Nora Hanen
Encyclopedia
Nora Hanen Buchanan is a fictional character
on the long-running American
soap opera
One Life to Live
. The role was originated by Hillary B. Smith
in September 1992.
. Nora was introduced as a guest character in 1992, by head writer Michael Malone
and executive producer Linda Gottlieb
. Prior to her casting in One Life to Live, Smith was already an established actress in the genre of daytime drama
. She had previously starred as Kit McCormick on The Doctors in 1982, and one year later, taking over the role of Margo Montgomery Hughes
on As the World Turns
, a role she played from 1983 to 1990. When she won the role of Nora on the show, producers were impressed with her hard-nosed approach to the character, but wanted Smith to become a redhead and show Nora's soft side. Her first front-burner storyline was a six-week trial in which she defended local villain Todd Manning
(Roger Howarth
) and his fraternity brothers, who were accused of gang-raping college coed Marty Saybrooke
(Susan Haskell
). The actress said in an interview with Soap Opera Digest
, "When [then-Executive Producer] Linda Gottlieb told me [Nora] would be representing the rapists and would get them off, I was nauseated. To let the rapists get off — I thought that was a really bad message."
Smith later persuaded the writers to change the outcome and a mistrial was declared. Almost immediately after her debut, Smith, in the role of Nora, became a centerpiece of the show, particularly for her involvement in the multiple-Emmy Award
winning rape trial storyline. Smith has considered leaving the drama on several occasions. When her contract was set to expire in 2005, Smith's character was put into a six month coma. However, she resigned for another four years that following December. Smith inked a new contract again in 2010, making her a mainstay on the soap for over twenty years.
, an African-American attorney, with whom she had a biracial daughter, Rachel
). She has an older sister, Susannah Hanen (Maureen Anderman
) a psychiatrist who helped Viki integrate her varied personas. Nora's popularity continued to grow as she played a key role in some of the show's most popular storylines in the 1990s, most notably the Marty Saybrooke
gang rape trial in 1993. The character is also known for her supercouple romance with Bo Buchanan
, culminating in their popular 1995 rock 'n' roll-themed wedding.
Nora meets Bo in October 1992; that Thanksgiving he and his wife Sarah are involved in a hit and run accident and Sarah is killed. Over the next several months, Nora and Bo work side by side trying to track down the killer. The case is finally closed and the two had become best friends; slowly their relationship grows into romance one after a kiss on New Year's Eve. The couple's first date is at Serenity Springs, and is soon followed by a slew of junk food eating and jitterbug dates. Bo and Nora first make love in April 1993 and say, "I love you" in May 1993. However, Nora's chronic headaches worsen, leading her to believe that she was the one who had caused the accident leading to Sarah's death. Bo soon proves this to be false, and proposes marriage. Nora is diagnosed with a brain tumor, but during her recovery is terrorized by former client Todd Manning
, whom she had betrayed while defending him for Marty's rape, leading to his conviction. Bo and Nora marry on June 1, 1995 at St. James Church, the ceremony officiated by Reverend Andrew Carpenter, Rabbi Heller, and Little Richard
.
After Bo is devastated when his son Drew, a police officer, is killed in the line of duty, Nora hopes to conceive a child to give Bo a reason to live; out of desperation, she turns to former flame Sam Rappaport
. The pregnancy pulls Bo back onto his feet, but he and Nora later divorce when Bo learns that Nora's son had been fathered by Sam. Sam dies in 2003, leaving a letter behind stating that Bo is Matthew's
biological father.
Nora soon begins to see District Attorney Daniel Colson. Despite frequent crises with Bo, Nora is able to continue her relationship with Daniel, who soon proposes. After their wedding, Nora begins suspecting that Daniel is having an affair. As Daniel is to become Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, Daniel is arrested for the murders of Paul Cramer
and Jennifer Rappaport
. Nora learns of Daniel's homosexual affair with Mark Solomon, and Daniel is soon sent to prison.
