Colby Chandler (All My Children)

Colby Chandler is a fictional character from the original ABC Daytime soap opera, All My Children. Born on-screen in 1999, the character was rapidly aged in 2006. The role has been recast several times, but most recently the role was portrayed by Natalie Hall from 2009 until the show's cancellation in 2011. When the show was relaunched as a web series to air on The Online Network owned and operated by production company, Prospect Park, Brooke Newton stepped into the role of Colby.

Colby Chandler
All My Children character
Natalie Hall as Colby Chandler
Portrayed by
Duration
  • 1999–2004
  • 2006–2011
  • 2013
First appearanceMay 5, 1999
Last appearanceSeptember 2, 2013
ClassificationFinal, regular
Created byMegan McTavish
Introduced by
In-universe information
Other namesColby Martin
Occupation
  • Intern at Chandler Media's online talk show Talk Tempo
  • Former Student at Pine Valley University
  • Former Host of a video blog about relationships
  • Former Server at The Comeback
  • Shareholder in Chandler Enterprises
FamilyChandler
Parents
Half-brothers
Half-sisters
Grandparents
  • Larry Colby
  • Marian Colby Chandler
Aunts and uncles
Nieces and nephews
  • Lila Rae Alcazar (legal)
  • Enzo Santos (half)
  • AJ Chandler (half)
First cousins
  • Ross Chandler
  • Scott Chandler (adoptive)
  • William (half)
  • Julie Rand Chandler (once removed; adoptive)

Colby is the daughter of Adam Chandler and Liza Colby, and heiress to the Chandler family fortune.

Casting and creation
Actress Ambyr Childers was cast as Colby in 2006 when the character was rapidly aged; she remained in the role until her exit in 2008.

The role was originated first by Carson Weaver and Jordan Petruziello in May 1999 and later by Carson Grace Levine in January 2000.[1] Later in 2000, Levine was replaced by twins Brianne and Morgan Mullan.[2] Kathryn Newton appeared in the role from 2002 to 2004. Abby Wathen also appeared as a teenage Colby in a dream sequence in 2002.[2] In May 2006, it was reported that Ambyr Childers had been cast in the role of a teenage Colby. Childers first appeared on July 3, 2006.[3] Childers revealed that she auditioned for the role about month before her high school graduation. At time, she was taking finals, so she flew out to New York City for a screen test. She returned home for her graduation and them came returned to New York for several fittings and eventually started work.[4] In the spring of 2008, rumors began to circulate that Childers the role of Colby was about to recast. An audition script for the role of "Edie" fed into the rumors. However, a spokesperson initially denied that Childers was departing from the series. In April 2008 it was officially announced that Childers had been released from her contract. Though Childers claimed that she had chosen to leave, other sources hinted that Childers was forced out. Childers made her last appearance on May 6, 2008, and was replaced by Brianne Moncrief on May 7.[5] With the decision to move production of All My Children, several actors chose not to relocate to California. Though initial reports said that all contract cast members were offered a chance to relocate, another source said that ABC had misled the actors. Apparently Moncrief was one of the actors who never got the offer to go to California and she was fired from the role.[6] Just days later, ABC announced that Natalie Hall had been cast in the role of Colby.[7] Meanwhile, Moncrief made her last appearance on November 12, 2009 and Hall made her debut on November 25, 2009.[8] Hall filmed her first scenes in mid October just before the show relocated to Los Angeles.[9] Hall made her last appearance in the final network broadcast of All My Children on September 23, 2011. In April 2013, The Online Network launched a Tumblr page and posted a picture of a call sheet. Viewers could vaguely make out the name Brooke Newton in the role of Colby Chandler, but nothing was confirmed.[10][11] Newton even attended the series premiere in late April and was photographed with Ryan Bittle who had recast the role of Colby's big brother JR Chandler. On May 6, the network officially confirmed through a mass press release that Newton had been cast in the role of Colby. Newton's first airdate was June 5, 2013.[12]

