Dixie Cooney

Dixie Cooney is a fictional character from All My Children, an American soap opera on the ABC network. The character was initially portrayed by actress Kari Gibson from her debut in July 1988 until October of that year when she was replaced by actress Cady McClain who portrayed the role for the rest of the character's existence.

The character's initial run lasted from July 1988 to May 2, 1996; she appeared again from July 3, 1998 to February 26, 2002, and from December 23, 2005 to January 31, 2007, when the character was killed. The decision to kill the character in 2007 attracted much criticism and controversy, with TV Guide being dismayed by the choice and calling her the heart and soul of the show.

McClain returned to the series May 2, 2008, playing the character as a ghost. The return lasted through June 12, 2008. McClain again returned briefly to All My Children from March 4, 2010 through April 20, 2010. On April 25, 2011, it was announced that McClain would reprise her role of Dixie full-time on a contract basis as a series regular beginning in the spring of 2011. Her first airdate was May 17, 2011 and she played the role until the final televised episode on September 23, 2011. On February 7, 2013, McClain announced on her website that she would be reprising her role as Dixie on Prospect Park's online continuation of the show.

Dixie Cooney came to Pine Valley in a truck with her brother, Will Cooney, in search of their Uncle Pete Cooney who had made a name for himself after leaving Pigeon Hollow, West Virginia, years earlier. They were unaware that this man was Palmer Cortlandt, one of the Valley’s richest men. Dixie and Will found work at Cortlandt manor as a maid and stable-hand. They did not realize the identity of their new employer until both saw a face they had not seen in years, their sister: Della Cooney. Palmer welcomed them all into this house.

Dixie was the niece of industrialist Palmer Cortlandt (James Mitchell). She was first married to villainous billionaire and Cortlandt's arch-enemy Adam Chandler (David Canary) in 1989 after giving birth to their son, Adam Chandler Jr., but the marriage was not happy and they divorced in late 1989. Dixie then married Tad Martin in December 1989, but after repeated misunderstandings brought on by Palmer, as well as Tad's biological mother Opal Gardner (at the time Palmer and Opal were dating, they later married and divorced), Tad and Dixie separated. At first they realized their break up was a mistake, but Tad had a one-night stand with Brooke English and Dixie found out. Hurt, Dixie divorced Tad. But even the divorce did not keep them apart, and they reconciled. Tad proposed again and they planned to remarry. On the day of the wedding, Tad was lured into the woods by Billy Clyde Tuggle, and Tuggle tried to kill him, but both characters fell from the bridge fighting and into the raging river. Both were presumed dead, although Tuggle was the only body to be pulled from the river.

Soon after, Brooke learned as a result of her liaison with Tad, that she was pregnant. Early in 1991, she gave birth to her son, Jamie Martin. Dixie remarried in 1991 to Craig Lawson, a Pine Valley businessman, but this union quickly collapsed. By the spring of 1992, they had divorced. Later in 1992, Dixie married the much younger Brian Bodine, but this was not a happy union either. Later that same year, Brian was arrested for murdering Dixie's brother, Will, and this led to the couple's divorce in 1993.

Dixie got the shock of her life when she learned Tad was still alive and had been living in California as Ted Orsini. He had suffered amnesia. Tad regained his memory, but as usual he and Dixie crossed wires and ruined their chances at a happy reunion. He soon married Brooke English, his former lover and mother of his son Jamie. But they were not an ideal couple and soon separated. Tad had an affair with Dixie again and in 1994, he divorced Brooke and remarried Dixie. Tad and Dixie were quite happy at first, but Tad had an affair with his old girlfriend, Liza Colby, and Adam Jr., now 8 years old, saw Tad kissing Liza. He told Dixie and she packed her things, took Adam Jr. and left Pine Valley, but not before getting a quick divorce from Tad.

In 1998, Dixie returned to Pine Valley so that Adam Jr. could see his father more often. She and Tad soon reunited and married for a third time in August 1999. This marriage was much happier than the first two. Tad's son, Jamie, came to live with them and developed a close brotherly relationship with Adam Jr., now called Junior, which as of 2007, still lasts. Unfortunately, Dixie's health started to decline and she suffered kidney failure and miscarried her and Tad's daughter in 2000. The miscarriage devastated Dixie, and Tad was little comfort; he had not cared for the baby, knowing the risks to Dixie's health.