Nora suffers a stroke, and becomes comatose for months. After waking from her coma, Nora begins to put her life back on track, until more tragedy occurs. Nora's house catches fire, and realizes that she is another victim of racist arsonist, Tate Harmon. After having difficulty with her insurance, former father-in-law Asa
invites Nora and Matthew to move in indefinitely. After Asa's death, he leaves the mansion to Nora in his will. During their time in Texas for the will reading, Nora and Clint Buchanan
begin a relationship, which soon blossoms into love. Subsequently, Dallas Jones, Clint's ex-girlfriend from London years earlier, re-enters the picture intent on rekindling their romantic relationship. Nora later tricks Dorian Lord, another ex of Clint's, into giving Buchanan Enterprises back to the Buchanan family after she steals it out from under Clint out of revenge for his dumping her.
Nora and Bo's teenage son, Matthew, is in a car accident with drug-addicted Cole Thornhart (Marty's teenage son). He survives, but is paralyzed from the waist down. Nora, who had taken in Cole after the "death" of his mother, is furious and initially wants to send Cole to prison. Remembering her daughter Rachel's own drug addiction, she later changes her mind and allows Cole to go into rehab instead.
Dealing with Matthew's paralysis brings Bo and Nora closer, sparking Clint's jealousy. Clint called a specialist (Greg Evans) who was confident he could restore the use of Matthew's legs, but when he can't guarantee that Matthew will survive the operation, Nora and Bo refuse to allow Greg to operate on their son. Furious, Matthew quickly hires Tea Delgado to sue his parents for the right to make the choice himself. The matter is complicated when, on the night before Nora's wedding to Clint, Matthew catches his parents passionately kissing. He attempts to blackmail them into giving consent for the surgery; they call his bluff and ultimately Matthew cannot intentionally hurt his beloved uncle Clint by telling him what he saw.
Bo's growing feelings for Nora seem to be reciprocated, but a confused Nora simply will not allow herself to hurt Clint by pursuing them and backing out of the wedding. Clint's "20-minute girl" does ultimately tie the knot with him. Shortly after their wedding, Matthew sues Bo and Nora for the right to have an operation to make him walk again which brings Bo and Nora even closer as they unite to stop Matthew. When they "kidnap" him and take him to London, they finally confess their true feelings for each other and passionately kiss. Clint later finds out about Nora's feelings for Bo and confronts her; she admits that she's fallen back in love with Bo, and Clint quickly divorces her and disowns Bo.
Shortly after Bo and Nora's reunion, he is shot but survives. Bo and Nora remarry in June 2010. Several months into their marriage, Nora becomes jealous of Bo's attractive new secretary, Inez Sallinger, whom Nora is sure wants to steal Bo away from her. Inez begins dating Clint, who quickly blackmails her into seducing Bo as revenge against Bo and Nora for humiliating him with their reunion. Clint also pays Inez's evil ex-husband, Eddie Ford, to kidnap Nora and hold her hostage while Inez drugs Bo in an attempt to make him think they'd slept together. Though Eddie tries to rape Nora, she is eventually rescued, and Eddie is shot and killed shortly thereafter. Nora leaves Bo when she learns of his "affair" with Inez, but once Inez confesses to drugging Bo, Nora takes him back.
Bo and Nora focus on finding Eddie Ford's killer and are stunned when Clint informs them that Matthew was the culprit. After much soul-searching, Bo and Nora decide not to turn Matthew in and try to keep his role in Eddie's murder a secret.
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 long-running American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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,...
One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
. The role was originated by Hillary B. Smith
Hillary B. Smith
Hillary Bailey Smith is an American actress.Born as Hillary Bailey, Smith attended Dana Hall School, Pine Manor College and Sarah Lawrence College....
in September 1992.
Casting
Nora is portrayed by actress Hillary B. SmithHillary B. Smith
Hillary Bailey Smith is an American actress.Born as Hillary Bailey, Smith attended Dana Hall School, Pine Manor College and Sarah Lawrence College....
