Chad Harris-Crane

Chad Harris-Crane

Chad Harris-Crane is a fictional character on the American soap opera Passions, which aired on NBC from 1999 to 2007 and on DirecTV in 2007–08. The role was played by two actors over the course of the show: Donn Swaby and Charles Divins. The character marks a notable step in daytime television and soap opera history; it was the first depiction in a soap opera of two men having sex. Chad has been cited as expanding the representation of LGBT characters of color on daytime television.

About Chad Harris-Crane in brief

Summary Chad Harris-CraneChad Harris-Crane is a fictional character on the American soap opera Passions, which aired on NBC from 1999 to 2007 and on DirecTV in 2007–08. The role was played by two actors over the course of the show: Donn Swaby and Charles Divins. The character marks a notable step in daytime television and soap opera history; it was the first depiction in a soap opera of two men having sex. Chad has also been cited as expanding the representation of LGBT characters of color on daytime television. Critical response to Chad was mixed; some reviewers praised the sensationalism of the incest storyline with Whitney, while others criticized his relationship with Vincent as an irresponsible and problematic representation of racial and sexual identity. Chad’s later storylines focus on his confusion over his sexual identity, and his sexual relationship with tabloid reporter Vincent Clarkson. Chad attempts to reconcile with Whitney after his affair with Vincent is revealed, before being killed by his father Alistair while trying to protect his best friend, Ethan Winthrop. The show’s use of color-blind casting was part of an effort to build a diverse pool of characters that best reflected the various ethnic and racial groups living in the United States. Chad was initially characterized as a’street-kid’ by the show’s official website and ‘a tough dude from the hood’ by David Alexander Nahmod of the Bay Area Reporter. Chad originally served as the ‘object of affection’ for both Simone and Whitney, but his role on the series was expanded following the casting ofDivins.

Chad is a member of the Crane family and is introduced as a music producer from Los Angeles who is searching for his biological family. He is initially believed to be her half-brother, and later revealed to be the adoptive cousin of Whitney Russell. Chad becomes involved in a love triangle with sisters Whitney and Simone Russell. His romance with Whitney is complicated by the possibility they may be engaging in an incestuous relationship as Chad is initially thought to be Whitney’s half-sister, and then her adoptive cousin. Swaby announced on his official website that he had decided to leave the show to pursue other opportunities outside of daytime television in May 2002. Divins assumed the role on September 12, 2002. It was his first audition and acting experience; he had previously worked full-time as a fashion model and decided to pursue an acting career after appearing in commercials. He described his time working on the show as a ‘scholarship to acting’ and said that his guarded personality was a way of ‘defying the good guy, bad guy stereotype’. After Swaby left the show, he was disappointed by the direction Chad’s storyline took. While the show was still filming, he expressed interest in exploring Chad’s rejection of his sexuality. He felt that key element of the storyline was Chad’s difficulty in coming to terms with his sexuality in an interview. When asked about the revelation of Chad’s sexuality, Divins said he wanted to ensure the show would include clear representations of “male male sexuality’