Beth Wallace
| Beth Wallace | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Passions character | |||||||||
| Portrayed by | Kelli McCarty | ||||||||
| Duration | 1999–2006 | ||||||||
| First appearance | August 23, 1999 | ||||||||
| Last appearance | July 17, 2006 | ||||||||
| Created by | James E. Reilly | ||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||
| Occupation | Owner of the Book Café | ||||||||
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Beth Wallace is a fictional character from the NBC/DirecTV soap opera Passions. Beth was played by Kelli McCarty from August 23, 1999, until July 18, 2005, and from May 12 to July 14, 2006. The role was contract from October 14, 2002, until May 12, 2004.
Character history
Beth was the product of an adulterous liaison between Alistair Crane and Edna Wallace. Though the two were "intimate" together, neither were aware of each other's identity at the time, and wouldn't realize who the other was until nearly thirty years later. Beth was born to Edna who may or may not have been married to Mr. Wallace. Beth assumed Wallace was her natural father until her true paternity was revealed in 2005. After Wallace died, Edna - a former Prostitute, returned to her former profession, despite a job as a server at the Crane mansion. Beth would be abused by the various men Edna "enlisted." When Beth was young, she took her rage out on her pet gerbil, various school classmates, and finally her own mother - physically maiming her so she walked with a walker.
Beth was Luis's high school sweetheart and managed the Book Café. She was Sheridan's first female friend from Harmony and, when she and Luis dated in 1999, they spent a lot of time with Hank and Sheridan, who were also dating. Sheridan and Luis found themselves spending more and more time together, which upset both Hank and Beth when they learned their significant others were being duplicitous.
Beth was seldom seen for quite some time, until after Sheridan's body was found in the ocean. She and Luis became close again, and even became lovers, with Luis finally believing he could commit to her, as he was no longer concerned he would leave her like his father left his family. Beth and Luis were looking forward to their future together when Sheridan returned to town going as Diana, with Luis's brother, Antonio. Sheridan soon regained her memory and Luis turned away from Beth once more.
When Sheridan's pregnancy was announced, Beth went so far as to kidnap her and kept her in a basement pit while faking her own pregnancy. Luis, who had passed out after being drugged by Beth, had no reason to suspect he was not the father of a child he believed existed. Beth even convinced Harmony doctors to lie for her and, when the time came, she "gave birth" to a healthy son, whom she and Luis named Marty. Not long after, Sheridan was found alive, but her child was presumed deceased. Luis grieved for the baby, and spent all of his time comforting or chasing Sheridan, spending little time with Beth and Marty.
Although Beth still loved Luis and was still determined to have him, she also grew very close to Marty, whom her mother was helping raise. Sheridan became convinced Marty was her son and, after a DNA test proved Beth was the boy's mother, Beth realised she was Alistair Crane's daughter. After a second DNA test proved Sheridan was Marty's mother, Alistair helped Beth flee the country with Marty. Although Beth was upset to lose Luis, by then it was far more important to her that she not be separated from Marty, whom she had come to think of as her own child.
Luis finally caught up with Beth in Italy, while Sheridan was back in Harmony with her new husband, Chris. Luis watched, in horror, as the train carrying Beth, Marty, and Alistair exploded, and returned to Harmony to tell Sheridan that her father, half-sister, and only child were dead. Although Beth never returned to the series, Alistair and Marty have both turned up alive.
Retconning
Beth's history has been retconned on more than one occasion. When the show began, her family (father, mother, older brother) once owned the Book Café, but sold it to the Cranes to pay for her mother's hospital bills. Unfortunately, her mother later died. When her mother was introduced into the scene, Beth's back story was completely destroyed. She no longer had an older brother and the father she often spoke of ceased to exist. It is unknown where Beth and her mother came by the name Wallace, as Mr. Wallace was established to be a man living in the house when Beth was older, but her mother never married him.
Personality
When the character of Beth first appeared, she was kind, sympathetic and supportive. She acted as an advice-giver to Luis and Sheridan, although on separate occasions. It was known she had previously been in love with Luis, but Beth was not bitter about him moving on. After several appearances, Beth was absent for a time. When Beth was "reintroduced" a year or so later, her character was no longer sympathetic. Instead, she became a villain, primarily interested in stealing Luis away from Sheridan. For the remainder of Beth's appearances, she was implied to have psychotic tendencies ranging from kidnapping Sheridan to faking a pregnancy all the way to "birth".