Jesse Hubbard and Angie Baxter
Jesse and Angela "Angie" Hubbard are fictional characters and a
Angie also appeared on Loving and The City.[note 2] Along with her son Frankie Hubbard and former heiress Skye Chandler, she is one of only three individuals who have been regular characters on three ABC soap operas.[note 3]
Jesse Hubbard | |
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All My Children character | |
Portrayed by | Darnell Williams |
Duration |
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First appearance | January 3, 1981 |
Last appearance | September 2, 2013 |
Classification | Final, regular |
Created by | |
Introduced by |
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Crossover appearances | Randi Morgan Hubbard |
Angela Hubbard | |||||||||||
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All My Children character | |||||||||||
Portrayed by |
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Duration |
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First appearance | January 1982 | ||||||||||
Last appearance | September 2, 2013 | ||||||||||
Classification | Final, regular | ||||||||||
Created by | Agnes Nixon and Wisner Washam | ||||||||||
Introduced by |
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Crossover appearances | |||||||||||
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Background
Casting
Actress
Williams was a regular dancer on Soul Train in the mid-1970s. Later that decade, he was a cast member of the Broadway musical Your Arms Too Short to Box with God. This, before acquiring the role of Jesse.[2]
Writing
All My Children creator Agnes Nixon was able to intrigue male and female audiences of all ages by focusing on young adult romances that included not only romance and sex but their issues in growing and learning as individuals. Social issues were also applied.[3] This specific formula caused All My Children's popularity to rise in the 1980s.[3] The Jesse and Angie pairing, as well as fellow supercouple Greg Nelson and Jenny Gardner, were one notable aspect of Nixon's writing that prompted young high school and college students to race home just to view the soap opera.[3]
When characters Jenny and Jesse were killed off instead of being recast by new actors once the actors decided to leave their roles, it was so that no other actors could portray them. To Nixon, these actors were the characters.[3] Morgan saw Jesse's death as bittersweet. She pointed to Williams leaving the series as one of her toughest moments as part of the cast, but how it also provided interesting story. "It really affected me more from a personal standpoint than from an actor's standpoint," she said. "From a personal standpoint, Darnell and I were like hooked at the neck or the back or something; we'd gotten to be such good friends. But from an actor's point of view, it didn't really bother me as much because I knew that it would just open up so many more avenues for Angie to take."[1]
Jacob and Angie
For years, All My Children fans clamored for the reunion of Jesse and Angie. However, the nature of Jesse's death (an on-screen death in the hospital as the result of a gunshot wound) made this all but impossible, even by soap opera standards. Eventually, fans got the next best thing.
In 1993, Morgan joined the cast of the soap opera
After The City was canceled, Williams returned to All My Children four years later as "Jesse", but as an angel.
Rewrite and return
Angie and Jesse are about to be reunited and it feels so right. One of daytime’s most memorable couples from the 1980s is returning to ABC’s All My Children. Wait a minute. Didn’t Jesse die on camera?[4]
— Amy Amatangelo of newspaper Boston Herald
In late 2007, the producers of All My Children announced Williams and Morgan's return to the series, with long-term contracts.[5] It was on December 14, 2007, that the official All My Children website posted an article with the headline Angie and Jesse return to All My Children! The article suggested that Angie's return would start with being called back to Pine Valley Hospital to assist on a case, where she would be reunited with a living Jesse Hubbard.[6] Viewers were skeptical of Jesse's return, since he had an onscreen death and appeared in ghost form several times afterwards on the series. There was sentiment that if Williams was returning as anyone, it had to be as Jacob Foster. Viewers wondered for weeks if Williams would truly return as Jesse or Jesse's look-alike Jacob. It was later confirmed, however, that Jesse did not die in 1988 after all and that Williams would be resuming the role.[7]
Morgan returned as Angie on January 18, 2008,[8] and Williams returned as Jesse on January 25.[9] To start the storyline where Jesse is brought back, the writers thought up a plot where characters Greenlee Smythe and Quentin contract a weird woods-related disease that triggers asphyxiation. Angie, now an infectious-disease specialist, is paged to Pine Valley Hospital to consult on the case: "Quentin will turn out to be Angie and Jesse’s son, Frankie", said Julie Hanan Carruthers (the show's executive producer), and noted that Angie's adopted daughter, Cassandra, would also join the show. ABC consulted with Agnes Nixon (who is now retired) on how to resurrect Jesse, since he was shot to death in 1988: "We saw Angie sobbing on his chest, but I think the audience is invested enough in them as a couple that they will embrace our solution," Carruthers stated.[10]
