Kendall Hart
Encyclopedia
Kendall Hart Slater is a fictional character
from the American daytime drama All My Children
. The character was portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar
from 1993 to 1995, and by Alicia Minshew
from 2002 to 2011.
The character is the biological daughter of Erica Kane
, the a product of a rape
by Richard Fields on the night of Erica's 14th birthday. She was originally written as a complex villain, described as "the most terrible daughter on daytime", but was later reformed by the series. The writers scripted her as a heroine, though keeping devious aspects of the character intact. She is a passionate wife and mother, and is married to Zachary "Zach" Slater
. She has a love-hate relationship with Greenlee Smythe
, and has emerged as one of soap opera's most layered and popular characters.
(SORAS), which caused the show's producers to "de-SORAS" her biological mother Erica Kane
, portrayed by Susan Lucci
. Lucci says that Erica was 15 when the show began in 1970. "I love playing her. I enjoyed playing her when she was a 15-year-old high school girl, the naughty girl in town, and I enjoy playing her now, when she's still the naughty girl, but she's broadened her area of operation to include the entire world," said Lucci. Erica being 15 in 1970 placed her birth year at 1955.
When Kendall first appears on the show in 1993, she is sixteen years old, portrayed by a then 16-year-old Sarah Michelle Gellar. This was despite the fact that Kendall was the result of Erica's rape at the age of 14 before the show began in 1970 (23 years earlier). Fans protested the age differences due to the changes making Erica and Kendall too young compared to Erica's original 1955 birth year. In response to this, the show's producers rapidly aged Kendall to 23, which moved Erica's birth year one year forward to 1956.
When Minshew took over the role in 2002, the character's birth year was changed to 1976; Erica's birth year was subsequently pushed even later than where it was before, to 1962. Originally stated in 1993 to have been born September 25, 1970, Kendall's birthday was revised to September 25, 1976 in 2002.
, portrayed by Michael Nader
. A casting call went out for a young actress to portray the part of Kendall Hart, Erica's long-lost daughter.
The show's producers were adamant about keeping the storyline a secret. During the casting process, the actresses were told that Kendall would be Erica's new assistant. "I didn't know when I auditioned for Kendall that she would turn out to be who she is," stated Gellar. "I had heard rumors, but everybody was denying it. Besides, I was scared enough at the thought of working with Susan," she said.
The number of teenage actors in New York
auditioning for the role, which eventually went to Gellar, was abundant. Bearing a resemblance to Lucci, Gellar was complimented as having the acting talent and the "forceful personality" needed to go up against Lucci's experience; Kendall was supposed to be like a younger version of Erica.
"When they told me I was playing her, I was like, 'What? Daughter? Me?' I remember on my first day when I walked into the rehearsal hall, Susan and Michael were rehearsing a scene," said Gellar. "I was very nervous. I kept thinking, 'What if I'm really bad and they fire me?' I just snuck in the back and tried to blend in with the coffee machine, when all of a sudden, Susan said, 'Hold it, we need to stop for a minute.'" Gellar said that Lucci walked over to her and said, "Congratulations! I'm very glad you're here" and hugged her. "She put her arm around me and said, 'Don't worry, nobody bites.' And then she introduced me to everyone who was there. She really did help me and always made sure I was okay during my first couple of weeks when I was still unsettled. Both Susan and Michael made me feel comfortable," Gellar stated.
Kendall made her All My Children debut on February 24, 1993, to an unsuspecting audience as Erica's new 22-year-old assistant. Eventually, the truth about the character's parentage was revealed. She was angry for being abandoned at birth — even though going through the pregnancy had resulted from a rape — and determined to exact revenge against Erica as payback.
Gellar admitted that Kendall was "the most terrible daughter" on daytime during her reign (during the character's first year on the show, she locked Bianca
, her little sister, in a crypt and tried to seduce stepfather Dimitri — and when he turned her down, she had sex with the stable boy, after which she cried rape and then went to jail), but the actress refused to admit that the character was evil: "I chose to see Kendall as misunderstood, which was how, as an actress, I justified her actions. It was amazing, though, playing a psycho-looney."
At the time, the audience was bothered by the series having a 17-year-old actress portray a 23-year-old character. "I may not physically look 23, but then again, not all 23-year-olds look their age," said Gellar. "I think people should just forget about that. Age is a personal vision. Besides, I know that at 17, Sarah is more mature than Kendall at 23."
Gellar's stint on the show was successful. "Longtime fans of the soap saw her as the second coming
of Erica." The more Gellar demonstrated that she could handle the work, the more the writers showcased her. She became a household name to the soap opera medium, and "[f]ans wrote to her to tell her she reminded them of Natalie Wood
and people stopped her in the street." Gellar recalled the time she got into a cab and was greeted by the driver. "I had no idea who this guy was. It turns out his son was the doorman at my apartment building," she said.
Gellar won a Daytime Emmy Award
in 1995 for the portrayal, but eventually left the role on July 3, 1995 to pursue other acting opportunities.
(All My Children casting director) called me up one day and said 'we are casting a part we think you would be excellent for,'" Minshew relayed.
"At the time, the role was being called 'Candy' because they were keeping it incognito... Wilson told me she wanted me to come in and just be my fun, sassy self, be strong, be sassy, do what you always do," Minshew added.
