Whitney Russell

Whitney Russell
Passions character
Portrayed by Brook Kerr
Duration 1999–2007
First appearance July 5, 1999
Last appearance September 7, 2007
Created by James E. Reilly
Book appearances Hidden Passions
Classification Former; contract
Profile
Occupation Homemaker
Nun (former)
Student (former)
Residence New Orleans, Louisiana

Whitney Harris-Crane (maiden name Russell) is a fictional character on the American soap opera Passions, which aired on NBC from 1999 to 2007 and on DirecTV in 2007–08. Passions followed romantic and supernatural adventures in the fictional New England coastal town of Harmony. Created by the soap's founder and head writer James E. Reilly, the role was portrayed by Brook Kerr from the series' debut in July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007. In 2005, Sidne Siobhan Phillips portrayed the character in flashbacks.[1]

Whitney, part of Passions' Russell family, is introduced as the eldest daughter of Eve Russell (Tracey Ross) and T.C. Russell (Rodney Van Johnson) and the sister of Simone Russell. While primarily shown as a confidant to Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald Crane (Lindsay Hartley), the character's later storylines focus on her romance with Chad Harris-Crane and the possibility that they may be engaging in an incestuous relationship. Following Chad's death, she leaves Harmony to raise her children, Miles Harris-Crane and unnamed Harris-Crane, in New Orleans with the support of her father and sister.

Kerr's performance was praised by critics. She was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series at the 39th NAACP Image Awards and was also nominated for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress and Favorite Triangle, along with co-stars Lindsay Hartley and Justin Hartley, for the 2005 Soap Opera Digest Awards.

Development

Background

Whitney Russell is one of the original twenty-five contract cast members invented by the co-creator of Passions, James E. Reilly. Whitney and the Russell family were created and casted in an effort to build characters "as diverse as the U.S." and set the show apart from other soap operas.[2] Sheraton Kalouria, senior vice president of NBC’s daytime programming,[3] explained the show’s racially diverse ensemble as represented by "the African American Russells and the Hispanic Lopez-Fitzgeralds" reflects "it’s truly color-blind storytelling." An article in Jet later commented that each member of the Russell family was designed to be "an integral part of the show" in attempt to avoid token characters.[2]

Rodney Van Johnson, who plays the family's patriarch T.C. Russell, later emphasized the importance behind creating the Russell family in an interview with Jet:

"We are the only daytime drama with a full African-American family. The Russells have a key role in the community. There aren't just a flash in the pan. The storylines are heavy. The show has received a huge response from the African-American community for that reason."[2]

Casting and characterization

Passions' casting director Jacklynn Briskey originally rejected Brook Kerr for the role of Whitney Russell, believing the then twenty-nine-year-old actress would look too mature to play a teenager. Despite the rejection, Kerr's husband Christopher Warren sent in his wife's head shots into the network and she was hired to play the character.[4] Kerr later described the week of auditioning and two screen tests to formally be booked for the role as occurring "very fast for me."[5]

Kerr described Whitney as initially being "so goal-oriented" without any sense of balance.[5] Dana Block from Tulsa World characterized Whitney as "the good girl daughter...who didn't concern herself with much else." While discussing her portrayal of the character, Kerr has commented, "I was always the sensible one, the friend everyone could count on, always doing what I should." She said that her scenes with Chad Harris-Crane allowed her to explore more of Whitney's independence, Kerr described acting Whitney's guilt and confusion at the possibility of Chad being her half-brother and giving birth to his child as allowing her to act the character in new and different ways.[6]

Whitney's storylines with Chad received mixed responses from other Passions cast members. Charles Divins said that the characters' tumultuous romance met viewers' expectations for a soap opera and explained "People watch soaps as an escape. People need drama. Whether you love it or hate it, people will talk about it.”[7] Near the end of the show, Tracey Ross stated "I was never crazy about the incest storyline with Whitney and Chad."[8]

