The following is a list of characters from ''
Falcon Crest'', an American primetime 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 ...
which aired from 1981 to 1990.
Cast timeline
;Cast notes
Main characters
;
Angela Channing
Angela Channing (maiden name Gioberti; formerly Erickson, Stavros and Agretti) is a fictional character on the American prime time soap opera ''Falcon Crest'', portrayed by Jane Wyman from 1981 to 1990. Angela is the devious, tyrannical owner of th ...
(née Gioberti), later Erickson, Stavros, Agretti –
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007)["Actress, P ...](_blank)
(1981–90; 208 episodes)
[Jane Wyman: 'I Always Did Four-Handkerchief Roles. Until Now.': Jane Wyman
By Marianne Constantinou. ''The New York Times'' November 29, 1981: D29.]
:Angela is the tough, tyrannical matriarch of Falcon Crest and a powerful woman in Tuscany Valley, who is the principal character of the series. She has two daughters, Julia and Emma, from her first marriage to newspaper owner Douglas Channing, and goes on to marry three more times. Determined to preserve and expand Falcon Crest for her heirs, she ruthlessly combats any challengers, with her nephew Chase and Douglas' allegedly illegitimate son Richard proving the most formidable of her opponents. Richard is later revealed to be her long lost son. During the course of the series, Angela marries her devious lawyer Phillip Erikson, becoming a widow a short time later when he dies in a plane crash. She later marries her old flame, billionaire Peter Stavros, and life-long friend Frank Agretti. Towards the end of the series, Angela is almost killed by Charley St. James, who tries to smother her with a pillow. She is left in a coma for several months before making a full recovery and returning home.
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007)["Actress, P ...](_blank)
appeared in almost every episode of the series, for eight seasons, plus the first two and last three episodes of the ninth season, for a total of 208 of the 227 episodes of the series, missing 19 episodes (mostly in the final season) due to health problems.
;Charles "Chase" Gioberti –
Robert Foxworth (1981–1987; 155 episodes)
:A former commercial airline pilot and Vietnam veteran, Chase moves back to the Tuscany Valley from New York after the death of his father Jason. Having inherited some land from his father, Chase is determined to make a go of running the winery which in turn brings him into conflict with his aunt Angela. The mysterious nature of his father's death eventually makes him half-owner of Falcon Crest, much to Angela's dismay. Throughout the course of the series, Chase is shot twice, has affairs with Connie Giannini and Gabrielle Short, and is later is presumed drowned in the waters of the San Francisco Bay while attempting to rescue Melissa and Dan Fixx. His body is never recovered.
;Lancelot "Lance" Cumson –
Lorenzo Lamas
Lorenzo Fernando Lamas (born January 20, 1958) is an American actor. He is widely known for his role of Lance Cumson, the irresponsible grandson of Angela Channing—played by Jane Wyman—in the soap opera ''Falcon Crest'' (1981–1990), for ...
(1981–90; 227 episodes)
:Lance is Julia's son, who Angela grooms as her eventual heir. A handsome ladies' man, he enjoys a playboy lifestyle but is often dragged in Angela's schemes. He is also proficient in martial arts, under the mentorship of Chao-Li. During the series, his grandmother forces him to marry Melissa Agressi so she can acquire the adjoining Agretti lands. After Melissa loses their baby and they divorce, Lance marries Richard's stepdaughter Lorraine, who later dies while pregnant with his child. After liaisons with Terry Hartford, singer Apollonia, Dina Wells and Shannon Taylor, a second marriage with Melissa and the death of his unborn child with Diane "Cookie" Nash, Lance eventually marries Pilar Ortega, the mother of his secret daughter Lisa.
Lorenzo Lamas
Lorenzo Fernando Lamas (born January 20, 1958) is an American actor. He is widely known for his role of Lance Cumson, the irresponsible grandson of Angela Channing—played by Jane Wyman—in the soap opera ''Falcon Crest'' (1981–1990), for ...
is the only actor to appear in all 227 episodes of the series.
;Cole Hartford Gioberti –
William R. Moses (1981–1986, 1987; 140 episodes)
:Chase and Maggie's son. He supports his father in his new venture running the vineyards, foregoing his dreams of becoming an archaeologist like his grandfather. During the series, he falls in love with Melissa Agretti, and fathers her son Joseph, before marrying Linda Caproni, the baker's daughter. After Linda dies in a plane crash, Cole and Melissa rekindle their relationship and get married. They eventually divorce after Cole fathers a daughter with her cousin, Robin Agretti, who later leaves town with their child, Hope Margaret. In season six, Cole leaves Tuscany Valley to become a partner in a new wine venture in Sydney, Australia, and Joseph is later sent to live with him following Melissa's mental breakdown. They are visited by Melissa and Dan Fixx in season seven, where it is revealed that Cole had married a woman named Kathleen (
Deborra-Lee Furness
Deborra-Lee Furness (born 30 November 1955) is an Australian actress and producer. She is married to actor Hugh Jackman.
Early life
Furness was born in Annandale, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, and raised in Melbourne, Victoria.
At ...
) and was raising Joseph and Kathleen's daughter (from her first marriage) on a sheep farm in the Australian outback.
;Victoria "Vickie" Gioberti, later Hogan, Stavros –
Jamie Rose
Jamie Rose (born November 26, 1959) is an American actress and acting instructor. Born in New York City, Rose was raised in Southern California, where she began her career as a child actor, first appearing in commercials. She made her feature fil ...
(1981–1983; 44 episodes),
Dana Sparks
''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...
