Gwen Norbeck Munson

Gwen Norbeck Munson is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera As the World Turns. She was introduced on March 30, 2005, and was portrayed by Jennifer Landon until April 4, 2008, and again in 2010. Landon won three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Younger Actress in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Originally shown to be a poor, emancipated minor, Gwen has risen to become a strong woman with a tough exterior, but when under pressure, the uncertainty of her life prevails.

Jennifer Landon first appeared as Gwen in the episode airing on March 30, 2005. Munson then made her exit as Gwen in the episode that originally aired on April 4, 2010. Landon appeared in almost 500 episodes of the soap as Gwen.

Gwen first appeared as a waitress at Al's, a popular restaurant in town. She was set up on a date with Will Munson, which ended disastrously with Will kicking Gwen out of the car. Will was nursing a crush on Allison Stewart, while Gwen showed more interest in Casey Hughes, Will's best friend. To get closer to Casey, Gwen befriended his girlfriend Celia Ortega. Casey and Gwen shared a secret and Casey preferred it if Gwen stayed away from his circle of friends, but nevertheless she became part of their group. It became clear that Gwen and Casey had previously slept together. While Casey wanted to leave the past behind them, Gwen had stunning news: she was pregnant.

Afraid to tell Casey the truth (for fear of upsetting Celia, with whom Gwen had become good friends), Gwen revealed the truth to Will. Will took charge of the situation and pretended to be the baby's father. He made sure Gwen, an emancipated minor living in a tiny apartment in town, made all of her doctor's appointments and kept her good condition for the baby. When Will's mother, Barbara Ryan, found out that Will was claiming to be the father of Gwen's baby, she insisted on a paternity test (that was never taken), thus beginning the feud Barbara and Gwen would have for months to come.

Gwen decided to give the baby up for adoption, to Rosanna Montgomery. She gave birth prematurely, thanks in part to the lack of care she received in her early pregnancy, and began to connect with the baby. When Rosanna fell into a coma after being run off the road in her car, Gwen thought that she and Will (who she fell in love with) would be free to take custody of the baby but a roadblock was thrown in the form of Carly Snyder, Rosanna's half-sister. Before slipping into her coma, Rosanna told Carly to take care of the baby boy.

Gwen sought custody of the baby, but at the hearing, the judge wanted her to name the father of the child. Tearfully, she confessed that Casey was the father of her child, not Will. A paternity test was done and, shockingly, Casey was not a match to the child! The whole town turned against Gwen, as Casey's family had been the cornerstone of Oakdale for many years. Even Will turned against her.

While Carly had custody of the child, Gwen had visitation rights. Carly wanted to force Gwen out once and for all, resorting to dirty tricks to get her out of the picture. Gwen's life became even more complicated when her mother, Iris Dumbrowski, arrived in Oakdale. The judge granted Gwen temporary custody as long as she lived with Iris. Iris didn't like Will and schemed to have him arrested for poisoning her. Gwen and Will took the baby on the run with them to New York City. After Carly, Iris, and Carly's husband Jack followed them, Gwen learned that Carly was her half-sister; they shared the same father!

Iris went to jail for setting up Will and the baby went back to Carly and Jack. A surprising truth came out that shocked everyone: the baby was not Gwen's child. It was actually the son of Jennifer Munson, Will's sister. The babies were switched at birth by Craig Montgomery. Since Gwen's baby turned out to be Jennifer's, it was clear that Gwen's baby was the one believed to be Jennifer's: the one who had died shortly after birth.