Antonio Vega
Encyclopedia
Antonio Vega is a fictional character
on the long-running American
soap opera
One Life to Live
. The role was originated on July 10, 1995 by Kamar de los Reyes
, who left in August 1997 and made an appearance in 1998. De los Reyes returned in February 2000 and portrayed the character until March 25, 2009. He returned briefly on April 21 & 22, 2009 to say goodbye to Talia.
's Angel Square, is released from prison in 1995 after serving a seven-year sentence for killing a man. Antonio is well-known among the urban youth of Llanview as "El Leon", leader of the "Prides" gang, but his past crimes haunt him as well as his family. Antonio ultimately proves that his crime had been self-defense; with the help of attorney Nora Buchanan
he becomes a lawyer, and then a police officer. He marries fellow officer (and half-sister to Max Holden
) Andy Harrison, eventually leaving town for California
in 1997. He returns to Llanview in 2000, having divorced Andy, who had cheated on him with her new partner on the force. On the rebound from his failed marriage, Antonio has a casual yet complicated fling with Vega family friend Roseanne Delgado, and discovers unresolved sexual tension with partner Sophia Pellegrino, but finds nothing lasting.
In 2001, Antonio finds love again, falling for Llanview University professor Keri Reynolds; only later does he discover that she is the long-lost daughter of his longtime nemesis, R.J. Gannon
. Antonio and Keri's relationship is relentlessly dogged by Antonio and R.J.'s feud, and in 2002, Antonio's rage against Gannon reaches a fever pitch, resulting in catastrophe. During a crisis situation, a rattled and stressed Antonio fires the gunshot that wounds Viki Davidson's
husband Ben
and puts him in a coma. Realizing it had been an accident in the line of duty, Viki forgives Antonio, but Antonio and Keri's relationship, already stretched to the breaking point by Antonio's drive to 'get' R.J., disintegrates as the guilt-stricken Antonio flees town to deal with his feelings. While outside of Llanview, Antonio has a one night stand with a mystery woman. He returns home rested and prepared to reunite with Keri, but is shocked to realize that his mystery woman was in fact Keri's mother, Liz Reynolds! Through a convoluted series of coincidences, Keri ends up serving as a surrogate mother and carrying to term what Antonio and Liz secretly believe to be their own "love child".
In 2003, Antonio and Keri become engaged, but Antonio can no longer live with his deception. Antonio confesses the truth about his liaison with Liz to Keri, who reacts by going into premature labor and delivering her daughter, Jamie, who turns out to actually be Keri's daughter and not Liz's. Disgusted with Antonio, Keri leaves Llanview, taking Jamie and a guilty Liz with her. The plane crashes, and Antonio believes his fiancee and daughter dead; secretly, Keri and Jamie have survived the crash (while Liz perished), and Keri is in hiding in Canada
, unable to forgive Antonio. While still grieving for Keri, Antonio forms a bond with Viki's daughter Jessica Buchanan
, who had once been his brother Cristian's
first love. Antonio's heroic efforts to protect Jessica from her biological father, the psychotic Mitch Laurence
, bring the star-crossed pair into close proximity, and they begin to fall in love. Antonio and Jessica's romance is derailed, however, when Keri's ruse is revealed, and Antonio and Keri begin a battle for parental custody of their daughter. The increasingly unstable Keri fights Jessica for Antonio's love and attempts to frame Antonio for domestic assault. After a nasty verbal confrontation with Antonio at the Palace Hotel, Keri throws herself from her balcony, committing suicide, and a grieving R.J. promptly frames Antonio for his daughter's murder. Jessica helps Antonio exonerate himself, and Antonio and R.J. grudgingly agree to share custody of Jamie, their last tie to Keri. Antonio and Jessica's relationship deepens, especially when Antonio loses Cristian to violence.