Carruthers further relayed that Angie would not at first know that Jesse is alive. "We’re going to play that out for a couple of weeks. Rightfully, it’ll be Tad, to whom Jesse has appeared in spirit form, who reunites them," she stated.[10] "Angie and Jesse made an eternal imprint on viewers, and many fans will not believe he's alive," stated Brian Frons, president of ABC Daytime.[11]
When addressing his character's "return from the dead", Williams explained: "I’m the same character, but it’s a whole new experience. They had to figure out a way to bring him back to life. The word is that apparently he never died. He had to fake his death in order to secure the safety of his family."[4]
In the 1980s, soap operas were not as short as they are today on the inclusion of African American characters. "I think it has moved a thousand steps backwards," said Morgan. "It just amazes me that here we are in 2008 and we have so little representation on daytime. I don’t understand it and I think it’s shameful."[4]
Williams detailed that the lack of diversity is one of the reasons they were approached to return to the series: "I think All My Children kind of shot themselves in the foot by allowing the canvas to become so nondiversified. And they found themselves sort of chasing their tails trying to figure out how to fix it... They came up with the idea, 'Well, why not bring this core couple back that had such an appeal to such a broad audience?'"[4]
Morgan stated that it took her only about 30 seconds to accept the offer to return to the role of Angie. She could not remember a time in her career where she felt so welcomed. "It was like a homecoming. There were members of the crew that were here 20 years ago. It was just so heartfelt, it made me cry. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve played the character for so long, it’s like stepping into a pair of old shoes, as they say."[4]
The response from fans after the announcement of their return managed to astound both actors.[4] "The amount of people that are interested still is kind of overwhelming," Williams stated. "The first thing they usually say, 'I'm going to call my mother and my sisters and my brother right away and tell them that All My Children is back on the block.'"[4] Williams relayed his hope for the writers to progress slowly in reuniting Jesse and Angie: "I hope they take it at a decent pace to where the audience will believe it. If they go too quickly and make us a happily ever couple, that gets kind of boring. But I have faith that they are going to do the right thing."[4]
Soap operas tend to have preposterous storylines at times, and Morgan stressed to the producers of the show that she wants none of that for Angie: "Soaps have changed a lot since I was on, and so many of the stories are so over the top and crazy to me. The kind of actress that I am, I couldn’t play all that hokey kind of stuff. So I would really like to see the shows return to more real-life drama that’s akin to what goes on with people in their everyday life."[4]
In January 2008, the Alicia Keys song "Like You'll Never See Me Again" was used in advertisements for All My Children, to promote Jesse and Angie's return. The song was used again in the February 15 and 18, 2008 episodes of the series, when the couple was reunited after 20 years.
Storyline
This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (October 2012) |
1981–82
Jesse Hubbard—originally from Center City, Pennsylvania
Jesse soon falls in love with Angie Baxter, a well-to-do teenager from Pine Valley high society. However, Angie's father Les Baxter (
1983–1985
Jesse's desire to make love to Angie is evident, but Angie refuses until they are married. Angie and Jesse elope, because Angie is afraid of her parents' reaction if she tells them of their intended plans. Soon thereafter, Angie finds out that she is pregnant. Angie confides in her mother Pat Baxter (Lee Chamberlin) that she and Jesse are married and that she is pregnant. Angie is scared to tell Jesse; her insecurities grow when she thinks that Jesse is falling in love with another woman. Pat has a conversation with Jesse about the possibility that Angie could become pregnant. Jesse replies, "I couldn't even think of it for another few years."
When Angie learns of this, she divorces Jesse without telling him she is pregnant. Les encourages Angie to give her baby away, and she starts adoption proceedings. Their baby is adopted by a couple. Jesse is very upset with Angie for not telling him about their baby boy and for giving him up. He desperately tries to track his son down with the help of his friend Vera. When Angie begs him to take her back and to forgive her, they search for their son together. They locate and kidnap him, then flee to Sea City. The couple names the baby after Jesse's uncle Frank, who had died just prior to the child's birth. After Jesse and Angie convince a judge to give custody of the baby back to them because Jesse's signature was forged by Angie's father, they remarry. The couple starts their new life in the Grant home, after Jesse's aunt Nancy and cousin Carl relocate to Chicago. The Hubbards are later joined by Angie's mother Pat, who divorces Les.
