Sarah Roberts (character)


Sarah Roberts is a fictional character from the American serial drama One Life to Live and is the daughter of supercouple Tina Lord and Cord Roberts.

Casting

Child actors Alexa and Zoe Fisher portrayed the role in 1991, followed by Courtney Chase from February 8, 1993, to 1994. Sarah has been most notably played by Hayden Panettiere from February 1, 1994, to January 13, 1997, and Shanelle Workman from February 4, 2003, to January 28, 2004. Justis Bolding portrayed the role from June 14, 2007, to January 7, 2009.

Character history

1990–91

In 1990, Tina had been seeing suave Johnny Dee Hesser, son of mobster Carlo Hesser, and had also slept with ex-husband Cord. She soon discovers she is pregnant but is not sure who the child's father is. Though believing the baby to be Johnny's, Cord is willing to reunite with Tina to raise the child as his own. Finding out about the baby, a distraught Johnny bursts into Llanfair, knocking Tina unconscious and attempting to kidnap her. Tina's sister Victoria "Viki" Lord Buchanan had suffered a stroke, leaving her unable to walk or speak. Viki struggled with and overcome dissociative identity disorder in the past; realizing that Tina's life is in danger, Viki's alternate personality Niki Smith emerges. As Niki, Viki is able to stand, and then shoots Johnny to death. Initially, both Viki and Tina have no memory of what happened, and Tina becomes the prime suspect in the murder. However, an audio tape recorded in the room later exonerates her and proves that Viki had acted in self-defense.
Johnny's father Carlo wants to take his grandchild from Tina, who flees to Texas. Armed with medical proof that the baby is his, Cord follows. Tina goes into labor in a snowstorm, and with the help of Cord and DuAnn Demerest, gives birth in February 1991. She and Cord name their daughter Sarah Victoria, after presumed-dead family member Sarah Gordon Buchanan and Viki. Cord and Tina return to Llanview and remarry.

1993–97

Cord is later presumed dead in 1992, and both Sarah and her older brother Clinton James "C.J." Roberts become attached to their mother's new boyfriend, Cain Rogan. Cord returns in 1993 suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome, but after much intrigue Tina marries Cain in 1994 and leaves town with him. She returns without him soon after, and rededicates herself to raising her children.
Rapist Todd Manning escapes from prison, but saves the lives of Sarah, C.J. and their cousin Jessica Buchanan. A man named David Vickers comes to town, claiming to be Tina's secret brother; soon Tina joins forces with imposter David to swindle the massive inheritance from her and Viki's real brother: Todd Manning. Ultimately, Tina moves to Baltimore with C.J. and Sarah in 1996, the three returning briefly in 1997 to say good bye to Cord as he leaves for London.

2003–04

A young woman calling herself "Flash" appears in Llanview in 2003 and befriends Viki's son Joey Buchanan. She sings in a band with Riley Colson, and they are romantically involved. It is soon revealed that Flash is actually Sarah Roberts, looking for her brother C.J., with whom she had lost touch. Sarah had also lost track of her mother Tina, explaining that Tina's parenting had forced both her and her brother to run away. Sarah gives up on finding C.J. after their great-grandfather Asa Buchanan's investigation uncovers that C.J. had enlisted in the Navy and is at that point stationed on an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean. Sarah is terrorized and nearly murdered by the Music Box Killer in 2004; he strangles her, but she survives and her voice is saved. Cord arrives to bring her back to London for further recovery, and she breaks up with Riley in a Dear John letter.

2007–09

Sarah reappears in Chicago on June 14, 2007, discovering that her boyfriend Hunter Atwood has been holding her uncle Todd Manning hostage. She secretly calls Todd's ex-wife Blair Cramer in Llanview with Todd's whereabouts, asking that Blair not involve the police. Blair, Cristian Vega, and Rex Balsom come to Chicago but Hunter has taken Todd elsewhere. After Hunter threatens Sarah on the phone, Cristian and Rex insist she return with them to Llanview and stay with one of her several family members there; not eager to reunite with her family, she refuses. Sarah finally agrees – if she can stay with Rex or Cristian – claiming that she has been staying "off the Buchanan grid" and living off money from her parents, who believe she is abroad with an important job. Hunter turns up in Llanview; Todd is ultimately found and Hunter killed. Sarah goes to the Buchanan mansion to talk to Asa, but finds out he had died the night before. Sarah's father Cord comes to town for the funeral; they have a brief reunion, and he returns to London. Strapped for cash, Sarah takes a job as a waitress at Capricorn. Not any good as a server or bartender, Sarah pressures club manager Cristian for more responsibilities, in particular a position as talent booker, supposedly her area of expertise. Cristian refuses repeatedly, insisting that she needs to prove herself first. He finally challenges Sarah to book a major talent to perform at Capricorn, never expecting that she can do it. Owed a favor by hip-hop star Timbaland's manager, Sarah manages to book the singer, along with OneRepublic and Keri Hilson to perform on October 9, 2007. Sarah and Cristian become romantically involved.
Tina reappears in town on June 11, 2008 as the Crown Princess of Mendorra, and finds herself on the run from the sinister U.S. Ambassador to Mendorra Jonas Chamberlain, who wants the Mendorran Crown Jewels she has stolen. Tina finds refuge with Sarah and Cristian; soon Cristian and his brother, Llanview Police Detective Antonio, discover that Jonas has abducted Sarah and her roommate Talia Sahid, Antonio's lover and fellow police officer. Tina and the Vegas agree to accompany Jonas back to Mendorra in order to make an exchange: the women for the Crown Jewels. In Mendorra, the real mastermind behind the kidnappings is revealed to be Carlo Hesser, and Tina is desperate to exchange the jewels for Sarah. Carlo, bent on revenge for Tina's part in his son's death years before, drags Tina, Sarah, and Cristian to the river above the treacherous Hohenstein Falls. Tina is horrified as Carlo reveals his intent to send Sarah over the Falls to her death, deliberately echoing Tina's own nearly-fatal plunge over the Iguazu Falls in Argentina in 1987. Cristian escapes Carlo's guards and swims to Sarah's raft; Tina watches history repeat itself as Sarah and Cristian go over the Falls on July 22, 2008. Cristian turns up alive but Sarah is presumed dead. Cristian saves Tina from the executioner's axe, and Sarah reappears alive, just in time to join the others in their escape. Cristian is kidnapped by Carlo from an airport during the journey home, and is placed in a Colombian prison under the name "Ray Montez". The real Ray's estranged wife Vanessa visits to finalize their divorce and helps Cristian get out in exchange for his help in protecting Vanessa and her stepdaughter Lola from the homicidal Ray, who has apparently escaped. Cristian brings Vanessa and Lola home to Llanview and invites them to stay with him. Vanessa's presence complicates Sarah and Cristian's relationship, which is strained further as Vanessa is threatened with deportation. Meanwhile, Sarah is disappointed as Tina leaves town on November 25, 2008. Despite Sarah's protestations, Cristian is compelled to marry Vanessa to keep her in the country after her life is threatened. Hurt and believing that Vanessa is manipulating the situation, Sarah tells the INS that the marriage is a fraud. On January 7, 2009, Sarah confronts Cristian, berating him for abandoning their relationship and telling him that she has accepted a job as the tour manager for the band Puddle of Mudd. In tears, she storms out and leaves town.