(1986–1988; 58 episodes)
:Chase and Maggie's daughter. She is an aspiring dancer who struggles with her family's move from New York to Tuscany Valley, and has particular trouble with the men in her life. During the first two seasons, she dates Mario Nuñez, the vineyardist's son, and county supervisor Nick Hogan, who she eventually marries. When Vickie discovers Nick is still involved with his ex-wife and using her for money, she divorces him and moves back to New York. She returns three years later, now played by Dana Sparks, after touring Europe as a ballet dancer, and ending a second marriage to an American soldier stationed in Germany. She dates Dan Fixx, before marrying Angela's stepson Eric Stavros, who is plagued by a gambling addiction and prone to violent outbursts. She leaves the valley for Paris when his father Peter begs her for help after Eric has a nervous breakdown and is institutionalized.
;Julia Cumson (née Channing) –
Abby Dalton
Gladys Marlene Wasden (August 15, 1932 – November 23, 2020), known professionally as Abby Dalton, was an American actress, known for her television roles on the sitcoms ''Hennesey'' (1959–1962) and '' The Joey Bishop Show'' (1962– ...
(1981–1986; 98 episodes)
:Angela's eldest daughter, and the chief enologist at the winery. She is the mother of Lance, with ex-husband Tony Cumson, and Christopher, her illegitimate son with vintner Dominic Rossini, who she was told was stillborn. She is continually oppressed by her domineering mother, who succeeded in driving her husband away over a decade ago and exacerbated her drinking problem. During the course of the series, she becomes increasingly unstable, and is eventually revealed as the killer of Carlo Agretti, her lover who she murdered to protect Falcon Crest from falling into his hands. When confronted about the murder at a family gathering, she pulls out a gun and shoots Chase, killing his mother Jacqueline Perrault in the ensuing struggle. Initially sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, she is deemed unfit and institutionalised in a psychiatric hospital before escaping and going on the run. She plans on killing her mother at her wedding to Phillip, but can't work up the courage, and is later presumed dead after getting trapped in a cabin fire during a confrontation with the police. She emerges alive a few months later, and is sent to a convent in Oregon. Later she is given a retrial and released, returning briefly to the valley before the earthquake hits, where she is injured and suffers from hysterical blindness. She returns to the convent, never seen at Falcon Crest again, although she is mentioned in passing and a pregnant Emma leaves to visit her in a convent in Italy near the end of the series.
;Margaret "Maggie" Gioberti (née Hartford), later Channing –
Susan Sullivan
Susan Michaela Sullivan (born November 18, 1944) is an American actress. Sullivan is best known for her roles as Lenore Curtin Delaney on the NBC daytime soap opera '' Another World'' (1971–76), as Lois Adams on the ABC sitcom '' It's a Livin ...
(1981–1989; 207 episodes)
:Chase's wife and the mother of Cole and Vickie. A freelance writer and journalist from New York, she supports her husband's efforts to build a new life in Tuscany Valley. A warm-hearted but resilient woman, Maggie becomes the sympathetic heroine of the series. During the course of the series, she discovers she is adopted, writes a book based on her life in the valley, and is kidnapped and raped by her press agent Jeff Wainwright. Maggie gives birth to a son, Kevin, initially believing Jeff is the father, however it is eventually revealed to be Chase's. After Chase's death, Maggie falls in love and marries Richard and adopts his son, Michael. However their marriage does not run smoothly, and she develops a drinking problem. After appearing in every episode for eight seasons, the character is killed off in the first two episodes of season nine, with Maggie getting her diamond ring caught in the swimming pool drain and drowning.
;Phillip Erikson –
Mel Ferrer
Melchor Gastón Ferrer (August 25, 1917 – June 2, 2008) was an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He achieved prominence on Broadway before scoring notable film hits with ''Scaramouche'', '' Lili'' and ''Knights of the Roun ...
(1981–1984; 55 episodes)
:Angela's unscrupulous lawyer. Phillip made a career out of advancing Angela's reputation and control of the Tuscany Valley, however he wants more. Angela initially rejects his advances, and becomes jealous when he starts dating Amanda Croft (
Anne Jeffreys
Anne Jeffreys (born Annie Jeffreys Carmichael; January 26, 1923 – September 27, 2017) was an American actress and singer. She was noted as the female lead in the 1950s TV series '' Topper''.
Career
Jeffreys was born Annie Jeffreys Carmichae ...
). He eventually becomes Angela's second husband, but dies only a short time later in a plane crash that also kills Dr. Michael Ranson and Linda Gioberti.
;Emma Channing, later Cabot, St. James –
Margaret Ladd (1981–1989; 193 episodes)
:Angela's younger daughter. She and her lover Turner Bates played a central role in her uncle Jason's accidental death and she has been emotionally fragile ever since. Despite this, Emma is good-hearted and kind-natured, though she eventually learns to resist Angela's constant attempts to control her. Much unlucky in love, her relationships with men always end in heartache or tragedy. During the course of the series, Turner dies in a car accident and she loses his baby, she develops an unrequited crush on Dr. Michael Ranson, and is seduced by Gustav Riebmann and Damon Ross in their schemes against her mother. She eventually finds love with trucker Dwayne Cooley before he dies tragically in the earthquake. She then marries Vince Karlotti, who is revealed to be a conman and polygamist, novelist Daniel Cabot, also known by the pseudonym R.D. Young, and Charley St. James. Emma finally leaves the valley after falling pregnant, and later gives birth to a daughter, Angela, named after her mother.
;Chao-Li Chi –
Chao-Li Chi
Chao-Li Chi (; April 5, 1927 – October 16, 2010) was a Chinese-born American actor and dancer who worked extensively in American television, including his best known role as Chao-Li, the faithful majordomo and chauffeur of Jane Wyman's charac ...
(1981–90; 213 episodes)
:Angela's faithful Chinese majordomo and chauffeur.
;Melissa Agretti, later Cumson, Gioberti – Delores Cantu (1982; 1 episode),
Ana Alicia (1982–1988; 178 episodes)
:A feisty, selfish young heiress who inherits her father's land, the Agretti Vineyards, and agrees to a marriage of convenience with Lance in order to gain control of Falcon Crest. Melissa is the mother of Joseph, following an affair with Cole Gioberti, whom she later marries.