In 2004, Antonio and Jessica become embroiled in the affairs of the shadowy Santi drug cartel. Antonio discovers that his mother Carlotta is in fact related to infamous Latin American drug lord Manuel Santi, and that family friend Adriana Colon
is really the late Santi's daughter by Dorian Lord. Antonio and Jessica also meet Santi associate Sonia Toledo and young scion Tico Santi, Manuel's cultured and aristocratic second son, who claims to be legitimate and disdainful of his father's dirty dealings. They also meet the mysterious "Angelina," Tico's former nanny, who reacts strangely to meeting Antonio, and whose presence stuns Carlotta. Under tremendous pressure, Carlotta and Angelina are forced to admit that Antonio is actually the eldest son and heir of Manuel Santi, "Manuel II." A car bomb attack meant for Santi had supposedly killed Manuel II, along with his mother Isabella, but in truth, both had survived. Isabella had given the child to sister-in-law Carlotta to adopt, who renamed him Antonio, and severed all ties with Manuel in order to protect the boy from her brother's enemies. Antonio's world is rocked even harder when he discovers that "Angelina" is actually Isabella Santi - Antonio's biological mother! Following a vicious argument with Tico over her secrets, Angelina dies in Antonio's arms. Reeling from the revelation that everything he thought he knew about his life was a lie, Antonio spirals into despair and self-destructive behavior, breaking up with Jessica, resigning from the police force, and beginning a sexual relationship with Sonia Toledo. He also begins working as a rogue agent to expose the mysterious "El Tiburon," the criminal who has taken control of Santi's former cartel. He soon discovers that El Tiburon is really his younger brother Tico, who has seduced the lovelorn Jessica and convinced her to marry him. Around the same time, Cristian miraculously returns from the dead, secretly programmed by Tico to kill Antonio, but the programming fails as the trauma of trying to kill his own "brother" brings Cristian's memories flooding back. Tico then tries to blackmail Antonio into assassinating the governor of Pennsylvania
, who Tico had been using as a political catspaw, but Antonio turns the tables by shooting Tico instead. Tico dies in the hospital, killed by Cristian on secret orders from mob boss Carlo Hesser
. Eventually, Antonio is cleared of all charges and regains his job at the Llanview Police Department, reuniting with Jessica.
In 2005, Antonio becomes involved in yet another fierce custody battle with R.J. over Jamie. Antonio's relationship with Jessica first helps his case, but her subsequent struggle with dissociative identity disorder
later proves a detriment. In an attempt to secure custody, Antonio uses his Santi inheritance to drive R.J.'s club into bankruptcy and then into his own hands. He hopes to force R.J. to return to a life of crime so Antonio might then catch him in the act. Antonio succeeds and regains full custody of Jamie, and re-opens R.J.'s club "Capricorn". Antonio then devotes himself to recovering Jessica, who is grappling with her wild and dangerous alternate personality, "Tess." After a crime spree across Llanview, Tess absconds to New York
and begins a relationship with Nash Brennan
, conceiving a child with him. Tess despises Antonio as much as Jessica loves him, but Antonio remains dedicated to Jessica even as she gives birth to Nash's daughter, Brennan, a.k.a. "Bree." After Jessica's personalities are integrated, Antonio marries Jessica on November 9, 2006, unaware of her own newfound feelings for Nash. At Antonio's prompting, Jessica nearly adopts Jamie, but begins an affair with Nash instead. Jessica and Antonio split up when her infidelity is revealed.
Antonio leaves town temporarily with Jamie after Jessica admits her feelings for Nash, but returns when he learns that a gravely ill Jessica needs a liver transplant and he is a match. They divorce when Jessica recovers, and Antonio begins to put his life back together as a single parent. Still reeling from a difficult year, Antonio is initially oblivious to the romantic attention of newfound friend Talia Sahid
, his driven, no-nonsense partner on the police force. Talia, who prioritizes her job over her personal life, finds herself at a loss when it comes to her feelings for Antonio, and struggles to hide her desire for him, knowing Antonio is vulnerable and on the rebound after his divorce. Eventually, Talia confesses all, and after some soul-searching on Antonio's part, the two officially become a couple on New Year's Day
2008.
