Matthew Buchanan

Matthew Buchanan is a fictional character on the American soap opera One Life to Live. Born onscreen in 1999, the character was rapidly aged in 2001 with the casting of Eddie Alderson, re-establishing his birth year as 1994 (which is also Alderson's birth year). Alderson stayed with the series until the ABC Daytime finale in 2012. Upon resuming as a web series via The Online Network, Robert Gorrie was cast in the role and debuted April 29, 2013, ultimately revising his birth year to 1992.

Matthew is the only child between supercouple Bo Buchanan and Nora Hanen, as well as the grandson of business tycoon Asa Buchanan. The character's most significant storylines include his friendship with Starr Manning, played by Alderson's real-life sister, Kristen Alderson, his romances with Destiny Evans and Danielle Manning, his time as a paraplegic thanks to a car accident, as well as his feud with Nate Salinger ignited by Matthew's murder of his father, Eddie Ford.

Storylines

1999–2007

In September 1998, Bo (Robert S. Woods) is devastated when his son Drew (Sam Ball), a police officer, is killed in the line of duty.^[1] Bo's wife Nora (Hillary B. Smith) hopes to conceive a child to give Bo a reason to live; out of desperation she turns to former flame Sam Rappaport (Kale Browne, later Laurence Lau). 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 actually Matthew's biological father.^[2][3] In May 2005, Matthew suffers the death of his former "sister" Jennifer (Jessica Morris), Sam's daughter. It is revealed that Jennifer had been murdered by Matthew's stepfather (Nora's husband) Daniel Colson (Mark Dobies) in his effort to cover up the murder of Paul Cramer (David Tom), who had been blackmailing Daniel. Matthew changes his name to Buchanan on June 17, 2005 as a Father's Day gift to Bo.^[2] Matthew has shared a long friendship with Starr Manning, who often manages to get him tangled up in her schemes.

2008–12

In 2008, high school freshman Matthew has trouble fitting in, but is helped by his mother's ward, upperclassman Cole Thornhart (Brandon Buddy). Matthew befriends a feisty and intelligent girl named Destiny Evans (Shenell Edmonds), who cannot understand his need to be liked by the popular crowd. Early in 2009, Matthew tries impress a girl named Becca Salzman (Dina Sipovich) by "admitting" to his parents that he proudly smokes marijuana (which he does not). Matthew narrowly escapes being sent off to military school, and thinks everything is coming together when Becca dances with him at a school dance. When Becca and her cohort Justin (Jack Rovello) humiliate Matthew publicly by attributing the dance to a dare, an upset Matthew runs out and urges Cole, whom he knows is high on drugs, to drive him away. They crash, and Matthew is paralyzed from the waist down indefinitely. He is devastated by the news, but does not blame Cole. Matthew meets with a young doctor named Greg Evans (Terrell Tilford), Destiny's estranged older brother. Greg later promises that he can help Matthew walk again by performing a tricky surgery. Afraid of the risks, Bo and Nora refuse. A furious Matthew hires ruthless lawyer Téa Delgado (Florencia Lozano) to sue his parents for the right to make his own decision about the surgery. Bo and Nora bond on the eve of Nora's marriage to Bo's brother Clint Buchanan (Jerry verDorn), and Matthew and Destiny see them kiss. Immediately prior to the wedding, Matthew threatens to tell Clint if his parents do not yield and allow him to have the surgery. They refuse, but Matthew ultimately does not reveal the truth to Clint to spare his feelings. In court, Téa also attempts to coerce Bo and Nora using the secret of their kiss, despite Matthew's forbidding her to do so. When Téa viciously cross-examines Matthew's half-sister Rachel Gannon (Daphnée Duplaix Samuel) on the stand, Matthew fires her. Matthew wins the case and decides to proceed with the surgery. To prevent him from going through with it, Bo and Nora steal Matthew away to a London boarding school, where he meets Danielle Rayburn (Kelley Missal), Téa's daughter. With Destiny's help, the teens escape and flee back to the United States, where Matthew has the surgery. He regains his ability to walk, and Destiny confesses that she is in love with him, but Matthew soon shares a kiss with Dani; they eventually begin dating. However, when the two go out for the school musical they are introduced to a new transfer student named Nate Salinger (Lenny Platt). Dani falls for Nate and dumps Matthew at Bo and Nora's wedding. Heart broken, Matthew almost sleeps with a prostitute hired by his older brother David (Tuc Watkins), but later reveals to Destiny that he paid the hooker, Fawn, not to sleep with him. Angry at Nate, Matthew harasses him at the country club, where Matthew is a member but Nate an employee, and at basketball tryouts. When the thug Bull is looking for the $50,000 which James Ford (Nic Robuck) had stolen from his father, and which was discovered by Nate, Matthew points Bull towards Nate, resulting in him being kidnapped, and ransomed by Dani and her father, Todd Manning (Trevor St. John). Matthew is further angered when his father Bo gives Nate's mother Inez (Jessica Leccia) a job as his assistant.

