Editing Dimitri Marick

{{Short description|Fictional character from the American ABC soap opera All My Children}}
{{Infobox soap character
|series=All My Children
| image = Dimtri Marick.jpg
| caption = Michael Nader as Dimitri Marick
| image2  = Addabbo.jpg
| caption2 = Anthony Addabbo as Dimitri Marick
| name = Dimitri Marick 
| portrayer = [[Michael Nader]] (1991–2001, 2013)<br> [[Anthony Addabbo]] (2001)
| creator = [[Agnes Nixon]]
| introducer = {{unbulleted list|[[Jean Dadario Burke]] (1991)|[[Ginger Smith]] (2013)}} 
| years = {{flatlist|
*1991–2001
*2013}}
| first = September 1991
| last = September 2, 2013
| classification = [[List of All My Children cast members|Former, regular]]
| alias           =
*Dimitri Yakov Marick (birth name)
*Dimi (nickname)
| occupation     = Head of Chandler Enterprises' media division, producer of the internet program ''Talk Tempo'' <br> Hungarian Royalty (Count Andrassy) <br> Former Owner of WRCW <BR> Multimillionaire Businessman and Investor <br> Member of the Board of Directors of Pine Valley Hospital 
| spouse= Angelique Voynitzeva (1973–92) <br>[[Erica Kane]] (1993–96)<br />Gloria Marsh (1997–98)<br />[[Alex Devane]] (1999–2013)<!--It has not been confirmed when Alex and Dimitri divorced.-->
| parents         = Hugo Marick <br> Anna Sporades
| halfbrothers    = Edmund Grey
| sons            = Anton Lang
| uncles          = Alexei Von Voynavitch
| cousins         = Maxime Von Voynavitch 
| nieces/nephews  = Sam Grey (adoptive) <br> Maddie Grey
| relatives       = Gillian Andrassy
}}

'''Dimitri Marick''' is a fictional character from the American [[ABC Daytime|ABC]] soap opera ''[[All My Children]]''. The role has been most notably portrayed by [[Michael Nader]], previously famed for his role on ''[[Dynasty (1981 TV series)|Dynasty]]''.<ref name="www.tvguide.com">{{cite magazine | title=Michael Nader|magazine=[[TV Guide]]|access-date=2008-04-28|url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/michael-nader/166211}}</ref> Former head writers [[Agnes Nixon]] and [[Lorraine Broderick]] created the character in 1991, designing him as a brooding and mysterious character based on heroes from [[Gothic Fiction|gothic literature]], such as Maxim de Winter from [[Daphne du Maurier]]'s novel ''[[Rebecca (novel)|Rebecca]]'' and [[Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)|Heathcliff]] from [[Emily Brontë]]'s novel ''[[Wuthering Heights]]''.<ref name="SOD 11/26/91 ">{{cite magazine|title=Soap Opera Digest, Natalie and Dimitri|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=1991-11-26}}</ref><ref name="SOW 11/14/91 ">{{cite magazine| first=Mimi| last=Torchin|title=Soap Opera Weekly, Haunted By His Past|magazine=[[Soap Opera Weekly]] |date=1991-11-14}}</ref> The character's introduction raised ''All My Children'' in the [[Nielsen ratings]], placing it consistently as the second most-watched daytime soap opera in the US.<ref name="SOD 11/26/91 "/><ref name="Soap Opera Weekly 11/14/91">{{cite magazine| first=Marlena| last=De Lacroix|title=Scenes from a Press Conference|magazine=[[Soap Opera Weekly]]|date=1991-11-14}}</ref><ref name="SOU 11/19/91 ">{{cite magazine|title=Soap Opera Update, Dark Shadows|magazine=[[Soap Opera Update]]|date=1991-11-19}}</ref>

Soon after his debut on the soap opera, Dimitri became a complex leading man and took part in some of the most notable plots of the 1990s.<ref name="SOD 10/30/01">{{cite magazine| first= Elaine| last= Flores|title=Soap Opera Digest, Nader Speaks|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=2001-10-30}}</ref> He had a very popular romance with [[Erica Kane]] ([[Susan Lucci]]). [[Dimitri Marick and Erica Kane#Storyline|Dimitri and Erica's storylines]] include a tumultuous romance leading to two failed marriages and a miscarriage.<ref name="soapoperadigest.com">{{cite magazine|title=Jack and Erica Timeline |magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]] |access-date=2009-01-24 |url=http://soapoperadigest.com/features/all-my-children/2005/jackanderica/index.html }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="www.soapoperadigest.com">{{cite magazine|title=Jack and Erica Timeline page 2 |magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]] |access-date=2009-01-24 |url=http://www.soapoperadigest.com/features/all-my-children/2005/jackanderica/index1.html }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> One of the biggest obstacles in their relationship was Erica's vindinctive and manipulative daughter, [[Kendall Hart Slater|Kendall Hart]] ([[Sarah Michelle Gellar]]). Dimitri also had a popular romance with [[Alexandra Devane Marick|Alexandra Devane]] ([[Finola Hughes]])<ref name="www.ew.com">{{cite magazine|first=Abby|last=West|title=17 Great Soap Supercouples: Erica and Dimitri|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=2009-01-04|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20174499_10,00.html|archive-date=2008-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201164501/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0%2C%2C20174499_10%2C00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Soap Opera Update 12/21/99">{{cite magazine|title=Soaps Best Couples|magazine=[[Soap Opera Update]]|date=1999-12-21}}</ref> and a loving yet antagonistic relationship with his half-brother, [[Edmund Grey (All My Children)|Edmund Grey]] (John Callahan).<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 12/07/93">{{cite magazine|title=Brotherly Love|magazine=[[Soap Opera Update]]|date=1993-12-07}}</ref>