Ana Alicia joined the cast later in the first season (replacing Delores Cantu, who played the part for one episode only) and left early in the eighth season when Melissa died in a fire. However, the actress returned for several episodes later in the season to play a Melissa lookalike, Samantha Ross.
;Richard Channing –
David Selby (1982–1990; 209 episodes)
:A ruthless businessman, Richard first appears as the allegedly illegitimate outcast son of Angela's husband Douglas, having inherited half of his father's newspaper, the ''San Francisco Globe''. Richard proves to be a formidable adversary of both Angela and Chase, and later even manages to gain a one-third ownership of Falcon Crest. Bent on revenge for being outcast as a child, it is later discovered that Richard is actually Angela's son who was reported to have died as a newborn infant by doctors. He is also the father of Michael Channing, following his relationship with businesswoman Cassandra Wilder. He is blackmailed into marrying Maggie's sister Terry Hartford, and later marries Maggie herself. Following her death, he marries Maggie's second cousin, Lauren Daniels. After he joined the series in 1982, actor
David Selby appeared in all the episodes until the series concluded in 1990.
;Pamela Lynch –
Sarah Douglas (1983–1985; 51 episodes),
Martine Beswick (1985; 1 episode)
:Personal assistant and brief love interest to Richard Channing, and a former employee of a deadly mafia-type organization, The Cartel. Capable of being ruthless and scheming, she also has a softer side, and is especially fond of Richard's stepdaughter, Lorraine Prescott. After finding out that Richard had been recording every conversation in his office, including hers, Pamela betrays him by giving Maggie taped evidence that clears Lance of trying to kill Angela. She also gains control of a winery needed by Angela, Richard, and Chase, and earns a $10 million profit by selling it them at a higher price. In revenge, Richard turns Pamela's file over to Interpol; she then tries to kill him by blowing up his house, injuring him and Maggie. In order to evade capture, she has plastic surgery to alter her appearance.
;Terry McCarthy (née Hartford), later Ranson, Channing –
Laura Johnson
Laura Johnson is an American actress. She is best known for playing Terry Hartford in the CBS primetime soap opera ''Falcon Crest'' from 1983 to 1986.
Career
Johnson made her film debut in the 1977 drama film ''Opening Night'' directed by John ...
(1983–1986; 80 episodes)
:Maggie Gioberti's younger sister. Beautiful but devious, she is a former call girl who creates scandal in Tuscany Valley with her attempts to move up the society ladder. After marrying Chase's cousin Michael Ranson, she inherits his wealth following his death in the plane crash at the end of season three, and later blackmails Richard Channing into marrying her. She was killed a short time later in an earthquake that struck the valley.
;Gustav Riebmann –
Paul Freeman (1984; 19 episodes)
:The son of a Nazi war criminal, he becomes the head of the sinister Cartel after assassinating his own father. He moves to Tuscany Valley in an attempt to gain control of Falcon Crest, knowing that there was a priceless art treasure buried under the estate decades earlier. Gustav, along with his assistant Renee, perish during a cave-in while trying to retrieve the artwork.
;Greg Reardon –
Simon MacCorkindale
Simon Charles Pendered MacCorkindale (12 February 1952 – 14 October 2010) was a British actor, film director, writer and producer. He spent much of his childhood moving around owing to his father's career as an officer with the Royal Air Force ...
(1984–1986; 59 episodes)
:A sharp British lawyer who works for Angela, though he rarely approves of her methods. He first pursues Melissa Agretti, then later becomes involved with Terry Hartford. After he discovers she was working for Richard Channing, he later becomes involved with fellow lawyer Jordan Roberts, with whom he eventually leaves the Tuscany Valley.
;Father Christopher Rossini –
Ken Olin
Kenneth Edward Olin (born July 30, 1954) is an American actor, television director, and producer. He is known for his role as Michael Steadman in the ABC drama series ''Thirtysomething'' (1987–1991), for which he received a Golden Globe Award ...
(1985–1986; 17 episodes)
:Priest and illegitimate son of Julia Cumson and the late Dominic Rossini. Julia became pregnant with Christopher when she was only a teenager, at which point his wife murdered him by arson. . After he was born, Angela told Julia that the baby had died and allowed him to be raised in a Catholic orphanage in Marysville, Connecticut. When Dominic's wife Anna and daughter Cassandra returned to the Tuscany Valley years later to wreak revenge for what Angela did to their family, Angela was forced to tell Christopher he was her grandson.
;Peter Stavros –
Cesar Romero
Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years.
His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...
(1985–1987, 1988; 51 episodes)
:Billionaire Greek industrialist and an old flame of Angela's, who helps her win Falcon Crest back from the Rossini family. He eventually becomes Angela's third husband.
;Eric Stavros –
John Callahan (1986–1988; 66 episodes)
:Peter Stavros's playboy son, who first romances Melissa but later marries Vickie Gioberti. He is brainwashed by The Thirteen to kill Richard Channing and is later institutionalized.
;Dan Fixx –
Brett Cullen
Peter Brett Cullen (born August 26, 1956) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Dan Fixx in ''Falcon Crest'' (1986-1988), Sam Cain in '' The Young Riders'' (1989-1990), Governor Ray Sullivan in ''The West Wing'' (2005-2006), Go ...
(1986–1988; 53 episodes)
:Son of Tucker Fixx and his first wife Elizabeth Bradbury, old acquaintances of Angela's, becoming her ward and friend.
;Frank Agretti –
Rod Taylor (1988–1990; 31 episodes)
:Uncle to Melissa, Robin and Chris Agretti and father of Nick. He is a friend of Angela's and becomes her fourth husband out of convenience - to help her leave a psychiatric ward so she can live under his conservatorship.