Antonio and Talia's new relationship is in full bloom in spring 2008, but their lives are rocked when longtime Police Commissioner
Bo Buchanan
is fired and replaced with the conniving Lee Ramsey, former FBI agent and nemesis of Antonio's colleague and friend John McBain
. Almost simultaneously, Antonio loses the whole of his inheritance when victims of the Santi crime family file for reparations, leaving Antonio financially bereft. He then sells Capricorn to Blair Cramer
. Under pressure and struggling to make ends meet, Antonio seemingly becomes jealous and embittered regarding Talia's new office partnership with John. John and Talia know that Ramsey is corrupt, but Antonio publicly refuses to take a stand against him, out of fear of losing his job in his current financial situation. Antonio's bond with the sympathetic Ramsey seems to strengthen even as Antonio and Talia's relationship seems to be on the wane, and eventually, Antonio appears to walk in on John and Talia in a romantic dalliance at a sleazy motel. Antonio and Talia break up and Talia and John seem to begin a relationship of their own, the trio's personal and professional relationships having disintegrated completely. Antonio appears to fall deeper and deeper under Ramsey's sway, and after being told that Jamie is seriously ill, Antonio pockets money from an undercover drug buy - while Ramsey is watching. But in early May, it becomes evident that all is not as it seems between John, Talia, and Antonio, when John and Talia go out on a date on the waterfront. Their "date" turns out to really be a romantic rendezvous for Antonio and Talia, who kiss passionately away from the prying eyes of Ramsey and his spies on the force. Evidently, Antonio's break-up with Talia, feud with John, and descent into criminality are all part of a scheme to entrap Ramsey.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the long-running American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
. The role was originated on July 10, 1995 by Kamar de los Reyes
Kamar de los Reyes
Kamar de los Reyes is an American actor.Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Cuban percussionist Walfredo de los Reyes and a Puerto Rican mother, Matilde Pages, Kamar de los Reyes grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada...
, who left in August 1997 and made an appearance in 1998. De los Reyes returned in February 2000 and portrayed the character until March 25, 2009. He returned briefly on April 21 & 22, 2009 to say goodbye to Talia.
Storylines
Carlotta Vega's elder son Antonio, a former gang member in LlanviewLlanview, Pennsylvania
Llanview, Pennsylvania is the fictional setting for the long-running American soap opera One Life to Live. The city exists in the same fictional universe as cities from other existing or defunct ABC daytime dramas, including Pine Valley from All My Children, Port Charles from General Hospital, and...
's Angel Square, is released from prison in 1995 after serving a seven-year sentence for killing a man. Antonio is well-known among the urban youth of Llanview as "El Leon", leader of the "Prides" gang, but his past crimes haunt him as well as his family. Antonio ultimately proves that his crime had been self-defense; with the help of attorney Nora Buchanan
Nora Hanen
Nora Hanen Buchanan is a fictional character on the long-running American soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated by Hillary B. Smith in September 1992.-Casting:...
he becomes a lawyer, and then a police officer. He marries fellow officer (and half-sister to Max Holden
Max Holden (One Life to Live)
Max Holden is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. He was most popularly portrayed by James DePaiva.-Storylines:Max Holden came to Llanview in 1987 and as soon as he got there, he became involved in a love triangle with two women, Tina Lord Roberts and Gabrielle Medina....
) Andy Harrison, eventually leaving town for California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1997. He returns to Llanview in 2000, having divorced Andy, who had cheated on him with her new partner on the force. On the rebound from his failed marriage, Antonio has a casual yet complicated fling with Vega family friend Roseanne Delgado, and discovers unresolved sexual tension with partner Sophia Pellegrino, but finds nothing lasting.
In 2001, Antonio finds love again, falling for Llanview University professor Keri Reynolds; only later does he discover that she is the long-lost daughter of his longtime nemesis, R.J. Gannon
R.J. Gannon
Randall James "R. J." Gannon is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, One Life to Live. He has been portrayed by Timothy D. Stickney since 1994, though the character was put on recurring status in 2006 and aired through May 29, 2008. He returned briefly in April 2009 for three episodes.R.J...
. Antonio and Keri's relationship is relentlessly dogged by Antonio and R.J.'s feud, and in 2002, Antonio's rage against Gannon reaches a fever pitch, resulting in catastrophe. During a crisis situation, a rattled and stressed Antonio fires the gunshot that wounds Viki Davidson's
Victoria Lord
Victoria "Viki" Lord is the principal fictional character and matriarch of the Lord family on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
husband Ben
Ben Davidson (One Life to Live)
Dr. Ben Davidson is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, portrayed by actor Mark Derwin from February 1999 to August 2002, and briefly in February 2004 and July 2008...
and puts him in a coma. Realizing it had been an accident in the line of duty, Viki forgives Antonio, but Antonio and Keri's relationship, already stretched to the breaking point by Antonio's drive to 'get' R.J., disintegrates as the guilt-stricken Antonio flees town to deal with his feelings. While outside of Llanview, Antonio has a one night stand with a mystery woman. He returns home rested and prepared to reunite with Keri, but is shocked to realize that his mystery woman was in fact Keri's mother, Liz Reynolds! Through a convoluted series of coincidences, Keri ends up serving as a surrogate mother and carrying to term what Antonio and Liz secretly believe to be their own "love child".
