Rae Cummings

Gretel Rae Cummings Psy.D. (formerly Faulkner and Buchanan) is a fictional character on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live. Dano played the role from 1978 to 1980, June 28, 1999 to November 1999, and May 2000 to March 12, 2004.

Casting and awards

Gretel was originated by Linda Dano from 1978 to 1980. Dano went on to appear on CBS's As the World Turns and on NBC's Another World until that series' cancellation on June 25, 1999, On June 28, 1999, Dano returned to One Life to Live as Gretel.Anna Stuart filled in for Dano in the role on April 25, 2002. Dano was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Supporting Actress in 2003 for her portrayal of Gretel, and left One Life to Live on March 13, 2004.

ABC crossovers

In a move of network synergy designed to "entice viewers to tune into soap operas that they might not have usually watched," in 2000 then-President of ABC Daytime Angela Shapiro orchestrated Dano's concurrent appearance as Gretel on the three other ABC daytime dramas at the time — All My Children, General Hospital, and Port Charles — in an extended crossover storyline which was the first time a daytime character had ever appeared on four series.