;Pilar Ortega, later Cumson –
Kristian Alfonso
Kristian-Joy Alfonso (born September 5, 1963) is an American actress, former figure skater and fashion model. She is recognized for her portrayal of Hope Williams Brady on the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''.
Early life
Alfonso was bo ...
(1988–1990; 44 episodes)
:Former teenage sweetheart of Lance Cumson and eventually his wife. Her father, Cesar, is the Falcon Crest Winery foreman.
;Nick Agretti –
David Beecroft
David Beecroft (born April 26, 1955) is an American actor noted for his television appearances, having played both regular and recurring roles in series such as ''Falcon Crest'' (as Nick Agretti), ''Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' and ''Melrose Place ...
(1988–1989; 20 episodes)
:Frank Agretti's son with his ex-wife Claire and cousin of Melissa, who becomes the executor of her estate after her death, in order to manage it for until her son Joseph's 21st birthday. Nick's teenage son, Ben, is a product of his past relationship with Italian heiress Anna Cellini, though Anna's tyrannical father never approved of Nick and wants to claim Ben as his grandson. Angela uses Ben to blackmail Nick into signing Falcon Crest back over to her.
;Michael Sharpe –
Gregory Harrison
Gregory Neale Harrison (born May 31, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Chandler in the 1987 film '' North Shore'', as Dr. George Alonzo "Gonzo" Gates, the young surgeon assistant of Dr. Trapper John McIntyre (played by Per ...
(1989–1990; 22 episodes)
:Maggie's second cousin, brother of Lauren, and a ruthless businessman who becomes an opponent of Richard Channing in a battle for control of Falcon Crest.
;Lauren Daniels (née Sharpe), later Channing –
Wendy Phillips
Wendy Phillips (born January 2, 1952) is an American actress, known for her roles on television series including ''Falcon Crest'', '' Homefront'' and ''Promised Land''.
Life and career
Phillips was born in Brooklyn, New York. She made her scree ...
(1989–1990; 20 episodes)
:Maggie's second cousin and love interest for her widower, Richard Channing. She later becomes his wife.
;Genele Ericson –
Andrea Thompson
Rebecca Andrea Thompson (born January 6, 1960)
Film Reference. Retrieved May 19, 2013. is an Ameri ...
(1989–1990; 19 episodes)
:Frank Agretti's murderous sister-in-law.
Supporting characters
Introduced in season one
*Gus Nuñez –
Nick Ramus
Nickolas George Ramus, also known and credited as Nick Ramus, (September 9, 1929 – May 30, 2007) was a Blackfoot Native American actor, best known for his appearances on television.
Early life
Ramus was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew u ...
(1981–1982; 13 episodes)
:Hispanic vineyardist at the Gioberti estate who befriends Chase. He lives on the property with his wife Alicia (
Silvana Gallardo
Sandra Silvana Gallardo (January 13, 1953 – January 2, 2012) was an American film and television actress.
Born in New York City, Gallardo's television credits include episodes of '' Starsky & Hutch'', ''Lou Grant'', '' Quincy'', ''Hill Stree ...
) and son Mario. He later dies after accidentally digging into a gas line while repairing an irrigation pipe.
*Mario Nuñez –
Mario Marcelino
Mario Marcelino is an American actor, possibly best known for his role as Mario Nunouz in the television soap opera '' Falcon Crest''.
He has also appeared in ''Knight Rider'', ''Airwolf
''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama tel ...
((1981–1982; 12 episodes)
:Gus' son, who becomes romantically involved with Vickie Gioberti. He leaves town with his mother following his father's death.
*Douglas Channing –
Stephen Elliott Stephen Elliott may refer to:
Entertainment
*Stephen Elliott (actor), (1918–2005), American actor
* Stephen Elliott (author) (born 1971), American author and activist
Sport
*Steve Elliott (footballer, born 1958), English footballer
*Steve Ellio ...
(1981–1982; 9 episodes)
:Angela's estranged first husband and father of Julia, Emma and Richard. He is owner of The San Francisco Globe newspaper, and following his death he bequeaths half of his shares to his illegitimate son Richard.
*Tony Cumson –
John Saxon
John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Westerns and horror films, often playing ...
(1982, 1986–1988; 32 episodes),
Robert Loggia
Salvatore "Robert" Loggia ( , ; January 3, 1930 – December 4, 2015) was an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for '' Jagged Edge'' (1985) and won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for ...
(1982; 1 episode)
:Julia's husband and Lance's father who was driven away by Angela. He makes brief returns to try and bond with Lance.
*Jacqueline Perrault –
Lana Turner
Lana Turner ( ; born Julia Jean Turner; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over the course of her nearly 50-year career, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized pe ...
(1982–1983; 6 episodes)
:Chase's flamboyant mother and bitter enemy of Angela. She was co-founder of the Cartel. Years earlier, Jacqueline had an affair with Angela's first husband Douglas and later told Richard that she was his mother, though it later emerged that this was not true. When Julia Cumson was revealed to be Carlo Agretti's murderer, she began shooting wildly and killed Jacqueline.
*Carlo Agretti –
Carlos Romero (1982; 9 episodes)
:Melissa's wealthy father and owner of the Agretti vineyards. He is murdered by Julia Cumson after he tries to use their affair to gain control of Falcon Crest.
*Father Bob –
Bob Curtis (1982–1990; 39 episodes)
:A Catholic priest who is a longtime friend and confidant of Angela.
Introduced in season two
*Diana Hunter –
Shannon Tweed
Shannon Lee Tweed Simmons (born March 10, 1957) is a Canadian actress and model. One of the most successful actresses of mainstream erotica, she is identified with the genre of the erotic thriller. Tweed has appeared in more than 60 films and in ...
(1982–1983; 21 episodes)
:Personal assistant to Richard Channing who is working for the sinister Cartel organization.