Minshew screen tested with Josh Duhamel
(ex-Leo du Pres
):
It was after the screen test with Duhamel that Minshew was told that the role was actually for Kendall Hart. "Judy pulled me into a room after my screen test and told me, 'I want you to know that the role is for Susan Lucci's daughter Kendall who was originally played by Sarah Michelle Gellar,'" said Minshew. "And then I got so nervous and thought I don't know if I can do this and Wilson said...that I had a pretty good shot at the role, to which I thought ehhhhh she's kissing my butt." Minshew. said, "I always tell people that I truly believe one of the reasons why I got this part was Josh...he made me feel so comfortable and I had so much fun playing with him and I was just able to let go, forget I was screen testing and just throw myself into the part...whatever I did was good and they liked me. I started 3 days after I screen tested.
Minshew detailed her working relationship with Lucci as healthy: "She's just such a strong presence. For a little tiny lady, she's a beautifully strong presence. I've always known who she was. So I was like, 'Wow! That is really cool!' My first day on the show I worked with her. I said, 'Hi, I'm playing Kendall, and I think you're beautiful.' She warmed up to me immediately. We've had a great rapport. She's just... She has only been good to me."
When asked of her portrayal of the character, Minshew cited Kendall's complexity. "She is a hard character to play. When I first came to the show, I was a little off...I had never done daytime before, had never watched the show, so I was not familiar with Sarah Michelle's portrayal of Kendall... I was a newer actress and really, really green and it took me a while to delve into the character and find out who she really was and to make her more real and vulnerable."
As Minshew grew to understand the character, she became more connected to Kendall. Her acting improved with each newly discovered aspect. Years later, Minshew stated, "Now I feel like I love Kendall so much. She has become part of me. I find myself sticking up for her and defending her...the character means a lot to me on a personal level and it's nice to see the fans enjoying Kendall as much as I enjoy playing her."
by her adoptive parents, Bill and Alice Hart. They keep her adoption a secret from her until she overhears them talking about it. After hearing the news, Kendall begins a search that leads her to Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, where she becomes the personal assistant to Erica Kane, who is planning a wedding to Count Dimitri Marick. However, Erica's mother, Mona Kane Tyler, recalls a familiar birthmark on Kendall's neck and realizes that she is the baby girl that Erica gave up when she was 14 years old. Erica was raped on her 14th birthday by movie actor Richard Fields in a trade so that he would act in a film that her father, Eric Kane, was directing. When confronted by Mona, Kendall admits that she knows that she is Erica's daughter. Being jealous of the attention her half-sister Bianca Montgomery receives after a horse riding accident, Kendall reveals the truth to Erica. Initially, Erica welcomes the young woman into her life, but when Kendall resolves to find her birth father, Erica cuts her out of her life. Kendall is able to convince Dimitri to help her in her search. During the successful operation, Kendall develops a crush on Dimitri, and attempts to seduce him in December 1993. After he rejects her, Kendall instead has sex with a student from Hungary
named Anton Lang, and claims that Dimitri raped her. An enraged Erica stabs Dimitri with a letter opener
. At trial, Kendall states that Erica knowingly stabbed him because she was jealous that Dimitri wanted her romantically as well. Kendall tells the jury that the only thing she told Erica was that she had unprotected sex with Anton, and was scared that she was pregnant. When Richard Fields comes to town and attempts to rape Bianca, Kendall admits the truth and is sent to jail for perjury.
While imprisoned, Kendall is put into the same cell as fellow town pariah Janet Green, who has received experimental plastic surgery on her face. After both are released from jail, Kendall keeps quiet about knowing Janet is worming her way back into town with her new face under the name "Jane Cox". Kendall also marries Anton, and eventually schemes with his mother Corvina to forge documents that would make Anton the heir to the Marick fortune instead of Dimitri. After the plan fails, Anton divorces Kendall because of scheming.
Kendall then decides to write a tell-all book about Erica with writer Del Henry, who she falls in love with. He helps her mend her relationship with her adoptive parents, and she drops the book when her adoptive father, Bill Hart, dies. When Kendall's grandmother, Mona Kane Tyler, dies, Kendall is deeply affected and attempts to pay her respects, only to be angrily confronted by Erica, who mistakenly believes that Kendall is faking her grief and had merely come to crash the funeral. Despite Kendall's heartfelt confessions, Erica orders her to leave, and their argument quickly escalates to physical violence. Later, when visiting Mona's grave, Kendall gets into another argument with Dimitri, which climaxes when Kendall demands to know why he still protects Erica after she stabbed him. Eventually, Kendall and Del get engaged, and leave for Florida, but not before Kendall makes peace with Erica.
In January 2002, Erica goes on trial for the murder of Frankie Stone
, Bianca’s girlfriend. Needing someone to help incriminate her, Erica calls in an eager Kendall, who has amicably split from Del. She stays at the Pine Cone Motel across from Ryan Lavery
. The two come to verbal blows often due to their strong-willed personalities, but eventually begin dating. After Erica's house is set on fire with Bianca still inside, Kendall is charged with arson. Ryan hires Trey Kenyon to represent her at trial, not knowing that Trey is the guilty party. Believing that Erica is framing her, Kendall becomes obsessed with the idea of exposing her mother, despite being engaged to Ryan. Ryan catches Kendall seducing Aidan Devane
for information regarding Erica, and leaves town after ending his relationship with a devastated Kendall.