. Nora was introduced as a guest character in 1992, by head writer Michael Malone
Michael Malone
Michael Malone is an Emmy Award-winning American author and television writer, born in Durham, North Carolina. He is best known for his work on the ABC Daytime drama One Life to Live, as well as for his best-selling works of fiction Handling Sin , Foolscap , and murder mystery First Lady...
and executive producer Linda Gottlieb
Linda Gottlieb
-Credits:, "SoapLine" -Credits:, "SoapLine" -Credits:, "SoapLine" (a joint production of ABC News and ABC Daytime to bring viewers storyline updates, special features and interviews during breaks in live, pre-emptive coverage of the O. J...
. Prior to her casting in One Life to Live, Smith was already an established actress in the genre of daytime drama
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,...
. She had previously starred as Kit McCormick on The Doctors in 1982, and one year later, taking over the role of Margo Montgomery Hughes
Margo Montgomery Hughes
Margo Hughes is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns a show about working life in the fictional town of Oakdale. She was first played by Margaret Colin, and then by Hillary Bailey Smith for six years...
on As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
, a role she played from 1983 to 1990. When she won the role of Nora on the show, producers were impressed with her hard-nosed approach to the character, but wanted Smith to become a redhead and show Nora's soft side. Her first front-burner storyline was a six-week trial in which she defended local villain Todd Manning
Todd Manning
Thomas Todd Manning is a fictional character from the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live. Created by writer Michael Malone, the role was originated in 1992 by actor Roger Howarth. In 2003, Howarth departed from the series and the role was recast with actor Trevor St. John as Todd, initially written...
(Roger Howarth
Roger Howarth
Roger Howarth is an American actor. He portrays Todd Manning on the daytime drama One Life to Live, a character which became an iconic fixture in the genre's medium, and earned Howarth a Daytime Emmy Award...
) and his fraternity brothers, who were accused of gang-raping college coed Marty Saybrooke
Marty Saybrooke
Dr. Margaret "Marty" Saybrooke is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live. The role was originated by Susan Haskell, who portrayed Marty from January 24, 1992 through September 16, 1997 and made brief appearances on February 16, 2004 and February 2005...
(Susan Haskell
Susan Haskell
Susan Haskell is a Canadian actress. She portrays the role of Dr. Margaret "Marty" Saybrooke, bad-girl-turned-good-turned-bad-again, on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live.-Private life:...
). The actress said in an interview with Soap Opera Digest
Soap Opera Digest
Soap Opera Digest is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional information...
, "When [then-Executive Producer] Linda Gottlieb told me [Nora] would be representing the rapists and would get them off, I was nauseated. To let the rapists get off — I thought that was a really bad message."
Smith later persuaded the writers to change the outcome and a mistrial was declared. Almost immediately after her debut, Smith, in the role of Nora, became a centerpiece of the show, particularly for her involvement in the multiple-Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winning rape trial storyline. Smith has considered leaving the drama on several occasions. When her contract was set to expire in 2005, Smith's character was put into a six month coma. However, she resigned for another four years that following December. Smith inked a new contract again in 2010, making her a mainstay on the soap for over twenty years.
Storylines
When Nora debuted in 1992, she quickly made a connection with fans for her backstory (She was a Jewish attorney divorced from Hank GannonHank Gannon
Henry "Hank" Gannon is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated the role in February 1992 by Nathan Purdee...
, an African-American attorney, with whom she had a biracial daughter, Rachel
Rachel Gannon
Rachel Gannon is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. The daughter of attorneys Nora Hanen and Hank Gannon, the role was originated and most notably portrayed by actress Ellen Bethea.-Casting:...
). She has an older sister, Susannah Hanen (Maureen Anderman
Maureen Anderman
Maureen Anderman is an American actress best known for her work on the stage. She has appeared in eighteen Broadway shows over the last four decades earning several Drama Desk Award and Tony Award nominations.-Career:...