In July 1999, Nader was let go from ''All My Children'' due to budgetary considerations, however, he later returned in May 2000. The following year, the actor's arrest brought him and the character to the center of a large fan campaign organized by a group called the Loyalists, as well as a highly publicized [[lawsuit]] catching the attention of ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' and ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'', among other media outlets.<ref name="People">{{cite magazine|title=Sued|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=2002-04-23}}</ref><ref name="Entertainment Tonight">''Entertainment Tonight'' airdate 25 June 2001</ref> As a result, Nader was let go again by the soap opera, with an official statement saying they would be prepared to consider having him return once he had addressed the lawsuit issues. The role was temporarily recast with actor Anthony Addabbo, who was negatively received by viewers, and let go shortly after his debut.<ref name="www.soapcentral.com">{{cite news|title=Anthony Addabbo|publisher=Soap Central|access-date=2008-04-28|url=http://www.soapcentral.com/amc/theactors/addabbo.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080422202611/http://www.soapcentral.com/amc/theactors/addabbo.php|archive-date=2008-04-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> Nader later stated in an interview that ABC had informed him that they had no intention of ever bringing him or the character back due to a lack of storyline. In 2004, Nader's suit was subsequently thrown out.<ref name="www.nydailynews.com">{{cite news| first=George| last=Rush | title=AY, CHIHUAHUA! PARIS IS MISSING A PAL: No Soap|newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)]]|access-date=2009-03-08|date=2004-08-18|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/ay-chihuahua-paris-missing-pal-article-1.591115?pgno=1}}</ref> In May 2013, after a twelve-year absence from ''All My Children'', Nader was announced to be reprising the role, with his return airing on June 12, 2013.

==Casting==
Casting the role of Dimitri gave ''All My Children'' difficulty. The series' casting director, [[Judy Blye Wilson]], tested between fifteen and twenty actors, and could not find the right actor for the job.<ref name="SOU 11/19/91"/> Wilson then learned that the former ''Dynasty'' star, Michael Nader was available and suggested the show offer him the part.<ref name="SOU 11/19/91"/>

Before ''All My Children'' offered him the role of Dimitri Marick, Nader already planned on working in both [[Los Angeles]] and [[New York City|New York]].<ref name="SOW 11/26/91"/> "My fiancee, Beth Windsor, had literally just worked into being [[bicoastal]]," he said. "She had an apartment here and I had been seeking out some theater here in New York and would have been spending time both here and in L.A. So after we made the decision to go ahead with that game plan, this offer (Dimitri) came on the table and when we worked out all the figures moneywise it was a great opportunity."<ref name="SOW 11/26/91"/> Despite Nader's [[prime time]] success as ''Dynasty's'' [[Dex Dexter]], he did not look down on [[daytime television]]. "The fact of the matter is we're in a different era," he said. "And if you look at the cutbacks in [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]], being on a soap is not of any less or more value than being in any other medium at this time."<ref name="SOW 11/26/91"/> Another factor that contributed to his decision to join ''All My Children'' was the actors strike. He intended to stay on ''All My Children'' for a year. That year turned into more because the actor fell in love with New York.<ref name="SOD 8/17/93">{{cite magazine|title=Marick With Children|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=1993-08-17}}</ref>

Since finding the right actor to play Dimitri took such a long time, the show had already begun taping around the character for two weeks.<ref name="SOW 11/26/91"/> Nader spent his first weeks on ''All My Children'' working overtime to catch up. "By the time we had resolved some of the terms," he said, "they were really against the wall in terms of back story.... In retrospect, I should have just slept on the set because it was like sixty or seventy pages a day!"<ref name="SOW 11/26/91"/> Nader also taped his scenes out of sequence while dealing with sixteen different scripts from different points in the story.<ref name="SOW 11/26/91"/> To keep each scene straight he gave them each a name that described the scene's main action. After those scenes were taped, they were spliced into the otherwise completed episodes.<ref name="SOU 08/29/00">{{cite magazine| first=Sheila| last=Steinbach |title=Soap Opera Update, Michael Nader Uncensored|magazine=[[Soap Opera Update]]|date=2000-08-29}}</ref> This went on for two weeks until the episodes were all caught up.<ref name="SOW 11/26/91"/> Another complication Nader dealt with was the wardrobe. He said, "They had devised this sort of 'tapestry' layered look for Dimitri and it was like doing scenes inside a sauna." This was eventually rectified, but not before the actor lost around twelve pounds in the two weeks.<ref name="SOW 11/26/91"/>

Michael Nader was fired from ''All My Children'' in July 1999, due to budget considerations, and Dimitri was killed off.<ref name="SOD 10/22/99">{{cite magazine|title=Soap Opera Digest, Why Michael Nader Got Fired from AMC|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=1999-10-22}}</ref><ref name="SOD 09/21/99">{{cite magazine|title=Soap Opera Digest, Michael Nader's Special Message to AMC Fans|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=1999-09-21}}</ref> This led to a fan outcry from viewers who campaigned for the actor's return.<ref name="SOD 09/21/99"/> To partially appease them, the show's [[executive producer]], [[Jean Dadario Burke]], offered Nader his job back on a [[Recurring status|recurring]] basis.<ref name="SOW 10/16/99">{{cite magazine| first=Linda| last=Marshall-Smith|title=Soap Opera Weekly, Michael Nader Willing to Return|magazine=[[Soap Opera Weekly]]|date=1999-10-16}}</ref> He rejected this offer because "after being a major character for so long, it didn't make any sense to me. So I declined. But if the network was interested in seriously discussing Dimitri's return on a contract basis I would love to go back."<ref name="SOW 10/16/99"/>