Needing something beyond her flirtation with Aidan, Kendall begins a cosmetics company along with Greenlee Smythe
, Mia Saunders
, and Simone Torres
to compete with her mother's company, Enchantment. They name the company FUSION, and it has a rocky start, as Kendall and Greenlee have been enemies in the past. But the company eventually becomes a success.
Kendall begins dating the charming Michael Cambias
, but ends things after sensing menace behind his charms. He attempts to rape both Kendall and Erica, but succeeds in raping her younger sister, Bianca. As Bianca is being raped, Kendall helps Erica through a panic attack involving the night she was raped and Kendall was conceived. This marks a cornerstone of their relationship. Police are unable to make a strong case against Cambias, and Kendall begins a convoluted plot against him when he is released from prison. After claiming she had married him in Las Vegas
, Michael is murdered by an unknown assailant. Her relationship with Erica, which had grown stronger because of Erica's panic attack, is again strained because of the marriage to Michael, his murder, and the revelation that Bianca is pregnant with his child. Erica encourages her to get an abortion, and Bianca prepares to go through it with the help of her friend, Maggie Stone
. At the clinic, Kendall tells her sister how much she admired her, and though Kendall does not give an opinion on the abortion, Bianca lets Kendall know that she has secretly decided to keep her baby.
So that no one will know that Bianca is carrying the child of a rapist, Kendall claims that she is pregnant with Michael’s child after marrying him (actually marrying Fusion chemist Boyd Larraby who stole Michael's identity) before he was murdered. A skeptical Greenlee begins investigating her friend, while Erica shuns her. Bianca, however, stands by her sister, as does a newly returned Ryan Lavery, who helps keep the secret. Kendall explains to Bianca that she is helping her and her baby because she sees the baby as herself since Kendall was also the product of rape.
Kendall is put on trial for Michael’s murder, and begins wearing padding underneath her clothes to keep up the ruse. Not understanding the level of trust Ryan has in Kendall, Greenlee reveals the fake pregnancy by ripping the dress off a testifying Kendall. Kendall is forced to reveal that she had faked her pregnancy to protect Bianca, who has killed Michael, though she doesn't remember. Realizing how much Kendall cares for Bianca, Erica becomes close to her daughter again, but Kendall's budding friendship with Greenlee is shattered.
Kendall begins dating Ryan again, who suggests that she forgive Greenlee. Kendall refuses and uses the controlling interest of Fusion she had inherited after Michael's death to treat her former friend unfairly. To even the playing field, Ryan gives Greenlee the shares of Cambias he has inherited from the deceased Alexander Cambias. He goes on to propose to Greenlee to help her out at Fusion, which causes an infuriated Kendall to lock her nemesis in a room to stop the marriage. Kendall attempts to marry Ryan herself, but he chooses Greenlee after realizing what Kendall has done.
To help Kendall be on equal footing at Fusion with Greenlee, Zach Slater offers to marry her and give her his shares of Cambias Industries. Over time, Zach and Kendall's relationship turns into deep romantic love and Kendall's friendship with Greenlee begins to mend. Eventually the two become so close that they consider themselves "sisters."
Kendall goes on to have two children. Her first, Spike Lavery, is born on May 31, 2006. He was originally supposed to be Greenlee's biological child and carried by surrogate mother Kendall. However, a power outage caused by Zach forces Kendall to use her own egg during the artificial insemination. She is almost killed when JR Chandler accidentally drops construction supplies on Kendall and her unborn son. Zach comes to consider Spike as his own son, though Kendall shares custody with Ryan and his wife Annie Lavery
at the time.
Ian Slater is her son with Zach, and he is conceived during Kendall and Zach's second marriage, in February 2007, while the "Satin Slayer
" terrorized Pine Valley. He is born severely premature on July 26, 2007.
does not, for fear that another nearby bar will tempt her alcoholic
husband (JR) and send him on yet another destructive path. Kendall goes through with the idea, however, and the nightclub opens its doors to a red carpet event on July 25, 2006. The event is the introduction of real-life pop star Rihanna
as one of the show's musical guests. Following her appearance, real-life singer Mary J. Blige
makes a cameo appearance
at the club on July 28, 2006. Soon after the appearances, the club becomes one of the popular establishments for residents of the series.
The nightclub also manages to acquire several famous real-life reporters, who portray themselves while the residents of Pine Valley walk down the red carpet. Such reporters included Emily Frances
(the main entertainment reporter for the WB11 Morning News), Taylor Race (of WPLJ/New York), and America's Next Top Model
contestant Toccara Jones
, among others, as one of the reporters in a scene where Rihanna walks through on her way to a performance inside of the club.
Of the nightclub ConFusion event, Taylor Race briefly described his Pine Valley town-experience with humor: "If you think you put a lot of time and effort into a bit or break on the radio, think again when it comes to TV — you spend 20 minutes in makeup, just to get the mic flag on TV!" he said, as he sipped his double half-caf, no-foam, extra hot, nonfat, 30% soy latte
delivered by his assistant, Serge. "I picked up some serious TSL today in Pine Valley...and a nasty rash too. I'd love to spend more time chatting with you, but the Daytime Emmy people are on Line 7, and Lucci is requesting The Goo Goo Dolls on Line 9. I will tell you that this daytime drama stuff is great — you just make stuff up! Hold on — I'm going to stare at my cell phone for dramatic effect.... OK, that's a wrap! Lunch, everybody! Back on set at 3pm!"