) a psychiatrist who helped Viki integrate her varied personas. Nora's popularity continued to grow as she played a key role in some of the show's most popular storylines in the 1990s, most notably the Marty Saybrooke
Marty Saybrooke
Dr. Margaret "Marty" Saybrooke is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live. The role was originated by Susan Haskell, who portrayed Marty from January 24, 1992 through September 16, 1997 and made brief appearances on February 16, 2004 and February 2005...
gang rape trial in 1993. The character is also known for her supercouple romance with Bo Buchanan
Bo Buchanan
Beaufort Oglethorpe "Bo" Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live.-Casting and awards:The role was originated in 1979 by Robert S. Woods, who briefly left the series in 1986 but returned in 1988, and currently portrays the role...
, culminating in their popular 1995 rock 'n' roll-themed wedding.
Nora meets Bo in October 1992; that Thanksgiving he and his wife Sarah are involved in a hit and run accident and Sarah is killed. Over the next several months, Nora and Bo work side by side trying to track down the killer. The case is finally closed and the two had become best friends; slowly their relationship grows into romance one after a kiss on New Year's Eve. The couple's first date is at Serenity Springs, and is soon followed by a slew of junk food eating and jitterbug dates. Bo and Nora first make love in April 1993 and say, "I love you" in May 1993. However, Nora's chronic headaches worsen, leading her to believe that she was the one who had caused the accident leading to Sarah's death. Bo soon proves this to be false, and proposes marriage. Nora is diagnosed with a brain tumor, but during her recovery is terrorized by former client Todd Manning
Todd Manning
Thomas Todd Manning is a fictional character from the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live. Created by writer Michael Malone, the role was originated in 1992 by actor Roger Howarth. In 2003, Howarth departed from the series and the role was recast with actor Trevor St. John as Todd, initially written...
, whom she had betrayed while defending him for Marty's rape, leading to his conviction. Bo and Nora marry on June 1, 1995 at St. James Church, the ceremony officiated by Reverend Andrew Carpenter, Rabbi Heller, and Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
.
After Bo is devastated when his son Drew, a police officer, is killed in the line of duty, Nora hopes to conceive a child to give Bo a reason to live; out of desperation, she turns to former flame Sam Rappaport
Sam Rappaport (One Life to Live)
Samuel "Sam" Rappaport is a fictional character on the long running ABC soap opera One Life to Live. He was originally portrayed by Kale Browne from March 5, 1998 to April 11, 2001. The role was taken over on May 8, 2001 by veteran All My Children actor Laurence Lau, who was made famous for...
. The pregnancy pulls Bo back onto his feet, but he and Nora later divorce when Bo learns that Nora's son had been fathered by Sam. Sam dies in 2003, leaving a letter behind stating that Bo is Matthew's
Matthew Buchanan
Matthew Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live.-Casting:The role was portrayed by child actors Steven and Nicholas Towler from 1999 to June 2000 and Ian Chandler Sheaffer from July 2000 to May 2001...
biological father.
Nora soon begins to see District Attorney Daniel Colson. Despite frequent crises with Bo, Nora is able to continue her relationship with Daniel, who soon proposes. After their wedding, Nora begins suspecting that Daniel is having an affair. As Daniel is to become Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, Daniel is arrested for the murders of Paul Cramer
Paul Cramer
Paul Cramer is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live. Paul was originated on October 3, 2003 by Brock Cuchna, who played the role until March 10, 2004. The character was then recast with David Tom on March 11, 2004...
and Jennifer Rappaport
Jennifer Rappaport
Jennifer Rappaport is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live, portrayed by Jessica Morris from January 2001 to May 2005. Morris reappeared as Jennifer in a dream sequence on October 1, 2008.-Storylines:Jennifer arrives in Llanview in January 2001 as a student at...
. Nora learns of Daniel's homosexual affair with Mark Solomon, and Daniel is soon sent to prison.
