Dorian Cramer Lord

Infobox soap character
name = Dr. Dorian Lord
series = One Life to Live
portrayer = Nancy Pinkerton
(1973-1977)
[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0684357/ Nancy Pinkerton - IMDb.com] ] [http://www.soapcentral.com/oltl/whoswho/dorian.php Dorian Cramer Lord profile - SoapCentral.com] ]
Dixie Carter
(1974)
[http://www.dixiecarter.com/Actress/TVS001.html "One Life to Live" (1974) - DixieCarter.com] ]
Claire Malis
(1977-1979)
[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0539732/ Claire Malis - IMDb.com] ]
Robin Strasser
(1979-1987, 1993-2000, 2003-present)

Elaine Princi
(1989-1993)
[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0697753/ Elaine Princi - IMDb.com] ]
creator = Gordon Russell



caption1 = Robin Strasser as Dr. Dorian Lord in the "One Life to Live" opening sequence



caption2 = Elaine Princi as Dorian Lord
first = 1973
last =
cause =
alias =
gender = Female
age =
occupation = Physician
(non-practicing)
Former U.S. Ambassador to Mendorra [http://abc.go.com/daytime/onelifetolive/episodes/1987-88/19871.html "One Life to Live" recaps (1987, Part 2) - ABC.com] ]
Editor of "Craze" magazine
Co-owner of Lord Enterprises, Inc.
Controlling shareholder of Cramer Enterprises
Former Chief of Staff at Llanview Hospital
title = CEO
residence = "La Boulaie""La Boulaie" is the former Saybrooke estate, renamed by Dorian. She asserts that the mansion is historical, but at one point Viki Lord Davidson notes, "Oh Dorian, this house was built in 1958."]
parents = Lou Cramer
(deceased)
Sonya Roskova
(deceased)

siblings = Addie Cramer
Melinda Cramer
spouse = Victor Lord
(1975-2003, widowed)
Herb Callison
(1981-1985, invalid)
Manuel Santi
(1987 to 1989, Annulled)
David Vickers
(1995, divorced)
Mel Hayes
(widowed; May 1998-January 1999)
Mitch Laurence
(2003, widowed)

romances = Dr. Mark Toland
(1973-1974)
Dr. Peter Janssen
(1977-1978)
Marco Dane
(1978)
Clint Buchanan
(1980-1981, 2006-2007)
Daniel Wolek
(1984)
Harry O'Neill
(1984-1985)
Asa Buchanan
(1985)
Jon Russell
(1986-1987)
Jason Webb
(1991-1993)
Joey Buchanan
(1994-1996)
Drake Faraday
(1999-2000)
Gov. Harrison Brooks
(2004)
David Vickers
(2004-2006, 2007)

children = Viki Lord Davidson
(stepdaughter)
Cassie Callison
Adriana Cramer
Langston Wilde
(foster)

grandchildren = William Sloan Carpenter
(deceased)
River Carpenter
(adopted)

grandparents =
aunts/uncles = Betsy Cramer
(deceased)

cousins =
nieces/nephews = Blair Cramer
Kelly Cramer
Paul Cramer
(deceased)
Starr Manning
(great niece)
Jack Manning
(great nephew)
Kevin Buchanan, Jr.
(great nephew, deceased)
Zane Buchanan
(great nephew)

relatives =
color = #99BADD

Dr. Dorian Lord (maiden Cramer; previously Callison, Santi, Vickers, Hayes and Laurence) is a fictional character on the American ABC daytime drama "One Life to Live". She is currently portrayed by Robin Strasser, who is best known in the role and has played her on and off since 1979. For most of the show's history, the character has been the show's primary antagonist and byronic hero.

The character of Dorian was originated by Nancy Pinkerton in 1973, and was subsequently played by Claire Malis from 1977 to 1979. Strasser stepped into the role in 1979 and left in 1987, after which Elaine Princi played Dorian from 1989 to 1993. Strasser returned in 1993 and stayed until 23 February 2000. She reprised the role on 2 April 2003 and still portrays Dorian today. Actress Dixie Carter filled in for an ailing Pinkerton in 1974.

Strasser won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series in 1982 for her portrayal of Dorian, and was also nominated for the award in 1981, 1983 and 1985. [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0833506/awards Robin Strasser awards - IMDb.com] ] Strasser has been nominated for "Soap Opera Digest" Awards for Dorian in various categories in 1986, 1988, 1994, 1995 and 2005, winning in 1996 ("Outstanding Lead Actress") and 2001 ("Outstanding Female Scene Stealer"). Princi was also nominated for a "Soap Opera Digest" Award as Dorian for "Outstanding Villainess: Daytime" in 1992. [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0697753/awards Elaine Princi awards - IMDb.com] ]

Character biography

Enter Dorian

Dorian arrived in fictional Llanview, Pennsylvania in 1973, along with her mentally ill sister, Melinda. Dorian became a doctor in Llanview Hospital, where she quickly started an affair with Dr. Mark Toland. Melinda, her sister, wanted Mark for herself and schemed to make sure Dorian did not have him.