*Nick Hogan –
Roy Thinnes
Roy Thinnes (born April 6, 1938) is an American television and film actor best known for his portrayal of lonely hero David Vincent in the ABC 1967–68 television series ''The Invaders''.
He starred in the 1969 British science fiction film '' ...
(1982–1983; 20 episodes)
:County supervisor and Vickie Gioberti's first husband, who married her for her family's fortune. He was later exposed to still be involved with his wife Sheila (
Katherine Justice
Katherine Justice (born October 28, 1942) is an American actress with many television guest star roles in the 1960s on through the 1980s and a few major film roles.
She had a leading role in the made-for-TV movie, '' Columbo: Prescription Mur ...
) and Vickie ended the marriage.
*Darryl Clayton –
Bradford Dillman
Bradford Dillman (April 14, 1930 – January 16, 2018) was an American actor and author.
Early life
Bradford Dillman was born on April 14, 1930, in San Francisco, the son of Dean Dillman, a stockbroker, and Josephine (née Moore). Bradford's pa ...
(1982–1983; 10 episodes)
:Film producer who works with Maggie Gioberti on a screenplay she is writing, but is actually part of a plot by Angela to destroy her marriage to Chase.
*Katherine Demery –
Joanna Cassidy
Joanna Cassidy (born Joanna Virginia Caskey, August 2, 1945 Brady, James"In Step With: Joanna Cassidy" ''Miami Herald'', November 25, 1990. Accessed March 14, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Born: Aug.2, 1944, in Camden, N.J.") is an American actress. ...
(1982; 5 episodes)
:The owner of a small vineyard who has a brief romantic involvement with much younger Cole Gioberti before leaving the valley.
*Amanda Croft –
Anne Jeffreys
Anne Jeffreys (born Annie Jeffreys Carmichael; January 26, 1923 – September 27, 2017) was an American actress and singer. She was noted as the female lead in the 1950s TV series '' Topper''.
Career
Jeffreys was born Annie Jeffreys Carmichae ...
(1982-1983; 6 episodes)
:Phillip Erikson's love interest.
*Vince Caproni –
Harry Basch
Harry Leo Basch (January 16, 1926 – June 23, 2020) was an American actor and author. In 1951 he appeared in "Mr. Roberts" at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco. He is possibly best known for his role as Vince Caproni in the 1980s television se ...
(1983–1984; 11 episodes)
:Linda's father, who disapproves of her marriage to Cole Gioberti. Following his daughter's death, he leaves the valley to live with relatives.
*Linda Caproni Gioberti –
Mary Kate McGeehan (1983–1984; 34 episodes)
:Cole Gioberti's first wife, who dies in a plane crash.
*Joseph Gioberti – Jason Goldberg (1983–1987; 67 episodes)
:The son of Cole Gioberti and Melissa Agretti. Although Melissa was already pregnant with Joseph by the time she married Lance, it emerged that Cole was his father and a bitter custody battle ensued. Angela later convinced Melissa to give Joseph to Cole in return for Chase returning her half of Falcon Crest after a legal dispute. Melissa agreed on the condition that she was to become Angela's sole heir. Years later, when Melissa became increasingly unstable, Joseph eventually went to live with Cole in Australia.
Introduced in season three
*Dr. Michael Ranson –
Cliff Robertson
Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film '' PT 109'', and won the 19 ...
(1983–1984; 28 episodes)
:Jacqueline's nephew and Chase's cousin, who starts working as a neurosurgeon at the Tuscany Valley hospital. He later marries Terry Hartford, but is killed in the plane crash that also killed Phillip Erikson and Linda Caproni.
Introduced in season four
*Joel McCarthy –
Parker Stevenson
Richard Stevenson Parker Jr. (born June 4, 1952), known professionally as Parker Stevenson, is an American actor best known for playing Frank Hardy in the 1970s TV series ''The Hardy Boys'' and Craig Pomeroy on the 1990s TV series '' Baywatch' ...
(1984–1985; 12 episodes)
:Terry Hartford's unscrupulous ex-husband and a drug addict. He comes to the Tuscany Valley to blackmail Terry as their divorce was never finalized, meaning her marriage to Michael Ranson was never legal. He is paid by Melissa to frame Lance for the attempted murder of Angela.
*Lorraine Prescott, later Cumson –
Kate Vernon
Katherine Elizabeth Vernon (born April 21, 1961) is a Canadian-born American actress. She is known for her roles as Lorraine Prescott on the CBS primetime soap opera '' Falcon Crest'' (from 1984–1985), the stuck-up and popular Benny Hanson in ...
(1984–1985; 25 episodes)
:Stepdaughter of Richard Channing and love interest for Lance. Though neither Angela nor Richard approve of their relationship, Lorraine marries Lance after she becomes pregnant with his child, but she and her unborn baby are later killed after a fall.
*Charlotte Pershing –
Jane Greer
Jane Greer (born Bettejane Greer; September 9, 1924 – August 24, 2001) was an American film and television actress best known for her role as ''femme fatale'' Kathie Moffat in the 1947 film noir '' Out of the Past''. In 2009, ''The Guardian'' ...
(1984–1985; 6 episodes)
:Maggie's biological mother who gave her up for adoption at birth. She has a gambling addiction that Angela uses to her advantage.
*Damon "Ross" Rossini –
Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Scott Frakes (born August 19, 1952) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his portrayal of Commander William Riker in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and subsequent films and series. Frakes als ...
(1985; 11 episodes)
:Brother of Cassandra Wilder, and son of Anna and Dominic Rossini. Damon works for his sister at Wilder Advertising, a top San Francisco ad agency, from where they both plot to take over Falcon Crest and ruin Angela for her alleged crimes against their family. He briefly romances Emma, which deters him from taking part in the final takeover.