Development

In February 2006, rumors began to circulate that the 7-year-old Colby would be aged significantly. According to reports, Colby would be aged to 16 upon her return. However, the character's return would be anything but subtle. A "rebellious" Colby would cause trouble for her father Adam. Colby re-introduction mirrored that of her half-sister Hayley Vaughan (Kelly Ripa)'s debut in November 1990.[13] In the summer of 2007, Colby develops a crush on the much older Josh Madden (Colin Egglesfield), despite his interest in her ex sister-in-law, Babe Carey (Alexa Havins).[4] At the time when Babe interferes with Colby their "relationship," Colby is very emotional; "[Her] emotions are really being played with, and she has a lot on her plate right now with her family, with everything," Childers said in an interview.[4] Colby is being pulled in so many different directions and it is "a lot for a young girl of the age of 16 to handle." Despite her own issues, Colby must act as a parent to her chaotic family. "I'm giving my own parents advice on what to do" the actress explained of Colby maturity while the adults in her life seemed to be acting like children.[4] Upon Childers's departure, an executive was quoted in saying that "storyline dictated the change."[5] Another source implied that age played a factor in the casting decision.[14] Other sources revealed that Moncrief was hired so that the writers could age Colby making her the appropriate age for a romantic pairing with the 25-year-old Frankie Hubbard portrayed by Cornelius Smith, Jr. Colby had recently developed a crush on Frankie, and the two even shared a kiss. The potential pairing would also create drama based due to Adam's history as a schemer and Frankie's father Jesse Hubbard as the new chief of police.[15] The writers' plans to capitalize on the chemistry between the two characters is abandoned as Moncrief's Colby does not share the same chemistry with Smith's Frankie.[16] In the summer of 2008, Colby and her friends mistakenly believe that they are behind the death of Richie Novak (Billy Miller). Colby turns to alcohol prompting her brother, JR Chandler (Jacob Young) to point out that she may have a problem like many others in their family. However, the storyline fails to progress any further.[17] When Natalie Hall stepped into the role, Hall said she believed that the writers wanted Colby to be more like her mother. Colby is meant to be "a person who is sweet, who is kind, and who will fight for what she wants." Colby is far from "weak" and according to Hall, "very complex."[18] With Hall's debut, Colby becomes very manipulative. However, Hall stated that Colby would start to show a sweeter side when she starts to grow closer to bad boy, Damon Miller (Finn Wittrock). The character of Damon is the illegitimate son of Liza's high school boyfriend, Tad Martin (Michael E. Knight).[18] In 2013, a press release described Newton's Colby as Adam's "spoiled and entitled."[19] Jillian Bowe wondered if Newton's Colby would cause problems for Rob Wilson's Pete Cortlandt and his new love Celia Fitzgerald (Jordan Lane Price) due to Pete's past crush on Colby.[20]

Storylines

1999–2004

Colby was born to Liza Colby, who had decided to have a child via artificial insemination. Liza chose Dr. Jake Martin to be the sperm donor/father of her child; however, Liza's ex-husband, Adam Chandler, was jealous of this arrangement and secretly purchased the sperm bank and substituted his own sperm donation for Jake's, thus making him Colby's biological father. At the time of Colby's birth, both Liza and Jake believed that Jake was her father and, thus, the child was originally named "Colby Marian Martin." In 2000, when Jake sued for custody of the child, it was revealed that Adam was actually Colby's biological father.

2006–2011

In 2006, a rebellious Colby Chandler, then incognito, shows up in Pine Valley. She steals a car and gets arrested, refusing to give the authorities her name. She makes a phone call and is revealed to be Adam Chandler's long-lost daughter (aged by several years). She ran away from her mother, Liza Colby after years in hiding.

Several years before, Liza had divorced Adam. Determined to save her daughter from Adam's nefarious ways that have "poisoned" the lives of his other children, she took Colby and went on the run. Colby has missed her father terribly and is now angry at Liza for banishing him from her life. Colby is now a spoiled brat who plays on her father's guilt by demanding extravagant luxuries, such as a lavish Sweet Sixteen party, putting her at odds with Adam's then wife Krystal Carey.

During this lavish party, she crashed her father's yacht and began a relationship with Sean Montgomery. Soon after the party, she had a pregnancy scare. Her dad and brother found out and asked who the father was. Though she knew Sean was the only possible father, she claimed that it could be Josh Madden to get back at Babe, whom she assumed was having an affair with him.

On April 11, 2007, Colby helped deliver Krystal's baby girl at the Chandler Mansion. On April 12, Krystal honored Colby by naming her daughter Jenny Colby Carey. On July 12, Krystal also named Colby, Jenny's godmother. After Colby learned that Adam paid Ava Benton to plant drugs on Sean, she moved out of her father's mansion, and moved in with her goddaughter Jenny, Krystal, and Tad Martin.