A few real-related products were presented by the employees of the club, including wheat grass plant (available at Target
or online
at Amazon.com
), George Nelson Lamps (available at Target or online), Panasonic
Flatscreen Television (available at Target or online), and Spiegelau Vino Grande Martini Glasses (available at Amazon.com).
In February 2008, executives decided to have Kendall write and sell a book that would also be available in real-life stores, coinciding the fictional and real-life launch dates.
The book is credited as being written by the character. Publisher's Weekly said Kendall is "given a novelist's voice", and that the writers who produced the tie-in "[got] it right". The book, titled CHARM!, was released at a price of $15.99, and was successful; it became a bestseller
not only within the series but in real life, with Publisher's Weekly adding:
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the American daytime drama All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
. The character was portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
from 1993 to 1995, and by Alicia Minshew
Alicia Minshew
Alicia Herschenfeld best known as Alicia Minshew is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Kendall Hart on the daytime drama All My Children.-Early life and career:...
from 2002 to 2011.
The character is the biological daughter of Erica Kane
Erica Kane
Erica Kane is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children.The character has been portrayed by actress Susan Lucci since the show first aired in January 1970, until the last broadcast television episode aired in September 2011. Erica is considered to be the most popular...
, the a product of a rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
by Richard Fields on the night of Erica's 14th birthday. She was originally written as a complex villain, described as "the most terrible daughter on daytime", but was later reformed by the series. The writers scripted her as a heroine, though keeping devious aspects of the character intact. She is a passionate wife and mother, and is married to Zachary "Zach" Slater
Zach Slater
Zachary "Zach" Slater is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. He was portrayed by actor Thorsten Kaye from May 20, 2004 to November 19, 2010; Thorsten returned to the role on August 5, 2011 to September 23, 2011...
. She has a love-hate relationship with Greenlee Smythe
Greenlee Smythe
Greenlee Smythe is a fictional character from the daytime drama All My Children. She was originally portrayed by actress Rebecca Budig from August 11, 1999 to November 30, 2005, and was portrayed by actress Sabine Singh from April 20, 2007 to January 15, 2008...
, and has emerged as one of soap opera's most layered and popular characters.
Rapid aging
Kendall has been the subject of Soap Opera Rapid Aging SyndromeSoap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome
Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome is a term used to describe the practice of accelerating the age of a television character in conflict with the timeline of a series and/or the real-world progression of time. Characters unseen on screen for a time might reappear portrayed by an actor several years...
(SORAS), which caused the show's producers to "de-SORAS" her biological mother Erica Kane
Erica Kane
Erica Kane is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children.The character has been portrayed by actress Susan Lucci since the show first aired in January 1970, until the last broadcast television episode aired in September 2011. Erica is considered to be the most popular...
, portrayed by Susan Lucci
Susan Lucci
Susan Victoria Lucci is an American actress and entrepreneur, best known for portraying Erica Kane on the daytime drama All My Children. The character is considered an icon, and Lucci has been called "Daytime's Leading Lady" by TV Guide, with New York Times and Los Angeles Times citing her as the...
. Lucci says that Erica was 15 when the show began in 1970. "I love playing her. I enjoyed playing her when she was a 15-year-old high school girl, the naughty girl in town, and I enjoy playing her now, when she's still the naughty girl, but she's broadened her area of operation to include the entire world," said Lucci. Erica being 15 in 1970 placed her birth year at 1955.
When Kendall first appears on the show in 1993, she is sixteen years old, portrayed by a then 16-year-old Sarah Michelle Gellar. This was despite the fact that Kendall was the result of Erica's rape at the age of 14 before the show began in 1970 (23 years earlier). Fans protested the age differences due to the changes making Erica and Kendall too young compared to Erica's original 1955 birth year. In response to this, the show's producers rapidly aged Kendall to 23, which moved Erica's birth year one year forward to 1956.
When Minshew took over the role in 2002, the character's birth year was changed to 1976; Erica's birth year was subsequently pushed even later than where it was before, to 1962. Originally stated in 1993 to have been born September 25, 1970, Kendall's birthday was revised to September 25, 1976 in 2002.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
For a couple of years, the producers of All My Children had been thinking about introducing a new character as a foil for Erica Kane, and were waiting for the right moment. The opportunity presented itself in 1993, just as Erica was enjoying her engagement to latest love Dimitri MarickDimitri Marick
Dimitri Marick is a fictional character from the ABC daytime drama All My Children, a long running soap opera set in the fictional city Pine Valley, Pennsylvania. Former Dynasty star Michael Nader originated the character. Anthony Addabbo took over the role on April 6, 2001, and played Dimitri...
, portrayed by Michael Nader
Michael Nader
Michael Nader is an American actor of Lebanese descent, known for his role on the ABC primetime soap opera Dynasty from 1983 to 1989 as Farnsworth "Dex" Dexter, the third husband of Alexis Colby .Nader's first soap opera role was opposite actress Marie Masters playing the character of Kevin...