*Connie Giannini –
Carla Borelli
Carla Borelli (born October 12, 1942 in San Francisco, California) is an American actress.
Borelli is one of five children born to parents who had been in the grocery business since the early 1930s. She was modeling as a baby and studied ballet ...
(1985; 12 episodes)
:The beautiful owner of the Giannini Vineyards, she begins working with Chase, whom she is attracted to and has a brief fling with.
*Robin Agretti –
Barbara Howard (1985–1986; 27 episodes)
:Melissa's cousin, the daughter of Phillip and Theresa Agretti. Robin comes to visit Melissa and later agrees to help her and Cole by being a surrogate mother, as Melissa cannot have any more children. However, she becomes attracted to Cole and undermines his marriage to Melissa at every opportunity. When she eventually gives birth to a baby girl, Hope, she leaves the valley with the child, determined that Melissa will never raise her. Robin's father Phillip dies sometime before Frank Agretti returns to Tuscany Valley.
*Francesca Gioberti –
Gina Lollobrigida
Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (born 4 July 1927) is an Italian actress, photojournalist, and politician. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. As o ...
(1984; 5 episodes)
:Angela's Italian half-sister, who visits Tuscany Valley with a claim to a share of Falcon Crest that she later sells to Richard.
*Paul Hartford -
Andrew Duggan
Andrew Duggan (December 28, 1923 – May 15, 1988) was an American character actor. His work includes 185 screen credits between 1949 and 1987 for roles in both film and television, as well a number more on stage.
Background
Duggan was born in ...
(1984–1985; 4 episodes)
:Maggie's and Terry's archeologist father. Paul adopted Maggie with his late wife Margaret.
Introduced in season five
*Cassandra Wilder –
Anne Archer (1984–1985; 22 episodes)
:A cool, calculating businesswoman who becomes involved with Richard. She later manages to gain controlling interest in Falcon Crest, which she plans to destroy because of Angela's crimes against her family. Daughter of Anna Rossini, sister of Damon Ross and half-sister of Father Christopher Rossini. Cassandra becomes pregnant with Richard's child, Michael, but dies in childbirth.
*Anna Rossini –
Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American stage, film and television actress.
Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Elia Kazan's '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947), and was nominated for her roles in ''Come to ...
(1985; 6 episodes)
:A bitter widow with an old score to settle with Angela. Mother of Cassandra Wilder and Damon Ross. She was institutionalized after trying to kill Angela by setting Falcon Crest on fire, as part of her revenge against Angela for supposedly driving her husband to suicide. Aware of but in denial over the affair her husband had with Julia Cumson, which led to the birth of Christopher Rossini.
*Jordan Roberts –
Morgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild (born Patsy Ann McClenny; February 3, 1950) is an American actress. She began acting in the early 1970s and has had roles in several television series since.
Fairchild began her career on the CBS daytime soap opera ''Search for T ...
(1985–1986; 29 episodes)
:A glamorous attorney who works for Richard Channing and helps him rebuild his empire after he loses his share of Falcon Crest and goes bankrupt. Although a sharp, intelligent woman, Jordan suffers from
multiple personality disorder
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 ...
following years of abuse at the hands of her father, who molested her as a child. She later becomes involved with Greg Reardon and, after receiving treatment for her condition, the two of them leave the Tuscany Valley together.
*Apollonia –
Apollonia Kotero
Patricia Apollonia Kotero (born August 2, 1959) is an American singer, actress, former model and talent manager. She is known for co-starring in Prince's 1984 film '' Purple Rain'' and for having been the lead singer of the girl group Apolloni ...
(1985–1986; 10 episodes)
:A singer who becomes romantically involved with Lance. When her career takes off, she leaves San Francisco.
*Dwayne Cooley –
Daniel Greene (1985–1986; 23 episodes)
:A dashing truck driver who falls for Emma Channing. He later goes into the wine distribution business with Chase. Dwayne and Emma intend to marry, much against Angela's wishes, but he is killed in the earthquake that devastated the valley in 1986.
*Jeff Wainwright –
Edward Albert
Edward Laurence Albert (February 20, 1951 – September 22, 2006) was an American actor. The son of actor Eddie Albert and Mexican actress Margo, he starred opposite Goldie Hawn in ''Butterflies Are Free'' (1972), a role for which he won a ...
(1986–1987; 18 episodes)
:A press agent for a book written by Maggie Gioberti, but his interest in her takes a disturbing turn when he begins stalking Maggie, later kidnapping and raping her.
*Li-Ying Chi –
Rosalind Chao
Rosalind Chao (; born September 23, 1957) is an American actress. Chao's best-known roles have been Soon-Lee Klinger in the mid-1980s CBS show '' AfterMASH'', Rose Hsu Jordan in the 1993 movie '' The Joy Luck Club'', the recurring character Ke ...
(1986; 4 episodes)
:Chao-Li's daughter, who comes to Tuscany Valley to visit her father. Li-Ying works as a seismologist and predicted the deadly earthquake that occurred in Tuscany Valley.
*Erin Jones –
Jill Jacobson (1985–1987; 21 episodes)
:An unscrupulous woman who performs underhanded work for Angela, such as infecting Chase's vineyards with a parasite. She later works for Richard Channing and tries to double-cross him, but her plan backfires. Also responsible for shooting Chase Gioberti.
Introduced in season six
*Kit Marlowe –
Kim Novak
Marilyn Pauline "Kim" Novak (born February 13, 1933) is an American retired film and television actress and painter.
Novak began her career in 1954 after signing with Columbia Pictures and quickly became one of Hollywood's top box office stars, ...
(1986–1987; 19 episodes)
:A woman with a shady past who poses as Peter Stavros' dead stepdaughter. She causes mayhem when she arrives in Tuscany Valley and is pursued by deadly gangster Roland Saunders. Kit eventually becomes involved with Lance's father Tony, and the two of them leave to go and live on Peter's private island, only to later part ways.
