Irene Manning is a fictional character from the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
One Life to Live
''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
''.
Casting
The character first appears in the episode dated May 27, 1978, originated by the actress Kate McKeown. In 1985,
Andrea Evans
Andrea Lynn Evans (born June 18, 1957, in Aurora, Illinois) is an American actress and producer. She is most recognized for her portrayal of Tina Lord on the ABC soap opera ''One Life to Live'', a role she played from 1978 to 1981 and from 1985 ...
(who played Irene's daughter,
Tina Lord
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 ch ...
) portrayed Irene in flashbacks. McKeown reprised the role in 1987. Diana Lamar appeared in flashbacks as Irene from 1994 to 1995.
Barbara Rhoades appeared as a back-from-the-dead Irene on the episode dated August 9, 2011, last appearing in a vision on November 10, 2011.
Storylines
1978, 1980–81
Irene Clayton (Kate McKeown) is introduced on-screen in fictional
Llanview, Pennsylvania
Llanview, Pennsylvania is the fictional setting for the long-running American soap opera ''One Life to Live''. The city exists in the same fictional universe as cities from other existing or defunct ABC daytime dramas, including Pine Valley, Penn ...
, on the episode first-run May 27, 1978. The former best friend and college roommate of central heroine
Victoria Lord
Victoria Lord is a fictional character and matriarch of the Lord family on the American soap opera ''One Life to Live'', played for over 41 years by six-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning actress Erika Slezak.
The character was created as one of the ...
(
Erika Slezak
Erika Alma Hermina Slezak (; born August 5, 1946) is an American actress, best known for her role as Victoria "Viki" Lord on the American daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live'' from 1971 through the television finale in 2012 and again in the ...
), she arrives asking Viki to permanently adopt her 16-year-old daughter,
Tina Clayton (
Andrea Evans
Andrea Lynn Evans (born June 18, 1957, in Aurora, Illinois) is an American actress and producer. She is most recognized for her portrayal of Tina Lord on the ABC soap opera ''One Life to Live'', a role she played from 1978 to 1981 and from 1985 ...
), as she is ostensibly dying from terminal cancer. Soon on her deathbed, Viki promises Irene to take care of Tina, and Irene apparently succumbs to the illness on-screen in July 1978. Soon later, her legal widower
Ted Clayton arrives in Llanview in 1980 hoping to con assumed daughter Tina and her adoptive mother Viki out a portion of the
Lord family
The Lord family are fictional characters from the American soap opera '' One Life to Live''. They were introduced in the show's July 15, 1968 debut episode on ABC, and featured for the entirety of its run until the series ended on August 19, 2013 ...
fortune. When Ted's plans are foiled by Tina, he goes on a killing spree, murdering
Vinny Wolek
Vince Wolek is a fictional character from the American soap opera, '' One Life to Live''. Actor Antony Ponzini originated the role from the debut episode in 1968 through 1975, and briefly reappeared in 1987.
Casting
Vincent was created by series ...
before he-himself is killed by police officer
Ed Hall (
Al Freeman, Jr.) in 1981.
1984–85
After leaving town, Tina returns to Llanview in 1984 with Irene's diary, which reveals that Ted Clayton was not her biological father. In 1985, when Tina learns that Viki's father,
Victor Lord
Victor Dalby Lord is a fictional character and patriarch of the Lord family from the American soap opera ''One Life to Live''.
An original protagonist on the series, Victor is introduced in the first episode as the preeminent mass media magnate ...
, and her mother were married, she freezes the assets of Victor's widow,
Dorian Lord
Dorian Lord is a fictional character and matriarch of the Cramer family on the American daytime drama '' One Life to Live'', played most notably and for the longest duration by actress Robin Strasser. Strasser was cast by series creator Agnes Ni ...
(
Robin Strasser
Robin Victory in Europe Strasser (born May 7, 1945) is an American actress, best known for her role as Dorian Lord on the ABC daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live''.
Life and career
Strasser's middle name is a tribute to her being born the da ...
), and Dorian's marriage to Victor is declared invalid (although, it is later revealed that Victor and Irene were divorced years before he and Dorian were married, making the latter marriage legal). Later, Tina discovers a secret room beneath the Lord estate,
Llanfair, and finds a letter from Victor meant to be delivered to Viki. In the letter, Victor Lord admits to having an affair with Irene and even marrying her. The letter further reveals that he knew that he was Tina's real father prior to his apparent 1976 death. A stunned Viki initially thinks the revelation and letter to be a farce, suffering a brief bout with her
multiple personalities
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
. When she recovers, Viki recalls a repressed memory of Victor and Irene in bed together and welcomes Tina into her family as her sister.
1994–95
In 1994, Dorian Lord is
criminally charged with the 1976 murder of then-husband Victor Lord, an assumption many in Llanview held since ''The Banner'' founder's apparent demise. After Dorian is convicted and sentenced to death, conman
David Vickers
David Vickers is a fictional character from the American soap opera ''One Life to Live'' portrayed by Tuc Watkins.
