Background
The Quartermaines were first introduced in 1977, when Stuart Damon originated the role of Alan Quartermaine. His parents and sister were next to be brought on canvas. Anna Lee originated matriarch Lila Quartermaine, with David Lewis being the first to play her husband Edward. Jane Elliot was cast as sharp-talking Tracy.
The Quartermaines are notorious for their socialite status as well as their dysfunctional tendencies. Prone to comedic fights, they annually attempt to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner only for it to be ruined and have to order pizza. At Christmas time, the family has been known for their annual Christmas reading at the Hospital's Pediatric Ward Christmas party, ever since the passing of former Chief of Staff Steve Hardy, until the party remained to be aired. In a 1992 interview, Stuart Damon described the family:
| “ | Here's a grouping of characters that, over the years, no matter what else has gone on, works. They're well-drawn, and the family is steeped in history. In soap operas, relationships are the things that work. | ” |
Once an integral part of major storyline arcs, the Quartermaines have seen a diminishing amount of screen time since 2006, and many characters of the family have died on-screen.
Read more about this topic: Quartermaine Family
Famous quotes containing the word background:
“Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after satiety as after disappointment; that background which the painter may not daub, be he master or bungler, and which, however awkward a figure we may have made in the foreground, remains ever our inviolable asylum, where no indignity can assail, no personality can disturb us.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Pilate with his question “What is truth?” is gladly trotted out these days as an advocate of Christ, so as to arouse the suspicion that everything known and knowable is an illusion and to erect the cross upon that gruesome background of the impossibility of knowledge.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“... every experience in life enriches one’s background and should teach valuable lessons.”
—Mary Barnett Gilson (1877–?)