. A casting call went out for a young actress to portray the part of Kendall Hart, Erica's long-lost daughter.
The show's producers were adamant about keeping the storyline a secret. During the casting process, the actresses were told that Kendall would be Erica's new assistant. "I didn't know when I auditioned for Kendall that she would turn out to be who she is," stated Gellar. "I had heard rumors, but everybody was denying it. Besides, I was scared enough at the thought of working with Susan," she said.
The number of teenage actors in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
auditioning for the role, which eventually went to Gellar, was abundant. Bearing a resemblance to Lucci, Gellar was complimented as having the acting talent and the "forceful personality" needed to go up against Lucci's experience; Kendall was supposed to be like a younger version of Erica.
"When they told me I was playing her, I was like, 'What? Daughter? Me?' I remember on my first day when I walked into the rehearsal hall, Susan and Michael were rehearsing a scene," said Gellar. "I was very nervous. I kept thinking, 'What if I'm really bad and they fire me?' I just snuck in the back and tried to blend in with the coffee machine, when all of a sudden, Susan said, 'Hold it, we need to stop for a minute.'" Gellar said that Lucci walked over to her and said, "Congratulations! I'm very glad you're here" and hugged her. "She put her arm around me and said, 'Don't worry, nobody bites.' And then she introduced me to everyone who was there. She really did help me and always made sure I was okay during my first couple of weeks when I was still unsettled. Both Susan and Michael made me feel comfortable," Gellar stated.
Kendall made her All My Children debut on February 24, 1993, to an unsuspecting audience as Erica's new 22-year-old assistant. Eventually, the truth about the character's parentage was revealed. She was angry for being abandoned at birth — even though going through the pregnancy had resulted from a rape — and determined to exact revenge against Erica as payback.
Gellar admitted that Kendall was "the most terrible daughter" on daytime during her reign (during the character's first year on the show, she locked Bianca
Bianca Montgomery
Bianca Christine Montgomery is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. In June 2010, Christina Bennett Lind replaced Eden Riegel, who portrayed the role from July 2000 to January 2010. Until Riegel assumed the role, the character was portrayed solely by child...
, her little sister, in a crypt and tried to seduce stepfather Dimitri — and when he turned her down, she had sex with the stable boy, after which she cried rape and then went to jail), but the actress refused to admit that the character was evil: "I chose to see Kendall as misunderstood, which was how, as an actress, I justified her actions. It was amazing, though, playing a psycho-looney."
At the time, the audience was bothered by the series having a 17-year-old actress portray a 23-year-old character. "I may not physically look 23, but then again, not all 23-year-olds look their age," said Gellar. "I think people should just forget about that. Age is a personal vision. Besides, I know that at 17, Sarah is more mature than Kendall at 23."
Gellar's stint on the show was successful. "Longtime fans of the soap saw her as the second coming
Second Coming
In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
of Erica." The more Gellar demonstrated that she could handle the work, the more the writers showcased her. She became a household name to the soap opera medium, and "[f]ans wrote to her to tell her she reminded them of Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood, born Natalia Nikolaevna Zacharenko was an American film and television actress. After first working in films as a child, Wood became a successful Hollywood star as a young adult, receiving three Academy Award nominations before she was 25 years old.Wood began acting in movies at the...
and people stopped her in the street." Gellar recalled the time she got into a cab and was greeted by the driver. "I had no idea who this guy was. It turns out his son was the doorman at my apartment building," she said.
Gellar won a Daytime Emmy Award
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
in 1995 for the portrayal, but eventually left the role on July 3, 1995 to pursue other acting opportunities.
Alicia Minshew
The show waited six years before contemplating to recast Kendall. Minshew, like Gellar, was unaware that she was auditioning for the role of Erica's first born when the casting call came. "No, I honestly had no clue I was auditioning for the role of Kendall," she stated. "I had auditioned for several roles on All My Children several times and thank god Judy WilsonJudy Wilson
Judy Wilson is an American casting director known for her work on soap operas. Between 1981 and 1987 she was casting director of Ryan's Hope...
(All My Children casting director) called me up one day and said 'we are casting a part we think you would be excellent for,'" Minshew relayed.
"At the time, the role was being called 'Candy' because they were keeping it incognito... Wilson told me she wanted me to come in and just be my fun, sassy self, be strong, be sassy, do what you always do," Minshew added.
Minshew screen tested with Josh Duhamel
Josh Duhamel
Joshua David "Josh" Duhamel is an American actor and former fashion model. He first achieved acting success in 1999 as Leo du Pres on ABC's All My Children and later as the chief of security, Danny McCoy, on NBC's Las Vegas...
(ex-Leo du Pres
Leo du Pres
Leonardo "Leo" du Pres is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. The role was portrayed and originated by actor Josh Duhamel, from 1999 to 2002 and for two episodes in August 2011...
):
It was after the screen test with Duhamel that Minshew was told that the role was actually for Kendall Hart. "Judy pulled me into a room after my screen test and told me, 'I want you to know that the role is for Susan Lucci's daughter Kendall who was originally played by Sarah Michelle Gellar,'" said Minshew. "And then I got so nervous and thought I don't know if I can do this and Wilson said...that I had a pretty good shot at the role, to which I thought ehhhhh she's kissing my butt." Minshew. said, "I always tell people that I truly believe one of the reasons why I got this part was Josh...he made me feel so comfortable and I had so much fun playing with him and I was just able to let go, forget I was screen testing and just throw myself into the part...whatever I did was good and they liked me. I started 3 days after I screen tested.