In May 2000, he was rehired and brought back into the role with a multi-year contract.<ref name="SOD 03/14/00">{{cite magazine|title=AMC's Dimitri Returns|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=2000-03-14}}</ref> The return story scripted for the Dimitri character centered on the romance between his brother Edmund and his wife Alex. Dimitri was revealed to be alive just as his wife, Alex, and brother, Edmund, had sex for the first time. Nader said he wanted to create a deeper layer in the character instead of focusing solely on the love triangle between Dimitri, Alex, and Edmund. "I do hope to pursue some sort of subtle spiritual change, some perception that Dimitri is different," he said.<ref name="SOD 05/09/00">{{cite magazine|title=The Count's Not Down|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=2000-05-09}}</ref> He questioned the writers' storyline choice in not exploring the popular Dimitri and Erica romance again. "I found it sort of odd that they'd move me so far away from [[Susan Lucci|Susan[Lucci, Erica]]]," Nader said. "They're trying to explore these other themes."<ref name="SOD 05/09/00"/>

Nader lost the role again in February 2001 as a result of the actor getting arrested for allegedly selling [[cocaine]] to an undercover [[police officer]].<ref name="SOW 07/03/01">{{cite magazine| first=Gabrielle| last=Winkel|title=Soap Opera Weekly, Starting Over|magazine=[[Soap Opera Weekly]]|date=2001-07-03}}</ref> ''All My Children'' released an [[News release|official statement]] saying, "If Mr. Nader gets the help that he needs and addresses his problem, and it makes sense for the show, we would be prepared to speak with Michael in the future."<ref name="SOW 07/03/01"/> The network put Nader on probation and ordered him to seek help for his problem.<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 03/25/03">{{cite magazine|title=No Holds Barred|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=2003-03-25}}</ref>

Anthony Addabbo temporarily took over the role, first airing on April 6, 2001. To prepare for the role, he watched tapes of Nader's portrayal of Dimitri in order to see the relationships between Dimitri and other characters. Despite the fan protest against the role being recast, Addabbo told ''[[Soap Opera Digest]]'' he was not worried. "I don't find it intimidating," he said. "I know how they can come to love a certain actor portraying a role and how he plays the role and everything, but this happens in daytime so frequently that I didn't find it intimidating at all."<ref name="SOD 04/03/01">{{cite magazine|title=Soap Opera Digest, New Dimitri|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=2001-04-03}}</ref> ''Soap Opera Digest'' considered him an odd choice for a Dimitri recast since Addabbo usually portrayed "all-American good guys" such as ''[[Generations (U.S. TV series)|Generations]]'' Jason Craig and ''[[Guiding Light]]'''s Jim LeMay.<ref name="SOD 08/12/08">{{cite magazine|title=Soap Opera Digest, Replacement Battery|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=2008-08-12}}</ref> A large number of ''All My Children'' fans rejected Addabbo in the role and continued to campaign for Nader's return. The controversy forced the writers to lessen Dimitri's role on the show until July 2001 when Addabbo was let go "for storyline reasons", according to ABC's official statement.<ref name="SOD 08/12/08"/>

During an interview, Nader told ''Soap Opera Digest'' that in late September 2001, ABC called a meeting with him to inform him that, though he resolved his personal problems, they had no intention of ever bringing him or the character back due to lack of story.<ref name="SOD 10/30/01"/> Nader argued that other storyline possibilities existed since he and Dimitri received "a tremendous response" from viewers. "For years, Dimitri and Erica were a popular coupling," he said. "A good friend of mine, [[Jack Scalia]] (Chris), is on...that alone would be a dynamic triangle."<ref name="SOD 10/30/01"/>

In May 2013, following a twelve-year absence from ''All My Children'', Nader was announced to be reprising the role of Dimitri, scheduled to begin in June. Initially his first airdate was 3 June, however, due to Prospect Park's decision to reduce the number of episodes made available each week, he did not air until 12 June.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://soapoperadigest.com/content/michael-nader-back-amc |title=Michael Nader Back to AMC |work=[[Soap Opera Digest]] |date=13 May 2013 |access-date=May 13, 2013}}</ref>

==Development==
Former head writers [[Agnes Nixon]] and [[Lorraine Broderick]] created the character Dimitri Marick in 1991. His original purpose was to rescue [[Natalie Marlowe]] from the well her sister, [[Janet Dillon|Janet Green]], trapped her in.<ref name="SOD 11/26/91"/> He was also designed as a rival for Natalie's current love interest, Trevor Dillon. Trevor and Natalie were a popular couple at that point and the writers wanted to create a viable obstacle for them.<ref name="SOU 11/19/91 "/> eally exciting, romantic, handsome leading man, so that there would be a real impediment; you know we'd have a really exciting love story between Trevor and somebody as different from Trevor as we could get...because Trevor is a wonderful, warm, teddy bear, lovable, down-to-earth, right-out-there guy- and Dimitri is very much opposite from that."<ref name="SOU 11/19/91"/> Broderick characterized the character in an interview with ''[[Soap Opera Update]]'', stating:

