Laura Donnelly
Encyclopedia
Laura Donnelly Elliott is a fictional character
in the American
soap opera
Love is a Many Splendored Thing. She was played by actress Donna Mills
, who is closely identified in the role; Laura was also played by Barbara Stanger and Veleka Gray
later on.
's former fiancé, Mark Elliott
, a successful architect in San Francisco.
This was good for her, since Mark's stuffy mother, Helen Elliott Donnelly
, liked her more than Iris. In a complete irony, Helen would become Laura's sister in-law, as well as her mother in-law, after she married Tom Donnelly, Laura and Iris' older brother, a police officer on the San Francisco Police Department.
The two were married and began their lives together. Despite that, Iris was never far from Mark's mind, to the insecure Laura's dismay. However, Iris, good and loyal sister that she was, told Mark to make his marriage work—something she continued to tell him after he mistook her for Laura, made love to her, and impregnated her.
Laura was enraged, although she later realized that it wasn't Iris's fault completely (Iris had been blinded in an accident, and it was Mark who had thought Iris was Laura). Besides, it was Iris who was forever telling Mark to make his marriage work, which made Laura feel good. Iris married Spencer Garrison later on, but yet, Iris had given birth to Mark's daughter, Maggie.
Laura attempted to get custody of her husband's baby from her sister but later rescinded the suit, due to Iris' unswerving loyalty. Nonetheless, Mark and Laura remained married, and later adopted a child, allowing Maggie to be with her mother.
Laura, along with Iris and their brother, Tom, were happy when their father had found love with widowed Lily Chernak, who had a daughter, Dr. Betsy Chernak Taylor
, who worked with Will.
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...
in the 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,...
Love is a Many Splendored Thing. She was played by actress Donna Mills
Donna Mills
Donna Mills is an American actress, most well known for her role as Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing.-Early years:...
, who is closely identified in the role; Laura was also played by Barbara Stanger and Veleka Gray
Veleka Gray
Veleka Gray , sometimes credited as Velekka Gray, is an American actress, best known for her roles as department store executive Vicki Paisley Cannell on Somerset, and as Mia Marriott on Love of Life from 1977 - 1980.-Career:...
later on.
The former nun
Laura, the daughter of widowed pathologist Dr. Will Donnelly, was studying to be a nun. She was a novitiate, Sister Cecilia, but before she was to take her final vows she discovered that the cloistered and sheltered life of a nun was not what she wanted. She left the convent and discovered what she wanted from life. She began to see her sister IrisIris Donnelly Garrison
Iris Donnelly Garrison was a fictional character in the American soap opera, Love is a Many Splendored Thing. She was played, most notably, by actresses Leslie Charleson and Bibi Besch. As the first Iris, Leslie Charleson was a member of the original cast of Love Is a Many Splendored Thing.-Older...
's former fiancé, Mark Elliott
Mark Elliott (Love Is a Many Splendored Thing)
Mark Elliott is a fictional character in the American soap opera, Love is a Many Splendored Thing. Numerous actors played him during the run of the show, Sam Wade,David Birney,Michael Hawkins,Vince Cannon, Tom Fuccello.- Torn Between Two sisters :...
, a successful architect in San Francisco.
This was good for her, since Mark's stuffy mother, Helen Elliott Donnelly
Helen Elliott Donnelly
Helen Elliott Donnelly was a fictional character on the now-cancelled American soap opera, Love is a Many Splendored Thing. She was first played by actress Grace Albertson, who was replaced by actress Gloria Hoye.-Meddling mother:...
, liked her more than Iris. In a complete irony, Helen would become Laura's sister in-law, as well as her mother in-law, after she married Tom Donnelly, Laura and Iris' older brother, a police officer on the San Francisco Police Department.
The two were married and began their lives together. Despite that, Iris was never far from Mark's mind, to the insecure Laura's dismay. However, Iris, good and loyal sister that she was, told Mark to make his marriage work—something she continued to tell him after he mistook her for Laura, made love to her, and impregnated her.
Laura was enraged, although she later realized that it wasn't Iris's fault completely (Iris had been blinded in an accident, and it was Mark who had thought Iris was Laura). Besides, it was Iris who was forever telling Mark to make his marriage work, which made Laura feel good. Iris married Spencer Garrison later on, but yet, Iris had given birth to Mark's daughter, Maggie.
Laura attempted to get custody of her husband's baby from her sister but later rescinded the suit, due to Iris' unswerving loyalty. Nonetheless, Mark and Laura remained married, and later adopted a child, allowing Maggie to be with her mother.
Laura, along with Iris and their brother, Tom, were happy when their father had found love with widowed Lily Chernak, who had a daughter, Dr. Betsy Chernak Taylor
Betsy Chernak Taylor
Dr. Betsy Chernak Taylor was a fictional character on the cancelled American soap opera, Love is a Many Splendored Thing. She was played by actress/singer Andrea Marcovicci.- Liberated lady doctor :...
, who worked with Will.