Sam Bennett
Encyclopedia
Samuel "Sam" Bennett is a fictional character
on the NBC
/DirecTV
soap opera
Passions
. Sam was played throughout the duration of the show by James Hyde
.
When Sam was a teenager he fell for Ivy Winthrop, the daughter of Governor Harrison Winthrop whom he met while he worked as a lifeguard
. Sam went away one summer to work on one of the boats of Ivy's father so he could afford to marry Ivy. Sam's letters to Ivy were intercepted by Ivy's father, and she began to think that Sam had forgotten about her and was seeing other women while she was away. She began to date Alistair Crane's son Julian
. The Winthrops had respectability, and the Cranes had money and the two patriarchs thought their children marrying was far superior to Ivy marrying a Bennett. Ivy married Julian, realizing that night that he did not love her but had been pressured into the marriage by his father. She ran off to find comfort in the arms of Sam, and they consummated their love. Soon after, Ivy gave birth to Sam's son Ethan
, but she passed him off as Julian's son. She stayed with Julian because Sam had no money. Ivy and Julian would go on to have three children together: Fancy Crane
, Fox Crane
and Pretty Crane, but Ivy loved Ethan the most and doted on him because he was Sam's.
Sam left Harmony for several years and went to Boston where he saved a woman named Grace Standish from a fire; she later suffered from amnesia. The two fell in love, married and had three children of their own Noah Bennett
, Kay Bennett and Jessica Bennett. They were together for about 20 years.
In late October 2006, Ivy's secret was revealed when Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald
pressed Sam's stressed-out daughter Kay to reveal what was hurting her. Much to Ivy's horror, Kay revealed the truth and Sam believed her. Sam subsequently lost it and told Ivy to get out, trashing the kitchen in the process, and telling Ivy that if she was not out of his house by the time he got home, he was not going to be responsible for his own destructible actions. Grace, upon learning the truth, decided to come back home and reunite with Sam. She died in London when a bomb was planted on her bus while she was on her way to the airport to catch a flight to Harmony in January 2007, sending Sam and their children into mourning. He forgave Ivy for what she did to Grace, but they didn't get back together; Sam and Eve walked in on Ivy and Julian having drunken sex. It was not until September 2007 where Sam and Ivy would become a couple again.
, Sam's parents were named Benjamin Bennett (on the show it was Sam also) and Margaret Joyce. He also had at least two more brothers in addition to Hank. Information in the book has not been confirmed on-screen and is not considered to be canonical
since the information seen on the show contradicts much of what was said in the book.
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 NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
/DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
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,...
Passions
Passions
Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
. Sam was played throughout the duration of the show by James Hyde
James Hyde
James Hyde is an American actor, dancer, and former male fashion model who played the role of Sam Bennett on the television soap opera Passions. Full name is James Robert Hyde. He was born and raised in Lancaster, Ohio.-Biography:...
.
Character's background
Sam, the eldest son of a former Harmony Police Chief, would also become a Harmony police chief. Sam has a much younger brother named Hank Bennett who is not much older than Sam's eldest son. Growing up, Sam was best friends with T.C. Russell and is still close with him to this day.When Sam was a teenager he fell for Ivy Winthrop, the daughter of Governor Harrison Winthrop whom he met while he worked as a lifeguard
Lifeguard
A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...
. Sam went away one summer to work on one of the boats of Ivy's father so he could afford to marry Ivy. Sam's letters to Ivy were intercepted by Ivy's father, and she began to think that Sam had forgotten about her and was seeing other women while she was away. She began to date Alistair Crane's son Julian
Julian Crane
Julian Linus Crane is a fictional character on the American soap opera Passions. Throughout the show's nine-year run, Julian is portrayed by original cast member Ben Masters, and the character debuted on July 8, 1999....
