Opal Cortlandt

Opal Cortlandt
Jill Larson as Opal Cortlandt
All My Children
Portrayed by	Dorothy Lyman (contract 1981–1983) Jill Larson (Contract: 1989–2006, 2009–2011) (Recurring: 2006–2009)
First appearance	1981
Created by	Agnes Nixon
Profile
Aliases	Opal Sue
Gender	Female
Occupation	Volunteer at Pine Valley Hospital Beautician; Owner of the new Glamorama Member of the Board of Directors of Cortlandt Electronics (Enterprises) Former Co-owner of the Chicken Shack Former owner of the Glamorama Former maid to Phoebe Tyler Wallingford
Residence	3420 Canyon Drive Pine Valley, Pennsylvania
Relationships Spouse(s) Ray Gardner (1958–1987, divorced; deceased) Ralph Purdy (widow, 1983–1989) Palmer Cortlandt (divorced, 1991–1999; deceased) Romances Frank Dawson (affair) Langley Wallingford (affair) Sean Cudahy (dated) Stan Ultowski (broken engagement) Seabone Hunkle (affair) Ryan Lavery (kissed) Hank Pelham (dated) Del Henry Children Tad Martin (son, with Ray) Jenny Gardner (daughter, with Ray; deceased) Adrian Sword (son, with Frank Dawson; given up for adoptio; raised by Alice Dawson) Petey Cortlandt (son, with Palmer Cortlandt) Grandchildren Jamie Martin (grandson, via Tad) Damon Miller(grandson, via Tad) Kathy Mershon (granddaughter, via Tad) Jenny Carey (granddaughter, via Tad) First cousins Tilly

Opal Sue Cortlandt (formerly Gardner and Purdy) is a fictional character on ABC's daytime drama All My Children. She was portrayed by Dorothy Lyman from 1981 to 1983, but is most notable for being portrayed by Jill Larson since December 13, 1989. Larson was demoted from contract to recurring status from June 14, 2006 to December 2, 2009 before returning to contract status effective December 10, 2009.

Background

In the beginning, Opal was only supposed to remain on All My Children for about six weeks. But when the show's executives saw Dorothy Lyman's electric portrayal of the character, the writers kept her on and wrote for her more and more.

"I have a true collaboration with Agnes Nixon (AMC's creator)", says Lyman between. "The writers write for me, but a lot of Opal's impulses come from me. I think what people like about Opal is that they don't know what to expect from her. There's a kind of danger to her."

— Dorothy Lyman^[1]

The producers of the show disagreed with the way Lyman portrayed Opal:

"When I was hired last winter, 'they' kept calling me in every week, telling me to change my act or I'd be fired", says Lyman, referring to The Powers That Be. "I guess I just felt I could always work in the theater if I was written off. There was no point in being scared. The most important thing an actor needs is to have courage to get up every day in front of people. To put on clothes and pretend to be somebody you're not takes a lot of guts. I think what makes Opal so popular is the fact that people can relate to her. A lot of women will come up to me and say, 'I'm Opal.' Then they'll take out a picture of their daughter and, 'This is my daughter, she's Jenny. We call each other Opal and Jenny.' And I look at this poor middle-aged woman with bleached hair and wonder, 'What must she think?' To me, Opal is the epitome of bad taste and bad manners. I can't understand why anyone would want to be like her, but I love the fact that they do. That they see to her good parts."

— Dorothy Lyman^[1]

Brief character history

A Rocky Start

When Opal Gardner arrived in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania with her daughter Jenny Gardner in tow in 1981, she was instantly a misfit. Among the wealthy, sophisticated denizens of the town, Opal's flamboyant, tacky nature stood out like a sore thumb. It didn't help that she was known as a money-hungry, lazy manipulator. Opal even sent young Jenny to work at the trashy bar, Foxy's, in order to support them both. After being trapped in a traumatic marriage to the vile Ray Gardner, Opal had started out on her own as a single mother, but she started off with the wrong foot.

After a brief stint as a maid for Phoebe Wallingford (as well as a tryst with Phoebe's husband Langley Wallingford), Opal jumped tracks to the lifestyle of a more honest woman. She opened a beauty salon and spa, the Glamorama, which became her ticket to a more acceptable, respectable place in Pine Valley society.

Opal met Ralph Purdy through a personals ad. They had a whirlwind courtship and married. Ralph wanted to show Opal the world, so Opal packed her bags and left Pine Valley for Europe.

