Dimitri Marick is a fictional character from the American ABC soap opera All My Children. The role has been most notably portrayed by Michael Nader, previously famed for his role on Dynasty. Former head writers Agnes Nixon and Lorraine Broderick created the character in 1991, designing him as a brooding and mysterious character based on heroes from gothic literature, such as Maxim de Winter from Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca and Heathcliff from Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights. The character's introduction raised All My Children in the Nielsen ratings, placing it consistently as the second most-watched daytime soap opera in the US.
Soon after his debut on the soap opera, Dimitri became a complex leading man and took part in some of the most notable plots of the 1990s. He had a very popular romance with Erica Kane (Susan Lucci). Dimitri and Erica's storylines include a tumultuous romance leading to two failed marriages and a miscarriage. One of the biggest obstacles in their relationship was Erica's vindinctive and manipulative daughter, Kendall Hart (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Dimitri also had a popular romance with Alexandra Devane (Finola Hughes) and a loving yet antagonistic relationship with his half-brother, Edmund Grey (John Callahan).
In July 1999, Nader was let go from All My Children due to budgetary considerations, however, he later returned in May 2000. The following year, the actor's arrest brought him and the character to the center of a large fan campaign organized by a group called the Loyalists, as well as a highly publicized lawsuit catching the attention of People and Entertainment Tonight, among other media outlets. As a result, Nader was let go again by the soap opera, with an official statement saying they would be prepared to consider having him return once he had addressed the lawsuit issues. The role was temporarily recast with actor Anthony Addabbo, who was negatively received by viewers, and let go shortly after his debut. Nader later stated in an interview that ABC had informed him that they had no intention of ever bringing him or the character back due to a lack of storyline. In 2004, Nader's suit was subsequently thrown out. In May 2013, after a twelve-year absence from All My Children, Nader was announced to be reprising the role, with his return airing on June 12, 2013.
Casting
Casting the role of Dimitri gave All My Children difficulty. The series' casting director, Judy Blye Wilson, tested between fifteen and twenty actors, and could not find the right actor for the job.
Since finding the right actor to play Dimitri took such a long time, the show had already begun taping around the character for two weeks. This went on for two weeks until the episodes were all caught up. This led to a fan outcry from viewers who campaigned for the actor's return. He rejected this offer because "after being a major character for so long, it didn't make any sense to me. So I declined. But if the network was interested in seriously discussing Dimitri's return on a contract basis I would love to go back." The return story scripted for the Dimitri character centered on the romance between his brother Edmund and his wife Alex. Dimitri was revealed to be alive just as his wife, Alex, and brother, Edmund, had sex for the first time. Nader said he wanted to create a deeper layer in the character instead of focusing solely on the love triangle between Dimitri, Alex, and Edmund. "I do hope to pursue some sort of subtle spiritual change, some perception that Dimitri is different," he said. He questioned the writers' storyline choice in not exploring the popular Dimitri and Erica romance again. "I found it sort of odd that they'd move me so far away from Susan[Lucci, Erica]," Nader said. "They're trying to explore these other themes." All My Children released an official statement saying, "If Mr. Nader gets the help that he needs and addresses his problem, and it makes sense for the show, we would be prepared to speak with Michael in the future."
Anthony Addabbo temporarily took over the role, first airing on April 6, 2001. To prepare for the role, he watched tapes of Nader's portrayal of Dimitri in order to see the relationships between Dimitri and other characters. Despite the fan protest against the role being recast, Addabbo told Soap Opera Digest he was not worried. "I don't find it intimidating," he said. "I know how they can come to love a certain actor portraying a role and how he plays the role and everything, but this happens in daytime so frequently that I didn't find it intimidating at all." Soap Opera Digest considered him an odd choice for a Dimitri recast since Addabbo usually portrayed "all-American good guys" such as Generations Jason Craig and Guiding Lights Jim LeMay. A large number of All My Children fans rejected Addabbo in the role and continued to campaign for Nader's return. The controversy forced the writers to lessen Dimitri's role on the show until July 2001 when Addabbo was let go "for storyline reasons", according to ABC's official statement.
Development
Former head writers Agnes Nixon and Lorraine Broderick created the character Dimitri Marick in 1991. His original purpose was to rescue Natalie Marlowe from the well her sister, Janet Green, trapped her in. The design was taken from both the description in Du Maurier's book and the depiction from the film Rebecca, a 1940 adaptation of the novel by Alfred Hitchcock.
Nixon infused elements of those literatures into the Dimitri and Natalie romance with as well. "There's a gothic quality to it", she said, referring to the couple. "It's Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre. Everybody loves somebody who has a past and a secret- and certainly Dimitri does- which we haven't divulged yet. That heightens ones interest and suspense. It's a special situation but what really makes it special is the actor's talent, personalities, good looks, and chemistry." On Dynasty, "John James (Jeff Colby) played the 'aw, shucks;' nice guy, and I played the guy who was on the edge, who would take care of business and not take any bull", he said. "Dimitri is sort of a darker Dex. Though I don't know exactly how dark to make him yet." Both of his parents were dead by the time Dimitri first appears on All My Children.