{{cquote|He's certainly a man who wants to be in control. He's a very strong man, he's a very passionate man. He's had a troubled, tragic background, and is just beginning to come out into the world again after being quite reclusive for the past fifteen years. He is guarded, and he plays everything close to the vest. He is very slow to let other people in- except Natalie, with whom he feels a special and unique bond, because he rescued her and because he fell in love with her very quickly, which we hope will be part of the mystery.<ref name="SOU 11/19/91"/>}}

Nixon and Broderick also crafted the character as a darkly brooding and mysterious man in the same vein as [[Gothic literature|gothic literary]] heroes such as [[Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)|Heathcliff]] from ''[[Wuthering Heights]]'', [[Edward Rochester]] from ''[[Jane Eyre]]'', and Maxim de Winter from ''[[Rebecca (novel)|Rebecca]]''.<ref name="SOW 11/14/91"/> Nixon used these characters as inspiration for Dimitri because, as she told ''[[Soap Opera Weekly]]'', "In doing the 'stolen life' story, I felt that we needed something to follow that was also a little larger than life, very romantic, and gothic."<ref name="SOW 11/14/91"/> The characters played a part in shaping Dimitri as well as his environment and storylines. Maxim de Winter's estate, [[Manderley]], provided the inspiration for Dimitri's [[Pine Valley (All My Children)|Pine Valley]] estate, Wildwind.<ref name="SOW 11/14/91"/><ref name= "Du Maurier Daphne">Daphne Du Maurier, ''Rebecca'', {{ISBN|978-0-380-73040-7}}.</ref> The design was taken from both the description in Du Maurier's book and the depiction from the film ''[[Rebecca (1940 film)|Rebecca]]'', a 1940 adaptation of the novel by [[Alfred Hitchcock]].<ref name="SOW 11/14/91"/> Like Mr. Rochester, the wife Dimitri falsely claims died years ago is revealed to be alive just before his marriage to another woman.<ref name= "Brontë, Charlotte">Charlotte Brontë, ''Jane Eyre'', {{ISBN|978-0-14-144114-6}}.</ref>

Nixon infused elements of those literatures into the Dimitri and Natalie romance with as well. "There's a gothic quality to it", she said, referring to the couple. "It's ''Wuthering Heights'' or ''Jane Eyre''. Everybody loves somebody who has a past and a secret- and certainly Dimitri does- which we haven't divulged yet. That heightens ones interest and suspense. It's a special situation but what really makes it special is the actor's talent, personalities, good looks, and chemistry."<ref name="SOD 11/26/91"/> Since the writers created Dimitri as a very mysterious character, Michael Nader mostly stayed away from the press in order to help maintain that image.<ref name="SOU 11/19/91"/> Whenever he did do an interview, he discussed the character in such a way as to add more mystery.<ref name="SOU 11/19/91"/> Nader compared Dimitri to the ''Dynasty'' character he once portrayed, Dex Dexter.<ref name="SOW 11/26/91">{{cite magazine|title=Soap Opera Weekly, The Man Behind the Mystery|magazine=[[Soap Opera Weekly]]|date=1991-11-19}}</ref> On ''Dynasty'', "[[John James (actor)|John James]] ([[Jeff Colby]]) played the 'aw, shucks;' nice guy, and I played the guy who was on the edge, who would take care of business and not take any bull", he said. "Dimitri is sort of a darker Dex. Though I don't know exactly how dark to make him yet."<ref name="SOW 11/26/91"/> Nader, as an actor, also provided the writers with more inspiration on the character. "The more we see of him, the more he inspires us", Broderick said. "It's just a wonderful marriage of actor and character[...] He's giving us so many levels and such depth, that it's a challenge. But it's exciting. Dimitri is one of the characters that is so much fun to write."<ref name="SOU 11/19/91"/>

==Storylines==

===Backstory===
To further the mystery element and add an international twist to the story, Nixon scripted Dimitri as having close European roots, though he is an American.<ref name="SOD 11/26/91"/> He is the son of Hungarian parents, Hugo and Anna. Originally, his wealth comes from all the land around Pine Valley and the ''[[One Life to Live]]'' city [[Llanview]], which he inherits from his parents.<ref name="SOD 11/26/91"/> That is also where his fictional estate, [[Wildwind]], is located.<ref name="SOW 11/14/91"/> Later, during Dimitri's 1992 story with [[Erica Kane]], he is revealed to also be Hungarian nobility as Count Andrassy. He inherited his title and his Hungarian castle, Vadzel, from his father's side.<ref name= "Warner, Gary">Gary Warner, ''All My Children: The Complete Family Scrapbook'', p. 116-117, {{ISBN|1-881649-45-8}}.</ref> Both of his parents were dead by the time Dimitri first appears on ''All My Children''.<ref name="SOW 11/14/91"/> He spends his childhood years growing up in Europe and on the Wildwind estate.<ref name="SOW 11/14/91"/> He has a complicated relationship with Edmund Gresham, the son of two of his family's employees, unknown to Dimitri to be his half-brother. His childhood sweetheart was Angelique Voynitzeva, the daughter of his nanny, Helga. Helga later becomes his housekeeper.<ref name="SOW 11/14/91"/> Fifteen years prior to Dimitri's appearance on-screen, he and Angelique married. Angelique becomes pregnant but suffers a miscarriage which devastates both of them. Angelique has a riding accident which leaves her in a coma.<ref name="SOW 11/14/91"/> Dimitri tries to find a cure, but is unable to and sends her to a clinic in Austria. He becomes reclusive for the next decade because of the guilt he feels over her condition.<ref name="SOW 11/14/91"/> Finding Natalie in 1991 brings him out into society again.<ref name="Warner, p. 115">Warner, p. 115.</ref>