Storylines

Whitney Russell's early appearances focus on helping her childhood Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald with her relationship with Ethan Winthrop and her rivalry with Gwen Winthrop. The character is initially portrayed as constantly looking up to her parents, Eve and T.C. Russell, for guidance and devoting her life to tennis and school at their insistence. She is unaware of her mother's past drug abuse and relationship and child with Julian Crane. Whitney briefly dates private detective Frank Lomax, but their relationship rapidly deteriorates when she discovers he was hired to report Theresa for stalking Ethan. Shortly after the break-up, Whitney meets and falls in love with Chad Harris, but he becomes involved in a relationship with her sister Simone. Eve discourages Whitney from pursuing a relationship with Chad out of the fear that he will be a bad influence on her daughter in the same way that Julian was on her as a teenager; T.C. disapproves of Whitney having any relationship that will distract her from tennis. Whitney and Chad keep their relationship a secret for years while he pretends to be in love with Simone. The love triangle continues until Simone catches Whitney kissing Chad. Simone publicly breaks up with Chad and tells everyone in Harmony about his relationship with her sister. Over 2003, Whitney's connection with Chad steadily unravels after the discovery of his marriage to Latoya Harris (Jennia Fredrique) and her attempt to murder Whitney.

In 2004, Eve's vengeful adoptive sister Liz Sanbourne (Amelia Marshall) arranges for Eve's past relationship with Julian to be exposed to the Russell family and the rest of Harmony, resulting in Chard erroneously being identified as their son. The possible incestuous implications of Whitney's relationship to Chad serves as her primary storyline on the soap opera. Whitney initially tuns away from her mother for hiding her past with Julian, but they reconnect by singing at the Blue Note, a jazz club in Harmony. Whitney temporarily considers pursuing music as a career and frequently sings at the Blue Note. Vocalist Jania Foxworth was selected as the singing voice for Whitney and Kerr lip-synced during her scenes.[9]

When it was revealed that Chad could possibly be Eve's son, Whitney finds out that she is pregnant with Miles Harris-Crane and initially keeps her pregnancy a secret. To protect herself and her child from the stigma of incest, she initiates a relationship with Fox Crane to insinuate he is the father of her unborn child. Whitney originally plans to drug and rape Fox to make the cover story believable, but could not complete her plans due to clashing with her moral and ethical beliefs. The couple eventually have sex consensually and Fox identifies himself as the father of her baby. While Fox helps in the search for Theresa's missing daughter Jane Winthrop, Whitney convinces him to leave her with his power of attorney. On March 23, 2005, she gives birth to a son and immediately uses Fox's power of attorney to put him up for adoption. Two couples–Julian and Eve and T.C. and Liz– compete to adopt the boy, but Chad is awarded custody of the child. He attempts to use the child to reconnect with Whitney. Whitney and Chad name their baby Miles Davis Harris after Miles Davis.

A young woman wearing a religious habit
Whitney (pictured in a religious habit) was a key player in the Vendetta storyline; it partially served to answer the questions on her relationship with Chad.

The storyline escalates during the earthquake and tsunami in the show's 2005 summertime extravaganza. Whitney has sex with Chad in the middle of the tsunami and admits to Chad that he is Miles's biological father. Fox overhears her confessions and promptly breaks up with her. Overwhelmed by guilt and shame by the assumption of committing incest, Whitney joins a convent to become closer to God and prepares to take holy orders. At the convent, she is manipulated by Alistair Crane, who is under the disguise of a messenger of God, in his scheme to steal a chalice from the Pope's private chambers to take over the world. Identified as the Vendetta plot, the show's 2006 summertime extravaganza centering on Alistair luring Whitney, Chad, and several other residents of Harmony to Rome. While in Rome, Chad is given his birth certificate by tabloid editor JT Cornell and finds out he was conceived from Alistair's rape of Liz.

Following the reveal of his true paternity, Chad restarts his relationship with Whitney and they decide to raise their son together as a family. On December 26, 2006, Whitney marries Chad and takes his last name, becoming known as Whitney Russell Harris-Crane. Unbeknownst to Whitney, Chad previously began a sexual relationship with the tabloid reporter Vincent Clarksonad continues the affair after their reunion and wedding. Chad is unaware that Vincent is actually his half-brother, since he is Eve and Julian's child. W itney becomes increasingly suspicious of Chad's fidelity after finding out she is pregnant with their second child. Vincent machinates a situation for Whitney to catch him having sex with Chad in a gay bar, causing her to sefile for vorce. The estranged couple start to reconcile as they attempt to help Theresa and Ethan get back together, but the possibility of a union is cut short when Alistair kills Chad on August 28, 2007. Chad dies while professing his love for Whitney and their children. As a result of Alistair's actions, Whitney chooses to drop Crane from her name and asks to be known simply as "Mrs. Harris." It is unknown if her children retain Crane in their last names or not.