A New Attitude

Opal returned to town in 1989 after leaving Ralph in the Outback and teamed up with Palmer Cortlandt to sabotage the marriage of Palmer's niece Dixie Cooney and Opal's son Tad Martin (who had been adopted by the Martins at a young age). During the course of their pilot, Opal had fallen in love with Palmer. For the first time, Opal set her sights on a man for more than his bank account! But even Opal knew that Palmer was out of her league. She was content to date his lackies, including Sean Cudahy and Palmer's old cellmate Stan Ultowski. Daisy Murdoch noticed Opal admiring Palmer, her ex-husband. She recognized that Opal's intentions were pure. She approached Opal with a proposition. She would help Opal transform herself into a woman of society. The only catch was that Palmer was to never know of Daisy's involvement. At the University Ball, Opal and Palmer caught eyes from across the room. Opal couldn't believe it, Palmer was approaching her for a dance. Palmer and Opal's courtship was brief. She quickly became the newest Mrs. Palmer Cortlandt. Palmer wanted Opal to help him break up Tad and Dixie. Opal acquiesced. It did not take much to cause their marriage to crumble. Opal would soon regret her actions. In a startling turn of events, Tad fell victim to a bomb set by Billy Clyde Tuggle. Opal could not bear the loss of another child. She held on to hope for as long as she could. Ruth lashed out against Palmer and made her come to terms with Tad's "supposed death". Dixie and Opal bonded as a result of their loss.

When Palmer was found poisoned in Cortlandt Manor, Opal became the prime suspect. It did not help that she was found with a vial of the poison, CRS-17. Opal made her plea to Palmer, but it fell on deaf ears. Opal left Cortlandt Manor. Stan was revealed to be the real culprit behind the poisoning. Opal refused to return to Palmer after his doubts during the ordeal. But Opal was not ready to move on. Daisy returned to Pine Valley. When it looked like Palmer and Daisy were ready to reunite, Opal admitted her feelings to Palmer. Their marriage was back on track.

After the near end to their marriage the year before, Opal was happy to announce that she was pregnant with Palmer's son. Only, Palmer still believed he was sterile. Opal was insulted when he insisted on a paternity test after the child's birth. Opal knew she had been faithful to her husband.

On Christmas Eve of 1992, Peter Cortlandt, was born in the middle of the Cortlandt living room. Palmer had to deliver his own son after the roadways shut down because of snow. A DNA test would support Opal's claim that Peter was in fact Palmer's son.

Opal was reunited with Tad. Just as Opal had suspected all along, Tad survived his fall off the bridge. He had been living for two years as an amnesiac in the Napa Valley.

Palmer lost control of Cortlandt Electronics. So, he and Opal went into business together to make ends meet. Opal's secret fried chicken recipe made the Cluck-Cluck Chicken Shack a rousing success. Behind Opal's back, Palmer sold the franchise to buy back Cortlandt Electronics. Opal felt betrayed because the recipe was always meant to stay in the family.

Opal helped reunite Langley with his daughter, Verla. Opal was able to talk Phoebe down after she thought Verla to be Langley's new lover. Opal learned of Palmer's infidelity with Janet Green. She kicked him out of Cortlandt Manor and began romancing Seabone Hunkle, Dixie's father. But Palmer still pined for his wife. Daisy came back to Pine Valley upon hearing of their breakup. Daisy helped Opal realize that she was still very much in love with Palmer. She decided to let Palmer move back in with her at Cortlandt Manor.

Opal and Palmer took in homosexual teenager Kevin Sheffield after his parents kicked him out of their home. Opal helped him come to grips with his parents' rejection. Opal confronted Kevin's mother, Judith Sheffield, who blamed Kevin for her other son, Jason Sheffield's, incarceration. Judith agreed to take Kevin back in if he saw a psychiatrist. Unfortunately, the psychiatrist was convinced that he could turn Kevin straight. Opal offered him the open and accepting home that Kevin had never had.

Opal had made many mistakes in her past, but none was greater than Ray. She tried to get away from him once, starting a new life with Fred Dawson. However, Ray tracked her down and used Tad to get her back. Opal left Fred, but she had a secret. She had given birth to a son, a son she never thought she would see again. Adrian Sword was a spy hired to find Palmer's stash of Nazi artifacts. He took a job as Opal's chauffeur. Opal knew that she had met Adrian before. When he revealed his father was Fred, Opal knew she had found her son. Belinda Keefer discovered Adrian's link to Opal's past. Opal was finally reunited with her son. Palmer tried to elude Adrian. He faked his death to protect himself. Opal mourned the loss of her husband with her new son by her side. Tad and Dixie found Palmer alive in New York. Betrayed, Opal kicked Palmer out of Cortlandt Manor. Opal filed for divorce, but she never really stopped caring for him. When Palmer was temporarily blinded in the Holidays explosion, Opal helped him recover.