Minshew detailed her working relationship with Lucci as healthy: "She's just such a strong presence. For a little tiny lady, she's a beautifully strong presence. I've always known who she was. So I was like, 'Wow! That is really cool!' My first day on the show I worked with her. I said, 'Hi, I'm playing Kendall, and I think you're beautiful.' She warmed up to me immediately. We've had a great rapport. She's just... She has only been good to me."
When asked of her portrayal of the character, Minshew cited Kendall's complexity. "She is a hard character to play. When I first came to the show, I was a little off...I had never done daytime before, had never watched the show, so I was not familiar with Sarah Michelle's portrayal of Kendall... I was a newer actress and really, really green and it took me a while to delve into the character and find out who she really was and to make her more real and vulnerable."
As Minshew grew to understand the character, she became more connected to Kendall. Her acting improved with each newly discovered aspect. Years later, Minshew stated, "Now I feel like I love Kendall so much. She has become part of me. I find myself sticking up for her and defending her...the character means a lot to me on a personal level and it's nice to see the fans enjoying Kendall as much as I enjoy playing her."
Storyline
Kendall Hart is raised in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
by her adoptive parents, Bill and Alice Hart. They keep her adoption a secret from her until she overhears them talking about it. After hearing the news, Kendall begins a search that leads her to Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, where she becomes the personal assistant to Erica Kane, who is planning a wedding to Count Dimitri Marick. However, Erica's mother, Mona Kane Tyler, recalls a familiar birthmark on Kendall's neck and realizes that she is the baby girl that Erica gave up when she was 14 years old. Erica was raped on her 14th birthday by movie actor Richard Fields in a trade so that he would act in a film that her father, Eric Kane, was directing. When confronted by Mona, Kendall admits that she knows that she is Erica's daughter. Being jealous of the attention her half-sister Bianca Montgomery receives after a horse riding accident, Kendall reveals the truth to Erica. Initially, Erica welcomes the young woman into her life, but when Kendall resolves to find her birth father, Erica cuts her out of her life. Kendall is able to convince Dimitri to help her in her search. During the successful operation, Kendall develops a crush on Dimitri, and attempts to seduce him in December 1993. After he rejects her, Kendall instead has sex with a student from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
named Anton Lang, and claims that Dimitri raped her. An enraged Erica stabs Dimitri with a letter opener
Letter opener
A paper knife or letter opener is a knife-like object used to open envelopes or to slit uncut pages of books. Electric versions are also available, which work by using motors to slide the envelopes across a blade...
. At trial, Kendall states that Erica knowingly stabbed him because she was jealous that Dimitri wanted her romantically as well. Kendall tells the jury that the only thing she told Erica was that she had unprotected sex with Anton, and was scared that she was pregnant. When Richard Fields comes to town and attempts to rape Bianca, Kendall admits the truth and is sent to jail for perjury.
While imprisoned, Kendall is put into the same cell as fellow town pariah Janet Green, who has received experimental plastic surgery on her face. After both are released from jail, Kendall keeps quiet about knowing Janet is worming her way back into town with her new face under the name "Jane Cox". Kendall also marries Anton, and eventually schemes with his mother Corvina to forge documents that would make Anton the heir to the Marick fortune instead of Dimitri. After the plan fails, Anton divorces Kendall because of scheming.
Kendall then decides to write a tell-all book about Erica with writer Del Henry, who she falls in love with. He helps her mend her relationship with her adoptive parents, and she drops the book when her adoptive father, Bill Hart, dies. When Kendall's grandmother, Mona Kane Tyler, dies, Kendall is deeply affected and attempts to pay her respects, only to be angrily confronted by Erica, who mistakenly believes that Kendall is faking her grief and had merely come to crash the funeral. Despite Kendall's heartfelt confessions, Erica orders her to leave, and their argument quickly escalates to physical violence. Later, when visiting Mona's grave, Kendall gets into another argument with Dimitri, which climaxes when Kendall demands to know why he still protects Erica after she stabbed him. Eventually, Kendall and Del get engaged, and leave for Florida, but not before Kendall makes peace with Erica.
In January 2002, Erica goes on trial for the murder of Frankie Stone
Frankie Stone
Mary Frances "Frankie" Stone is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. She was portrayed by actress Elizabeth Hendrickson....
, Bianca’s girlfriend. Needing someone to help incriminate her, Erica calls in an eager Kendall, who has amicably split from Del. She stays at the Pine Cone Motel across from Ryan Lavery
Ryan Lavery
Ryan Aloysius Lavery is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children, as portrayed by Cameron Mathison from January 12, 1998 to 2002 and from 2003 to 2011. The character is set to come back in January 2012 when the series returns online...