Colby was spoiled, selfish, and hostile towards Krystal and Babe at first, but her time in Pine Valley changed her and she put the bulk of her bad behavior behind her and emerged a much kinder and generous person. In 2008, Sean and Colby broke up because Sean cheated on Colby with Zach Slater's ex-lover Hannah Nichols, who was much older than Sean. After the breakup, Sean moved out of Pine Valley and is now very seldom mentioned.

Colby became fast friends with Cassandra Foster, who recently moved to town from Paris to live with her mother Angela Hubbard. Colby originally planned college to attend Wellesley College, but she turned down her acceptance there in favor of Pine Valley University, hoping to stay close to her family. Around this time Colby and Dre liked each other slightly but it never blossomed into anything.

Colby developed a requisite crush on the older Frankie Hubbard, upon meeting him. At first Frankie was annoyed by Colby but came to love her as a little sister during the time they were kidnapped together and almost killed. Frankie sees her as a "kid," and nixed a possible relationship between the two. Colby become quite intoxicated at her 18th birthday party. Dre was driving Colby's car when he and Cassandra decided to bring her home. He ran over someone in the road, but was unable to determine what the object was, since it was nighttime.

The next day—upon learning that Richie Novak had been struck by a car on the same road at approximately the same time—the three teenagers feared that they had inadvertently killed him. Unaware that Richie had actually been murdered earlier that evening by his sister Annie Lavery, the teens vowed to keep the entire incident a secret. It has since been public knowledge that Annie was the one who killed Richie.

During the whole Richie incident, Pete Cortlandt started to hang around Colby and developed a crush on her. At first, Colby wanted nothing to so with him, but after he was struck by lightning, she realized she did like him as a friend. They remained friends for a while, though they kissed on occasion and Pete made it clear, he still had a crush on her.

Then after Petey's house burned down they began to date. Though she can act spoiled from time to time, Colby's mostly a sweet loyal girl who is incredibly defensive of her friends and family. Though Dre and Cassandra have both moved away, she is still friends with Ren and Corinna.

During the Richie storyline, Colby had a slight drinking problem that fizzled out around the time of the tornado that killed Babe. Colby now lives with her dad, brother, and nephew. In May 2009, Colby's uncle Stuart Chandler is shot accidentally. Although they end up finding out in the finale episode that Stuart Chandler was alive and being held captive and taken care of by Dr. David Hayward.

Adam and Stuart are identical twins so it is believed that someone assumed they were shooting Adam. It is later revealed that Adam accidentally shot Stuart because David Hayward is switching up his heart medications. Adam also marries Annie after she saves his life. Colby and her brother JR constantly find ways to annoy her and get her out of the mansion.

In May 2009, Liza (Jamie Luner) returns to town with the news that she is pregnant and supposedly give birth a son that she names after Colby's late uncle Stuart. Colby later finds out that Liza was never really pregnant and that Liza was supposed to adopt the son of Amanda Dillon to keep him away from David Hayward who was believed to be the father. Amanda's husband, Jake switches Amanda's baby with the newborn son of Bailey Wells and Damon Miller.

Colby later decides that she wants to work things out with her parents. Damon begins acting out and is accused of breaking into houses around town, while Colby assumes he is innocent. Damon is proven guilty and Colby is furious with him. Meanwhile, JR is diagnosed with leukemia. He falls into a short coma and Damon assures Colby that JR is aware of everything that is going on around him. Liza notices a closeness between Damon and Colby and tries to keep them apart.

Damon takes Colby's car and she follows him which leads to them getting into a car accident with Brooke English. Colby is okay, but Brooke and Damon need surgery. Liza overhears Damon admitting to Colby that he wants to be more than just friends and tries to sabotage his chance of staying out of prison. But Damon is later diagnosed with ADHD and sent to therapy instead.

The new boy in town Asher Pike saves her from falling from a railing at Chandler Enterprises. In 2011, she finds out that her ex-boyfriend Damon and her mother slept together and after finding out she posted a video of herself ranting about what happened between Damon and her mom Liza and the video went viral. She does not want anything to do with her mother after she found this out. Colby started to embrace the video after people appreciated her story and has made more videos for a vlog on the internet. On August 31, 2011, Colby packs her stuff and leaves the Chandler mansion, and goes back to live with Liza due to JR blackmailing his ex-wife and AJ's legal mother/biological aunt Marissa Tasker into giving him full custody and Colby is furious, so she packs and leaves.

