User:Nk3play2/Cesar Faison

Cesar Faison is a fictional character from the original ABC Daytime soap opera, General Hospital. The role was originated by Anders Hove in early 1990. The character is considered to be one of the greatest villains in the shows history. Faison's most significant storyline feature his longtime obsession with super spy Anna Devane. Faison also feuds with Anna's former paramour, Robert Scorpio, Luke and Laura Spencer, had a brief obsession with Felicia Jones and feuded with Mac Scorpio. Faison is most famous for his kidnappings of Lucky Spencer and Robin Scorpio and his schemes with Helena Cassadine.

Background
Faison is born in Dr. Emil Krieg and Sybil McTavish

Casting
Anders Hove originated the role of Cesar Faison on the March 16, 1990 episode of General Hospital. After a two year stint, Hove departed from the series on February 25, 1992. Hove would briefly reprise the role of Faison on another ABC soap, Loving during the summer of 1993. After a 7 year long absence from General Hospital, Hove returned to the series on March 3, 1999. Hove attributed his return to co-star Anthony Geary (Luke Spencer) who had inquired about the possibility of a return in November 1998. When Hove told Geary that he was open to the possibility, he was contacted by the producers. In an interview featured in November 2, 1999 issue of Soap Opera Weekly, Hove discussed his displeasure in his lack of storyline. He explained that he was prepared to leave the series despite being under a two year contract, because he was not working enough to support himself and his family in Denmark.

Hove departed from the series on January 12, 2000 In August 2012, Ian Buchanan known for his role as Anna's first love, the late Duke Lavery made a surprise return to the series amongst intense secrecy on the part of the show's new regime, Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati. Buchanan's return was immediately criticized due Lavery's actions being very "out of character." As viewers and critics attempted to make sense out of the storyline, rumors began to circulate that Hove's Faison was actually the reason for Duke's unforgivable actions. In late October 2012, it was rumored that General Hospital was doing everything in its power to get Hove to reprise the role. According rumor, ABC even utilized their legal team to get Hove back into the United States due to his green card expiring. However, the show refused to comment on Hove's return. Anders Hove finally returned to the role of Cesar Faison on November 12. Hove would make several brief appearances and in early December 2012, Soap Opera Digest confirmed that Hove would be exiting the canvas during the week of December 10. Hove last appeared on December 12. In 2013, Anders Hove returned to the role of Cesar Faison from October 10, 2013 to December 2, 2013. He later returned to ten role on November 24, 2014.

Characterization
During a 1990 interview for General Hospital's fan club, Faison is described as "deliciously malevolent, brilliantly devious, and more than a little threatening to our heroes." Hove revealed that Faison's signature cigar was added by the writers and "it's [the cigar] very close to the character." According to founding cast member John Beradino (Dr. Steve Hardy), Faison was the first character to smoke onscreen in the shows 25 year history. A 1991 article in Soap Opera Weekly remarked how Hove was able to master exactly what villains are made of, "An accent, an attitude and a vice…" Hove explained that Faison has a "method to his madness" which was explored during his initial run on GH from March to August 1990. Hove stated, "What was nice about Faison was that he was a person who had a conflict with himself and with what he was doing… There was a lot of complexity to him that I found rewarding. I think the audience loved it, too." Hove expressed his hope that the writers would revive that conflict in Faison during his 1991 stint instead of just him being "plain evil or plain good." Hove also hoped the writers would give him [Faison] a chance to "turn into a thinking human being. I don't think that he ever did bad stuff just for the fun of it" Hove stated. When asked about being typecast due to his accent as the "bad guy," he stated "I think the bad guy is the more interesting character. It's more fun."