. The two come to verbal blows often due to their strong-willed personalities, but eventually begin dating. After Erica's house is set on fire with Bianca still inside, Kendall is charged with arson. Ryan hires Trey Kenyon to represent her at trial, not knowing that Trey is the guilty party. Believing that Erica is framing her, Kendall becomes obsessed with the idea of exposing her mother, despite being engaged to Ryan. Ryan catches Kendall seducing Aidan Devane
Aidan Devane
Aidan Devane is a resident of the fictional town of Pine Valley from the ABC soap opera All My Children. He has been portrayed by Aiden Turner, from June 6, 2002 to December 21, 2009...
for information regarding Erica, and leaves town after ending his relationship with a devastated Kendall.
Needing something beyond her flirtation with Aidan, Kendall begins a cosmetics company along with Greenlee Smythe
Greenlee Smythe
Greenlee Smythe is a fictional character from the daytime drama All My Children. She was originally portrayed by actress Rebecca Budig from August 11, 1999 to November 30, 2005, and was portrayed by actress Sabine Singh from April 20, 2007 to January 15, 2008...
, Mia Saunders
Mia Saunders
Mia Saunders is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children. The role of Mia was played and originated by Amelia Heinle, who started the role on July 19, 2001 and left June 15, 2004. of She left to assume the role Victoria Newman on the CBS soap opera The Young and the...
, and Simone Torres
Simone Torres
Simone Torres is a fictional character from the long-running American soap opera All My Children. The character was originated by actress Terri Ivens, from October 2001 to December 2006, and guest starred on June 8, 2007, June 20, 2007, and November 1, 2007 as a ghost.-Arrival:Simone Torres...
to compete with her mother's company, Enchantment. They name the company FUSION, and it has a rocky start, as Kendall and Greenlee have been enemies in the past. But the company eventually becomes a success.
Kendall begins dating the charming Michael Cambias
Michael Cambias
Michael Cambias, formerly a brief resident of the fictional town of Pine Valley, appeared on the American daytime drama All My Children. He was portrayed by actor William deVry, from January 23, 2003 to August 2003, and later in a ghostly vision in 2004 and 2006.The character is one that lives in...
, but ends things after sensing menace behind his charms. He attempts to rape both Kendall and Erica, but succeeds in raping her younger sister, Bianca. As Bianca is being raped, Kendall helps Erica through a panic attack involving the night she was raped and Kendall was conceived. This marks a cornerstone of their relationship. Police are unable to make a strong case against Cambias, and Kendall begins a convoluted plot against him when he is released from prison. After claiming she had married him in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Michael is murdered by an unknown assailant. Her relationship with Erica, which had grown stronger because of Erica's panic attack, is again strained because of the marriage to Michael, his murder, and the revelation that Bianca is pregnant with his child. Erica encourages her to get an abortion, and Bianca prepares to go through it with the help of her friend, Maggie Stone
Maggie Stone
Mary Margaret "Maggie" Stone is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. She was portrayed by actress Elizabeth Hendrickson, who also portrayed Maggie's identical twin sister, Mary Frances "Frankie" Stone. The character comes to Pine Valley in early 2002 after the...
. At the clinic, Kendall tells her sister how much she admired her, and though Kendall does not give an opinion on the abortion, Bianca lets Kendall know that she has secretly decided to keep her baby.
So that no one will know that Bianca is carrying the child of a rapist, Kendall claims that she is pregnant with Michael’s child after marrying him (actually marrying Fusion chemist Boyd Larraby who stole Michael's identity) before he was murdered. A skeptical Greenlee begins investigating her friend, while Erica shuns her. Bianca, however, stands by her sister, as does a newly returned Ryan Lavery, who helps keep the secret. Kendall explains to Bianca that she is helping her and her baby because she sees the baby as herself since Kendall was also the product of rape.
Kendall is put on trial for Michael’s murder, and begins wearing padding underneath her clothes to keep up the ruse. Not understanding the level of trust Ryan has in Kendall, Greenlee reveals the fake pregnancy by ripping the dress off a testifying Kendall. Kendall is forced to reveal that she had faked her pregnancy to protect Bianca, who has killed Michael, though she doesn't remember. Realizing how much Kendall cares for Bianca, Erica becomes close to her daughter again, but Kendall's budding friendship with Greenlee is shattered.
Kendall begins dating Ryan again, who suggests that she forgive Greenlee. Kendall refuses and uses the controlling interest of Fusion she had inherited after Michael's death to treat her former friend unfairly. To even the playing field, Ryan gives Greenlee the shares of Cambias he has inherited from the deceased Alexander Cambias. He goes on to propose to Greenlee to help her out at Fusion, which causes an infuriated Kendall to lock her nemesis in a room to stop the marriage. Kendall attempts to marry Ryan herself, but he chooses Greenlee after realizing what Kendall has done.
To help Kendall be on equal footing at Fusion with Greenlee, Zach Slater offers to marry her and give her his shares of Cambias Industries. Over time, Zach and Kendall's relationship turns into deep romantic love and Kendall's friendship with Greenlee begins to mend. Eventually the two become so close that they consider themselves "sisters."
Kendall goes on to have two children. Her first, Spike Lavery, is born on May 31, 2006. He was originally supposed to be Greenlee's biological child and carried by surrogate mother Kendall. However, a power outage caused by Zach forces Kendall to use her own egg during the artificial insemination. She is almost killed when JR Chandler accidentally drops construction supplies on Kendall and her unborn son. Zach comes to consider Spike as his own son, though Kendall shares custody with Ryan and his wife Annie Lavery
Annie Lavery
Annie Novak, more commonly known as Annie Lavery , is a fictional character on ABC's daytime drama All My Children. She has been portrayed by Melissa Claire Egan since July 10, 2006...
at the time.