1991–2001
Dimitri Marick first appears in Pine Valley in 1991 when he rescues Natalie Marlowe from the well her sister, Janet Green, trapped her in on the Wildwind estate. Dimitri is happy to finally be a father and attempts to forge relationship with Anton without telling him about his parentage. When the truth finally comes out, Anton is devastated and wants nothing to do with Dimitri. Anton later marries Kendall to throw it in Dimitri's face. Eventually, Anton sees Kendall for the manipulator that she is and divorces her. Anton and Dimitri make peace with each other before Anton leaves town.
During a time when they are both particularly vulnerable, Dimitri and Edmund's wife, Maria, sleep together. When Maria finds out she is pregnant, the baby's paternity is in question. They have a DNA test done and Skye Chandler, who is in love with Edmund, tampers with test so it will show Dimitri is the father when it is in fact Edmund. After Maria confesses everything, a devastated Edmund tells Dimitri that he is dead to him and he will be bringing the child up as his own. Erica also finds out she is pregnant around this time, but miscarries. Maria gives birth to a baby girl with Erica's help. Maria's daughter is presumed dead after a car accident, but she has actually been kidnapped by Erica and named Sonya. Erica eventually returns the baby to Maria and she is renamed Maddie. Maria is later presumed dead in a plane crash. Dimitri discovers that Edmund is Maddie's father when he finds out their blood types do not match. He takes her to Vadzel, but Edmund tracks them down and takes back custody of Maddie. The brothers remain estranged for quite some time, but eventually manage to reconcile. Dimitri leaves Pine Valley permanently in 2001 with his current wife, Alex Devane. However, Michael Nader's death later that same year prevented this from occurring.
Reception
Dimitri became a popular leading man soon after his debut on All My Children in 1991 and "was prominent in some of the show's most memorable tales of that decade." In 1993, viewers named them a supercouple, along with One Life to Live's Bo and Nora and Days of our Lives Roman and Marlena. In 2008, Entertainment Weekly listed them among the top seventeen supercouples.
The romance between Dimitri and Finola Hughes' Alexandra Devane Marick also rose in popularity. Soap Opera Update named them the best couple of the year in 1999 for All My Children despite the fact that their love story played out through brief flashbacks.
The Dimitri character took a darker turn in 1997, in what Soap Opera Digest considered an effort to make Erica more sympathetic after her role in the kidnapping of the baby Maddie Grey (then known as Sonya). Soap Opera Digest praised the move in an article naming Nader Performer of the Week, saying, "Nader has been surprisingly effective as a meanie, and nothing short of brilliant taking an already complex character and making him more compelling." At the conclusion of the storyline Soap Opera Digest again named him Performer of the Week for "unleashing the sort of go-for-broke fury and fray that actors are usually reluctant to release unless they're certain their character is about to be killed off."
Soap Opera Digest noted the rarity of brothers like Edmund Grey and Dimitri Marick. Complications in the brothers' relationship included childhood jealousies, the revelation that they were brothers, Dimitri's one-night stand with Edmund's wife Maria and subsequent question of the paternity of Maddie Grey, and the Dimitri, Alex, and Edmund triangle. Along with the conflict, they displayed a loving relationship where they stood by each other. while Soap Opera Update rated it a ten out of ten. Alex discovers Dimitri alive first. They reunite and engage in sex. Edmund finds out and feels betrayed by them both. The scenes of the confrontation between all three characters was written to express the views of both the Dimitri and Alex and the Edmund and Alex fans.
Controversy
In what Soap Opera Digest named the year's Dumbest Male Axing in 1999, Nader was fired from the role of Dimitri and the character was killed off. The firing "set off a firestorm of protest from devoted fans." Those fans came together to form a group called the Loyalists and campaigned for the actor's return. They "bombarded" All My Children with letters centering on three major complaints concerning Nader's dismissal, as summarized in Soap Opera Digest: "1) They have waited two years for a Dimitri/Erica reunion, which they won't get now that he's leaving. 2) They adore Nader's chemistry with on-screen brother John Callahan (Edmund) and don't want to lose it. 3) They fear that Nader has been sacrificed to make room in the budget for new- and younger- cast members." In response to the last complaint, an All My Children spokesperson pointed out the storylines planned for characters over thirty years old such as Tad, Dixie, Erica, David, Edmund, and Alex.
In 2001, Nader was arrested for cocaine possession. All My Children suspended him and demanded he get treatment. Soap Opera Digest criticized the casting of Addabbo because the actor usually portrayed "all-American good guys", the opposite of the Dimitri Marick role. All My Children opted not to bring him back. Nader filed a $31.7 million lawsuit against ABC for breach of contract under the Americans with Disabilities Act. ABC's lawyers cited Nader's violation of the morals clause in his contract as justification for not rehiring him. Manhattan Federal Judge Jed S. Rakoff threw out the suit in 2004.