1999 Return
When Anders Hove returned to the series in the spring of 1999, it was revealed that Faison was behind the presumed death, and kidnapping of Jonathan Jackson's Lucky Spencer. However, Hove admitted that fans suspected Faison's involvement long before the material even began airing on screen in 1999. "this woman came up to me and said, 'I know you're behind this. Don't you do it!" The return storyline also alludes to Faison's past obsession with Finola Hughes's Anna Devane Scorpio and allowed him to reflect on his first stint. "I'm sure Faison will be going after the remaining Scorpio… And I've always had a penchant for those Scorpio women…” The return would also take a similar turn as Faison develops an obsession with the beautiful Felicia Scorpio-Jones (Kristina Wagner), the wife of Robert's brother, Mac Scorpio (John J. York). After weeks of lurking around Port Charles in disguise, under the alias Herr Kreig, Faison reveals himself to a terrified Felicia in August 1999. According to then head writer, Robert Guza, "This is the new, overt Faison, the Faison who is so powerful and so untouchable that he can let himself be outed, if you will." Due to his neutralizing Luke Spencer by holding Lucky hostage, Faison is able to get Felicia right he wants her, "alone, in a deserted warehouse." While waiting to make his move on the Scorpio clan, Faison as Herr Kreig, he schemes with the paralyzed Helena Cassadine (Constance Towers) and coerces mob boss Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) into helping him smuggle some jewels. While in disguise, he taunts Lucky's parents, Luke and Laura (Genie Francis). Leaving the subtle clues that eventually lead Felicia to the abandoned warehouse is Faison's way of "giving notice to some of our heroines, Felicia and Laura, that he's back" Guza revealed. Hove stated that Faison felt it was safe to reveal himself because Luke is out of town and because of his weakness for the Scorpio women. "I don't think he wants to hurt Felicia. But he's sort of obsessed with her." According to Guza, Faison's "m. o." is to cause trouble for his enemies by going after their women.

1990–93
In the spring of 1990, renowned author, P. K. Sinclair becomes infatuated with the young Robin Scorpio. Sinclair is quickly revealed to be Faison and he wants to get his hands on the mysterious crystal Robin has discovered.

1999–2000
On March 5, 1999, Faison comes to town under the alias Herr Kreig. He develops another obsession because Anna is "dead." His new obsession is Felicia Scorpio-Jones. He kidnaps her and Luke Spencer. On the other hand, Faison is also working under the orders of Helena Cassadine. He helps her fake the death of Lucky Spencer, the eldest son of Luke and Laura Spencer. He brainwashes Lucky. When Faison came back to Port Charles with Luke and Felicia, Helena turned on him and framed him for pushing Katherine Bell off the terrace of Wyndmere and killing her. So Faison decided to leave town; but before he did, Faison told Luke Spencer that his son was alive. When he got on the boat, Mac Scorpio was firing shots at it. And also Helena rigged the boat to have an explosion. After the explosion, Faison's body was never found. So he was presumed dead. Faison was actually alive and went to a Clinic in Lucerne, Switzerland. He was under the care of Dr. Liesl Obrecht, his former girlfriend. On May 1, 2006, A.J. Quatermaine was staying at the clinic because he and his mother faked his death so he could get out of jail trouble. He got out of his room to find his doctor, Dr. Liesl Obrecht, and found her with another patient. The presumed dead Cesar Faison! A.J. took a photo of him alive. He said that Faison and Dr. Obrecht had some kind of a business relationship.

2012–
In 2012, Faison was disguised as Duke Lavery, Anna Devane's dead husband. He tried this to win the heart of his long-time obsession, Anna Devane. In October 2012, "Duke" "killed" Jason Morgan on Pier 52. When Luke Spencer became suspicious of "Duke" returning from the dead, he did his own investigating and ended up in a Turkish prison. So he asked his old friend,Robert Scorpio, to continue the work. On November 12, 2012, it was revealed that Faison was Duke and that he was helping Jerry Jacks hold Robin Scorpio Drake hostage to develop a cure for him because Jerry was suffering from Polonium Poisoning. He was also working with Dr. Liesl Obrecht and the late Dr. Ewen Kennan. He was also holding the real Duke hostage, and the real Duke was feeding information about himself to Faison. Also in November 2012, Olivia Falconeri had a vision of Faison when looking at Duke. She did not know who Faison was at the time, so Elizabeth Webber drew what she described and it ended up as a portrait of Cesar Faison. In December 2012, Robert Scorpio and John McBian go to the clinic in Lucerne, Switzerland, and question Dr. Obrecht. They then go to the room where "Duke" and Anna are staying. Anna tells Robert that Faison is alive, but not Duke. She said she saw Faison kidnapping Duke, but Duke escaped. Robert then pours a bucket of hot water on Duke, and Faison's mask of Duke came off. Cesar Faison was sent to Steinmauer Prison in Geneva, Switzerland.

