Virginia Harrison
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Virginia Harrison | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Beach character | |||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Dominique Jennings | ||||||||||
| Duration | 1997–1999 | ||||||||||
| First appearance | March 17, 1997 | ||||||||||
| Last appearance | March 4, 1999 | ||||||||||
| Created by | Robert Guza, Jr. | ||||||||||
| Introduced by | Gary Tomlin, Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Virginia Harrison is a fictional character from the American television soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Dominique Jennings. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on March 17, 1997. Jennings originally auditioned for another role in the soap. Virginia was supposed to feature in ten episodes but producers offered Jennings a permanent contract to join the show's regular cast. Virginia is characterized as a "bad girl" and has been central to a controversial storyline in which she impregnates a fellow female character without their consent. In the plot, Virginia uses a sperm laced turkey baster to assault her love rival, Vanessa Hart (Sherri Saum). The story formed one of Virginia's main story arcs in which she attempts to snare Michael Bourne (Jason Winston George) from Vanessa. This is included Virginia impersonating a nurse to fool Vanessa, which during filming Jennings wore a fat suit to create Virginia's disguise. Jennings made her final appearance as Virginia during the episode broadcast on March 4, 1999.
Jennings was cast into the role of Virginia after she auditioned for another part in the program. She was originally contracted to appear in ten episodes of the program. However, after her first day on set, Jennings was offered a three-year contract, which she accepted.[1]
While the character is portrayed as "the bitch of the beach", Jennings said that Virginia has "depth and edge" to her. She described her as a single mother from South Central L.A., who is "trying to make a better life for her son" but making Vanessa and Michael's lives miserable in the process. She opined that Virginia's interest and appeal came through the fact she started out as a completely different character. Jennings also said that there was no other black female portraying such a villainess on daytime television during the nineties. She also had so much fun playing Virginia that she had to remind herself to "snap out" of character.[1]
Writers created a love-triangle story-arc for Virginia, Michael Bourne (Jason Winston George) and Vanessa Hart (Sherri Saum).[2] They also created a detailed backstory between Virginia and Michael, which forms the premise of their relationship. Her husband, Jackson Harrison was killed by Michael in a gang-related gun fight some years prior. Virginia was left to bring up their son, Jimmy Harrison as a single-parent.[2] George told Seli Groves from Times-News that Michael has an "overdeveloped sense of responsibility" to care for Virginia and Jimmy, to make amends for Jackson's death. George believed that Michael knew Virginia wanted him but made excuses not to be with her. He explained "instead of accepting the fact that she could care for him because of who he is, he tells himself that her interest in him comes out of the fact that she has no husband."[2] He wanted Michael to make thoughtful and informed decisions about Virginia and Vanessa, rather than making emotional ones. He revealed that Michael wants to be with Vanessa but his past with Virginia continually conflicts him. George told Groves that Michael thinks "no one understands him the way Virginia does". Unlike Vanessa, she knows the "violent world" they came from, he thinks Virginia is "beautiful" and he "cares for" Jimmy, which gives him "a ready-made family."[2] Writers used Michael's sense of responsibility to keep Virginia a constant presence in his storylines, despite Michael's love for Vanessa. George concluded that "He feels he doesn't deserve to have what he really wants. Instead, he feels he's obligated to do what he believes is the right thing for Virginia, regardless of what personal sacrifice he might have to make."[2]
Virginia is subject to a storyline in which she drugs and impregnates love rival Vanessa with Tyus Robinson's (Russell Curry) sperm, using a turkey baster. In doing so Virginia hopes to win the heart of fellow character Michael.[3] The storyline proved unpopular with some viewers.[4][5] Carolyn Hinsey from New York Daily News reported that Sunset Beach writers caused controversy with the storyline and annoyed viewers. She noted a surge in negative comments about the story appearing on internet message boards, with some noting Virginia's actions amounted to rape.[6] Hinsey researched with law enforcement that Virginia had definitely committed sexual abuse onto Vanessa. A NBC publicist defended the storyline and explained to Hinsley that it was supposed to be "outrageous like many stories on daytime dramas today. It is never our intention to offend anyone."[6] Hinsley added that Virginia, Vanessa and Michael's love-triangle plot made them some of the most popular African-American characters featured in US soap operas. Though she believed the "turkey baster" plot damaged their popularity.[6]
In another part of the storyline Virginia dresses up as her alter-ego "Nurse Jones" in an attempt to fool and run Vanessa's stay in the hospital. Jennings was required to wear a padded fat suit and a "whacked-out" wig. Jennings said "It's really old and itchy, and it's hard to tell I have it on with the nurse's uniform, because the costume is so boxy. It's not so much heavy as it is hot. And the wig is just kind of out there."[1] In December 1998, a writer from Soap Opera Update previewed the soap's 1999 stories. They revealed that Virginia would continue in her attempts to snare Michael during a time he tries to repair his "shattered romance" with Vanessa.[7]
Virginia was also featured in the show's infamous "Terror Island" storyline, which depicted killer Derek Evans (Clive Robertson) drugging several characters on an island holiday, in an attempt to murder them. When Michael begins to hallucinate from the drugs, he visualises Virginia's face peeling off.[8]
In February 1999, it was announced that Sunset Beach had decided to end Jennings' contract with the serial, after they axed Virginia from the series. However, producers decided not to kill her off and did not rule out a future return.[9] The producer's decision was storyline motivated and Virginia made her final appearance during the episode broadcast on March 4, 1999.[10]
