Mary Mae Ward
Encyclopedia
Mary Mae Ward was a fictional character
on the ABC
soap opera
General Hospital
from 1994–1995. Introduced as a grandmother character running an orphanage, it was revealed through backstory that she had formerly been the mistress of Edward Quartermaine
, with whom she had the son Bradley Ward II, and other descendant characters such as granddaughter Keesha Ward and great-granddaughter Maya Ward. The role of Mary Mae Ward was originated by Rosalind Cash
(1938–1995) in 1994, who played her as a proud matriarch character who had triumphed over racism and tragedy. When Cash died of cancer in 1995, the Mary Mae Ward character was written out of the series, with an explanation of having died of natural causes. In 1996, Cash was posthumously nominated for an Emmy Award
, for
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
.
. They both related to one another but the music drew them together most. They had a brief affair until Edward was shipped overseas but they kept in touch through letters. Mary Mae wrote him a letter and told him that she was pregnant and that she would raise his child on her own. She named the child Bradley, after her late husband. Mary Mae married Dan Ward in 1946 and relocated to Port Charles with her family, not knowing that Edward lived in Long Island, New York. She and Dan had another son, David Ward, and a daughter, Idios. She didn't see Edward again until July 1, 1974 when she visited him at his apartment in Port Charles. When her son came home looking shaken up, she knew what she had to do to save his life. She told Edward who she was and that their son was in danger because Jack Boland, one of Edward's business partners was working with mob boss, Frank Smith. Bradley had been causing trouble for the criminals. Edward did all he could to keep Bradley safe but Jack murdered him in cold blood that very same night. Jack left the scene and the gun in Bradley's hand leading Mary Mae to believed he'd committed suicide. She buried his body in the backyard of their home at 24 Royal Street in Port Charles. Mary Mae made Edward promise that the investigation into Bradley's death wouldn't destroy everything he'd worked so hard for. Edward used his money and influence to stop the investigation which led to the rumor that he had murdered Bradley. In June 1994 after Bradley's body is discovered, Edward is put on trial forcing Mary Mae to tell everyone the truth, Edward & Bradley were father and son. Edward could have never put a gun to his own child's head. Edward is later acquitted of the charges.
Mary Mae found herself singing the blues again when Lois Cerullo offered her a job at her record label, L&B. Mary Mae was a hit at Luke's club where everyone would go to listen to her beautiful voice. Mary Mae was adored by many in Port Charles. When she died in her sleep in January 1996, the whole town turned out to pay their respects to their beloved Mary Mae.
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...
on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
from 1994–1995. Introduced as a grandmother character running an orphanage, it was revealed through backstory that she had formerly been the mistress of Edward Quartermaine
Edward Quartermaine
Edward Louis Quartermaine is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. The character was created in 1978, originally played by David Lewis. When ill health forced Lewis to step down from the role in 1989, the character was killed off in a plane crash. Lewis' voice was still...
, with whom she had the son Bradley Ward II, and other descendant characters such as granddaughter Keesha Ward and great-granddaughter Maya Ward. The role of Mary Mae Ward was originated by Rosalind Cash
Rosalind Cash
Rosalind Cash was an American singer and actress, whose best known film role was as Charlton Heston's character's love interest Lisa, in the 1971 science fiction cult classic, The Omega Man...
(1938–1995) in 1994, who played her as a proud matriarch character who had triumphed over racism and tragedy. When Cash died of cancer in 1995, the Mary Mae Ward character was written out of the series, with an explanation of having died of natural causes. In 1996, Cash was posthumously nominated for an 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...
, for
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series has been given every year at the Daytime Emmys since the 6th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony in 1979....
.
Character's background
Mary Mae lost her husband due to war at the age of 18. Mary Mae took her cue from her late husband Bradley Powers, who was a musician before the war and started making a living for herself as a blues singer in Virginia. While working one night, she met a navy man, Edward QuartermaineEdward Quartermaine
Edward Louis Quartermaine is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. The character was created in 1978, originally played by David Lewis. When ill health forced Lewis to step down from the role in 1989, the character was killed off in a plane crash. Lewis' voice was still...
. They both related to one another but the music drew them together most. They had a brief affair until Edward was shipped overseas but they kept in touch through letters. Mary Mae wrote him a letter and told him that she was pregnant and that she would raise his child on her own. She named the child Bradley, after her late husband. Mary Mae married Dan Ward in 1946 and relocated to Port Charles with her family, not knowing that Edward lived in Long Island, New York. She and Dan had another son, David Ward, and a daughter, Idios. She didn't see Edward again until July 1, 1974 when she visited him at his apartment in Port Charles. When her son came home looking shaken up, she knew what she had to do to save his life. She told Edward who she was and that their son was in danger because Jack Boland, one of Edward's business partners was working with mob boss, Frank Smith. Bradley had been causing trouble for the criminals. Edward did all he could to keep Bradley safe but Jack murdered him in cold blood that very same night. Jack left the scene and the gun in Bradley's hand leading Mary Mae to believed he'd committed suicide. She buried his body in the backyard of their home at 24 Royal Street in Port Charles. Mary Mae made Edward promise that the investigation into Bradley's death wouldn't destroy everything he'd worked so hard for. Edward used his money and influence to stop the investigation which led to the rumor that he had murdered Bradley. In June 1994 after Bradley's body is discovered, Edward is put on trial forcing Mary Mae to tell everyone the truth, Edward & Bradley were father and son. Edward could have never put a gun to his own child's head. Edward is later acquitted of the charges.
Mary Mae found herself singing the blues again when Lois Cerullo offered her a job at her record label, L&B. Mary Mae was a hit at Luke's club where everyone would go to listen to her beautiful voice. Mary Mae was adored by many in Port Charles. When she died in her sleep in January 1996, the whole town turned out to pay their respects to their beloved Mary Mae.
External links
- Mary Mae Ward profile Soapcentral.com