===1991–2001===
Dimitri Marick first appears in Pine Valley in 1991 when he rescues Natalie Marlowe from the well her sister, Janet Green, trapped her in on the Wildwind estate.<ref name="Warner, p. 115"/> She resembles his comatose wife, Angelique, which attracts him to her. While he nurses her back to health, Dimitri becomes obsessively in love with her. His housekeeper, Helga, who is also Angelique's mother, is not pleased about this. He lies to Natalie that his wife died years ago.<ref name="SOW 11/14/91"/> Once Natalie recovers and everyone learns what happened to her at Janet's hand, Natalie's fiancé, Trevor Dillon, tries to reconcile with her. Natalie rejects her fiancé, Trevor Dillon, because Janet fooled him into thinking she was Natalie and he slept with her. Dimitri and Natalie become engaged.<ref name="SOD 11/26/91"/> Unbeknown to Dimitri, Angelique has awoken from her coma and Helga brings her to Dimitri and Natalie's engagement party. Natalie leaves Dimitri and reunites with Trevor. Dimitri reconciles with his wife.<ref name= "Warner, Gary"/>

Dimitri begins an affair with [[Erica Kane]]. He falls in love with her, but feels he must stay with Angelique. Edmund Grey, the son of a Marick family maid and gardener, returns to town to see Angelique, his close childhood friend. Dimitri is furious to see Edmund again since he had stolen money from Dimitri's father to pay for his education. Dimitri is stunned when Edmund informs him that they are half-brothers. Edmund had discovered this when he found Hugo Marick's will that states he is not only his illegitimate son, but that he is the lawful heir to Wildwind. Helga had planted the will as revenge for Dimitri's affair with Erica, but when Dimitri assures Helga he is now completely devoted to Angelique, she destroys the will in order to keep the estate for her daughter. Edmund files a lawsuit to have Hugo's body exhumed, which causes the hatred between him and Dimitri to deepen even more. Eventually, the truth about what Helga did is revealed and she dies.<ref name= "Warner, Gary"/> Dimitri and Edmund agree to put the past behind them and they bond as brothers. They develop an extremely close and loving relationship, but they also continue to have a standing rivalry.<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 12/07/93"/>

Dimitri ends his marriage to Angelique and marries Erica. The newlyweds settle into Wildwind and Dimitri develops a close relationship with Erica's daughter, [[Bianca Montgomery]]. Dimitri's happiness with Erica is disrupted by Erica's vengeful older daughter, [[Kendall Hart Slater|Kendall Hart]]. Kendall tells Dimitri she is in love with him, but he immediately rejects her. As revenge, Kendall implies to Erica that Dimitri sexually assaulted her and Erica, who was raped by Kendall's father Richard Fields, stabs Dimitri in the neck. Erica is charged with attempted murder, but is acquitted.

Another bombshell is dropped in Dimitri's life when he finds out that Anton Lang, who he believed to be brother of his maid Corvina ([[Małgorzata Zajączkowska|Margaret Sophie Stein]]), is actually his son with Corvina. Dimitri had had a drunken one-night stand with Corvina which he had no memory of.<ref>Warner, p. 118-119.</ref> Dimitri is happy to finally be a father and attempts to forge relationship with Anton without telling him about his parentage. When the truth finally comes out, Anton is devastated and wants nothing to do with Dimitri. Anton later marries Kendall to throw it in Dimitri's face. Eventually, Anton sees Kendall for the manipulator that she is and divorces her. Anton and Dimitri make peace with each other before Anton leaves town.

During a time when they are both particularly vulnerable, Dimitri and Edmund's wife, Maria, sleep together. When Maria finds out she is pregnant, the baby's paternity is in question. They have a DNA test done and Skye Chandler, who is in love with Edmund, tampers with test so it will show Dimitri is the father when it is in fact Edmund. After Maria confesses everything, a devastated Edmund tells Dimitri that he is dead to him and he will be bringing the child up as his own. Erica also finds out she is pregnant around this time, but miscarries. Maria gives birth to a baby girl with Erica's help. Maria's daughter is presumed dead after a car accident, but she has actually been kidnapped by Erica and named Sonya. Erica eventually returns the baby to Maria and she is renamed Maddie. Maria is later presumed dead in a plane crash. Dimitri discovers that Edmund is Maddie's father when he finds out their blood types do not match. He takes her to Vadzel, but Edmund tracks them down and takes back custody of Maddie. The brothers remain estranged for quite some time, but eventually manage to reconcile. Dimitri leaves Pine Valley permanently in 2001 with his current wife, [[Alex Devane Marick|Alex Devane]].<ref name="SOD 10/30/01"/>

===2013===
In June 2013, Dimitri received an email from his old friend and former lover Brooke English. Brooke was shocked when Dimitri responded by showing up at her door, and told him that she thought she'd never see him again. Dimitri revealed that he and Alex had divorced, and that he had not bothered remaining in touch with his family and had reverted to his reclusive ways, but that Europe was beginning to bore him and her timing couldn't have been better. Upon returning to town, he stopped by his former residence, Wildwind, only to find that the place was empty. Brooke explained that after its last occupant, Caleb Cortlandt, had moved out, Sam and Maddie, Edmund's children, had not bothered to rent the mansion out again. Dimitri told Brooke that, while at Wildwind, he stopped by the mausoleum and made amends to Edmund, who had died in a fire 8 years earlier.