By the summer of 1984, Greg Nelson and Jenny Gardner are married, and Jenny has become a successful fashion model. Tony Barclay, a male model who is obsessed with Jenny, plots to kill Greg by rigging his
In 1985, Jesse and Angie's relationship is threatened once again when his half-brother Eugene Hubbard (
Yvonne is able to seduce Jesse and was about to have sex. Eugene concocts a lie so Angie will arrive at Yvonne's house just in time to catch Jesse in bed with Yvonne. This leads to a dramatic brawl between Angie and Yvonne. Angie is furious and throws Jesse out of the house, but she eventually forgives him after finding about Eugene's plans. Later, a pregnant Yvonne lies and says that the child she is carrying belongs to Jesse. After admitting that she has lied, Yvonne gives her baby away to a black market baby adoption ring. When Jesse learns of Eugene's schemes, the two brothers also have a vicious fight, after which Eugene leaves Pine Valley and is not heard from again.
1986–91
Convinced to seek political office by electronics mogul
Jesse works to find out the identity of "Mr. Big," the leader of the black market baby adoption ring to whom Yvonne gave her baby. Mr. Big threatens Yvonne and, to protect herself and her son, she falsely accuses senatorial candidate
Soon, Jesse and Angie reconcile. She completes medical school and becomes a doctor, despite being
Jesse develops an excellent reputation within the police force and the community. In 1988, he is assigned to guard wealthy businessman John Remington (Eddie Earl Hatch), whose life has apparently been threatened. While in the line of duty, Jesse takes a bullet meant for Remington. Despite receiving prompt medical attention, Jesse is pronounced dead a few days later.[note 8]
Remington (or "Remy" as he is often called) tries to start a romantic relationship with the recently widowed Angie, but his attempts are unsuccessful. This is due in part to the fact that Angie is still grieving, but Remington's association with Jesse's death makes an Angie-Remy relationship all but impossible. Eventually, Angie has brief romances with medical colleagues
1993–97: Jacob and Angie on Loving and The City
In 1993, Angie and a teenage Frankie (
Angie is convinced she has found true love again with local police detective Charles Harrison (Geoffrey Ewing), who is eventually appointed chief of the Corinth Police Department. Then, as fate would have it, she meets Jacob Foster (
While in New York, Angie opens a free medical clinic at 212 Greene Street in SoHo, a building owned by billionaire Sydney Chase (
Jesse's "returns"
In 1994, a tornado rips through Pine Valley, leaving Jenny Gardner's brother
In 2001, Jesse appears to return to Pine Valley, but as an angel whose mission it is to help
2007–2010
In December 2007, private investigator Aidan Devane meets a mysterious man named Quentin (Cornelius Smith Jr.). Quentin helps Aidan successfully locate Greenlee Smythe and Zach Slater, both of whom had been missing for weeks and presumed dead. Greenlee and Zach are found in the woods at the bottom of an old bomb shelter, along with an old skeleton.
By January 2008, it becomes apparent that Quentin and Greenlee have both contracted a rare illness requiring their hospitalization in Pine Valley. Without first meeting Quentin, Dr. Joe Martin contacts Angie — now a specialist on infectious diseases — to consult on the case, much to the delight of her old friend Tad Martin. Angie and Joe are both shocked to later learn that "Quentin" is actually Angie's son
, apparently suffers from a rare poison he contracted while living in the woods. Now divorced from Jacob Foster, Angie spends her first few days back in Pine Valley searching for the cause of Frankie and Greenlee's illness, while trying to understand why her son remained out of contact with his family after returning from Iraq. It is apparent to Frankie and to Angie's close friends that she continues to long for Jesse, even after two decades.Unbeknownst to almost everyone, Frankie is visited in his hospital room by Jesse, who — despite strong evidence to the contrary — is very much alive. Jesse soon reveals his presence to a stunned Tad, who (like his sister Jenny) considers Jesse to be his best friend. Jesse explains that he is pretending to be dead in order to protect his family, whose lives have been threatened, and that he only returned to Pine Valley because Frankie's medical condition has placed him near death. Tad, who once incorrectly believed that his former wife
Jesse attempts to leave Pine Valley, but is assaulted and mugged by a couple pretending to be a battered wife and her abusive husband. He is rushed back to Pine Valley Hospital, keeping him in town a bit longer. On Valentine's Day, he attempts to leave town by train. Circumstance leads Angie to the Pine Valley train station as well, at approximately the same time. As she waits for her train, she sees Jesse sitting on another train as it is leaving the station. She chases the departing train, screaming Jesse's name, and collapses onto the tracks in tears when the train continues on and disappears from sight. Dejected, she walks back to the station. However, the train unexpectedly returns, and Angie is stunned to see Jesse step onto the platform, alive and well. Embracing each other, the couple is reunited for the first time in 20 years.