In 2003, Antonio and Keri become engaged, but Antonio can no longer live with his deception. Antonio confesses the truth about his liaison with Liz to Keri, who reacts by going into premature labor and delivering her daughter, Jamie, who turns out to actually be Keri's daughter and not Liz's. Disgusted with Antonio, Keri leaves Llanview, taking Jamie and a guilty Liz with her. The plane crashes, and Antonio believes his fiancee and daughter dead; secretly, Keri and Jamie have survived the crash (while Liz perished), and Keri is in hiding in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, unable to forgive Antonio. While still grieving for Keri, Antonio forms a bond with Viki's daughter Jessica Buchanan
Jessica Buchanan
Jessica Eugenia Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
, who had once been his brother Cristian's
Cristian Vega
Cristian Vega is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live. The character was most notably portrayed by David Fumero, who played Cristian from June 26, 1998 to September 8, 2011.-Casting:...
first love. Antonio's heroic efforts to protect Jessica from her biological father, the psychotic Mitch Laurence
Mitch Laurence
Mitchell "Mitch" Laurence is a fictional character, portrayed by Roscoe Born, on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live, from 1985 to 1987 and again from 2002 to 2003...
, bring the star-crossed pair into close proximity, and they begin to fall in love. Antonio and Jessica's romance is derailed, however, when Keri's ruse is revealed, and Antonio and Keri begin a battle for parental custody of their daughter. The increasingly unstable Keri fights Jessica for Antonio's love and attempts to frame Antonio for domestic assault. After a nasty verbal confrontation with Antonio at the Palace Hotel, Keri throws herself from her balcony, committing suicide, and a grieving R.J. promptly frames Antonio for his daughter's murder. Jessica helps Antonio exonerate himself, and Antonio and R.J. grudgingly agree to share custody of Jamie, their last tie to Keri. Antonio and Jessica's relationship deepens, especially when Antonio loses Cristian to violence.
In 2004, Antonio and Jessica become embroiled in the affairs of the shadowy Santi drug cartel. Antonio discovers that his mother Carlotta is in fact related to infamous Latin American drug lord Manuel Santi, and that family friend Adriana Colon
Adriana Cramer
Adriana Cramer is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live, portrayed most notably by Melissa Fumero.-Casting:...
is really the late Santi's daughter by Dorian Lord. Antonio and Jessica also meet Santi associate Sonia Toledo and young scion Tico Santi, Manuel's cultured and aristocratic second son, who claims to be legitimate and disdainful of his father's dirty dealings. They also meet the mysterious "Angelina," Tico's former nanny, who reacts strangely to meeting Antonio, and whose presence stuns Carlotta. Under tremendous pressure, Carlotta and Angelina are forced to admit that Antonio is actually the eldest son and heir of Manuel Santi, "Manuel II." A car bomb attack meant for Santi had supposedly killed Manuel II, along with his mother Isabella, but in truth, both had survived. Isabella had given the child to sister-in-law Carlotta to adopt, who renamed him Antonio, and severed all ties with Manuel in order to protect the boy from her brother's enemies. Antonio's world is rocked even harder when he discovers that "Angelina" is actually Isabella Santi - Antonio's biological mother! Following a vicious argument with Tico over her secrets, Angelina dies in Antonio's arms. Reeling from the revelation that everything he thought he knew about his life was a lie, Antonio spirals into despair and self-destructive behavior, breaking up with Jessica, resigning from the police force, and beginning a sexual relationship with Sonia Toledo. He also begins working as a rogue agent to expose the mysterious "El Tiburon," the criminal who has taken control of Santi's former cartel. He soon discovers that El Tiburon is really his younger brother Tico, who has seduced the lovelorn Jessica and convinced her to marry him. Around the same time, Cristian miraculously returns from the dead, secretly programmed by Tico to kill Antonio, but the programming fails as the trauma of trying to kill his own "brother" brings Cristian's memories flooding back. Tico then tries to blackmail Antonio into assassinating the governor of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, who Tico had been using as a political catspaw, but Antonio turns the tables by shooting Tico instead. Tico dies in the hospital, killed by Cristian on secret orders from mob boss Carlo Hesser
Carlo Hesser
Carlo Hesser is a fictional character on ABC's daytime drama One Life to Live. He has been played by Thom Christopher from 1990 to 1992, 1996 to 1997, in 2005 and from July 3, 2008 to September 11, 2008. The character was named after Lisa S...