Casting
The character David Vickers was first introduced in 1994 by Watkins, who played the character until 1996 and then reprised ...
(
Tuc Watkins
Charles Curtis "Tuc" Watkins III (born September 2, 1966) is an American actor, known for his roles as David Vickers on ''One Life to Live'', Mr. Burns in '' The Mummy, Bob Hunter on ''Desperate Housewives'', Congressman Roger Harris on ''Black ...
) arrives in town with another copy of Irene's diary, which reveals a confession from Irene of having smothered Victor to death. David forges the parts of the diary in a scheme to get his hands on the Lord family male inheritance, posing as the secret son of Victor and Irene. Diary entries from Irene reveal she and Victor continued an affair after their divorce, and that she had given birth to his son. David Vickers claims to be that son, seeing a way of getting a piece of Viki's family fortune.
In December 1994,
Todd Manning
Thomas Todd Manning is a fictional character from the American daytime drama ''One Life to Live'' (''OLTL''). Created by writers Michael Malone (author), Michael Malone and Josh Griffith, the role was originated in 1992 by actor Roger Howarth. T ...
(
Roger Howarth
Roger Howarth (born September 13, 1968) is an American actor. He played character Todd Manning on the daytime drama ''One Life to Live'' (''OLTL''); the character earned Howarth a Daytime Emmy Award in 1994, and is cited as an icon in the soap ...
) finds a letter, following the death of his apparent father, Peter Manning. The letter, written by his then-deceased apparent mother, Barbara "Bitsy" Jones Manning, reveals that Todd is adopted, and Peter to be Irene's cousin.
As the son of Victor, Todd is now entitled to $30 million (1995) inheritance.
2011
In the summer of 2011, a man with Todd's original face (Howarth) shows up in Llanview, claiming that the man who everyone has believed to be Todd (
Trevor St. John
Trevor Marshall St. John (born September 3, 1971) is an American actor. He portrayed Todd Manning/Victor Lord Jr. on the ABC daytime drama ''One Life to Live'', and has starred in various primetime shows and films. He is known for his performanc ...
) for the past eight years is an imposter. After a
DNA test
Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, o ...
is conducted, it is learned that both men share identical genetic makeup. Attempting to explain how the two men could share the same DNA, Victor and Irene's granddaughter,
Starr
Starr may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Starr (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
* Starr (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
Places
United States
* Starr, Ohio, an unincorporated comm ...
, believes the two men might be twins. A very-much-alive Irene reappears in August 2011 at Llanfair, eventually admitting to Viki and Lord family relatives that the two men were, in fact, twins, and that the man who claimed to be Todd Manning from 2003 through 2011 was actually born
Victor Lord, Jr.
A list of notable characters from the American Broadcasting Company, ABC soap opera ''One Life to Live'' that made their first appearance between the beginning of 2000 and the end of 2009.
Kimberly Andrews
Kimberly Andrews (born Aubrey Wen ...
Irene set a bomb on the estate to kill Todd's (Howarth) family unless Todd gives Irene an unknown microchip that she needed. Todd convinces Starr to help him escape and they make it to house in time to warn everyone about Irene's threats. Todd remembers where the microchip Irene is after is hidden and runs off to meet with her. Meanwhile,
Bo Buchanan
Beaufort Oglethorpe "Bo" Buchanan is a fictional character from the American soap opera '' One Life to Live''.
Casting and awards
Robert S. Woods created the character of Bo in November 1979. Woods originally screen tested for the recast of Rich ...
(
Robert S. Woods
Robert Sosebee Woods (born March 13, 1948) is an American actor best known for playing Bo Buchanan on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC soap ''One Life to Live'', a role for which he won the 1983 Daytime Emmy Award for Daytime Emmy Award fo ...
) comes to arrest Todd and Starr, Bo discovers the bomb and gets rid of it in time to save himself and the rest of the Lord/Manning clan. After Todd throws the microchip into the river, Irene shoots him and leads him to believe that his family has died in the explosion. On the episode first run October 3, Todd shoots and kills Irene.
It is revealed when Todd Manning
crosses over in-continuity on soap opera ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
'' that after Todd is charged and prosecuted by Llanview District Attorney
Nora Buchanan
Nora Buchanan is a fictional character from the American soap opera ''One Life to Live''. The role was originated by Hillary B. Smith in September 1992, and she remained on the show through the original television finale on January 13, 2012. Smith ...
, he is acquitted of his mother's killing because of emotional
duress
Coercion () is compelling a party to act in an involuntary manner by the use of threats, including threats to use force against a party. It involves a set of forceful actions which violate the free will of an individual in order to induce a desi ...
suffered in an episode of
post traumatic stress disorder when Irene lied about having killed his relatives.
References
Notes
External links
Irene Manning Clayton profile - SoapCentral.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manning, Irene
One Life to Live characters
Television characters introduced in 1978
Fictional secret agents and spies
Female characters in television
Fictional characters incorrectly presumed dead