After attacking Mark, Melinda was sent to a mental institution. Dorian and Mark continued their affair, but after an intense fight, Dorian made a careless mistake on a patient's chart and the patient died as a result. Fearing for her career, Dorian covered up the crime and Dr. Larry Wolek was arrested instead. With the guilt on her shoulders, she accidentally fell down some stairs and went into a coma. Upon waking, Dorian confessed and was immediately fired by the hospital board; she blamed Victoria Lord, a prominent member, for her termination. This started the rivalry that would last for decades. What Dorian didn't know, and finally learned in 2003, is that Viki cast the lone vote against her termination.

Swearing revenge on Viki, Dorian became the private physician to Viki's ailing father, Victor Lord. With dollar signs on her mind, Dorian ended up marrying Victor and became Viki's stepmother (which Viki did not like). Dorian discovered that Victor had an illegitimate son named Tony, who had recently arrived in Llanview. Wanting to inherit Victor's enormous fortune, Dorian kept Victor and Tony at odds. Victor soon learned that Tony was his son, and eventually suffered a massive heart attack after he found out that Dorian knew the truth. Desperate, Dorian isolated Victor from the rest of his family; Victor soon died under mysterious circumstances, and Dorian gained control of the Lord estate. With half of the controlling interest in Lord Enterprises, Dorian was the owner of "The Banner" until Viki assumed control of the newspaper by purchasing Dorian's stake.

With their rivalry as heated as ever, Dorian decided to try her hands at Viki's husband, Joe Riley. Dorian fueled the fire even more when she told Joe that he was responsible for the hereditary heart condition which afflicted his daughter Megan (by Cathy Craig), a secret Viki was keeping from him. This strain on Viki and Joe's relationship guaranteed Dorian a shot at becoming closer to Joe. He started having blackouts, and Dorian soon learned that Joe had a brain tumor; she lied, telling him that he got violent with her during his blackouts. She convinced Joe to leave Viki, for Viki's own good. However, Joe got wise to Dorian's schemes and swore he wanted nothing more to do with her.

Despite her conniving and vindictive nature, she does have a tender and sensitive side to those she really does love. She is also very claustrophobic, which was later explained to be due to abuse at her parents hands; actress Strasser has stated that this character trait was added because she also suffers from claustrophobia.

Dorian has a long list of people who she has scorned and fought over the years: Pat Ashly, Asa Buchanan, Kevin Buchanan, Sloan Carpenter, Paul Cramer, Tony-Harris Lord, Mitch Laurence, Todd Manning, Julie Toland, David Vickers and Jenny Wolek. Although Dorian has had many rivals over the years, her most famous and longest rivalry has been with the character Victoria Lord.

Dorian vs. Viki

For decades, Viki has been "One Life to Live"'s primary heroine, with Dorian as the primary villainess. The two had been fussing and feuding about almost everything, stemming largely from Viki's contention that Dorian had something to do with her father's death. However, it was later proven that Dorian had had nothing to do with Victor Lord's death, but Viki, in one of her alters, (she has Dissociative Identity Disorder) had killed him to prevent him from sexually abusing her again! In fact, it was Dorian herself who had told her that Victor had been sexually abusing her! Although her motives may be questionable sometimes, Dorian, like most people, really does mean well. However, in August 2007, Dorian made the startling (and vague) claim that she had actually killed Victor after all. She refused to elaborate.

Sometimes, however, the feuding rivals often have helped one another in a crisis, such as with Viki's breast cancer, and her heart transplant. (For that, Viki extended to Dorian the job of Chief of Staff at Llanview Hospital.)

One very good example was when the two of them were trapped in an avalanche. Dorian confessed to her arch-rival that she was claustrophobic. And Viki never left her side for a second. However, more often as not, the two women will always be mortal enemies.

Dorian, at some times, often stokes the flames of the feud, to try to get Viki rattled. Examples included Dorian seducing Viki's son, Joey Buchanan; and framing Viki for embezzlement, when Dorian herself had done the dirty deed.

Dorian currently controls one half of Lord Enterprises, including "The Banner", the WVLE station, as well as a life interest in the Lord Llanfair mansion. As of 2006 Victoria Lord Davidson discovered the truth about Dorian Cramer Lord's blackmail scheme and came to a decision not to turn Dorian in, if Dorian relented her control in Llanfair Mansion. Dorian therefore was forced to move out of Llanfair and into a home she named "La Boulaie", the former Saybrooke estate.

Dorian dated Clint Buchanan, breaking up with him after he caught her in bed with David Vickers, which she did out of revenge for what she believed to be an affair between Clint and Nora. Dorian, solely for the sake of revenge for their breakup, organized a hostile takeover of Buchanan Enterprises, setting a series of events in motion which led to the death of Jessica Buchanan's husband, Nash Brennan. When Jessica (in her alter as Tess, which came about as a relapse) tampers with the brakes on Jared and Natalie's car, Viki gets in the car, and dies in the crash. However, Dorian comes to her arch-enemy's aid and, with her medical know-how, brings her back from the dead. To her and David's delight, Viki pulls through and is slated to make a complete recovery. David even offered to annul his marriage to Addie, which Dorian demands that he follows through on. Dorian and Viki have a heart to heart and the two form another tentative truce.

References and notes

External links

* [http://www.soapcentral.com/oltl/whoswho/dorian.php Dorian Cramer Lord profile - SoapCentral.com]