Brooke explained to Dimitri that she needed someone to oversee the online division of Chandler Media, and she felt Dimitri would be perfect for the job. Dimitri eagerly accepted. Later, Brooke re-introduced Dimitri to J.R. Chandler, who, although appeared happy to see Dimitri, was nonetheless jealous of the fact that Dimitri, and not him, would be overseeing Chandler Media.

As Dimitri and Brooke worked more and more closely together, Dimitri developed feelings for her, which came to a head when he kissed her shortly after the Chandler Media Gala.  Brooke told Dimitri that can never happen again, because she is engaged to marry Adam.

==Post Cancellation==

During a March 2019 episode of [[General Hospital]] the character [[Robert Scorpio]] tells Anna Devane that he has been in touch with Dimitri related to an investigation into ex-wife Alex's activities, and that Dimitri has handed over records relating to Alex for Anna to review.

In February 2021, Dimitri (with only his hands being seen) mails a letter containing Alex's last will and testament, as well as a USB thumb drive to [[Peter August]] ([[Wes Ramsey]]). This led to rumors that Dimitri might be making an appearance on General Hospital.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.soapcentral.com/general-hospital/news/2021/0209-who_is_d_marick.php | title=General Hospital shocker: Who is D. Marick? Could it be All My Children's Dimitri?! }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/dimitri-marick | title=Everything You Need to Know About Dimitri Marick | date=9 February 2021 }}</ref> However, Michael Nader's death later that same year prevented this from occurring.

==Reception==
Dimitri became a popular leading man soon after his debut on ''All My Children'' in 1991 and "was prominent in some of the show's most memorable tales of that decade."<ref name="SOD 10/30/01"/> The character and his portrayer, Michael Nader, were credited with lifting the [[Nielsen ratings]] as well as saving the Natalie, Trevor, and Janet storyline.<ref name="Soap Opera Weekly 11/14/91"/><ref name="SOU 11/19/91"/> In that storyline, the character Janet Green imprisons her sister Natalie in a well and masquerades as Natalie to seduce her fiancé Trevor. Fans and soap opera press criticized the story.<ref name="Soap Opera Weekly 11/14/91"/><ref name="SOD 11/26/91"/> In ''Soap Opera Weekly'', [[Marlena De Lacroix]] said, "Dimitri was the saving grace of the storyline I'd earlier called an artistic disaster: the Janet and Natalie body switch."<ref name="Soap Opera Weekly 11/14/91"/> She described Dimitri as a "cross between [[Rudolph Valentino]]'s [[The Sheik (film)|Sheik]] and the gothic Maxim de Winter from Rebecca."<ref name="Soap Opera Weekly 11/14/91"/> Viewers found the character "irresistible"; so much so that ''[[Soap Opera Digest]]'' questioned whether the character was a diversion from the failed storyline.<ref name="SOW 11/26/91"/><ref name="SOD 11/26/91"/> ''All My Children'''s head writer Agnes Nixon denied this. "We expected to get negative mail on Janet/Nat," she said, "they [the viewers] don't like it but they [keep] watching."<ref name="SOD 11/26/91"/>

The character gained further success with the popular Dimitri and Erica pairing.<ref name="soapoperadigestreturns">{{cite magazine|title=Many Happy Returns |magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]] |access-date=2009-01-04 |url=http://www.soapoperadigest.com/features/all-my-children/pandt/returns/index.html }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 1993, viewers named them a [[supercouple]], along with ''One Life to Live's'' [[Bo Buchanan|Bo]] and [[Nora Hanen|Nora]] and ''Days of our Lives''' [[Roman Brady|Roman]] and [[Marlena Evans|Marlena]].<ref name="SOU">{{cite magazine|date=1993-11-16|title=The Secret Of Their Success|author=Schafer, Debbie |magazine=[[Soap Opera Update]]}}</ref> In 2008, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' listed them among the top seventeen supercouples.<ref name="www.ew.com"/> ''Soap Opera Digest'' compared them to the real life couple [[Elizabeth Taylor]] and [[Richard Burton]] because of their tumultuous nature.<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 03/01/94">{{cite magazine|title=With This Ring, I thee Wed|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=1994-03-01}}</ref>

The romance between Dimitri and Finola Hughes' Alexandra Devane Marick also rose in popularity. ''Soap Opera Update'' named them the best couple of the year in 1999 for ''All My Children'' despite the fact that their love story played out through brief flashbacks.<ref name="Soap Opera Update 12/21/99"/> The magazine compared the couple's relationship to the television series ''[[Once and Again]]''.<ref name="Soap Opera Update 12/21/99"/> ''Soap Opera Update'' also referred to them as the "break out supercouple of the year".<ref name="Soap Opera Update 10/10/00">{{cite magazine|title=Love Triangle|magazine=[[Soap Opera Update]]|date=2000-10-10}}</ref>

The Dimitri character took a darker turn in 1997, in what ''Soap Opera Digest'' considered an effort to make Erica more sympathetic after her role in the kidnapping of the baby Maddie Grey (then known as Sonya).<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 08/12/97">{{cite magazine|title=Performer of the Week|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=1997-08-12}}</ref> ''Soap Opera Digest'' praised the move in an article naming Nader Performer of the Week, saying, "Nader has been surprisingly effective as a meanie, and nothing short of brilliant taking an already complex character and making him more compelling."<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 08/12/97"/> ''Soap Opera Weekly's'' Gabrielle Winkel expressed similar sentiments, saying, "Michael Nader is far more entertaining and compelling now that Dimitri is out for himself than when he was as Erica's devoted husband...''AMC'' was right on target when it developed Dimitri's dark side. Nader's brooding looks and raspy voice have always given Dimitri that evil edge. Nader, though, wisely keeps Dimitri's obsessiveness sufficiently in check to make it believable."<ref name="Soap Opera Weekly 11/18/97">{{cite magazine| first=Gabrielle| last=Winkel|title=Applause, Applause|magazine=[[Soap Opera Weekly]]|date=1997-11-18}}</ref> At the conclusion of the storyline ''Soap Opera Digest'' again named him Performer of the Week for "unleashing the sort of go-for-broke fury and fray that actors are usually reluctant to release unless they're certain their character is about to be killed off."<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 02/10/98">{{cite magazine|title=Performer of the Week|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=1998-02-10}}</ref>

