Liz Sanbourne is a fictional character from the American soap opera
Passions, which aired on National Broadcasting Company (NBC) from
1999â€"2007 and on DirecTV from 2007â€"08. Created by the soap's head
writer, James E. Reilly, Liz was portrayed by Amelia Marshall from
October 3, 2001 to February 17, 2006. Arreale Davis and Taquel Graves
also played the character in flashbacks in 2003. Reilly approached
Marshall about the role after they worked together on Guiding Light;
Marshall was attracted to the series due to the opportunity to play a
darker and more complex character than her previous experiences. Her
casting was part of NBC's attempt to include a racially diverse
ensemble on daytime television.Liz, part of Passions' Russell family,
is introduced as a resort owner involved in the love triangle between
Sheridan Crane and Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald and his brother Luis
Lopez-Fitzgerald. She gains more prominence on the series as the
antagonist and foil to her adoptive sister Eve Russell. Liz's
desperation to expose her sister's past relationshipâ€"and
childâ€"with Julian Crane leads to the breakup of the latter's
marriage and family. Later storylines focus on her relationship with
Eve's husband T. C. Russell and attempts to murder Alistair Crane for
raping her as a teenager. Liz eventually abandons her vendetta against
Eve and Alistair in order to find love in the future. Following her
exit from the series, Liz is identified as the biological mother of
Chad Harris-Crane, which proves his relationship with Whitney Russell
is not incestuous.Liz, part of Passions' Russell family, is introduced
as a resort owner involved in the love triangle between Sheridan Crane
and Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald and his brother Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald.
She gains more prominence on the series as the antagonist and foil to
her adoptive sister Eve Russell. Liz's desperation to expose her
sister's past relationshipâ€"and childâ€"with Julian Crane leads to
the breakup of the latter's marriage and family. Later storylines
focus on her relationship with Eve's husband T. C. Russell and
attempts to murder Alistair Crane for raping her as a teenager. Liz
eventually abandons her vendetta against Eve and Alistair in order to
find love in the future. Following her exit from the series, Liz is
identified as the biological mother of Chad Harris-Crane, which proves
his relationship with Whitney Russell is not incestuous.Liz has been
widely praised by television critics, specifically for her role as a
villain. Marshall received a nomination for Soap Opera Digest Award
for Outstanding Villainess in a Drama Series â€" Daytime in the 2005
Soap Opera Digest Awards, but lost to Jane Elliot for her portrayal of
General Hospital's Tracy Quartermaine. Co-stars Tracey Ross and Rodney
Van Johnson praised Marshall's performance on the series, but they
were disappointed at her removal. Marshall's departure was the result
of significant cuts in the soap opera's budget.Passions' creator and
head writer James E. Reilly had approached Amelia Marshall about the
role of Liz Sanbourne after they worked together on Guiding Light.
Marshall said that she was attracted to the character since it was
different from her previous performances as Belinda Keffers in All My
Children, and Gilly Grant Speakes in Guiding Light. While discussiong
her professional relationship with Reilly in an interview with Soap
Talk, she had commented: "I just love the fact that he saw me and
realized that I could be such a witch." Prior to receiving the role,
Marshall was already aware of the soap opera's supernatural elements,
and said the following about Passions: "... there were always these
strange things happening on the show. It really pulls you in."
Marshall portrayed Liz from October 3, 2001 until February 17, 2006.
In 2003, Arreale Davis and Taquel Graves had played the character in
flashbacks. Liz Sanbourne Top Movies & Young Movies