Paul Cramer
Encyclopedia
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. In August 2004, the role was temporarily played by Shane McRae
.
Paul crossed over to ABC's All My Children
multiple times in 2003 and 2004 during a "baby switch" storyline involving both series. The character of Paul was killed off as part of a murder mystery storyline in October 2004, but lingered in newly-created flashback
s and other characters' dreams and hallucinations until May 2005.
Tom is the real-life brother of Heather Tom
, who played Paul's half-sister Kelly Cramer
.
in late 2003 at the re-opening Crossroads, the bar formerly owned by Ben Davidson
. In search of Sarah Roberts
, the daughter of Tina Lord
and Cord Roberts
, Paul says he had known Sarah's brother C.J. while serving as a pilot in the Navy
and that he had made "the biggest mistake of his life." The nature of this mistake is never revealed as Paul never shares any scenes with Sarah and instead becomes embroiled in a storyline with Dorian Lord and the Cramer family
.
A local society maven, Dorian is shocked as Paul arrives on her doorstep and claims to be the son of Dorian's mentally disturbed younger sister Melinda (who had recently confessed to Dorian that she had given birth to another child during her years in Europe
) and therefore Kelly
's brother. Paul was raised by an upstanding foster family and has only just recently learned of his true heritage. Dorian soon worries that this heretofore unknown Cramer could be the heir to her aging Aunt Betsy's fortune. Aunt Betsy, an eccentric old spinster, has very specific ideas on what a "real Cramer" should be and feels that almost all the women in the family have abdicated their power and self-esteem to men. Dorian and her other niece Blair
are desperate to get their hands on Aunt Betsy's inheritance, and the matriarchal family is shocked when man-hating Betsy's favor turns to the dark horse: Paul, the newcomer, who also happens to be a man.
A seemingly agreeable young man with his life in order, Paul is soon targeted for ruin by Dorian and her partner in crime David Vickers
. Determined to get Aunt Betsy's inheritance, Dorian and David seek any information they can use against Paul to force him out of Betsy's good graces. They find just that in the discovery of Paul's connection to schemer Babe Carey
from Pine Valley
, and Paul and Babe's outrageous marriage from the recent past. With Paul out of Betsy's favor, Dorian and David are free and clear to use Carlotta Vega's ward Adriana Colón
to gain control of the Cramer wealth once and for all. Paul, meanwhile, begins exhibiting shadier behavior, like working with Dr. William Long, then-Chief of Staff of Llanview Hospital, to sell organs on the black market, and blackmail
ing Jennifer Rappaport
for sex using a tape of Rex Balsom
and Jen's mother Lindsay
in bed.
on All My Children ultimately leads to an extensive "baby switch" crossover
storyline in 2004. Paul finds himself delivering the babies of both Babe and her friend Bianca Montgomery
during a rainstorm in nearby Pine Valley
on March 24, 2004. Paul stages a crash with his MEDEVAC
helicopter and takes Babe's son for Kelly, who is desperate for a child to save her marriage after miscarrying her own. Paul initially tells Babe that her child had died in the accident; threatened at the scene by the powerful family of the child's father, Paul quickly changes his plan, giving Bianca's daughter
to Babe and telling Bianca that her baby had died instead. Unaware of the child's origins, Kelly brings Babe's infant back to Llanview, passing him off as her child with Kevin. Kevin and Kelly name the baby Asa "Ace" Buchanan II after Kevin's grandfather. Babe discovers that "her daughter" is really Bianca's, but remains silent for months and allows Paul to manipulate her and Bianca. Meanwhile, a devastated Kelly discovers that Paul had stolen Ace from his mother; Paul, desperate for cash, blackmails Kelly by threatening to reveal the secret to Kevin and Llanview. Armed with the truth, Kelly realizes they must return the child to his parents; though broken-hearted, they do. Bianca's family resents Babe for the baby switch, seemingly forgetting Paul's role in the incident.
Daniel Colson, new husband of Nora Buchanan
. Paul had been blackmailing Daniel, who is secretly gay
and carrying on a torrid affair with local college student Mark Solomon. When Paul learned the truth about Daniel's extramarital activities, Daniel eliminated him and attempted to pin the crime on Jennifer Rappaport. During the course of the storyline, Paul appeared to Daniel as a ghoulish hallucination, warning him that he would be exposed.
