Mitch Laurence | |||||||
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One Life to Live character | |||||||
Portrayed by | Roscoe Born | ||||||
Duration | 1985–87, 2002–03, 2009–10, 2012 | ||||||
First appearance | 1985 | ||||||
Last appearance | January 9, 2012 | ||||||
Created by | Peggy O'Shea | ||||||
Introduced by | Paul Rauch | ||||||
Classification | Former, recurring | ||||||
Profile | |||||||
Other names | Michael Lazarus The Messenger (by followers) |
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Occupation | Cult leader | ||||||
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Brothers |
Walker Laurence Miles Laurence |
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Spouse |
Natalie Buchanan (2002–03) Dorian Lord (2003) |
Sons | Schuyler Joplin |
Mitch Laurence is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live. He was portrayed by Roscoe Born from 1985 to 1987 and again from 2002 to 2003. Born returned from November 9, 2009, to April 6, 2010. Born reappeared again during the series finale prison break storyline on January 3, 2012.
Arriving in 1985 and soon wreaking havoc in fictional Llanview, villain Mitch's storyline climaxes in 1986 with his apparent murder, during a season in which the series rose from #4 to #3 in the Nielsen ratings. He reappears alive in 2002 seeking to exact his revenge on long running One Life to Live heroine Viki Lord Buchanan; seemingly killed again in 2003, he is resurrected a second time in 2009.
Charismatic Mitch Laurence arrives in Llanview in 1985 and sets his sights on ex-girlfriend Tina Clayton, who has just discovered that she is the daughter of deceased millionaire Victor Lord. Finding out that Victor's estate will revert to Tina if Victor's other daughter Viki Lord Buchanan has a relapse of her multiple personality disorder, Mitch convinces Tina to assist him in his plan to do just that. But when Tina realizes that Mitch actually intends to murder Viki's husband Clint Buchanan and frame Viki, she tries to stop him. Mitch kills Harry O'Neill instead, and Tina is arrested. Tina is later exonerated, and Mitch is sent to prison; he "finds God" and manages to be freed, soon becoming the leader of a religious cult and preying upon his young female disciples. He then orchestrates the kidnapping of Clint and Viki Buchanan's newborn daughter Jessica by his follower Allison Perkins (daughter of Statesville Prison's warden). Jessica is eventually returned, and Mitch is killed on July 18, 1986, by a blow to the back of the head from Dorian Lord as he attempts to rape her daughter, Cassie Callison.