Bianca Montgomery has emerged as a gay icon, not only on the fictional world of All My Children but also in the LGBT community as well.  As the first lead character on a major daytime drama to be a lesbian, Bianca has gone on to be the subject of various academic works, and is said to have inspired soap opera writers to begin with the scripting of sexual identities of tortured teen characters.  Because of this, her portrayer, Eden Riegel, who recently returned on All My Children on October 17, is pleased to be part of such a groundbreaking storyline.

“Agnes Nixon [creator of All My Children] was the woman who created Bianca and decided that she would be a lesbian.  She's a huge supporter of the story and has told it thus far with incredible truth and integrity and sensitivity and boldness.  I've been so honored to be involved.  I'm just so glad that we are able to see it through to the next level when Bianca finally has someone in her life,” Riegel told SOAPnet in an interview.

Upon Bianca's recent arrival in Pine Valley, viewers learned that Bianca was pregnant with Zach's child via sperm donation and has a new lover named Reese, portrayed by actress Tamara Braun, who made her debut on All My Children yesterday.  Bianca eventually went into labor and Zach helped deliver the baby named Gabriel.

"I'm playing Reese,” Braun said.  “I am playing Bianca's love.  I am the love of her life.  We met in Paris and fell madly in love and decided to share our lives together.  And we have a child now.  We have two [referring to Bianca's first child Miranda].”

“Reese is like a mother to Miranda and we've decided to have another baby together, Gabriel,” Riegel added.

“We're hoping that we're gonna be able to portray a real couple who's dealing with life and new life together and marriage and obstacles that two people deal with when they have a baby and in terms of us being women.  It's a really exciting time to be playing this role because hopefully we will be able to tap into the social relevance of what's going on and I think it's phenomenal to be able to be a part of it,” Braun said.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: SOAPnet
(Image courtesy of ABC)