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 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...
daytime 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...
. Paul was originated on October 3, 2003 by Brock Cuchna
Brock Cuchna
Brock Cuchna is an American actor known for his portrayal of the first Paul Cramer on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live from 2003 to 2004.-Early life:...
, who played the role until March 10, 2004. The character was then recast with David Tom
David Tom
David Tom is an American actor.-Career:In 1993, Tom was nominated for two Young Artist Awards for his roles in Stepfather III and Stay Tuned...
on March 11, 2004. In August 2004, the role was temporarily played by Shane McRae
Shane McRae
Shane McRae is an American actor. He appeared in Hack, guest starred on One Life to Live, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and Cold Case, and was one of the stars of the ill-fated sitcom, Four Kings....
.
Paul crossed over to ABC's 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...
multiple times in 2003 and 2004 during a "baby switch" storyline involving both series. The character of Paul was killed off as part of a murder mystery storyline in October 2004, but lingered in newly-created flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
s and other characters' dreams and hallucinations until May 2005.
Tom is the real-life brother of Heather Tom
Heather Tom
Heather Marie Tom is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Victoria Newman on The Young and the Restless, Kelly Cramer on One Life to Live and currently Katie Logan Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful....
, who played Paul's half-sister Kelly Cramer
Kelly Cramer
Kelly Cramer is a fictional character on the long-running daytime soap opera One Life to Live, most notably portrayed by Gina Tognoni, who first appeared in the role February 17, 1995 and left on August 24, 2011.-Casting:...
.
Beginnings
Paul Cramer first appears in LlanviewLlanview, Pennsylvania
Llanview, Pennsylvania is the fictional setting for the long-running American soap opera One Life to Live. The city exists in the same fictional universe as cities from other existing or defunct ABC daytime dramas, including Pine Valley from All My Children, Port Charles from General Hospital, and...
in late 2003 at the re-opening Crossroads, the bar formerly owned by Ben Davidson
Ben Davidson (One Life to Live)
Dr. Ben Davidson is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, portrayed by actor Mark Derwin from February 1999 to August 2002, and briefly in February 2004 and July 2008...
. In search of Sarah Roberts
Sarah Roberts
Sarah Victoria Roberts is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. She is the daughter of Tina Lord and Cord Roberts.-Casting:...
, the daughter of Tina Lord
Tina Lord
Tina Lord Roberts is a fictional character on the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live, originated and most notably portrayed by Andrea Evans...
and Cord Roberts
Cord Roberts
Cordero "Cord" Roberts is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated in 1986 by John Loprieno, who left the series in 1992 and then returned from 1993 through 1997...
, Paul says he had known Sarah's brother C.J. while serving as a pilot in the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and that he had made "the biggest mistake of his life." The nature of this mistake is never revealed as Paul never shares any scenes with Sarah and instead becomes embroiled in a storyline with Dorian Lord and the Cramer family
Cramer family
The Cramer family are a fictional family on the American soap opera One Life to Live. The popularity and longevity of the family began with the introduction of Dr. Dorian Cramer to the show, debuting on the series in 1973...
.
A local society maven, Dorian is shocked as Paul arrives on her doorstep and claims to be the son of Dorian's mentally disturbed younger sister Melinda (who had recently confessed to Dorian that she had given birth to another child during her years in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
) and therefore Kelly
Kelly Cramer
Kelly Cramer is a fictional character on the long-running daytime soap opera One Life to Live, most notably portrayed by Gina Tognoni, who first appeared in the role February 17, 1995 and left on August 24, 2011.-Casting:...
's brother. Paul was raised by an upstanding foster family and has only just recently learned of his true heritage. Dorian soon worries that this heretofore unknown Cramer could be the heir to her aging Aunt Betsy's fortune. Aunt Betsy, an eccentric old spinster, has very specific ideas on what a "real Cramer" should be and feels that almost all the women in the family have abdicated their power and self-esteem to men. Dorian and her other niece Blair
Blair Cramer
Blair Cramer is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live...
are desperate to get their hands on Aunt Betsy's inheritance, and the matriarchal family is shocked when man-hating Betsy's favor turns to the dark horse: Paul, the newcomer, who also happens to be a man.