Jesse explains to Angie (and later to Frankie) that he was kidnapped and that his abductors faked his death. He was brutally beaten, and the lives of Angie and Frankie were threatened in the process. Eventually, one of his captors took him to the woods and dug a grave in which Jesse was about to be buried. Jesse managed to turn the tables on the captor, kill him in self-defense, and bury him in that same hole.
As the Hubbard family is reunited, Derek Frye (Charles Parnell) -- now chief of the Pine Valley Police Department—informs Greenlee, Zach and their loved ones that the skeleton in the bomb shelter with them was John Remington, the man whom Jesse was protecting at the time of his supposed death. Soon thereafter, Tad is approached by a man identifying himself as Robert Gardner (
Just as an 18-year-old Cassandra (
On May 21, 2008, Jesse and Angie's friends look on as the couple is remarried at Zach Slater's hotel and casino, in the extravagant ceremony that they never had in their younger days. Frankie and Cassandra serve as best man and maid of honor. As a special surprise, Jesse arranges for
Weeks later, Derek resigns as police chief and moves to California. Using
Some time thereafter, Jesse reveals that—during his 20-year absence—he suffered a
Soon thereafter, Frankie's military unit is reactivated. After marrying his girlfriend
2011
Around the time of May 2011 Angie found out that she was going blind due to her treating a young boy in the ER without protective gear on. She began taking medication to keep from the disease taking full control, but soon found out she was pregnant and discontinued the medication much to the disagreement of Jesse because it would harm the baby. Angie officially became legally blind, April 2011. On March 30, 2011, Angie gave birth to a daughter named
Reception and impact
Jesse and Angie are the world's first African American supercouple.[4][12][13][14] This resulted in the pairing being listed in The News & Advance's Timeline of daytime soaps under the title of 1984: Daytime’s first black supercouple, All My Children’s Angie and Jesse, are introduced.[12]
The couple's impact on viewers has often been documented in various other versions. Motivational speaker and author Angela D. Lewis recalled her experience watching the Jesse and Angie love story while attending the University of South Carolina in the 1980s. Students would crowd into the Russell House from 1-2 p.m. each weekday to watch Jesse and Angie. Lewis stated, "We were always part of a huge crowd in the student center — not only girls, but plenty of guys, too! — watching All My Children to see Jesse and Angie. The student union was flooded. Many of us would even arrange our class schedules around the soap!"[15]
Darnell Williams and Kim Delaney shared a noticeable amount of chemistry in their respective roles as Jesse and Jenny. However, it is widely believed the producers of All My Children shied away from pairing them as a romantic couple, as a Black male/White female relationship was still considered to be a taboo on daytime television in the early 1980s.
Scholarly and Jesse's "death"
Jesse's "death" with Angie saying goodbye to him is often noted for being an unforgettable moment in daytime history; this specific impact was examined in author Louise Spence's book Watching Daytime Soap Operas: The Power Of Pleasure. When Williams left his role of Jesse, Spence documented fans' reaction to the news. One letter from a viewer with the initials of P.B. detailed a saddened state to see Williams having left the role. The viewer had never cried so much for an actor on a soap opera, and every time the viewer saw Jesse's wife, Angie, onscreen after Jesse's "death", the viewer would also cry.[16]
Another viewer of initials K.H. voiced that Debbi Morgan deserved an Emmy for her portrayal of Angie Baxter. Viewer K.H. felt that Morgan constantly performed with such strong emotion and sensitivity and that because of that, she could not help but touch everyone's heart. Also mentioned was Morgan's portrayal of grief at Jesse's "death" being so moving, that the author of the letter felt as though a member within his or her own immediate family had taken the deadly bullet.[16]
Jesse's "death" made website inthe80s.com's list of Memorable Television Events From The Eighties.[17]
Guest-starring and magazines
ABC capitalized on the chemistry and popularity of Williams and Morgan by making them the hosts of New York Hot Tracks, a popular music video program which aired late night on Fridays in the 1980s. The genre of videos shown were primarily R&B, Dance and Hip-Hop, with a few Pop videos thrown in every now and then.[18]
In 1985, during the Jesse/Angie/Eugene story arc, Debbi Morgan and Tom Wright (Eugene) appeared in two music videos by the
When magazine Soap Opera Digest picked their January 3, 1984 Jesse and Angie cover for their Friday November 11, 2005 cover in celebration of their magazine turning thirty years old, the following was stated:
