Larry Wolek

Larry Wolek is a fictional character from the American soap opera One Life to Live, played for 35 years by actor Michael Storm. Storm is the second longest running cast member of the ABC Daytime production after actress Erika Slezak (Victoria Lord), and he briefly crossed over in the role on premiere episodes of All My Children in 1970.

The character is one of the lead protagonists and the youngest member of the Wolek family introduced in the July 15, 1968, television pilot, continually appearing until May 28, 2004.

The role of Larry was originally played by Paul Tulley, who appears from the debut of the series in July 1968 through episodes in August of that year. Actor Jim Storm soon assumed the role in August, playing Larry through December 1968 (he accepted a role on fellow ABC soap Dark Shadows a year and a half after leaving One Life to Live). Jim Storm recommended to showrunners that his brother Michael Storm replace him as Larry, for which Michael was hired and appeared as the character from January 1969 onward through his (and its) last onscreen appearance opposite actor Philip Carey (Asa Buchanan) on the episode aired May 28, 2004.

The younger brother of Anna (Doris Belack) and Vince Wolek (Antony Ponzini), Dr. Larry Wolek (Paul Tulley) is introduced as the boyfriend of rich socialite Meredith Lord (Trish Van Devere), a match which Meredith's father, media magnate Victor Lord (Ernest Graves), does not approve. In July 1968, Victor pushes Meredith into an engagement with the more socially acceptable Dr. Ted Hale (Terry Logan). Meredith's engagement to Ted ends when he stumbles down a Llanview Hospital staircase to his death while arguing with Larry. Nurse Karen Martin (Niki Flacks) tells police she overheard Larry and Ted arguing over Meredith and Larry threatening Ted, and Larry is arrested for murder.

Larry (Jim Storm) stands trial for the death and is nearly convicted until a revelation in court that Larry threatened Ted to keep secret Meredith suffered from a terminal blood disease and, ultimately, that Ted had fallen by accident. In December, Larry is released from incarceration and hopes to spend with Meredith, but she learns the truth and leaves Llanview for San Francisco to die with her maternal family. Meredith leaves Larry a Dear John letter dissuading him for loving her and advising him to move on. A devastated Larry finds solace with Karen.

Karen soon saves Larry from a fire that left him badly burned and bandaged for weeks. In January 1969, Larry (Michael Storm onward) recovers and gives in to Karen's romantic advances. Meredith (Lynn Benesch onward) soon returns from California with her condition miraculously improved, and Larry hopes for a reconciliation. Meredith admits to Larry her love for him, but Karen then reveals to Larry her pregnancy with their child. A heartbroken Larry marries Karen to prevent her from having an illegal abortion, but she miscarries in 1970 from the stress of knowing Larry loved Meredith. Karen and Larry soon separate, but Meredith had already become engaged to Tom Edwards (Joseph Gallison). Meredith promises to stay with Tom, but Tom rebuffs her knowing Meredith desires more to be with Larry.

Meredith and Larry marry June 25, 1970, and soon decide to start a family. Larry soon treats Cathy Craig for drug abuse, and Meredith becomes pregnant with twins. In November 1971, Larry's mentor Dr. Jim Craig (Nat Polen) delivers the children, but only one, named Daniel Wolek, survives childbirth. Meredith begins suffering from postpartum depression, and Larry soon calls in a favor to friend Dr. Joyce Brothers (playing herself) to treat his ailing wife. Tragedy strikes the happily married couple in 1973 when thieves break into Meredith's father's home at Llanfair, and Meredith fatally falls as she attempts to escape. Before dying, Meredith asks sister Victoria "Viki" Lord Riley (Erika Slezak) to tell Larry that he brought happiness to her life. The widower is left to raise their infant son Daniel alone.

By the mid-1970s, Larry's distant cousins Jenny (Katherine Glass) and Karen Wolek (Kathryn Breech) arrive in Llanview, and he falls in love with Karen. After a whirlwind romance, Larry and Karen marry March 31, 1977. Karen (Judith Light onward) soon becomes dissatisfied with her life as an upper middle class housewife, and surreptitiously supplements her husband's allowance by joining in upscale prostitution ring run by her con man ex-boyfriend Marco Dane (Gerald Anthony). Happily married to the love of his life, Larry first learns of Karen's prostitution when she is coerced into admitting it on the stand when Viki is put on trial for Marco's apparent murder in 1979. Larry and Karen divorce after the public revelation in August, but the two eventually become close friends. Storm regarded his storyline with Light's Karen as his favorite during his tenure with the series. Karen departs Llanview for witness protection in Canada in 1983 with agent Steve Piermont (Robert Desiderio), tearfully bidding farewell to Larry.