2013

Colby returns to Pine Valley reverting to her old scheming manipulative ways. she tries to get some money from her father and when he refuses she sets her sights on Pete Cortlandt, which causes some tension between Pete and Celia. The two eventually break up and although Colby manages to get the loan from David Hayward she is able to seduce Pete and the two end up sleeping together.

Reception

Childers's Colby was not immediately accepted by fans who grew tired of her "teen angst." However, once the writers toned down the writing, Childers was able to win over viewers and critics.[5] TV Guide's Nelson Branco listed Childers as #6 on the list of Most Improved Actors in 2008. Branco applauded Childers for being able to hold her own with the show's veteran actors.[21] Daytime Confidential also disapproved Childers's exit and applauded her for her performance. In a poll questioning fans about whether the recast was needed, 91% of voters also said Childers should have stayed in the role.[22] When the writing began hinting at Colby developing an alcohol problem, some disapproved of the potential plot as it was what not they envisioned for the character of Colby. A Daytime Confidential article hoped that Colby would follow in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, Liza Colby and Marian Chandler (Jennifer Bassey) and become a schemer to get what she wants.[17] Upon Moncrief's ousting, Daytime Confidential recommended Marcy Rylan, known for her role as Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light for the a Colby recast. "Rylan was BORN to play Kelly Ripa's baby sister," said Jamey Giddens referencing Colby's connection to Ripa's Hayley Vaughan Santos.[6]

References
  1. Kroll, Dan J. "AMC Daily Recaps: The Week of May 3, 1999". Soap Central. Soapcentral.com. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  2. "About AMC: Who's Who in Pine Valley|Colby Chandler|". Soap Central. Soapcentral.com. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  3. Kroll, Dan J. (May 20, 2006). ""SORAS"ed Colby returning to Pine Valley". Soap Central. Soapcentral.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  4. Kubicek, John (July 25, 2007). "Exclusive Interview: Ambyr Childers, from 'All My Children'". BuddyTV. BuddyTV.com. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  5. Kroll, Dan J. (April 12, 2008). "Childers out, Colby recast". Soap Central. Soapcentral.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  6. Giddens, Jamey (September 28, 2009). "Brianne Moncrief OUT at All My Children?". Daytime Confidential. Zap2it. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  7. "Breaking News! All My Children Casts Natalie Hall as Colby!". Soaps She Knows. Atomic Online. October 3, 2009. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  8. Kroll, Dan J. (September 30, 2009). "Brianne Moncrief out, Colby Chandler recast". Soap Central. Soapcentral.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  9. Fairman, Michael (October 2, 2009). "Natalie Hall IN as new Colby on "AMC"!". On-Air On-Soaps. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  10. "Soaps on Hulu -- The call sheet from the set of All My Children. Who else are we going to see today?". April 22, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  11. Kroll, Dan J. (May 6, 2013). "All My Children re-adds Colby Chandler to the canvas". Soap Central. Soapcentral.com. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  12. "AMC Recasts Colby, Adds New Doctor". Soap Opera Digest. American Media, Inc. May 6, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  13. Kroll, Dan J. (February 26, 2006). "AMC to recast, "age" Colby". Soap Central. Soapcentral.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  14. Santiago, Rosario (April 25, 2008). "Ambyr Childers Leaves 'All My Children'". BuddyTV. Buddytv.com. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  15. "Ambyr Childers Leaves All My Children!". Soaps She Knows. Atomic Online. April 21, 2008. Archived from the original on September 11, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  16. Richenthal, Matt (April 21, 2008). "Ambyr Childers to Leave All My Children". TVFanatic. She Knows Entertainment. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  17. Danielle (July 19, 2008). "Colby Chandler an alcoholic?". Daytime Confidential. Zap2it. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  18. Bibel, Sara (March 3, 2010). "Deep Soap: Making The Big Leagues". XFINITY. Comcast. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  19. Lewis, Errol (May 6, 2013). "Brooke Newton and Jason Pendergraft Join Cast of 'All My Children'". Soap Opera Network. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  20. Bowe, Jillian (May 6, 2013). "Brooke Newton Cast as Colby Chandler on All My Children". Daytime Confidential. Zap2it. Archived from the original on July 8, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  21. Branco, Nelson (May 28, 2008). "Most Improved Actors - 2008". TV Guide. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  22. Giddens, Jamey (April 19, 2008). "Childers Out As ALL My Children's Colby; Was A Recast Necessary?". Daytime Confidential. Zap2it. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
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