Soap opera character
| Adam Chandler | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| All My Children character | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | David Canary | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration |
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| First appearance | 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; recurring | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Wisner Washam | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by |
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| Crossover appearances | One Life to Live | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Adam Chandler is a fictional character from the ABC and The Online Network daytime drama All My Children, portrayed by David Canary from the autumn of 1983 through his departure on April 23, 2010, and briefly reprising the role for the series' final weeks on ABC in September 2011. Canary also appeared several different times on One Life to Live. Adam Chandler was one of the most devious and powerful individuals within the town of Pine Valley, Pennsylvania. He is a member of the powerful and wealthy Chandler family, residing at the Chandler Mansion (300 River Road).
Adam has been one of Pine Valley's most frequently married characters, but his most significant relationships have been with his sunny-natured autistic twin Stuart, and his long-time business rival Palmer Cortlandt; although the feud quieted down when Palmer's appearances within the show significantly decreased.
Five of Adam's eight children have survived into adulthood; Skye Chandler Quartermaine, Hayley Vaughan Santos, JR Chandler, Miguel Reyes, and Colby Chandler. Through them, he has three grandchildren; Lila Rae Alcazar (Skye's daughter), Enzo Santos (Hayley's son), and AJ Chandler (JR's son). Alcoholism seems to run in the Chandler family, affecting Skye, Hayley and JR; Colby briefly followed the same path. His son JR was estranged from Adam because of his marriage to Annie Novak, and he started an affair with Annie to break up his father's marriage. This led to Adam Chandler leaving Pine Valley permanently (it is believed) in April 2010, to be with former wife Brooke English. After leaving town, Adam had his attorney and another ex-wife, Liza, serve Annie divorce papers.
Recognized beyond fiction, Adam has been cited by scholars as one of the "most powerful male figures in television", as well as one of its most complex villains, said to "combine ruthlessness in business and love with wit and sometimes true tenderness."
Reception
In 2024, Charlie Mason from Soaps She Knows placed Adam 30th on his ranked list of Soaps' 40 Most Iconic Characters of All Time, writing, "Never let it be said that the Pine Valley power player portrayed by the late David Canary from 1983-2013 had no redeeming qualities. He had one: twin brother Stuart!"
Notes and references
- Adam and Erica were first married in 1984. When the couple "divorced" in 1985, it was Stuart who initiated the divorce making it invalid. Adam and Erica reunited and renewed their vows in 1991 and officially divorced in 1993.
- Adam and Liza married for the second time in 1999, and divorced in 2000. The couple re-married again in March 2001, and divorced in 2003.
- Henry Jenkins; Tara McPherson; Jane Shattuc (2002). Hop on Pop: The Politics and Pleasures of Popular Culture. Duke University Press. p. 792 pages (specific page). ISBN 978-0-8223-2737-0.
- David Mansour (2005). From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 560. ISBN 978-0-7407-5118-9.
- Dorothy Catherine (1999). Other Worlds: Society Seen Through Soap Opera. Broadview Press. p. 171 pages (specific page). ISBN 978-1-55111-103-2.
- Mason, Charlie (August 12, 2024). "You're the Tops: Soaps' 40 Most Iconic Characters of All Time, Ranked". Soaps She Knows. SHE Media. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
Further reading
- Jennifer Hayward (1997). Consuming Pleasures: Active Audiences and Serial Fictions from Dickens to Soap Opera. University Press of Kentucky. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-8131-2025-6.
- Christopher Schemering (1985). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia. Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-32459-7.
External links
- Adam Chandler's Character Bio from ABC.com
- Adam Chandler from soapcentral.com
- Adam Chandler at All My Children Blog
- All My Children characters
- Fictional criminals in soap operas
- Fictional bartenders in soap operas
- Fictional business executives
- Fictional socialites
- Male villains
- American male characters in soap operas
- Television characters introduced in 1983
- Fictional characters from West Virginia
- Fictional identical twins
- Twin characters in soap operas
- Fictional businesspeople in soap operas