A seemingly agreeable young man with his life in order, Paul is soon targeted for ruin by Dorian and her partner in crime David Vickers
David Vickers
David Vickers Buchanan is a fictional character from the daytime soap opera One Life to Live, portrayed by Tuc Watkins.-Appearances:...
. Determined to get Aunt Betsy's inheritance, Dorian and David seek any information they can use against Paul to force him out of Betsy's good graces. They find just that in the discovery of Paul's connection to schemer Babe Carey
Babe 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...
from Pine Valley
Pine Valley, Pennsylvania
Pine Valley, Pennsylvania is the fictional setting for the long-running American soap opera All My Children. It is a small suburb of Philadelphia...
, and Paul and Babe's outrageous marriage from the recent past. With Paul out of Betsy's favor, Dorian and David are free and clear to use Carlotta Vega's ward Adriana Colón
Adriana Cramer
Adriana Cramer is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live, portrayed most notably by Melissa Fumero.-Casting:...
to gain control of the Cramer wealth once and for all. Paul, meanwhile, begins exhibiting shadier behavior, like working with Dr. William Long, then-Chief of Staff of Llanview Hospital, to sell organs on the black market, and blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
ing 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...
for sex using a tape of Rex Balsom
Rex Balsom
Rex Balsom is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live, portrayed by John-Paul Lavoisier since May 9, 2002.With the character initially named "Jamie" prior to production, then-Executive Producer Gary Tomlin "toyed with the idea" of putting Rex in a gay storyline;...
and Jen's mother Lindsay
Lindsay Rappaport
Lindsay Rappaport is a fictional character from the American daytime drama One Life to Live, portrayed by Catherine Hickland from May 1998 to October 2008. Hickland briefly reprised the role in July 2009. Hickland is set to reprise her role as Lindsay in late 2011...
in bed.
Crossover to All My Children
Paul's December 30, 2003 visit to his estranged secret wife Babe CareyBabe 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...
on All My Children ultimately leads to an extensive "baby switch" crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
storyline in 2004. Paul finds himself delivering the babies of both Babe and her friend Bianca Montgomery
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...
during a rainstorm in nearby Pine Valley
Pine Valley, Pennsylvania
Pine Valley, Pennsylvania is the fictional setting for the long-running American soap opera All My Children. It is a small suburb of Philadelphia...
on March 24, 2004. Paul stages a crash with his MEDEVAC
MEDEVAC
Medical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
helicopter and takes Babe's son for Kelly, who is desperate for a child to save her marriage after miscarrying her own. Paul initially tells Babe that her child had died in the accident; threatened at the scene by the powerful family of the child's father, Paul quickly changes his plan, giving Bianca's daughter
Miranda Montgomery
Miranda Mona Montgomery is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. She is currently portrayed by Mackenzie Aladjem...
to Babe and telling Bianca that her baby had died instead. Unaware of the child's origins, Kelly brings Babe's infant back to Llanview, passing him off as her child with Kevin. Kevin and Kelly name the baby Asa "Ace" Buchanan II after Kevin's grandfather. Babe discovers that "her daughter" is really Bianca's, but remains silent for months and allows Paul to manipulate her and Bianca. Meanwhile, a devastated Kelly discovers that Paul had stolen Ace from his mother; Paul, desperate for cash, blackmails Kelly by threatening to reveal the secret to Kevin and Llanview. Armed with the truth, Kelly realizes they must return the child to his parents; though broken-hearted, they do. Bianca's family resents Babe for the baby switch, seemingly forgetting Paul's role in the incident.
Demise
After alienating nearly everyone in town, Paul has a mysterious meeting in a cemetery on 27 October 2004; his corpse is later revealed in an open grave, shot to death. A murder mystery plays out, and in 2005 the killer is revealed to be respectable District AttorneyDistrict attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Daniel Colson, new husband of Nora Buchanan
Nora Hanen
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.-Casting:...
. Paul had been blackmailing Daniel, who is secretly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and carrying on a torrid affair with local college student Mark Solomon. When Paul learned the truth about Daniel's extramarital activities, Daniel eliminated him and attempted to pin the crime on Jennifer Rappaport. During the course of the storyline, Paul appeared to Daniel as a ghoulish hallucination, warning him that he would be exposed.