Paul Cramer

Infobox soap character
name = Paul Cramer
series = One Life to Live
All My Children
portrayer = Brock Cuchna (2003-2004) [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1492446/ Brock Cuchna - IMDb.com] ]
David Tom (2004, 2005) [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005495/ David Tom - IMDb.com] ]
Shane McRae (2004) [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0574460/ Shane McRae - IMDb.com] ]
first = October 3 2003
last = May 2005
cause = Dies from a gunshot wound to the abdomen by Daniel Colson
creator =



caption1 = David Tom as Paul Cramer from the "One Life to Live" opening sequence


caption2 =


caption3 =
nickname =
alias =
gender = Male
born =
death =
age =
occupation =
title =
residence = Llanview, Pennsylvania
parents = Melinda Cramer
siblings = Kelly Cramer (half-sister)
spouse = Babe Carey (pre-2003)
romances = Natalie Buchanan
children =
grandchildren =
grandparents = Lou Cramer (deceased)
Sonya Roskova (deceased)
aunts/uncles = Dorian Cramer Lord
Addie Cramer
cousins = Blair Cramer
Cassie Callison
Adriana Cramer
relatives = Zane Buchanan (nephew)
Betsy Cramer
color = #99BADD

Paul Cramer is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera "One Life to Live". Paul was originated on October 3 2003 by Brock Cuchna, who played the role until March 10 2004. [http://www.soapcentral.com/oltl/whoswho/paul.php Paul Cramer profile - SoapCentral.com] ] The character was then recast with David Tom on March 11 2004. In August 2004, the role was temporarily played by Shane McRae.

Paul crossed over to ABC's "All My Children" multiple times in 2003 and 2004 during a "baby switch" storyline involving both series. The character of Paul was killed off as part of a murder mystery storyline in October 2004, [http://abc.go.com/daytime/onelifetolive/episodes/2004-05/20041027.html "One Life to Live" recap (10/27/04) - ABC.com] "Paul arrives at the graveyard for his meeting."] [http://abc.go.com/daytime/onelifetolive/episodes/2004-05/20041102.html "One Life to Live" recap (11/2/04) - ABC.com] "Paul's corpse is revealed to be at the bottom of the hole that was dug for Judge Hernandez's coffin but no one notices it as the coffin is lowered for burial."] but lingered in newly-created flashbacks and other characters' dreams and hallucinations until May 2005.

Tom is the real-life brother of Heather Tom, who played Paul's half-sister Kelly Cramer.

Beginnings

Paul Cramer first appears in Llanview in late 2003 at the re-opening Crossroads, the bar formerly owned by Ben Davidson. In search of Sarah Roberts, the daughter of Tina Lord and Cord Roberts, Paul says he had known Sarah's brother C.J. while serving as a pilot in the Navy and that he had made "the biggest mistake of his life." The nature of this mistake is never revealed as Paul never shares any scenes with Sarah and instead becomes embroiled in a storyline with Dorian Lord and the Cramer family.

A local society maven, Dorian is shocked as Paul arrives on her doorstep and claims to be the son of Dorian's mentally disturbed younger sister Melinda (who had recently confessed to Dorian that she had given birth to another child during her years in Europe) and therefore Kelly's brother. Paul was raised by an upstanding foster family and has only just recently learned of his true heritage. Dorian soon worries that this heretofore unknown Cramer could be the heir to her aging Aunt Betsy's fortune. Aunt Betsy, an eccentric old spinster, has very specific ideas on what a "real Cramer" should be and feels that almost all the women in the family have abdicated their power and self-esteem to men. Dorian and her other niece Blair are desperate to get their hands on Aunt Betsy's inheritance, and the matriarchal family is shocked when man-hating Betsy's favor turns to the dark horse: Paul, the newcomer, who also happens to be a man.

A seemingly agreeable young man with his life in order, Paul is soon targeted for ruin by Dorian and her partner in crime David Vickers. Determined to get Aunt Betsy's inheritance, Dorian and David seek any information they can use against Paul to force him out of Betsy's good graces. They find just that in the discovery of Paul's connection to schemer Babe Carey from Pine Valley, and Paul and Babe's outrageous marriage from the recent past. With Paul out of Betsy's favor, Dorian and David are free and clear to use Carlotta Vega's ward Adriana Colón to gain control of the Cramer wealth once and for all. Paul, meanwhile, begins exhibiting shadier behavior, like working with Dr. William Long, then-Chief of Staff of Llanview Hospital, to sell organs on the black market, and blackmailing Jennifer Rappaport for sex using a tape of Rex Balsom and Jen's mother Lindsay in bed.

Crossover to "All My Children"

Paul first crosses over to "All My Children" on December 30 2003, where he became the catalyst for the "baby switch" storyline of 2004. A MEDEVAC helicopter piloted by Kelly's half-brother Paul crashes in a storm in nearby Pine Valley, carrying Bianca Montgomery and Babe Carey, Paul's ex-wife. Both Bianca and Babe are pregnant and give birth during the crisis on March 24 2004. Paul gives Babe's son to Kelly and gives Bianca's daughter to Babe, telling Bianca that her baby died. Unaware of the child's origins, Kelly brings Babe's infant back to Llanview, passing him off as her child with Kevin. Kevin and Kelly name the baby Asa "Ace" Buchanan II after Kevin's grandfather. Babe discovers that "her daughter" is really Bianca's, but remains silent for months and allows Paul to manipulate her and Bianca. Meanwhile, a devastated Kelly discovers that Paul had stolen Ace from his mother; Paul, desperate for cash, blackmails Kelly by threatening to reveal the secret to Kevin and Llanview. Armed with the truth, Kelly realizes they must return the child to his parents; though broken hearted, they do. Bianca's family resents Babe for the baby switch, seemingly forgetting Paul's role in the incident.

Demise

After alienating nearly everyone in town, Paul has a mysterious meeting in a cemetery on 27 October 2004; his corpse is later revealed in an open grave, shot to death. A murder mystery plays out, and in 2005 the killer is revealed to be respectable District Attorney Daniel Colson, new husband of Nora Buchanan. Paul had been blackmailing Daniel, who is secretly gay and carrying on a torrid affair with local college student Mark Solomon. When Paul learned the truth about Daniel's extramarital activities, Daniel eliminated him and attempted to pin the crime on Jennifer Rappaport. During the course of the storyline, Paul appeared to Daniel as a ghoulish hallucination, warning him that he would be exposed.

References

External links

* [http://www.soapcentral.com/oltl/whoswho/paul.php Paul Cramer profile - SoapCentral.com]