Nora suffers a stroke, and becomes comatose for months. After waking from her coma, Nora begins to put her life back on track, until more tragedy occurs. Nora's house catches fire, and realizes that she is another victim of racist arsonist, Tate Harmon. After having difficulty with her insurance, former father-in-law Asa
Asa Buchanan
Asa Buchanan is a fictional character and patriarch of the Buchanan family on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. The Texan industrialist father of newly-arrived characters Clint and Bo Buchanan, Asa was originated in 1980 by Philip Carey. Carey portrays the nearly continuously for nearly three...
invites Nora and Matthew to move in indefinitely. After Asa's death, he leaves the mansion to Nora in his will. During their time in Texas for the will reading, Nora and Clint Buchanan
Clint Buchanan
Clinton "Clint" Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live.-Casting:The role was originated in September 10, 1979 by actor Clint Ritchie, portraying the role nearly continuously through December 30, 1999. Ritchie reappeared in the 2003 and 2004. Actor Jerry...
begin a relationship, which soon blossoms into love. Subsequently, Dallas Jones, Clint's ex-girlfriend from London years earlier, re-enters the picture intent on rekindling their romantic relationship. Nora later tricks Dorian Lord, another ex of Clint's, into giving Buchanan Enterprises back to the Buchanan family after she steals it out from under Clint out of revenge for his dumping her.
Nora and Bo's teenage son, Matthew, is in a car accident with drug-addicted Cole Thornhart (Marty's teenage son). He survives, but is paralyzed from the waist down. Nora, who had taken in Cole after the "death" of his mother, is furious and initially wants to send Cole to prison. Remembering her daughter Rachel's own drug addiction, she later changes her mind and allows Cole to go into rehab instead.
Dealing with Matthew's paralysis brings Bo and Nora closer, sparking Clint's jealousy. Clint called a specialist (Greg Evans) who was confident he could restore the use of Matthew's legs, but when he can't guarantee that Matthew will survive the operation, Nora and Bo refuse to allow Greg to operate on their son. Furious, Matthew quickly hires Tea Delgado to sue his parents for the right to make the choice himself. The matter is complicated when, on the night before Nora's wedding to Clint, Matthew catches his parents passionately kissing. He attempts to blackmail them into giving consent for the surgery; they call his bluff and ultimately Matthew cannot intentionally hurt his beloved uncle Clint by telling him what he saw.
Bo's growing feelings for Nora seem to be reciprocated, but a confused Nora simply will not allow herself to hurt Clint by pursuing them and backing out of the wedding. Clint's "20-minute girl" does ultimately tie the knot with him. Shortly after their wedding, Matthew sues Bo and Nora for the right to have an operation to make him walk again which brings Bo and Nora even closer as they unite to stop Matthew. When they "kidnap" him and take him to London, they finally confess their true feelings for each other and passionately kiss. Clint later finds out about Nora's feelings for Bo and confronts her; she admits that she's fallen back in love with Bo, and Clint quickly divorces her and disowns Bo.
Shortly after Bo and Nora's reunion, he is shot but survives. Bo and Nora remarry in June 2010. Several months into their marriage, Nora becomes jealous of Bo's attractive new secretary, Inez Sallinger, whom Nora is sure wants to steal Bo away from her. Inez begins dating Clint, who quickly blackmails her into seducing Bo as revenge against Bo and Nora for humiliating him with their reunion. Clint also pays Inez's evil ex-husband, Eddie Ford, to kidnap Nora and hold her hostage while Inez drugs Bo in an attempt to make him think they'd slept together. Though Eddie tries to rape Nora, she is eventually rescued, and Eddie is shot and killed shortly thereafter. Nora leaves Bo when she learns of his "affair" with Inez, but once Inez confesses to drugging Bo, Nora takes him back.
Bo and Nora focus on finding Eddie Ford's killer and are stunned when Clint informs them that Matthew was the culprit. After much soul-searching, Bo and Nora decide not to turn Matthew in and try to keep his role in Eddie's murder a secret.