After saying goodbye to Theresa and Eve, Whitney leaves Harmony with her sister and son to live in New Orleans. T.C. is later said to have moved down to help her. On New Year's Day 2008, Whitney contacts police chief Sam Bennett to say that she would be willing to testify at Alistair's murder trial. This proves unnecessary when Viki Chatsworth kills Alistair. On July 16, 2008, a letter from Simone to her friend Kay Bennett discloses that Whitney has given birth to her child; the exact date of birth and the child's gender and name are never revealed.

In popular culture and other media

The character of Whitney received further media attention due to Kerr's participation alongside the other cast members of the Russell family in recording public service announcements to celebrate the achievements of African Americans like Sidney Poitier, Marian Anderson, Alex Haley, Thurgood Marshall, Condoleezza Rice, and Bill Cosby in commemoration of Black History Month. The PSAs ran on NBC stations throughout February. Sheraton Kalouria identified the PSA campaign as "another example of Passions ' commitment to diversity and inclusion" alongside its featuring of a racially diverse cast.[10]

Despite the focus on African-American female characters like Whitney, Lynette Rice of Entertainment Weekly wrote the show has failed to attract the "hard-to-reach audience [of] African-American women." Kalouria commented "quite frankly, many of them aren't aware Passions is even on."[11]

Following DirecTV's decision to not renew the show, Passions partnered with Premiere Props to hold a public two-day estate sale of props and costumes from the show. Stacey Ward, a director of NBCUniversal, pitched the auction as "an opportunity to own a piece of their favorite show."[12] Several items related to Whitney were put up for sale, including her diary[13] and the "Music Video of the Year" Whammy award that she dreamed of winning.[14]

Reception

For her portrayal of the character of Whitney, Kerr was nominated the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series for the 39th NAACP Image Awards.[15] She was also nominated for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress and Favorite Triangle, alongside co-stars Lindsay and Justin Hartley, for the 2005 Soap Opera Digest Awards.[16]

The exact nature of Whitney's relationship with Chad attracted frequent speculation from media outlets and fans. Media outlets sensationalized Harmony as the place where "half-siblings sleep with one another" due to the incest storyline.[6] Soap Opera Digest listed the 2006 reveal that Whitney and Chad were not related by blood as one of Passions ' most shocking secrets.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Who's Who In Harmony". Soapcentral. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  2. 1 2 3 "Soap Opera ‘Passions’ Keeps Igniting Fervor Among Daytime Viewers". Jet. 2003-01-13. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  3. ↑ "NBCS days ABC’s Kalouria". Variety. 2000-05-09. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  4. ↑ "Passions: Brook Kerr (Whitney Russell) on soaptalk". Soap Talk. 2010-12-31. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  5. 1 2 "20 Questions Interview: Brook Kerr". NBC. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  6. 1 2 "Daytime Dial: Life is far from ‘Harmony’-ous for Brook Kerr’s Whitney". Tulsa World. 2006-05-21. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  7. ↑ "Interview: ‘Passions’: Looking Back". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  8. ↑ "Tracey Ross Looks Back at Her Time on Passions". Soaps.com. 2008-07-14. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  9. ↑ "PASSIONS FAQs". Soap Opera Digest. 2005-04-26. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  10. ↑ "NBC's "Passions" Actors Celebrate Black History Month". Hoosier State Chronicles. 2003-02-20. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  11. ↑ "Passions tries to attract a new type of audience". Entertainment Weekly. 2003-01-07. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  12. ↑ "Passions Props Sale". Soaps.com. 2008-04-02. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  13. ↑ "Passions Whitney (Brook Kerr) Diary TV Movie Props". iCollector.com Online Auctions. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  14. ↑ "Passions Whitney (Brook Kerr) MUSIC AWARD TV Props". iCollector.com Online Auctions. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  15. ↑ "LIST OF NAACP IMAGE AWARDS WINNERS". NAACP. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  16. ↑ "Brook Kerr Awards". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  17. ↑ "A Look Back At Those Memorable Revelations That Rocked Harmony". Soap Opera Digest. 2007-12-18. Retrieved 2016-01-21.

External links

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