Dorian Cramer Lord

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dorian Cramer Lord Callison Santi Vickers Hayes Laurence

Dorian Lord, as portrayed by Robin Strasser on One Life to Live.
First appearance 1973
Last appearance Ongoing…
Information
Gender Female
Age 60s
Occupation Editor of Craze magazine
Family Various
Relationships Mitch Laurence (widowed)
Mel Hayes (widowed)
David Vickers (divorced)
Manuel Santi (annulled)
Herb Callison (divorced)
Victor Lord (widowed)
Children Cassandra Callison
Adriana Cramer
Relatives Various
Portrayed by Robin Strasser
Created by Gordon Russell

Dorian Lord (née Cramer) is a fictional character on the American ABC daytime drama, One Life to Live. She is currently played by Robin Strasser, who is best known in the role and has played her since 1979. The character of Dorian was originated by Nancy Pinkerton, and has also been played by Claire Malis and Elaine Princi. Actress Dixie Carter also played the part temporarily, while Nancy Pinkerton was on maternity leave in 1974.

Dorian arrived in Llanview in 1973, along with her mentally ill sister, Melinda. She began her career as 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 didn't have him.

After attacking Mark, Melinda was sent to a mental institution. Dorian and Mark continued the affair, but after an intense fight, Dorian made the 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 she was immediately fired by the hospital board blaming Victoria Lord, a prominent member for her termination. (What Dorian didn't know, and to this day is still unaware of, is that Viki cast the lone vote against her termination). This started the rivalry that would last for decades.

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 the 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 lives at La Boulaie, the former Saybrooke estate which she renamed.

Contents

[edit] Dorian—vs—Viki

For more than 30 years, Viki and Dorian had been fussing and feuding about almost everything. Mainly 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.

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 Minnor and into a home she named Le Boulaie

[edit] Family, Relatives, and Romantic Entanglements

[edit] Parents

  • Lou Cramer (father; deceased)
  • Sonya Roskova (mother; deceased)

[edit] Siblings

[edit] Marital Status

  • Widowed

[edit] Past Marriages

[edit] Children

[edit] Courtships/Affairs

[edit] Other notable relatives

  • Betsy Cramer (aunt; deceased)
  • Blair Cramer (niece)
  • Kelly Cramer (niece)
  • Paul Cramer (nephew, deceased)
  • Starr Manning (great niece)
  • Jack Manning (great nephew)
  • Kevin Buchanan Jr. (great nephew, deceased)
  • Zane Buchanan Cramer (great nephew)
  • William Carpenter II (grandson, deceased)
  • River Carpenter (adoptive grandson)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../d/o/r/Dorian_Cramer_Lord_5149.html"