*Roland Saunders –
Robert Stack
Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the highly successful ABC tele ...
(1987; 5 episodes)
:Mafioso-type criminal who is out to kill Kit Marlowe. He is himself later killed by Peter Stavros.
*Meredith Braxton –
Jane Badler
Jane Badler (born December 31, 1953) is an American-Australian actress and singer. She is known for her role as Diana, the main antagonist in NBC's science fiction series '' V'' between 1983 and 1985. Badler also appeared in ABC's version of '' ...
(1986–1987; 22 episodes)
:Erin Jones' sister, and later assistant to Richard Channing after her sister's death. After he spurns her, she turns on Richard and provides Angela with information that will ruin him.
*Guy Stafford –
Jeff Kober
Jeff Kober (born December 18, 1953) is an American actor, known for his television roles as Dodger in ''China Beach'', Jacob Hale Jr. in ''Sons of Anarchy'', and Joe in the fourth season of '' The Walking Dead''. He is also known his movie rol ...
(1986–1987; 6 episodes)
:Hired killer sent to kill Kit Marlowe.
*Vince Karlotti –
Marjoe Gortner
Hugh Marjoe Ross Gortner (born January 14, 1944) is a former evangelist preacher and actor. He first gained public attention during the late 1940s when his parents arranged for him to be ordained as a preacher at age four, due to his extraordi ...
(1986–1987; 17 episodes)
:A charlatan posing as a psychic medium who has Emma Channing under his spell. When he marries her, it is revealed that he is a polygamist.
*Dina Wells –
Robin Greer
Robin Greer is an American actress, noted for her roles in 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 sentimenta ...
(1986–1987; 22 episodes)
:Love interest for Lance who is crippled after a racing car accident and is killed by a psychotic nurse. Greer and Lamas were also briefly engaged in real life, but split up in 1987. Their onscreen relationship followed suit.
*Garth –
Carl Held
Carl Held (born September 19, 1931), sometimes credited as Karl Held and Christopher Held, is an American actor who has worked extensively in both American and British television.
Career
Held is best known for his role as Garth in the 1980s s ...
(1986–1989; 46 episodes)
:Personal assistant and head of security for Richard Channing.
*Gabrielle Short –
Cindy Morgan
Cindy Morgan (born Cynthia Ann Cichorski; September 29, 1954) is an American actress known for her appearances as Lora/Yori in ''Tron'' and Lacey Underall in ''Caddyshack''.
Life and career
Morgan was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Polish and ...
(1987–1988; 15 episodes)
:Love interest for Chase following the end of his marriage to Maggie.
*Francine Hope –
Melba Moore
Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress.
Biography Early life and education
Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba ...
(1987; 4 episodes)
:An adoption attorney who tries to help Maggie Gioberti trace her baby.
Introduced in season seven
*John Remick –
Ed Marinaro
Ed Marinaro (born March 31, 1950) is an American actor and former NFL player. In 1971, he was a unanimous All-American and finished as a runner-up to Pat Sullivan for the Heisman Trophy, and from 2010 to 2011 starred in the football comedy s ...
(1987; 5 episodes)
:Vietnam veteran and an old friend of Chase's, who visits Maggie following Chase's death.
*Carly Fixx –
Mariska Hargitay
Mariska Magdolna Hargitay (; born January 23, 1964) is an American actress, director and philanthropist. The daughter of bodybuilder and actor Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, a Peopl ...
(1987–1988; 15 episodes)
:Dan Fixx's alleged half-sister who has romantic feelings for him. When they discover they are not actually related, they become involved and leave the Tuscany Valley. During her stay, Carly becomes a close friend of Angela's.
*Nicole Sauguet –
Leslie Caron
Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French-American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. She is one ...
(1987; 3 episodes)
:Wealthy French woman and old friend of Chase's who arrives in the valley following his death, claiming she loaned him $30,000,000.
*Liz McDowell –
Lauren Hutton (1987; 4 episodes)
:A businesswoman who has dealings with Richard Channing and later develops feelings for him.
*Carlton Travis –
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...
(1987; 3 episodes)
:A villain whose dealings with Angela and Richard turn deadly.
*Lillian Nash Darlington –
Eve Arden
Eve Arden (born Eunice Mary Quedens, April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an American film, radio, stage and television actress. She performed in leading and supporting roles for nearly six decades.
Beginning her film career in 1929 ...
(1987; 1 episode)
:A Washington society hostess and wife of a Supreme Court judge, whom Angela asks for help with in dealing with Carlton Travis.
*Rosemont -
Roscoe Lee Browne
Roscoe Lee Browne (May 2, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American actor and director. He resisted playing stereotypically black roles, instead performing in several productions with New York City's Shakespeare Festival Theater, Leland Hayward' ...
(1988; 10 episodes)
:The apparent leader of The Thirteen, a group of corrupt businessmen with whom Richard Channing gets entangled with. He and The Thirteen are later eliminated by John Remick on the orders of his brother, U.S. Senator Peter Ryder.
*Madame Malec –
Ursula Andress
Ursula Andress (born 19 March 1936) is a Swiss-German actress, former model and sex symbol who has appeared in American, British and Italian films. Her breakthrough role was as Bond girl Honey Ryder in the first James Bond film, '' Dr. No'' (1962 ...
(1988; 3 episodes)
:An exotic woman whom Richard Channing deals in his efforts to rescue Vickie Gioberti from a white slave ring. She is later found murdered in Richard's bed.
Introduced in season eight
*Tommy Ortega –
Dan Ferro
Dan Ferro was an American actor, best known for his role as Tommy Ortega in the 1980s television series '' Falcon Crest'' and for his role as drug lord Tony Romero in '' Death Wish 4: The Crackdown''. Among his other works, he played an inept ...