"January 3, 1984 Daytime's first black supercouple — ALL MY CHILDREN's Angie (Debbi Morgan) and Jesse (Darnell Williams) captured hearts and helped revolutionize the daytime landscape."[19]
Essence magazine, an American fashion, lifestyle and entertainment source, which was the first monthly magazine for African American women, noted Jesse and Angie as well. In an instance of elaborating on Angie's portrayer, the publication cited: "Fans of All My Children have watched the ever-sweet Angie Hubbard evolve from a fresh-faced candy striper into a full-fledged physician — and, in the process, they have felt they've come to know Morgan too. And in a way they have. Both Angie and Debbi are fun-loving, determined women, with high moral standards and lots of integrity."[1]
Kierna Mayo of Essence credited Jesse and Angie for their positive African American representation in the media, as well as their chemistry.[20]
In January 2008, Entertainment Weekly listed the couple at #1 on their list of 17 Great Soap Supercouples.[13]
Awards
After an unsuccessful 1982 nomination, Darnell Williams's portrayal of Jesse Hubbard earned him the 1983
"During her long tenure on the show, Morgan earned two Daytime Emmy nominations, winning the trophy in 1989," stated Essence.[1] In addition, Morgan was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2009, 2011, and 2012.
See also
Notes
- .
- ^ Consequently, Debbi Morgan is the first actor to portray the same character as a regular cast member on three different soap operas.
- ^ Frankie Hubbard has been featured on All My Children, Loving and The City; while Skye Chandler was featured on All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital.
- ^ Angie mentions having a brother on 4-22-10
- ^ Like Pine Valley, Center City is a fictional Pennsylvania municipality on All My Children. It is not to be confused with the downtown section of Philadelphia, which is also referred to as Center City.
- ^ In the February 8, 2008 episode of All My Children, Jesse's date of birth was firmly established as February 8, 1964.
- ^ In the May 20, 2008 episode of All My Children, Jenny's birth and death years are firmly established as January 20, 1964 and August 13, 1984, respectively.
- ^ In the February 8, 2008 episode of All My Children, the date of Jesse's supposed death was firmly established as June 28, 1988.
- ^ Although Frankie's age was accelerated in the mid-1980s and again upon his relocation to Corinth in 1993, the rapid aging was reversed when he re-emerged as "Quentin" in 2007. The placement of his age at 25 in 2008 reconciles with the fact that his birth was depicted in 1983.
References
- ^ a b c d e f Cain, Joy Duckett (September 1989). "Debbi Morgan: feeling good". Essence.
- About.com. Archived from the originalon May 26, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ a b c d "NIXON, AGNES: U.S. Writer-Producer". museum.tv. Archived from the original on 2007-07-13. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ The Boston Herald. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
- ^ Levinsky, Mara; Sloane, Stephanie; and Stacy, Tom. "Shocking Cast Changes! Big Shake-Ups at AMC, DAYS and GH Rock the Soap World", Soap Opera Digest, Dec. 25, 2007, at pp. 36-39.
- ^ "Angie and Jesse return to All My Children!". abc.go.com. Archived from the original on 2007-12-17. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
- SOAPneton January 12, 2008.
- ^ Levinsky, Mara; Sloane, Stephanie; and Stacy, Tom; at p. 39.
- ^ Logan, Michael. "Soaps News: Back in the Valley", TV Guide, Jan. 14-20, 2008, at p. 74.
- ^ a b "TV Guide scoops about the 3 returns from Leetchnut". TV Guide.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb. "Soaps News: Budig's Back on AMC! Plus, an Angie/Jesse Reunion?!". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 2008-12-08. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
- ^ a b "Timeline of daytime soaps". NewsAdvance.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ a b West, Abby (January 29, 2008). "17 Great Soap Supercouples: Jesse and Angie". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2013-06-27. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
- ^ "Soap Opera Digest is turning 30!". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
- ^ "Angela D. Lewis, '85". mycarolina.org. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ ISBN 9780819567659. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ "Memorable Television Events From The Eighties". inthe80s.com. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ "New York Hot Tracks Show Info". retrojunk.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ "Soap Opera Digest: Soap Opera Digest is turning 30! The Big 3-0". soapoperadigest.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-27. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ Mayo, Kierno (2003-08-03). "Afternoon heat". Essence. Retrieved 2007-08-16.[dead link]