. The Winthrops had respectability, and the Cranes had money and the two patriarchs thought their children marrying was far superior to Ivy marrying a Bennett. Ivy married Julian, realizing that night that he did not love her but had been pressured into the marriage by his father. She ran off to find comfort in the arms of Sam, and they consummated their love. Soon after, Ivy gave birth to Sam's son Ethan
Ethan Winthrop
Ethan Winthrop is a fictional character on the NBC/DirecTV daytime drama Passions. Ethan is played by both Travis Schuldt and Eric Martsolf...
, but she passed him off as Julian's son. She stayed with Julian because Sam had no money. Ivy and Julian would go on to have three children together: Fancy Crane
Fancy Crane
Fancy Lopez-Fitzgerald is a fictional character on the NBC/DirecTV soap opera Passions and is portrayed by actress Emily Harper from the May 13, 2005 episode through the series finale...
, Fox Crane
Fox Crane
Nicholas Foxworth "Fox" Crane is a fictional character on the NBC/DirecTV soap opera Passions and was portrayed by Justin Hartley from December 17, 2002—February 10, 2006, and Mark Cameron Wystrach from February 14, 2006—September 7, 2007...
and Pretty Crane, but Ivy loved Ethan the most and doted on him because he was Sam's.
Sam left Harmony for several years and went to Boston where he saved a woman named Grace Standish from a fire; she later suffered from amnesia. The two fell in love, married and had three children of their own Noah Bennett
Noah Bennett
Noah Bennett is a fictional character on the NBC/DirecTV soap opera Passions, portrayed by Dylan Fergus from May 13, 2005 to August 7, 2008.-Character's background:...
, Kay Bennett and Jessica Bennett. They were together for about 20 years.
Series beginning
Ivy and Sam saw each other for the first time since 1974 in July 1999. Ivy decided to come back into Sam's life and did everything in her power to break up Grace and Sam. The revelation that Ethan was actually Sam's son caused friction in Sam and Grace's marriage, as well as causing Grace's miscarriage due to her shock at the news. Ivy blackmailed photographer David Hastings into pretending to be the religious Grace's first husband, from before the fire. While Hurricane Peggy hit Harmony, Ivy helped Sam to place the beacon back on the lighthouse to save the teenagers, including the Bennett girls, who were on Warlock Island for a school trip. Ivy was struck by lightning, fell and became paralyzed. Grace left Sam and went away with David believing he was her first husband. In time, Sam and Ivy reconnected and after Julian divorced Ivy, she moved in with Sam.In late October 2006, Ivy's secret was revealed when Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald
Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald
Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald is a fictional character on the NBC/DirecTV soap opera Passions. The youngest son of the once-missing Martin Fitzgerald and Mexican immigrant Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald, the character as played by Jesse Metcalfe was caught in a love triangle with true love Charity Standish and...
pressed Sam's stressed-out daughter Kay to reveal what was hurting her. Much to Ivy's horror, Kay revealed the truth and Sam believed her. Sam subsequently lost it and told Ivy to get out, trashing the kitchen in the process, and telling Ivy that if she was not out of his house by the time he got home, he was not going to be responsible for his own destructible actions. Grace, upon learning the truth, decided to come back home and reunite with Sam. She died in London when a bomb was planted on her bus while she was on her way to the airport to catch a flight to Harmony in January 2007, sending Sam and their children into mourning. He forgave Ivy for what she did to Grace, but they didn't get back together; Sam and Eve walked in on Ivy and Julian having drunken sex. It was not until September 2007 where Sam and Ivy would become a couple again.
Hidden Passions
In the book Hidden PassionsHidden Passions
Hidden Passions: Secrets from the Diaries of Tabitha Lenox was a tie-in novelization released by HarperEntertainment in 2001 that was loosely based on the NBC soap opera Passions...
, Sam's parents were named Benjamin Bennett (on the show it was Sam also) and Margaret Joyce. He also had at least two more brothers in addition to Hank. Information in the book has not been confirmed on-screen and is not considered to be canonical
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
since the information seen on the show contradicts much of what was said in the book.