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Asa Buchanan is a fictional character and patriarch of the Buchanan family on the American serial drama One Life to Live. The Texas industrialist father of newly arrived characters Clint Buchanan and Bo Buchanan, Asa was originated in February 1980 by Philip Carey. Carey portrayed the role continually for nearly three decades, through to his final pre-taped appearance in 2008. Throughout those years, Asa's ruthless business dealings and attempts to both protect and control his family members drive much of the drama in the series.
Desperate to know his real family, Bo visits his aunt Euphemia Ralston, who had a vendetta against Asa for helping to bankrupt her family after Olympia's affair with Yancy. Euphemia sends her nephew Drew to Llanview to help try to figure out a way to ruin Asa and get back some of the family money, but that is thwarted when Euphemia's daughter, Delila, shows up in Llanview and marries Asa while in love with Bo. Yancy's widow, Blanche, shows up and reveals that Yancy is sterile. Bo and Delilah order Euphemia, who knew all along about this, to leave town. Delilah divorces Asa and marries Bo, but that marriage ends quickly because of her lies. Drew Ralston marries Becky Lee Abbott after she becomes pregnant with Bo's baby, but after Drew is killed, Asa marries Becky so he can raise his grandson. That marriage ends after Becky Lee is believed to be dead.
In 1986, Tina Lord (Andrea Evans) discovers that Asa has been leading a double life for years; on the tropical island of Malakeva, he is known as Jeb Stuart and has been "married" to a woman named Pamela (Christine Jones) for a decade. Tina tells Pamela that her "husband" is not a sea captain, as she believes, but actually a millionaire with a family in Llanview. Noting that Asa and Pamela's marriage is not legal, Tina convinces Pamela to pretend she is dying to manipulate Asa into marrying her for real. He does on January 20, 1986, and Pamela springs from her "deathbed" and confronts her husband. Arriving in Llanview to live as "Mrs. Asa Buchanan", Pamela is at first a thorn in his side. As Asa realizes he wants her to be his wife in every sense of the word, she demands a divorce — and half of his fortune. Their marriage ends in 1987.
In 1999, it is revealed that Asa's on-again off-again wife Renée Divine (Patricia Elliott) had conceived a son by Asa when they had been involved in their youth and had put the boy up for adoption. Max Holden (James DePaiva) poses as the missing heir, but Asa and Renee's real son turns out to be Ben Davidson (Mark Derwin), adopted brother of Sam Rappaport and love interest of Asa's former daughter-in-law Victoria Lord.
In October 2006, David Vickers (Tuc Watkins) finds out that Asa once had an affair with David's mother, Emma Bradley, but Asa denies it. Later, David's brother Spencer Truman (Paul Satterfield) claims to be Asa's son, but a DNA test proves otherwise. A conversation between Asa and his longtime butler Nigel Bartholomew-Smythe (Peter Bartlett) hints that there is more to the story.
On August 16, 2007, Asa dies in his sleep and is found by Nigel. Grandsons Cord Roberts (John Loprieno), Kevin Buchanan (Dan Gauthier), and Joey Buchanan (Nathan Fillion), and ex-wife Alex Olanov (Tonja Walker), return for his funeral.In the August 16, 2007 episode, Rex Balsom (John-Paul Lavoisier) is seen reading a front page article in The Banner titled "Billionaire tycoon Asa Buchanan dead at 82." On August 17, 2007, Nigel tells a returned Max Holden that Asa does indeed have another son: David Vickers. Max advises Nigel to wait to tell the rest of the family, and an eavesdropping Alex overhears. She begins a search for David herself.
Asa's will is executed in November 2007 as a video is played featuring the Buchanan patriarch. He bequeaths his mansion to former daughter-in-law Nora Hanen (Hillary B. Smith), who has been living there with her and Bo's son Matthew Buchanan (Eddie Alderson) since her house burned down; he also leaves his yacht, the Jeb Stuart, and his tropical island, St. Blaize's, to loyal servant Nigel. Asa also notes the existence of his other son, though not his identity, and finally states that he will not be splitting Buchanan Enterprises among his heirs and taking the chance that the company will be split up or partially sold. He instead challenges the family to run it as a cohesive team and, if the company's stock rises, be rewarded handsomely in a year. Alex appears, married to an in-the-dark David, and blackmails Nigel with the facts of David's parentage. Not wanting the Buchanans to discover that con man David is one of them, Nigel gives his inheritance to Alex in exchange for her silence. Meanwhile, Buchanan Enterprises up-and-comer Jared Banks (John Brotherton)— an admirer of Asa's who is already a favorite of widow Renee and circling Natalie Buchanan (Melissa Archer) romantically — overhears Alex's news and pressures Nigel to pass him off as Asa's heir instead. Nigel does, and Jared feigns disinterest, armed with a lock of David's hair to prove his claim.
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