Palmer wanted to make Opal pay. He wanted to leave her with nothing. He told The Intruder about how she had abandoned Adrian as a child. Adrian came to Opal's defense. Adrian was able to pressure Palmer to stop his offensive. Opal was awarded all of Palmer's assets. She also got primary custody of Petey. Opal re-opened the Glamoramma in Cortlandt Manor. To help her with Petey, Opal hired Pigeon Hallow native Becca Tyree to be his babysitter. Adrian and Opal attempted a hostile takeover of Cortlandt Electronics. Their efforts were crushed when Erica Kane, Opal's best friend, voted in Palmer's favor. She explained to Opal how Palmer had always been there for her, like the father she never had. With time, the friends repaired their broken relationship. Opal did not want to admit that she still had feelings for Palmer. This became apparent when Palmer rashly eloped with Vanessa Bennett. Vanessa had weasled her way into Erica's life so as to profit from a tell-all book about her life. Opal did not want Palmer to suffer the same fate.

Erica needed Opal to offer Bianca Montgomery's new girlfriend, Frankie Stone, a place to stay. In reality, Erica was going to plant drugs in Frankie's room at the Cortlandt Manor in hopes of driving her out of town. Frankie was found dead in her room and Erica was taken into custody for the murder. Opal learned that Frankie was actually Vanessa's niece and con artist. Gillian Andrassy's spirit used Opal's body as vehicle to make contact with Ryan.

Opal asked a musician named Hank to accompany her to the Crystal Ball. She hoped the move would make Palmer notice her, and it worked. Only, Hank was sincere in his feelings for Opal. Palmer arranged for Hank to go on a world tour, and he begged Opal to accompany him. She admitted she might still have feelings for Palmer and let Hank down gently. Opal was at Cortlandt Manor alone when Palmer's niece, Lanie Rampal, called looking for him. Lanie had devastating news. She was with Dixie moments before her car swerved off an embankment in the Swiss Alps, which Dixie being supposedly killed. Opal was leary of Petey's new nanny, Kendall Hart. Opal thought Kendall was taking advantage of Palmer's state of mind since Dixie's unexpected death.

Opal discovered Palmer and Adam's plot to kill Michael Cambias for escaping prosecution of Bianca's rape. For the first time in her life, Opal kept her silence.

Opal was among those at Erica's intervention for alcoholism. That night, Opal learned the truth behind Erica's rape. Eric Kane had given Erica to Richard Fields so that he would star in his next movie. The ordeal began Erica's long road to recovery. When Bianca got her baby, Miranda Montgomery, back, Opal planted a kiss on Palmer. Opal was surprised when Palmer returned with one of his own. Opal was always jealous of Palmer's relationship with other women. Myrtle encouraged her to pursue him again.

Opal was among those deceived into thinking that Di Kirby was the late Dixie. She had fallen in love with Di, so much so that she pushed Tad to pursue her again.

Opal enlisted Del Henry's help to make Palmer jealous. He wanted him to be seen with her at public events. In return, she fueled his passion for the finer things in life. Alas, the plan never really helped her win Palmer back.

Opal rushed to the hospital when she learned the Satin Slayer had poisoned Dixie. Opal tried frantically to contact Palmer, but for some reason he was unreachable. No matter how much she prayed, the doctors could do nothing to save Dixie. She died in Tad's arms. Opal welcomed a granddaughter with the birth of Jenny Martin, Tad's daughter with Krystal Carey. Opal and Krystal had been estranged because of her role in keeping Bianca away from her daughter. But Opal was willing to give Krystal another chance so that she could be a part of her granddaughter's life. That Christmas, Opal and Ruth were shocked to learn Tad and Krystal had eloped. Opal was upset the family was not invited to the wedding.

Most recently, Petey Cortlandt returned home from boarding school. In October 2008, she saw a greater disaster looming ahead in her tarot cards. Opal suffered a heart attack on October 16, 2008, just before the first tornado struck Pine Valley.

Opal also owned a cat named Napoleon.

On March 12, 2009, Opal's house, Cortlandt Manor, burns down. She and Petey move in with Tad.

On April 20, 2010, Palmer suffers a fatal heart attack. Opal is devastated that she never had the chance to say that she was still in love with him, but Tad & Daisy assure her that he knew.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Brown, Meredith. "Opal Shimmers!". Soap Opera Digest. http://allmychildren.about.com/library/prm/bldorothy_lyman.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-03.