#kdp30

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Christmas, TnB style!

[kimannfran]

#KDP30

Love has strange power.

#tnb

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFSETS (KDP30)

Blair and her beloved aunt/partner in crime, Dr. Dorian Lord

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFSETS (KDP30)

Blair and the true love of her life, her shining Starr

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFSETS (KDP30)

Blair and her miracle son, Jack. Probably the healthiest, most stable and loving relationships she’s ever had with a man.

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFSETS (KDP30)

Blair and her best friend, her formidable rival, her equal partner, her soulmate from hell and love of her life, her husband (past, present and future) Todd Manning

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFSETS (KDP30)

Blair and the closest thing she’s ever had to a sister - her cousin, Cassie!

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFSETS (KDP30)

Blair and her most worthy rival, Marty Saybrooke

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFSETS (KDP30)

Blair and her bestie (with occasional benefits), the gorgeous Cristian Vega

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFSETS (KDP30)

Blair & Asa Buchanan

she married him for his money, he raped her for a son, she left him to die and they’ve hated each-other ever since

“the old gray mare just ain’t what he used to be”

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From Girl Next Door to Conniver Blair

Kassie Wesley is making a dramatic switch from sweet young thing to Llanview’s bad girl BLAIR but she’s not daunted by the challenge.

“I’m so excited about this,” Kassie tells SOAP OPERA MAGAZINE. “My character CHELSEA REARDON on GL was so squeaky clean, while Blair is on the dark side.”

“I’m so used to playing the girl next door. It’s like night and day. But it’s definitely going to be fun.”

The young actress left GL in January 1991 after five years as Chelsea, then moved to California with her husband Richard Hankins, GL’s former art director.

This is her first soap role since then, and also the first time she’s taken over a part held by another actress. Devious Blair, who shares her Aunt Dorian’s scheming genes, was previously played by Mia Korf.

Kassie, whose first airdate was December 15, admits it could be tough taking over a role when another actress is so closely identified with that part of the audience.

“There will be people saying, ‘Kassie’s better’ and others saying ‘She’s never going to be the Blair we know.’ It takes a while for people to warm up to you, but even more-so when you’re recast in a role,” Kassie explains.

With quiet confidence, she adds; “I can do the acting and play the part, but I cannot believe that out of all the actresses they had to pick from, they picked me. That’s not to say I can’t play the bitch - just ask my husband!”

It’s easy to be confident when you’re as multitalented as Kassie. Besides her acting credits, she’s a superb singer and songwriter. She was featured as a backup singer with Bobby Womack and other country music stars, and she performed solo at Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

Still looking to further her musical career, Kassie is now sending her demo record to recording companies, hoping to land a contract.

Born in Morganfield, KY, Kassie first got interested in acting in a high school speech class. Then she attended Indiana University and completed her studies in theatre at UCLA.

After getting a few small TV roles and commercials, Kassie signed on with GL in 1986. When she quit and headed to California with Richard, she admits it was rough finding work, but never regretted her decision to move there.

“You have to go with your gut feeling and my gut was telling me it was time to try other things , and I did,” Kassie says. “I had a great time, and I thought: If I’m going to be unemployed, I’d rather be unemployed in California where I can go out and play golf!” she laughs.

During her two years on the West Coast, Kassie stayed busy. “I did an episode of Timetrax, which aired in November, and an episode of Melrose Place which was scheduled to air sometime in December or January. Then I’ve got an episode of Baywatch airing in February.”

When the part of Blair came up on OLTL, Kassie got caught in a whirlwind of frenetic activity: auditions in Los Angeles, a screen test in New York, and trying to fit it all into her frantic schedule.

“They gave me the weekend to think about it,” she says. “Everything was happening so fast, and I was trying to get through one job before moving on to another job. So I came to New York on Monday and did the screen test, and found out I got the role on Tuesday.”

“That was the week of Thanksgiving and I’d already planned to go home to Kentucky to see my family. I went home and just came straight from Kentucky to New York and began working. So it’s been a little overwhelming.”

Kassie, who speaks with a charming Southern accent, won’t make that part of Blair’s new image. “Of course I’m going to do it without the accent,” she tells us. “I did GL without it. Once you learn lines it’s much easier to control the accent. The hardest part is going to be working with all those Texas cowboys, CORD, ASA and CLINT with their accents.”

“I’m sure there are certain words that are going to come out only like Southerners say them, but I’ll do the best I can,” she concludes with a laugh.

- Soap Opera Magazine (1994)

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFSETS (KDP30)

Through their ups and downs, Blair and Kelly always had each-others backs when it counted.

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFSETS (KDP30)

Blair and her mama Addie Cramer

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Former rapist Todd and full-time schemer Blair shared a one-nighter in late 1994. In 1995, Blair faked a pregnancy and married Todd to get his inheritance. They divorced, but remarried for love. Blair gave birth to Todd’s daughter, Starr, in 1996, but his jealousy drove them apart and he paid Tea to marry him so he’d obtain parental custody. After a divorce and remarriage to Tea, Todd fled town and prosecution in 1998, came back in 2000 and knocked up Blair earlier this year. She lied that the kid was Max’s after Todd dumped her at the altar. In October, Todd gave the newborn away and told Blair that the tot had died; he just got his hands back on the baby after learning that it really is his son after all.

When Blair met Todd, how did she feel about his rapist past?

“Blair wasn’t one to judge. Todd was exciting. She had always been such an outcast and he accepted her. And in turn, that made her accept him for who he was. She knew he wasn’t perfect and she liked that.”

What is the continuing attraction between them?

“That they’re both outsiders and they understand each-other. They’re better together than they are separate.”

Was Blair jealous of Tea?

“She didn’t like her. Blair felt that she stole her life and her daughter away. She loved Todd and she loves her daughter, and Tea came in and tried to be a Blair wannabe.”

Why do they have such a hard time getting together for any length of time?

“Because both of them are so afraid of being hurt and being left alone. And the trust factor is a big deal.”

Have you disagreed with the story path over the years?

“Yeah. The start of Blair not telling him she was pregnant with his child, and his taking Starr away and kicking Blair out of the house - that was mean stuff that Todd and Blair wouldn’t do to each-other.”

Are Todd and Blair soul mates?

“Yes. Their connection is so deeply rooted. Less is more with them. They don’t even need dialogue to speak. What they don’t say speaks volumes.”

Blair’s now had two kids with Todd. Is he the man she always envisioned being a father to her children?

“If you’re part of the Addams family, yes. They’re not the all-American, loving, white-picket-fence kind of family, but what they feel is real and they don’t hold anything back.”

- Kassie DePaiva Interview in Soap Opera Digest (2001)

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFSETS (KDP30)

Blair and babies! Here she is with grand-daughter Hope Manning-Thornhart (left) and adopted son Sam Lord (right)

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFSETS (KDP30)

Blair and her first love, Max Holden. He was her addiction for many years as they went from an affair to co-conspirators to enemies to spouses to friends.