from the American daytime soap opera One Life to Live, originally and last played by Andrea Evans. The character is the daughter of original series patriarch Victor Lord, and sister to long-running characters Victoria Lord and Todd Manning.
The Cramer family is a family of fictional characters on the American soap opera One Life to Live. The family centers on the relationships of long-running character Dr. Dorian Cramer, who debuts on the series in April 1973.
Carlo Hesser is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live. The role was portrayed by Thom Christopher intermittently between 1990 and 2008.
Allison Perkins is a fictional character on the American soap opera One Life to Live.
Cord Roberts is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated in May 1986 by John Loprieno, who left the series in 1992 and then returned from January 28, 1993 through 1997. The character made brief appearances in 2004, 2007, and 2008. Loprieno reprised the role opposite former longtime costar Andrea Evans September 27, 2011, last appearing in the role November 15, 2011.
Ben Davidson is a fictional character on the American soap opera One Life to Live. He was portrayed by actor Mark Derwin from February 1999 to August 2002, and briefly in February 2004 and July 2008. Ben is best remembered as the sixth husband of town heroine Victoria Lord, who carried the name "Victoria Lord Davidson" for nine years.
Jared Banks is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live. Originally slated to debut on August 17, 2007, the character, as portrayed by John Brotherton, first appeared a week earlier on August 10, 2007. Chris Bones played a young Jared in flashbacks on January 17, 2008. Jared died onscreen November 13, 2009, and with Brotherton last appearing onscreen as a vision February 9, 2010.
The Buchanan family is a long-running family of fictional characters on the American soap opera One Life to Live. The ensemble was originally inspired by the Ewing family on the primetime soap opera Dallas, and appeared from September 1979 through the end of the serial in August 2013.
Alex Gwendolyn Olanov is a fictional character from the long-running ABC soap opera One Life to Live. She was portrayed by Tonja Walker since the character's inception in 1990 to 1997, with appearances in 2001, 2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011.
Max Holden is a fictional character from the American soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated by James DePaiva.
Gabrielle Medina is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. The role was played by actress Fiona Hutchison, who debuted in the role February 20, 1987. Hutchison briefly reprised the role for the series finale January 6 and 9, 2012.