''Soap Opera Digest'' noted the rarity of brothers like Edmund Grey and Dimitri Marick.<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 12/07/93"/> In the soap opera genre, brothers with a standing rivalry as well as a strong fraternal bond are considered to be a rarity. Sisters on soap operas were usually the ones who shared "men, makeup, and misery."<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 12/07/93"/> Dimitri and Edmund's relationship was scripted as complicated, transitioning between loving and antagonistic.<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 12/07/93"/> Their relationship gained positive feedback from both viewers and the soap opera media.<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 04/01/94"/> ''Soap Opera Digest'' named them Best Brothers of 1994, saying, "In Michael Nader (Dimitri) and John Callahan (Edmund), ''AMC'' has charismatic performers with chemistry, and they're making the most of it."<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 04/01/94">{{cite book|chapter=Brotherly Love |title=Soap Opera Digest |date=1994-01-04|title-link=Soap Opera Digest }}</ref> Complications in the brothers' relationship included childhood jealousies, the revelation that they were brothers, Dimitri's one-night stand with Edmund's wife Maria and subsequent question of the paternity of Maddie Grey, and the Dimitri, Alex, and Edmund triangle.<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 04/01/94"/><ref name="Soap Opera Digest 12/09/97">{{cite magazine|title=Editor's Choice: Maddie's Daddies|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=1997-12-09}}</ref><ref name="Soap Opera Digest 10/03/00">{{cite magazine|title=Editor's Choice: Brotherly Love Story|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=2000-10-03}}</ref> Along with the conflict, they displayed a loving relationship where they stood by each other.<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 12/07/93"/><ref name="Soap Opera Digest 04/01/94"/> In describing the relationship, Nader said, "The storyline with Edmund and Dimitri, the Marick brothers, there wasn't a brother duo on television that had the sort of power that John and I could bring to that relationship."<ref name="SOD 10/30/01"/>

Storylines they featured in met with both praise and negative reactions. With the plot centering on Maddie Grey's paternity and kidnappings, ''All My Children'' "fans revolted en masse."<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 12/09/97"/> Yet ''Soap Opera Digest'' hailed the plot as "one of the best told, most fascinating storylines of the year."<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 12/09/97"/> In the Dimitri, Alex, and Edmund triangle, viewers took two opposing views on which brother should end up with Alex.<ref name="Soap Opera Update 10/10/00"/> ''Soap Opera Weekly'' proclaimed the triangle a hit,<ref name="Soap Opera Weekly 12/19/00">{{cite magazine|title=Hit Triangle-Dimitri/Alex/Edmund|magazine=[[Soap Opera Weekly]]|date=2000-12-19}}</ref> while ''Soap Opera Update'' rated it a ten out of ten.<ref name="Soap Opera Update 10/10/00"/> In the storyline, Alex and Edmund fall in love while her husband Dimitri is presumed dead. They eventually become engaged. When he returns and witnesses their happy relationship, Dimitri decides not to interfere. "The dilemma for Dimitri is his brother's happiness," Nader said. "As much as he loves Alex, he's made the choice to give her to Edmund."<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 08/22/00">{{cite magazine|title=Alex Sees Dimitri|magazine=[[Soap Opera Weekly]]|date=2000-08-22}}</ref>  Alex discovers Dimitri alive first. They reunite and engage in sex. Edmund finds out and feels betrayed by them both. The scenes of the confrontation between all three characters was written to express the views of both the Dimitri and Alex and the Edmund and Alex fans.<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 10/03/00"/> The viewers who rooted for Edmund argued that Dimitri and Alex betrayed him by having sex immediately after reuniting. Viewers who supported Dimitri argued that the reunion was not a betrayal since Dimitri was Alex's husband.<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 10/03/00"/> Alex ends up with Dimitri, which changes "Edmund from a jaded, one-note character into a far more multidimensional and intriguing hero."<ref name="Soap Opera Weekly 12/19/00"/> ''Soap Opera Weekly'' praised ''All My Children'' for not dragging the triangle out and instead using it as a catalyst for character development.<ref name="Soap Opera Weekly 12/19/00"/>

Charlie Mason from ''[[Soaps She Knows]]'' put Addabbo's portrayal of the character on his list of the worst soap opera temporary recasts, commenting that "Addabbo lacked the air of Old World regality that Nader exuded, fans balked, and the recast was sent packing before he'd even had time to finish nibbling his Welcome to ''All My Children'' gift basket."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mason |first1=Charlie |title=Soaps' All-Time Best & Worst Temporary Recasts [PHOTOS] |url=https://soaps.sheknows.com/gallery/soaps-temporary-recasts-best-worst-list-photos/ |website=Soaps.com |date=6 February 2023 |access-date=22 April 2023}}</ref>

