Iris Donnelly Garrison

Last updated

Iris Donnelly Garrison was a fictional character in the American soap opera, Love is a Many Splendored Thing . She was played, most notably, by actresses Leslie Charleson and Bibi Besch. As the first Iris, Leslie Charleson was a member of the original cast of Love Is a Many Splendored Thing.

Older and Loyal

Iris is the daughter of widowed pathologist, Dr. Will Donnelly (Judson Laire), and is the sister of former nun, Laura Donnelly. She is known mostly for her loyalty and unqualified support for her family. She was engaged to Mark Elliott and had known him most of his life. However, his snobbish and overly opportunistic mother, Helen, had no liking for Iris, and pushed him to pursue a relationship with her sister, Laura. Iris stepped back and allowed Laura to marry Mark. Ironically, after Phil Elliott's death, Helen would later marry Iris' older brother, Tom Donnelly (Albert Stratton), a member of the San Francisco police department, after his divorce from his first wife, Martha, alias Julie Richards (Beverlee McKinsey).

Some time later, Iris found love on her own, with a man named Spencer Garrison (Edward Power). His shrewish ex-wife Nancy (Susan Browning), refused to give up her claim on him, as he was a politician, and despite her conniving ways, lost him. During a tryst with Spencer, Iris lost her sight when the plane they were on crashed. Eventually, they had a son named William Alex Garrison, who had been once kidnapped by Laura.

Which really caused a lot of trouble, since Mark, who had mistaken Iris for Laura, had sex with her. The whole situation was ironed out, even though Laura was very angry with her sister for some time. Eventually, Laura realized that Iris wasn't totally to blame, since Iris had been blinded and couldn't see anything, and Mark had mistaken Iris for Laura. Besides, Iris had kept on Mark to make his marriage to her sister work, which helped make Laura feel more secure. Iris and Spencer married after the whole mess was straightened out, and she had regained her sight.

During the mistaken tryst with Mark, Iris discovered she was pregnant. She eventually gave birth to a daughter, Maggie. Laura attempted to steal custody of the girl from her sister, trying to declare her as unfit, but ultimately rescinded the suit, since Iris had been so loyal to her. Laura and Mark remained married, mainly thanks to Iris sticking up for her sister's marriage, and the Elliotts adopted a child, while Maggie remained with Iris and her husband, Spence.

Naturally, Iris, Laura and their brother, Tom, were pleased to no end when their long-widowed father found romance with and then married Lily Chernak (Diana Douglas), who had a daughter that worked with Will, Dr. Betsy Chernak Taylor.

Related Research Articles

<i>Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing</i> (film) 1955 film by Henry King

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing is a 1955 Deluxe color American drama-romance film in CinemaScope. Set in 1949–50 in Hong Kong, it tells the story of a married, but separated, American reporter Mark Elliot, who falls in love with a Eurasian doctor originally from China, Han Suyin, only to encounter prejudice from her family and from Hong Kong society.

<i>The Blind Assassin</i> book by Margaret Atwood

The Blind Assassin is a novel by the Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. It was first published by McClelland and Stewart in 2000. Set in Canada, it is narrated from the present day, referring to previous events that span the twentieth century.

<i>Peyton Place</i> (TV series) American prime-time soap opera

Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964, to June 2, 1969.

Luke and Laura soap opera characters

Luke Spencer and Laura Webber are fictional characters, and the signature supercouple from the American daytime drama General Hospital. Luke is portrayed by Anthony Geary, and Laura is portrayed by Genie Francis. Though other supercouples came before them, Luke and Laura are the best known outside of the soap opera medium and are credited with defining the term supercouple and leading other soap operas to try to duplicate their success.

Love Is a Many Splendored Thing is an American daytime soap opera which aired on CBS from September 18, 1967, to March 23, 1973. The series was created by Irna Phillips, who served as the first head writer. She was replaced by Jane Avery and Ira Avery in 1968, who were followed by Don Ettlinger, James Lipton, and finally Ann Marcus. John Conboy was the producer for most of the show's run.

Leslie Charleson American actress

Leslie Charleson is an American actress, best known for her role as Monica Quartermaine in the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital.

Mickey Horton Fictional Character of Days of Our Lives

Mickey Horton is a fictional character from the soap opera Days of Our Lives, played from the show's debut episode in 1965 until January 2004 by John Clarke. The role was briefly played in 2004 by Richard Voigts, and later played by John Ingle from 2004 through 2006. Kevin Dobson appeared as Mickey in the character's final appearances in 2008.

Mark Elliott is a fictional character in the American soap opera, Love is a Many Splendored Thing. Numerous actors played him during the run of the show: Sam Wade, David Birney, Michael Hawkins, Vince Cannon, Tom Fuccello.

Laura Donnelly Elliott is a fictional character in the American soap opera Love is a Many Splendored Thing. She was played by actress Donna Mills, who is closely identified in the role; Laura was also played by Barbara Stanger and Veleka Gray later on.

Helen Elliott Donnelly was a fictional character on the now-cancelled American soap opera, Love is a Many Splendored Thing. She was first played by actress Grace Albertson, who was replaced by actress Gloria Hoye.

Dr. Betsy Chernak Taylor was a fictional character on the cancelled American soap opera, Love is a Many Splendored Thing. She was played by actress/singer Andrea Marcovicci.

Monica Quartermaine character in a soap opera

Monica Quartermaine is a fictional character from General Hospital, an American soap opera on the ABC network, played continually since August 17, 1977 by longtime soap opera actress Leslie Charleson. She is a cardiologist at the eponymous hospital, and widow of physician Alan Quartermaine. The role was originated by Patsy Rahn in 1976, who played the role until showrunners replaced her with Charleson. Charleson's tenure with the serial is one of the longest in American soap operas.

Dr. William "Bill" Horton was a fictional character from the American NBC daytime soap opera, Days of Our Lives. He was a surgeon, and was one of the five children of the show's original couple, Dr Tom and Alice Horton. Bill was a main character on Days of Our Lives for most of its first fifteen years. The role is most associated with actor Edward Mallory, who portrayed the character for the greatest time.

<i>The Substitute</i> (1993 film) 1993 film directed by Martin Donovan

The Substitute is a 1993 American television film directed by Martin Donovan, written by David S. Goyer under his pseudonym Cynthia Verlaine, and is also Mark Wahlberg's first acting role and credited as "Marky Mark", due to his successful hip hop career.

<i>Your Sisters Sister</i> 2011 film by Lynn Shelton

Your Sister's Sister is a 2011 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Lynn Shelton and starring Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Mark Duplass. The film is about a woman who invites her male friend to stay at her family's island getaway after the death of his brother. At their remote cabin, the friend's drunken encounter with the woman's lesbian sister leads to interesting revelations and developments in all three of their lives. The film premiered on September 11, 2011, at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was released in the United States on June 15, 2012.