(1988–1989; 18 episodes)
:Pilar Ortega's brother, who goes to work at the Tuscany Herald newspaper and becomes attracted to Maggie. Tommy leaves town with his father and his brother to live near his aunt.
*César Ortega –
Castulo Guerra
Castulo (Latin: ''Castulo''; Iberian: ''Kastilo'') was an Iberian town and bishopric (now Latin titular see located in the Andalusian province of Jaén, in south-central Spain, near modern Linares.
History
Evidence of human presence sin ...
(1988–1989; 13 episodes)
:Pilar Ortega's father who works as the foreman at Falcon Crest. Cesar left the valley with his two sons to live near his sister Mercedes.
*Gabriel Ortega –
Danny Nucci
Daniel Nucci (born September 15, 1968) is an American actor. He is best known for his supporting roles in blockbuster films, including his roles as Danny Rivetti in ''Crimson Tide'' (1995), Lieutenant Shepard in ''The Rock'' (1996), Deputy Monr ...
(1988–1989; 16 episodes)
:Pilar Ortega's younger brother who befriends Ben Agretti.
*Ben Agretti –
Brandon Douglas (1988–1989; 17 episodes)
:Son of Nick Agretti and Anna Cellini.
*Anna Cellini –
Assumpta Serna (1988–1989; 8 episodes)
:An old flame of Nick Agretti's and mother of his son, Ben. Her relationship with Nick was thwarted by her powerful, tyrannical father. Anna comes to the Tuscany Valley to re-establish contact with Nick and Ben when she discovers she is terminally ill.
Introduced in season nine
*Charley St. James –
Mark Lindsay Chapman (1989–1990; 8 episodes)
:Sleazy villain who manipulates his way into Emma's affections and tries to kill Angela.
*Walker Daniels –
Robert Ginty
Robert Winthrop Ginty (November 14, 1948 – September 21, 2009) was an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and director perhaps best known for playing Thomas Craig Anderson on the television series '' The Paper Chase''.
Early life
Ginty wa ...
(1989–1990; 7 episodes)
:Lauren Daniels' unstable husband.
*Sydney St. James –
Carla Gugino
Carla Gugino (; born August 29, 1971) is an American actress. After appearing in ''Troop Beverly Hills'' (1989) and ''This Boy's Life'' (1993), she received recognition for her starring roles as Ingrid Cortez in the ''Spy Kids'' trilogy (2001 ...
(1989–1990; 11 episodes)
:Young wife of Ian St. James, who has an affair with Chris Agretti.
*Chris Agretti -
Chris Young (1989; 4 episodes)
:Nephew to Frank (son of a late unnamed Agretti brother), who ends up becoming involved with Sydney before being killed by her husband Ian St. James
*Ian St. James –
David Hunt (1989–1990; 4 episodes)
:Charley St. James' brother, who is responsible for the deaths of Emma's husband R.D. Young (a.k.a. Daniel Cabot) and Frank's nephew Chris Agretti.
*Danny Sharpe –
David Sheinkopf (1989–1990; 12 episodes)
:Headstrong young man who believes that Michael Sharpe is his father, but later learns from his mother Anne Bowen that it is Richard Channing.
Gioberti family tree
*Giuseppe “Joseph” Gioberti (1855–1919), married Tessa Lindström
**Jasper Robert Gioberti (1883–1959), son of Joseph and Tessa, married Lily Travers
***
Angela Gioberti (1914–), daughter of Jasper and Lily, married Douglas Channing (1941–??), Phillip Erikson (1984), Peter Stavros(1986–87), Frank Agretti (1989–)
****Richard Denault Channing (1942–), son of Angela and Douglas, married Stephanie Hoffman (1968–78), Terry Hartford (1985–86), Maggie Hartford (1988–89), Lauren Sharpe (1990–)
*****Lorraine Prescott (1965–85), daughter of Stephanie and her first husband
*****Danny Sharpe (1970–), son of Richard and Anne Bowen
*****Michael Channing (1986–), son of Richard and Cassandra Wilder
****Julia Channing (1943–), daughter of Angela and Douglas, married Anthony "Tony" Cumson (1960–83)
*****Christopher Rossini (1959–), son of Julia and Dominic Rossini
*****Lancelot "Lance" Cumson (1960–), son of Julia and Tony, married Melissa Agretti (1982–84, 86–87), Lorraine Prescott (1985), Pilar Ortega (1989–)
******Lisa Ortega (1980–), daughter of Lance and Pilar, adopted by Mercédes and Steve Vargas
****Emma Channing (1947–), daughter of Angela and Douglas, married Vince Karlotti (1987), Daniel Cabot (1989), Charley St. James (1989)
*****Angela St. James (1990–), daughter of Emma and Charley
***Jason Gioberti (1920–81), son of Jasper and Lily, married Jacqueline Perrault (1939–51)
****Charles "Chase" Gioberti (1939–87), son of Jason and Jacqueline, married Maggie Hartford (1959–87)
*****Cole Hartford Gioberti (1962–), son of Chase and Maggie, married Linda Caproni (1983–84), Melissa Agretti (1984–86), Kathleen (1986–)
******Joseph Gioberti (1982–), son of Cole and Melissa
******Hope Margaret Agretti (1985–), daughter of Cole and Robin Agretti
*****Victoria "Vickie" Gioberti (1964–), daughter of Chase and Maggie, married Nick Hogan (1983), ? (1985–86), Eric Stavros (1987–)
*****Kevin Channing (1987–), son of Chase and Maggie, adopted by Richard
***Francesca Anna-Maria Gioberti (1927–), daughter of Jasper and his Italian lover
**Vesta Gioberti (18??–1907)
**Paolo Gioberti (1884–19??)
;Family branches
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Falcon Crest
Characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
Lists of American drama television series characters
Lists of soap opera characters by series