==Controversy==
In what ''Soap Opera Digest'' named the year's Dumbest Male Axing in 1999, Nader was fired from the role of Dimitri and the character was killed off.<ref name="SOD 10/22/99"/><ref name="Soap Opera Digest 12/28/99">{{cite magazine|title=Dumbest Male Axing|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=1999-12-28}}</ref> The firing "set off a firestorm of protest from devoted fans."<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 12/21/99">{{cite magazine|title=AMC's Dimitri Rumor Could be True|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=1999-12-21}}</ref> Those fans came together to form a group called the Loyalists and campaigned for the actor's return. They "bombarded" ''All My Children'' with letters centering on three major complaints concerning Nader's dismissal, as summarized in ''Soap Opera Digest'': "1) They have waited two years for a Dimitri/Erica reunion, which they won't get now that he's leaving. 2) They adore Nader's chemistry with on-screen brother John Callahan (Edmund) and don't want to lose it. 3) They fear that Nader has been sacrificed to make room in the budget for new- and younger- cast members."<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 06/29/99">{{cite magazine|title=AMC Fans Protest Nader's Ouster|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=1999-06-29}}</ref> In response to the last complaint, an ''All My Children'' spokesperson pointed out the storylines planned for characters over thirty years old such as Tad, Dixie, Erica, David, Edmund, and Alex.<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 06/29/99"/>

Nader thanked the Loyalists for their support and expressed his surprise at the size of the response.<ref name="SOU 08/29/00"/><ref name="SOD 09/21/99"/> "[T]he expanse and impact were quite astounding to me," he said. "In my years of doing this, I never experienced this kind of support."<ref name="SOU 08/29/00"/> Susan Lucci commented on the fan response, saying, "So many people stop me on the street and ask me, 'Will Dimitri ever come back and will he and Erica ever get together.'"<ref name="SOD 03/14/00"/>

At a fan luncheon, the Loyalists confronted ''All My Children's'' executive producer Jean Dadario Burke with a petition asking for Nader's return.<ref name="SOW 10/16/99"/><ref name="Soap Opera Digest 12/21/99"/> They also organized a tune-out of the show on November 5, 1999. To appease them at least in part, Burke offered Nader his job back on a recurring basis, which he refused.<ref name="SOW 10/16/99"/> In 2000, ''All My Children'' rehired him on a contract basis. His co-star, Hughes was happy about the news, saying his return would "give a huge injection of 'fuel'" to the Alex and Edmund romance.<ref name="Soaps In Depth 03/21/00">{{cite news|title=Fans Win! Dimitri Returns!|publisher=[[Soaps In Depth]]|date=2000-03-21}}</ref>

In 2001, Nader was arrested for cocaine possession. ''All My Children'' suspended him and demanded he get treatment.<ref name="SOD 10/30/01"/><ref name="Soap Opera Digest 03/25/03"/> They cast Addabbo in the role as a temporary replacement.<ref name="SOD 10/30/01"/> Fans of Nader, the Loyalists in particular, rejected the recast. Though the majority of the viewers did not take to him, Addabbo gained an amount of support from fans who wanted him to continue in the role or portray a different character once Nader returned.<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 04/10/01">{{cite magazine|title=Fans Rate New Dimitri|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=2001-04-10}}</ref> ''Soap Opera Digest'' criticized the casting of Addabbo because the actor usually portrayed "all-American good guys", the opposite of the Dimitri Marick role.<ref name="SOD 08/12/08"/> In July of that year, Addabbo was let go and Dimitri was officially written out.<ref name="SOD 10/30/01"/>

After Nader got help for his drug addiction at Hazelton Clinic in Minnesota,<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 04/23/02">{{cite magazine|title=Michael Nader Sues ABC|magazine=[[Soap Opera Digest]]|date=2002-04-23}}</ref> ''All My Children'' opted not to bring him back. Nader filed a $31.7 million [[lawsuit]] against ABC for [[breach of contract]] under the [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|Americans with Disabilities Act]].<ref name="Soap Opera Digest 03/25/03"/><ref name="Soap Opera Digest 04/23/02"/><ref name="TV GuiDE">{{cite magazine|title=Don't Count Him Out|magazine=[[TV Guide]]|date=2002-05-04}}</ref> ABC's lawyers cited Nader's violation of the morals clause in his contract as justification for not rehiring him.<ref name="www.nydailynews.com"/> The firing and [[lawsuit]] caught the attention of non-soap opera medias such as ''[[TV Guide]]'', ''[[Inside Edition]]'', ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'', ''[[Celebrity Justice]]'', ''[[Extra (U.S. TV program)|Extra]]'', ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'', and ''[[Larry King Live]]''.<ref name="People"/><ref name="Entertainment Tonight"/><ref name="TV GuiDE"/><ref name="Inside Edition">''[[Inside Edition]]'' airdate 2 November 2001</ref><ref name="Celebrity Justice">''Celebrity Justice'' airdate 10 September 2002</ref><ref name="Extra">''Extra'' airdate 28 June 2001</ref><ref name="Larry King Live">{{cite episode |title=Larry King Live|series=Larry King Live |series-link=Larry King Live |network=CNN |airdate=2003-01-21 |transcript-url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0301/21/lkl.00.html}}</ref> Manhattan Federal Judge [[Jed S. Rakoff]] threw out the suit in 2004.<ref name="www.nydailynews.com"/>

==See also==
*[[Dimitri Marick and Erica Kane]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{All My Children}}
{{All My Children characters}}

{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marick, Dimitri}}
[[Category:All My Children characters]]
[[Category:Fictional counts and countesses]]
[[Category:Fictional nobility]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1991]]
[[Category:American male characters in soap operas]]
[[Category:Fictional characters incorrectly presumed dead]]