. Eventually, Antonio is cleared of all charges and regains his job at the Llanview Police Department, reuniting with Jessica.
In 2005, Antonio becomes involved in yet another fierce custody battle with R.J. over Jamie. Antonio's relationship with Jessica first helps his case, but her subsequent struggle with dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
later proves a detriment. In an attempt to secure custody, Antonio uses his Santi inheritance to drive R.J.'s club into bankruptcy and then into his own hands. He hopes to force R.J. to return to a life of crime so Antonio might then catch him in the act. Antonio succeeds and regains full custody of Jamie, and re-opens R.J.'s club "Capricorn". Antonio then devotes himself to recovering Jessica, who is grappling with her wild and dangerous alternate personality, "Tess." After a crime spree across Llanview, Tess absconds to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and begins a relationship with Nash Brennan
Nash Brennan
Nash Brennan is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live, played by Forbes March from July 7, 2005 to June 5, 2008, and then briefly from June 6, 2008 to July 16, 2008.-Tess and Jessica:...
, conceiving a child with him. Tess despises Antonio as much as Jessica loves him, but Antonio remains dedicated to Jessica even as she gives birth to Nash's daughter, Brennan, a.k.a. "Bree." After Jessica's personalities are integrated, Antonio marries Jessica on November 9, 2006, unaware of her own newfound feelings for Nash. At Antonio's prompting, Jessica nearly adopts Jamie, but begins an affair with Nash instead. Jessica and Antonio split up when her infidelity is revealed.
Antonio leaves town temporarily with Jamie after Jessica admits her feelings for Nash, but returns when he learns that a gravely ill Jessica needs a liver transplant and he is a match. They divorce when Jessica recovers, and Antonio begins to put his life back together as a single parent. Still reeling from a difficult year, Antonio is initially oblivious to the romantic attention of newfound friend Talia Sahid
Talia Sahid
Talia Cosima Sahid is a fictional character on ABC's daytime drama One Life to Live played by BethAnn Bonner from December 21, 2006 to April 22, 2009.-Casting:...
, his driven, no-nonsense partner on the police force. Talia, who prioritizes her job over her personal life, finds herself at a loss when it comes to her feelings for Antonio, and struggles to hide her desire for him, knowing Antonio is vulnerable and on the rebound after his divorce. Eventually, Talia confesses all, and after some soul-searching on Antonio's part, the two officially become a couple on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
2008.
Antonio and Talia's new relationship is in full bloom in spring 2008, but their lives are rocked when longtime Police Commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
Bo Buchanan
Bo Buchanan
Beaufort Oglethorpe "Bo" Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live.-Casting and awards:The role was originated in 1979 by Robert S. Woods, who briefly left the series in 1986 but returned in 1988, and currently portrays the role...
is fired and replaced with the conniving Lee Ramsey, former FBI agent and nemesis of Antonio's colleague and friend John McBain
John McBain (One Life to Live)
John McBain is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live, portrayed by Michael Easton since October 1, 2003.-Natalie and Evangeline:...
. Almost simultaneously, Antonio loses the whole of his inheritance when victims of the Santi crime family file for reparations, leaving Antonio financially bereft. He then sells Capricorn to Blair Cramer
Blair Cramer
Blair Cramer is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live...
. Under pressure and struggling to make ends meet, Antonio seemingly becomes jealous and embittered regarding Talia's new office partnership with John. John and Talia know that Ramsey is corrupt, but Antonio publicly refuses to take a stand against him, out of fear of losing his job in his current financial situation. Antonio's bond with the sympathetic Ramsey seems to strengthen even as Antonio and Talia's relationship seems to be on the wane, and eventually, Antonio appears to walk in on John and Talia in a romantic dalliance at a sleazy motel. Antonio and Talia break up and Talia and John seem to begin a relationship of their own, the trio's personal and professional relationships having disintegrated completely. Antonio appears to fall deeper and deeper under Ramsey's sway, and after being told that Jamie is seriously ill, Antonio pockets money from an undercover drug buy - while Ramsey is watching. But in early May, it becomes evident that all is not as it seems between John, Talia, and Antonio, when John and Talia go out on a date on the waterfront. Their "date" turns out to really be a romantic rendezvous for Antonio and Talia, who kiss passionately away from the prying eyes of Ramsey and his spies on the force. Evidently, Antonio's break-up with Talia, feud with John, and descent into criminality are all part of a scheme to entrap Ramsey.