Dixie Cooney

Dixie Cooney
Cady McClain as Dixie Cooney
All My Children character
Portrayed by	Kari Gibson (1988) Cady McClain (1988–2013)
Duration	1988–96, 1998–2002, 2005–08, 2010–11, 2013
First appearance	July 1988
Last appearance	September 2, 2013
Created by	Lorraine Broderick
Introduced by	Stephen Schenkel Jean Dadario Burke (1998) Julie Hanan Carruthers (2005) Ginger Smith (2013)
Crossover appearances	One Life to Live
Classification	Final, regular
Profile
Other names	Dixie Chandler Dixie Martin Dixie Lawson Dixie Bodine
Occupation	Head of the Miranda Montgomery Center for Women and Children Therapist
Residence	3420 Canyon Drive Pine Valley, Pennsylvania
Family Cortlandt/Cooney Parents Seabone Hunkle Bess Cooney Brothers Will Cortlandt Sisters Lanie Cortlandt Rampal Half-brothers Del Henry Half-sisters Di Henry Spouse Adam Chandler (1989) Tad Martin (1989–90, 1994–96, 1999–2002, 2013–) Craig Lawson (1991–92) Brian Bodine (1992–93) Children JR Chandler Kathy Martin Stepchildren Damon Miller Jamie Martin Jenny Martin Grandchildren AJ Chandler Uncles Palmer Cortlandt First cousins Ross Chandler Nina Cortlandt Warner Andrew Cortlandt (adoptive) Peter Cortlandt Caleb Cortlandt Julie Rand Chandler (once removed; adoptive) Bobby Warner (once removed; adoptive) Mickey Warner (once removed) Asher Pike (once removed) Sam Grey (twice removed; adoptive)

Dixie Cooney is a fictional character from the American daytime drama, All My Children. Initially portrayed by actress Kari Gibson from July to October 1988, Dixie was portrayed for most of her existence on the show by actress Cady McClain.

The character's initial run lasted from July 1988 to May 2, 1996; she appeared again from July 3, 1998 to February 26, 2002, and from December 23, 2005 to January 31, 2007, when the character was killed. The decision to kill the character in 2007 attracted much criticism and controversy, with TV Guide being dismayed by the choice and calling her the heart and soul of the show.

McClain returned to the series May 2, 2008, playing the character as a ghost. The return lasted through June 12, 2008. McClain again returned briefly to All My Children from March 4, 2010 through April 20, 2010. On April 25, 2011, it was announced that McClain would reprise her role of Dixie full-time on a contract basis as a series regular beginning in the spring of 2011. Her first airdate was May 17, 2011 and she played the role until the final televised episode on September 23, 2011. On February 7, 2013, McClain announced on her website that she would be reprising her role as Dixie on Prospect Park's online continuation of the show.

Dixie Cooney came to Pine Valley in a truck with her brother, Will Cooney, in search of their Uncle Pete Cooney who had made a name for himself after leaving Pigeon Hollow, West Virginia, years earlier. They were unaware that this man was Palmer Cortlandt, one of the Valley’s richest men. Dixie and Will found work at Cortlandt manor as a maid and stable-hand. They did not realize the identity of their new employer until both saw a face they had not seen in years, their sister: Della Cooney. Palmer welcomed them all into this house.

Dixie was the niece of industrialist Palmer Cortlandt (James Mitchell). She was first married to villainous billionaire and Cortlandt's arch-enemy Adam Chandler (David Canary) in 1989 after giving birth to their son, Adam Chandler Jr., but the marriage was not happy and they divorced in late 1989. Dixie then married Tad Martin in December 1989, but after repeated misunderstandings brought on by Palmer, as well as Tad's biological mother Opal Gardner (at the time Palmer and Opal were dating, they later married and divorced), Tad and Dixie separated. At first they realized their break up was a mistake, but Tad had a one-night stand with Brooke English and Dixie found out. Hurt, Dixie divorced Tad. But even the divorce did not keep them apart, and they reconciled. Tad proposed again and they planned to remarry. On the day of the wedding, Tad was lured into the woods by Billy Clyde Tuggle, and Tuggle tried to kill him, but both characters fell from the bridge fighting and into the raging river. Both were presumed dead, although Tuggle was the only body to be pulled from the river.