Matthew goes to work for his Clint at Buchanan Enterprises as he idolizes his uncle. While there, he catches Rex Balsom (John-Paul Lavoisier) breaking into Clint's office, and turns him over to security, allowing Clint to blackmail Rex into keeping quiet about Clint's abduction of David, and later to blackmail Echo DiSavoy (Kim Zimmer) into keeping quiet about Rex being Clint's son. When Clint hatches a plan to get Inez to seduce Bo, and has Eddie Ford (John Wesley Shipp) kidnap Nora, Clint hints to Matthew that both of his parents are having affairs. This leads Matthew to Inez's apartment, where he witnesses her kissing a drugged Bo. Rex rescues Nora from Eddie's room at the Minuteman Hotel. Leaving Inez's home in tears, Matthew drives away. While trying to call Clint, he nearly collides with a car containing Rex and Nora. Matthew drives off, but Rex's car crashes.

Eddie Ford's body is found at the Minuteman several hours later. Rex is injured from the car accident and Nora is missing.

The next day at school, Matthew argues with Nate Salinger, calling Nate's mother (Inez) a homewrecker. Matthew and Destiny share their first kiss, both feeling that their families had betrayed them. Matthew is enraged at his father until Inez finally admits that she had drugged Bo to make him think that they had sex, but did not. Rex uncovers evidence that Clint had been at the Minuteman Hotel, and when Bo and Nora charge him, Clint reveals to Bo and Nora that he was covering up for Matthew, and has a tape recording where Matthew confesses, and he gives that tape to his parents. Clint went to the Minuteman to cover up all the evidence, including planting the murder weapon at Inez' apartment. Bo and Nora drop the charges against Clint, but keep quiet about Matthew, leading many to wonder why the charges were dropped. A reporter pressures Destiny for information about the Buchanans and the Eddie Ford murder, and Destiny accidentally implies that Matthew killed Eddie. Matthew later confesses to Destiny. She comforts Matthew and the end up making love for the first time.

Destiny avoids Matthew until he tracks her down and they are held hostage by a gun-wielding Marty Saybrooke (Susan Haskell) who has kidnapped Matthew's infant cousin, Liam. Matthew steps in front of the gun to protect Destiny. Destiny's brother, Shaun Evans (Sean Ringgold) accidentally overhears the teens discussing their tryst, but Destiny manages to talk her way out of it. However, Matthew assures Destiny that their one-night stand meant something to him. Later Destiny confides in Dani that Matthew killed Eddie; Nate overhears this and he heads to Matthew's apartment to confront him. Nate punches Matthew as soon as he opens the door, he falls back and hits his head on the coffee table. To protect Matthew, Clint confesses to the crime himself, thinking that he won't serve any time due to his heart giving out on him leaving Matthew devastated. He then confesses to his parents and suddenly collapses. Matthew regains consciousness at the hospital and mistakenly believes it is the year 2009. Matthew undergoes emergency surgery for a subdural hematoma. However, following the surgery, Matthew falls into a brief coma. On June 15, 2011 when all hope is lost for Matthew awakens. Bo and Nora send him to a facility in nearby Philadelphia for rehab. In July 2011 Destiny takes a pregnancy test which confirms she is pregnant. She then confesses to an incoherent Matthew.^[4] In November 2011, Matthew briefly flatlines before he is revived, and finally wakes from a six-month-long coma and realizes Destiny is pregnant. Matthew is furious with Nora when he learns she coerced Destiny into keeping the baby and confides in Destiny that he doesn't know how he feels about being a teenage father. After a pep talk from David, Matthew steps up and agrees to be a father to his child. Destiny and Matthew welcome their son, Drew named after his later brother on January 13, 2012.

2013—

Matthew is first seen post SORAS with Dani's oxy by his parents. He then left and headed to the opening of Shelter, formerly Capricorn, with his old friend from London. He later moves out of his parents house and in with Jeffrey King (Corbin Bleu).

After chatting online with Michelle, he drove to Toronto and learned she was a fake.

Casting and creation

The role was originated by child actors Steven and Nicholas Towler in February 1999 upon the character's onscreen birth. The Towler brothers vacated the role in June 2000. Ian Chandler Sheaffer from July 2000 to the spring of 2001. Eddie Alderson assumed the role on April 2001, on a recurring basis and first appeared on May 10, 2001.^[2] According to costar Hillary B. Smith, Alderson's casting was a bit unconventional. She revealed during an interview that at the time, Sheaffer was having trouble with the role. Alderson at the time was just a kid who hung around the studio because of his sister being on set. Some of a crew members, including Smith recommended Alderson as the new Matthew and then executive producer, Gary Tomlin agreed.^[5] After seven years on a recurring basis, Alderson signed a long term contract in December 2008.^[6][7][8] Alderson departed from the series on August 10, 2011.^[4] In October 2011, Alderson revealed that he had started taping scenes again and was set to reappear in November 2011.^[9] Upon the serial's cancellation by ABC, it was picked up by Prospect Park to continue as an online web series. However, Alderson and his sister Kristen chose to relocate to California to explore other options.^[10][11] Alderson made his last official appearance in the role of Matthew in the finale episode which aired on January 13, 2012. With Alderson now living in Los Angeles, it was announced on January 17, 2013, that the role will be recast when new daily episodes of OLTL are scheduled to begin airing on Hulu via The Online Network in April 2013.^[12][13][14] On February 27, 2013, at the All My Children and One Life to Live press release it was announced Robert Gorrie, who previously appeared as Nate Bradley on As the World Turns, will play Matthew when new daily episodes of OLTL are scheduled to begin airing on Hulu via The Online Network in April 2013.^[15]

References

Notes