Emily Quartermaine

Emily Quartermaine is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera General Hospital. The role was originated on January 20, 1995 by Amber Tamblyn, who portrayed the role until July 11, 2001. Natalia Livingston subsequently played Emily from April 1, 2003 until May 7, 2008, despite the character's death in November 2007. Livingston also appeared for two episodes in 2009, last appearing on June 23. Livingston made a surprise return for the show's 50th anniversary, appearing on April 2, 2013. She returned in 2014 for two subsequent guest appearances: on March 18 and April 1, respectively. In 2005, Livingston won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Emily.

Monica Quartermaine meets Emily's mother Paige Bowen while the two women are undergoing treatment for breast cancer. After Paige dies, Monica and her husband, Alan Quartermaine, become Emily's guardians. Initially resistant to being adopted by the couple, Emily runs away with Lucky Spencer in search of her estranged aunt. The two return, and Emily agrees to let the Quartermaines adopt her.

When Monica has an affair with Dr. Pierce Dorman, Emily turns to drugs with her new friend Matt Reynolds. Pierce sues Monica for sexual harassment. Emily's cousin Ned Ashton discovers Emily's addiction. After Matt overdoses, Pierce is revealed to be the drug supplier and is soon murdered. Initially considered a suspect, Emily is eventually cleared and embarks on a new career in modeling. Emily finds herself the subject of a blackmail attempt, when she receives a photograph of her head photoshopped onto the body of a nude model. She enlists the help of Lucky, his half brother Nikolas Cassadine, and their mutual friend Elizabeth Webber. They discover the culprit is photographer Tom Baker, also responsible for raping Elizabeth. He is prosecuted, and sent to prison for blackmailing Emily. Due to lack of evidence, he cannot be prosecuted for raping Elizabeth.

In June 1999, Emily met Juan Santiago, a teenager from Puerto Rico. Juan believes local mobster Sonny Corinthos is his biological father. The two learn singer Miguel Morez is his father instead. Emily, who had harbored romantic feelings for Nikolas, begins dating Juan, despite disapproval from Monica and Alan. Juan eventually receives permission from his family to stay in Port Charles. Alan and Monica grow to accept the relationship. Wanting to follow in his father's footsteps as a singer, Juan secures a recording contract at L&B Records, run by Ned and his ex-wife Lois Cerullo and her friend Brenda Barrett. Emily's grandfather, Edward Quartermaine, attempts to sabotage a performance by Ned in order to lure Ned back to ELQ, the family business. Emily is overjoyed when Juan is well received as Ned's opening act, a ploy to buy more time while Ned is being located.

While attending a rave with their friends, Juan and Emily get into a fight, leading to Juan kissing socialite Alison Barrington. Emily spies the kiss, and accepts a drugged beer from a stranger. She strikes up a conversation with a man named Ted. She is later stunned when she awakes the next morning to find herself naked in a bed next to Ted, who has been murdered. Elizabeth, Lucky, and Nikolas agree to help, and hide Ted's body in a freezer at Wyndemere, Nikolas' family estate on Spoon Island. Emily is then blackmailed by Gia Campbell who knows Emily was with Ted before he died. Gia claims she is innocent in regards to Emily's blackmail. Emily's guilt grows when she learns Ted was an undercover police officer. She begins to push Juan away, and her friends learn Gia was actually attempting to blackmail Emily over her drug usage at the rave, not Ted's murder. The friends convince Gia to help them track down Ted's killer. She points them in the direction of drug dealer Zander Smith. They place Ted's body in Zander's trunk. Gia's brother Detective Marcus Taggert attempts to arrest Zander.

Zander takes Emily hostage. The two flee from the police. Emily learns Zander had been working for unethical mob boss Joseph Sorel, who placed a hit on Zander for the problems he had created. When she starts to develop romantic feelings for Zander, Emily chooses to stay with him rather than escape. He reveals Sorel is responsible for Ted's murder. Emily and Zander are tracked to the Canada–US border by her brother Jason Morgan, a mafia enforcer who works for Sorel's rival Sonny Corinthos. Emily convinces him to let Zander cross the border without interference.

Emily returns to Port Charles and the Quartermaines, and is stunned when Zander arrives at her window asking her to run away with him. She declines. Over the objections of her family, Emily continues to spend time with him. She also breaks up with Juan, who later leaves town. With the condition he testifies against Sorel, Sonny agrees to pay his bail and hires Nikolas' aunt, Alexis Davis, to represent Zander. When Zander is freed, he and Emily, Sonny, and Alexis find themselves the target of a gunman outside the Port Charles Police Department. Though Zander was wounded attempting to protect Emily, the Quartermaines decide to send her to boarding school to protect her. Zander finds Emily at her school. The two run away together, before returning to Port Charles.

When Edward learns the two have returned, he has Zander arrested. Alexis bails him out and has him move in with her. Emily leaves the Quartermaine mansion and moves into the boarding house above Kelly's Restaurant. Zander successfully testifies against Sorel, but finds himself in trouble with the law again after Edward is mugged and indicates Zander was the culprit. In exchange for Edward dropping the charges, Emily agrees to break up with Zander.