Occupation: Actress

Children: Stormy and Miranda Blackthorne (with James Blackthorne), Keaton Hartley (with Deacon Edgewater)

Grandchildren: R.J. Blackthorne, Tiger Jennings

Relationships: James Blackthorne, Jordan Rydell, Nathan Blackthorne, Philip Whitacre, Will Thomerson, Kyle Fenwick

Appearances: Seasons 1 – 6

Who’d Play Her: Lesley Ann Down

A Life in the Spotlight: Born Mary Ann McCormack, Alex arrived in Hollywood in April 1978, where actress Suzanne Rogers encouraged her to reinvent herself with a more glamorous name. As Alex Reynolds, she soon caught the attention of Deacon Edgewater, president of Double Strike Studios, and slept with him in exchange for the leading role in the horror film Bad Night. Not long afterward, Alex discovered she was pregnant with Deacon’s child.

Her career continued to rise after she met legendary actor Nathan Blackthorne, who introduced her to studio head Jonas Lamont. Jonas signed Alex to a contract with Lamont 3, but when he learned of her pregnancy, he sent her away to give birth in secret and arranged for the baby to be placed for adoption. Alex later became romantically involved with Nathan while they were filming another Lamont 3 production, Serendipity Express. Their relationship was complicated by the arrival of Nathan’s nephew, James, who moved to Hollywood to shadow his famous uncle. Alex and James were immediately drawn to one another, leaving Nathan deeply hurt and humiliated.

Alex and James eventually married and, following Jonas’s death, moved into his mansion. The following year, Alex gave birth to their son, Ryan James. Nathan, unable to accept that he had lost her, later raped Alex. When she confided in James, he refused to believe her. The betrayal shattered their marriage, and the couple decided to have another child in the hope of repairing what had been broken. Their daughter Miranda was born the following year.

As Nathan’s rape trial approached, he threatened Alex in an attempt to prevent her from testifying. Her marriage to James continued to deteriorate, and after both of them engaged in affairs, James ordered Alex to leave and filed for divorce. Soon afterward, he became involved with Brooke, a beautiful makeup artist at Sunset Studios.

Determined to punish James for his cruel treatment of her, Alex aligned herself with one of his greatest rivals in the film industry, Jordan Rydell. Their alliance quickly became an affair. At the same time, Will Thomerson, an enemy of James’s from his hometown of Windsor, Kansas, arrived in Los Angeles with his own plans for revenge. Alex found herself captivated by the handsome and charismatic Will, but it was Jordan with whom she ultimately fell in love.

Alex and Jordan married twice, only for both marriages to end bitterly. The repeated heartbreak, coupled with growing conflicts with her adult children, left Alex increasingly desperate and isolated. One lonely evening, she accidentally overdosed on pills while drinking and nearly died in a fire. She was rescued by Kyle Fenwick, a handsome man many years her junior, and the two embarked on a brief but passionate affair.

Alex later became obsessed with the idea of having another child. When her son Stormy’s estranged wife appeared at her door with Stormy’s infant, Alex paid the woman to disappear and passed the baby off as a child she had adopted. When those closest to her began demanding answers about the biological mother, Alex hired an actress to play the part. Jane Wheeler posed as a recovering addict whom Alex claimed to have met in rehabilitation.

What Alex never anticipated was that Jane and Stormy would develop real feelings for one another. When Jane threatened to expose their deception, Alex had her committed to a rehabilitation facility. Once the truth was finally revealed, Stormy refused to forgive his mother.

Years later, rising film director Keaton Hartley came to town after being hired to work on Nathan Blackthorne’s comeback film. Keaton eventually appeared at Alex’s door with a gun and revealed that he was the son she had given up after becoming pregnant by Deacon Edgewater. Consumed by resentment over his abandonment, Keaton demanded revenge. The police arrived before he could harm her and took him into custody.

In the aftermath of the confrontation, Alex once again found comfort in Jordan, and the former lovers reunited for a third time.