Blair Cramer

Infobox soap character
name = Blair Cramer
series = One Life to Live
color = #99BADD



caption1 = Kassie DePaiva as Blair Cramer in the "One Life to Live" opening sequence



caption2 = Mia Korf as Blair
first = October 1991
cause =
alias = Blair Daimler
gender = Female
age =
occupation = Publisher of "Craze" magazine
Owner of "Capricorn" (a nightclub)
title =
parents = Addie Cramer (mother) [Blair's father is an unidentified man who raped Addie while she was institutionalized.]
David Vickers (stepfather)
spouse = Asa Buchanan (1992, divorced)
Todd Manning (1995, annulled; 1995-1997, divorced)
Max Holden (1999-2001, divorced)
Todd Manning (2001-2002, divorced; 2003-2004, annulled; 2007-2008, divorced)
romances = Cord Roberts (1994-1995)
Patrick Thornhart (1996)
Sam Rappaport (1998, 2002)
Kevin Buchanan (2003)
Spencer Truman (2006)
Cristian Vega (2007)
John McBain (2008) [http://www.soaps.com/onelifetolive/update/4906/A_Call_Through_Time "One Life to Live" recap (7/29/08) - Soaps.com] ]
children = Starr Manning
Brendan Thornhart (deceased)
Jack Manning
Sam Manning (stepson) Blair has had two miscarriages with Todd.]
grandchildren =
grandparents = Lou Cramer (deceased)
Sonya Roskova (deceased)
aunts/uncles = Dorian Cramer Lord
Melinda Cramer
cousins = Cassie Callison
Adriana Cramer
Kelly Cramer
Paul Cramer (deceased)
portrayer = Mia Korf (1991-1993)
Kassie DePaiva (1993-present)
creator = Michael Malone
residence = "La Boulaie"

Blair Cramer (née Daimler; previously Buchanan, Holden and Manning) is a fictional character on the American daytime drama "One Life to Live". The role was originated by actress Mia Korf in October 1991, and has been portrayed by Kassie DePaiva since December 15, 1993. [It may be noted that while originator Korf is a biracial actress of both Japanese and Caucasian descent, successor DePaiva is Caucasian.]

Character biography

In October 1991, Blair Daimler comes to fictional Llanview with a secret — she is the daughter of Dorian Cramer Lord's as-yet-unmentioned older sister Agatha "Addie" Cramer. Blair keeps Addie, mentally ill and institutionalized for years, hidden in her loft, and blames her Aunt Dorian for her mother's illness. Seeking revenge, Blair tries to ruin Dorian by getting her aunt's signature on a document confessing to the murder of Victor Lord in 1976. As it turns out, Dorian had been told Addie had died by their parents, who had institutionalized her.

Just after midnight on New Year's Day 1992, Blair meets Max Holden, and the two lonely individuals soon fall passionately in love. However, Blair seeks to marry billionaire Asa Buchanan to gain the financial security and power she needs to care for her mother and destroy Dorian. A persistent Max woos Blair into having sex with him hours before her wedding to Asa on June 16, 1992 — literally on top of her wedding dress. Nevertheless, Blair marries Asa anyway. The union is a loveless one, and the marriage is clearly doomed when Asa has a heart attack and Blair leaves him on the floor to die (He is soon discovered by his ex-wife Renee Divine and recovers).

By the time Blair's marriage to Asa falls apart, Max has moved on to the love of his life, Luna Moody. In 1994, Blair tries to use Max's ever-increasing gambling habit to split him up from Luna. Blair and Max spend a wild weekend in Atlantic City, but later Blair accidentally hits Luna with her car and paralyzes her. Realizing that he loves Luna, a sobered Max faces his addiction and ends his relationship with Blair, seemingly for good. Cord Roberts consoles a devastated Blair, and they fall into a romance.

Todd Manning

In late 1994, Blair bonds with town pariah Todd Manning, and after several drinks they fall into bed. When she discovers in 1995 that Todd is the "secret Lord heir" — son of deceased millionaire Victor Lord and half-brother to heiress Viki Carpenter — she scrambles to marry him to secure the money she needs to pay for Addie's care. She pretends to be pregnant with his child, and they wed.

Todd buys a tabloid, "The Intruder", and renaming it "The Sun", he immediately sets himself as the rival to Viki's newspaper, "The Banner". Blair falls for Todd and really becomes pregnant with his baby, but she is mugged and miscarries. Max reveals to Todd that Blair wasn't pregnant when they married; a furious Todd nearly rapes her. Their marriage in shambles, Blair discovers that she is pregnant again; ultimately, Todd has their union annulled.

By November 1995, Todd and Blair reunite and marry again. Todd travels to the Irish island of Inishcrag to make amends with Marty Saybrooke, the woman he had raped years before. Todd helps Marty's love, Patrick Thornhart, evade a terrorist group, but is mistaken for Patrick, shot, and presumed dead. In 1996, a vengeful Blair vows to destroy Marty for her part in Todd's death. Blair gives birth to Todd's daughter Starr, and then decides to seduce Patrick to punish Marty. By now, Marty is engaged to Luna's brother Dylan Moody, but still in love with Patrick. He resists his attraction to Blair, even as Marty marries Dylan. When Marty insists on staying with a paralyzed Dylan despite her feelings, Patrick finally falls into Blair's arms. As they make love on the floor of her penthouse, a man watches from the shadows: Todd.

Todd laters reveals himself, delighted with daughter Starr but vowing to punish an "unfaithful" Blair. She is overjoyed that Todd is alive, but he soon engages her in a fierce custody battle for Starr. Though considering reuniting with Blair, Todd's anger is fueled by the revelation that she is pregnant with Patrick's child. Baby Starr is diagnosed with aplastic anemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. Blair's unborn child is a match, but she is soon in a car accident; her child with Patrick is stillborn, and she names him Brendan. Unbeknownst to Blair, the other driver had been her young cousin Kelly Cramer; after Kelly's role in the accident is revealed, she and Blair are at odds for some time. Alex Olanov turns out to be a suitable donor for Starr, but by now Todd and Blair are at war, and divorce in 1997.

Todd pays lawyer Téa Delgado $5 million to marry him in a bid to defeat Blair in the custody battle over Starr. Téa and Blair are soon at each other's throats; when Téa falls through a window during an argument with Blair, Todd is temporarily awarded full custody of Starr. By 1998, Blair wins back visitation rights to her daughter; she renews her relationship with Max, but breaks it off when she discovers that Asa has paid Max to get information on her. Blair falls into the arms of Sam Rappaport; in love with Blair, Max proposes, but she turns him down.

Blair and Todd marry a third time in 2001 but divorce in 2002; they remarry in 2003 but that union is annulled in 2004.

In 2007, Blair remarries Todd for the fifth time (in exchange for a Téa-inspired $5 million) to help his bid to win custody of his biological son Sam Manning (then known as "Tommy McBain"). Todd's child with Margaret Cochran, Sam had been kidnapped by Todd's nemesis Dr. Spencer Truman shortly after birth and had been presumed dead. His son's existence revealed, Todd is desperate to take him back from his adopted parents, Dr. Michael and Marcie McBain. Todd is awarded custody, but Marcie flees Llanview with the child.

In May 2008, Todd is in a car crash with Sam, who is not in a carseat; Blair is awarded custody of Sam.

In August 2008, Todd and Blair have a custody battle over Sam; Blair is awarded custody once again.

Notes and references

ee also

*Todd Manning and Blair Cramer