Ian Slater is her son with Zach, and he is conceived during Kendall and Zach's second marriage, in February 2007, while the "Satin Slayer
Alexander Cambias, Sr.
Alexander Cambias, Sr. is a fictional character from the ABC daytime drama All My Children, as portrayed by Ronald Guttman, from July 23, 2003 until August 2003. Guttman returned to the role on February 23, 2007 and left April 27, 2007...
" terrorized Pine Valley. He is born severely premature on July 26, 2007.
ConFusion nightclub
ABC executives decided to capitalize on Kendall's popularity by having the character ponder the idea of a nightclub, and then extend that to real-life events. The series detailed Kendall naming the club ConFusion. Though the "Fusion girls" are shown to love the idea, Babe Carey ChandlerBabe Carey
Arabella "Babe" Carey Chandler is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. She was originally portrayed by actress Alexa Havins, from October 13, 2003 to October 8, 2007, and then by actress Amanda Baker from October 8, 2007 to October 31, 2008...
does not, for fear that another nearby bar will tempt her alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
husband (JR) and send him on yet another destructive path. Kendall goes through with the idea, however, and the nightclub opens its doors to a red carpet event on July 25, 2006. The event is the introduction of real-life pop star Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
as one of the show's musical guests. Following her appearance, real-life singer Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
makes a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
at the club on July 28, 2006. Soon after the appearances, the club becomes one of the popular establishments for residents of the series.
The nightclub also manages to acquire several famous real-life reporters, who portray themselves while the residents of Pine Valley walk down the red carpet. Such reporters included Emily Frances
Emily Frances
Emily Frances is a former entertainment anchor for PIX News at Ten, the weeknight news program seen on Tribune Broadcasting's CW Television Network Affiliate, WPIX Channel 11.-Early life:...
(the main entertainment reporter for the WB11 Morning News), Taylor Race (of WPLJ/New York), and America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
contestant Toccara Jones
Toccara Jones
Toccara Jones from Dayton, Ohio, is an American fashion model, occasional actress and television personality. Jones was a contestant on the third season of the UPN series America's Next Top Model, where she finished in seventh place....
, among others, as one of the reporters in a scene where Rihanna walks through on her way to a performance inside of the club.
Of the nightclub ConFusion event, Taylor Race briefly described his Pine Valley town-experience with humor: "If you think you put a lot of time and effort into a bit or break on the radio, think again when it comes to TV — you spend 20 minutes in makeup, just to get the mic flag on TV!" he said, as he sipped his double half-caf, no-foam, extra hot, nonfat, 30% soy latte
Latte
A latte is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. Variants include replacing the coffee with another drink base such as masala chai, mate or matcha...
delivered by his assistant, Serge. "I picked up some serious TSL today in Pine Valley...and a nasty rash too. I'd love to spend more time chatting with you, but the Daytime Emmy people are on Line 7, and Lucci is requesting The Goo Goo Dolls on Line 9. I will tell you that this daytime drama stuff is great — you just make stuff up! Hold on — I'm going to stare at my cell phone for dramatic effect.... OK, that's a wrap! Lunch, everybody! Back on set at 3pm!"
A few real-related products were presented by the employees of the club, including wheat grass plant (available at Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
or online
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
at Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
), George Nelson Lamps (available at Target or online), Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
Flatscreen Television (available at Target or online), and Spiegelau Vino Grande Martini Glasses (available at Amazon.com).
Book
The book is credited as being written by the character. Publisher's Weekly said Kendall is "given a novelist's voice", and that the writers who produced the tie-in "[got] it right". The book, titled CHARM!, was released at a price of $15.99, and was successful; it became a bestseller
Bestseller
A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...
not only within the series but in real life, with Publisher's Weekly adding:
The novel's conceit is that the book is Kendall Hart's roman à clefRoman à clefRoman à clef or roman à clé , French for "novel with a key", is a phrase used to describe a novel about real life, overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the nonfiction and the fiction...
, written to set All My Childrens town of Pine Valley on its ear. Kendall Hart's stand-in for this fiction (i.e., the fictional author Kendall's fictional avatar in the novel) is a sweet yet assertive young woman, Avery Wilkins, who runs her own New York–based cosmetics company, Flair, and is launching a new perfume—Charm!—that she hopes will put her on the map. When Avery first founded the company with financial backer Finn Adams, a softhearted smart man she later fell in love with, she never thought that he would die and leave his share of the company to his Paris HiltonParis HiltonParis Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
–type daughter, Parker. Parker's drug and alcohol binging at late-night glitterati parties endanger the reputation of Flair and its new perfume, and a mysterious phone call to Avery from a manipulative woman claiming to be Avery's mother (a nod to Susan Lucci's character, Erica Kane) throws everything into a heady cloud of smoke. Romance aficionados will find Avery's two love affairs (with a dashing newsmagazine producer and a quick-witted yet sensitive billionaire, natch) intoxicating, but the denouement lacks punch—perhaps because soaps never have to come up with an ending.