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.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. 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.
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.
Matthew has shared a long friendship with Starr Manning, who often
manages to get him tangled up in her schemes.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.
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.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. 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.
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.
Matthew has shared a long friendship with Starr Manning, who often
manages to get him tangled up in her schemes.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.
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