| Marian Colby Chandler | |||||||||||
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| Jennifer Bassey as Marian Colby Chnadler | |||||||||||
| All My Children | |||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Jennifer Bassey | ||||||||||
| Current status | Former; Recurring | ||||||||||
| Duration | 1983-85, 1995-98, 1998-2009, 2011 | ||||||||||
| First appearance | 1983 | ||||||||||
| Last appearance | September 23, 2011 | ||||||||||
| Cause/reason | Series Finale | ||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||
| Family | Colby Family Chandler family | ||||||||||
| Gender | Female | ||||||||||
| Occupation | Real estate agent | ||||||||||
| Residence | Pine Valley, Pennsylvania | ||||||||||
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Marian Colby Chandler is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera, All My Children, portrayed by Jennifer Bassey.
Storylines[]
Marian was a frustrated homemaker who seduced a very young Tad Martin while he was dating her daughter, Liza Colby. When Liza found out about her mother and Tad's torrid affair, Liza left Pine Valley. After Marian lost both Tad and then her husband Larry (heart attack) Marian turned her attention to Zach Grayson, a hustler and con artist, who blackmailed half of Pine Valley. Zach Grayson was found murdered and Daisy Cortlandt was convicted. When Donna Tyler was hypnotized, Marian was found to be the real killer (she claimed self defense). Due to her rewarding the warden with her infamous favors, Marian only spent 6 months in jail.
Upon her release, Marian got her real estate license and hired Tad as her assistant (but hoping for more than his assistance). Tad refused. Marian was seen in Pine Valley briefly over the next few years until Tad starting dating Dixie Cooney Martin. Adam Chandler paid Marian to once again seduce Tad in order to prove Tad's lothario reputation to Dixie. When this scheme failed, Marian was once again "put on the back burner" until her daughter, Liza, returned to Pine Valley.
Liza's return didn't bring about the mother-daughter reunion Marian had hoped for. Liza was still unable to forgive her mother for her nefarious seduction of Tad and "anything else in pants." Marian fell "in love" with Dr. Jonathan Kinder who was "in love" with Marian's money. When Marian chose aiding Dr. Kinder's escape from Pine Valley over remaining in Pine Valley and helping Liza through a cancer scare, all chances of a reunion between Marian and Liza went up in smoke. Marian managed to redeem herself somewhat when she assisted Erica Kane, Skye Chandler-Quartermaine and Janet Marlowe Dillon in the extradition of Dr. Kinder to the US where he was arrested. Marian lost all her assets in the Kinder affair and was homeless and manless, sponging off Liza and Adam. Marian traded her room and board at the Chandler estate for spying on Adam and his lawyer as they tried to oust Liza from the marriage and the estate.
Marian became firmly attached to Stuart Chandler after a rather ironic turn of events. Marian slipped into bed with Stuart, unwittingly mistaking him for a sleeping Adam, and they made love. Marian was hoping to use this ploy as leverage for her daughter in Liza's divorce suit against Adam. In court, however, Stuart revealed that he was the one who'd made "angel wings" with Marian that night. A touching and very endearing relationship was born between them that day. Although Adam tried to tear them apart [he once invited several of Marian's old flames to dinner with Stuart and Marian to humiliate her] this pair have managed to remain devoted to each other.
When Liza approved of Stuart's request for Marian's hand in marriage, Adam took this chance to offer to throw a big wedding for Marian and Stuart. Liza told Adam she would answer his proposal of marriage at the wedding to seal the deal. Dressed as the Queen of Hearts, Marian became Mrs. Stuart Chandler during the biggest snowstorm in Pine Valley history.
The marriage between the two took an upsetting turn when Stuart was believed to have been killed in a cabin fire. In actuality, after learning from Adam that he had set Marian up to look as if she'd had an affair, Stuart wandered around aimlessly in the dark of night. He was struck by Arlene Dillon Vaughan's car. Arlene was intoxicated and fled the scene. Stuart, meanwhile, was thrown onto a sandy beach where he was pretty much left for dead. Later, Stuart's cabin burned down and the body of a man was found with some of Stuart's belongings. No one knew that this was someone else who had found Stuart's lifeless body and mugged him. Marian was crushed by her husband's death. Wanting to help out, Opal Cortlandt asked that Fredrick, a psychic who had helped Maria Santos and Edmund Grey locate their supposedly dead child, to help Marian contact Stuart. The psychic told Marian that he was unable to contact Stuart on the other side, but his remark set Marian into a frenzy. She misunderstood what the man was saying and thought that he was hinting that Stuart didn't make it to heaven. While at the Chandler Mansion looking through some of Stuart's things, Marian ended up locked in the attic, where Arlene had locked Stuart upon her surprise return to Pine Valley. The two quickly made up for lost time and Marian's love for Stuart helped "will" back his lost memory. Marian wanted to send Arlene to jail for what she had done, but compassionate Stuart talked her out of it.
Stuart and Marian returned to wedded bliss and resumed their life together until May of 2009 when Stuart was presumed dead. Stuart had dressed up like Adam and someone had mistaken him for his brother and shot him. Kendall Hart Slater was accused of the crime and Marian was enraged when Liza took Kendall's case. Marian threatened to disown her daughter if she continued to defend the person that had killed her husband.
The trial for Stuart's murder started and Scott Chandler took the stand and spoke about Stuart's forgiving nature and that Stuart would want his killer to go free. Marian took the stand after and insisted that she had not forgiven Stuart's murderer and that Kendall should rot in hell. Kendall was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison but Marian was not satisfied with that outcome. She believed Kendall should have received the death penalty. Marian fired a shot at Kendall but instead hit Liza's legal assistant Marissa Tasker.
Marian went into shock after she shot the wrong person and Liza immediately agreed to represent her. Marian responded by telling Liza she needed to head home to make dinner for Stuart but they could meet up soon for lunch. Liza questioned her mother about the events that had just happened but Marian was unable to recall them. Liza arranged for Marian to be transferred to Oak Haven for psychiatric care.
In Oak Haven, Marian spent time with other Pine Valley residents including Annie Novak and Janet Marlowe Dillon. She also reconnected with Erica Kane while she was briefly a patient as well. Janet arranged for the women to escape when she started a fire as a diversion. After the fire, Erica took Marian to Kendall's home to hide and Marian apologized for trying to shoot her. Kendall accepted the apology and explained she had suffered the loss of her own husband and understood the pain Marian had felt after losing Stuart.
On September 22, 2011, Marian was reunited with Stuart. He was revealed to be alive after he had been saved from near death by David Hayward. Scott took Marian to Stuart's hospital room, and Stuart called Marian his queen of hearts and kissed her.
Crimes Committed[]
- Murdered Zach Grayson in self-defense
- Aided and abetted Dr. Jonathan Kinder in his escape from Pine Valley
- Held Adam Chandler prisoner in his "safe room"
- Allowed Stuart Chandler to impersonate Adam and sign his name to Adam's checks
- Kept quiet about seeing Adam dump Arlene Dillon Vaughan over the side of the yacht
- Forged Arlene's signature on a divorce decree from Adam
- Told Liza Colby to keep quiet about pushing Mia Saunders out of the window [Nov 26, 2002]
- Slapped Kendall Slater [Jul 21, 2009]
- Shot Marissa Tasker, though she intended to shoot Kendall [Aug 7, 2009]
Health and Vitals[]
- Slapped by Lee [Aug 10, 1998]