It was revealed in Spring 2013, that Faison fathered a daughter was Dr. Liesl Obrecht. And that daughter was Dr. Britt Westbourne! In October 2013, Obrecht helped Cesar escape from Steinmauer and took him to meet his "grandson", Ben Westbourne aka Little Cesar. Later that month, Jerry Jacks ordered Faison and Obrecht to keep an eye on Robin, Nikolas, and Britt. If anyone knows that Robin is alive, then Robert Scorpio and Anna Devane will die. In November 2013, Anna and Robert escape and come to Spoon Island to save Robin. On December 2, 2013, Anna and Robert did something to Faison that the viewers did not see. On December 13, 2013, Nikolas and Britt received the art painting "Egg Salad" by Heather Webber in the mail from P.K. Sinclair. Which is one of Faison's aliases.

In February 2014, Liesl asks Victor Cassadine, the director of the WSB, to find where Faison is. All Victor could find out is that Faison was not sent back to Steinmauer. So Obrecht kept interrogating Anna about what happened to Cesar for the rest of the year. In November 2014, Special Agent Kyle Sloane comes to town to investigate about Faison's whereabouts. Anna decides to come clean. She says that she and Robert left Faison captive in the catacombs of Wyndemere. She takes Agent Sloane and Obrecht to the Wyndemere Stables, but Cesar Faison is not there. Anna says that Robert hired an agent to become a stable boy at Spoon Island. The stable boy says hess been giving Robert false reports for a year and that he is gone. Also on that same day, Sam Morgan and Patrick Drake are searching for some answers about Luke Spencer because they think he ran Patrick's family off the road. Sam and Patrick find a picture of Faison and a flash drive. They show the flash drive to Lulu Spencer Falconeri and Tracy Quatermaine. On the flashdrivee they see the Duke mask that Faison used, and a newer mask of Luke's face. At the end of the episode on November 24, 2014, Faison is seen smoking on Pier 52. On Thanksgiving Day, Faison is stalking his family at Wyndemere. He decides to walk in, but Helena Cassadine comes by and says that he should not do that because it would ruin their plans because they can't get arrested. When Helena leaves, Cesar walks in the living room and finds Liesl Obrecht alone.

After Faison is done with his family reunion, he dresses up as Luke while using the Luke mask. He goes to Julian's house and holds a gun at him. Anna and Dante come in and see the "Luke impostor." Anna pulls off the mask and sees Faison. Then they arrest Faison. Faison overhears Dr. Obrecht at the police station calling Nathan son. Obrecht tells Faison that she had a son with another man. Then Faison calls the Fake Luke pretending to be the Real Luke rescued. The next morning, Sam and Patrick come to confront Faison. Faison tells Patrick that Victor Cassadine ran his son off the road. Then he tells Sam that Jason Morgan is alive and that Patrick knew all along.

Reception
In September 1999, Hove was listed as Soap Opera Weekly's Outstanding Performer for the Week of August 9 when Faison reveals himself to Port Charles. "But like an undetected cancer, General Hospital's Cesar Faison insidiously insinuated himself back into the life of Port Charles with one chillingly small reveal after another. Anders Hove delivered each macabre morsel of Faison's 'coming out' party with maximum malignancy," said SOW's Robert Schark. As apposed to the "over-the-top dialogue" used for most soap villains, according to Schark, "Hove employs his signature style of body language- an askance look, a subtle facial contortion, a creepy invasion of other characters' personal space while speaking- giving spirited animation to what easily could be a one-dimensional characterization in the hands of a less capable performer." Schark compared the performance to The Silence of the Lambs as Faison "played a masterful game of pyschoemotional cat and mouse with the police commissioner's wife, when Faison allowed himself to be spied upon, caught and (temporarily) incarcerated. Behind bars, Hove gave Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter a run for his money, as he ever so subtly managed to push every one of Felicia's- and Mac's- buttons." Hove's costar, Tony Geary referred to Faison as "the best villain in GH's history, period." In November 1999, Hove revealed that he was very displeased with the direction of Faison's storyline and admitted that he wanted to leave the series despite being under a two year contract.