Abe Carver

Abe Carver is a fictional character on the long-running American soap opera Days of Our Lives. Actor James Reynolds^[1] has played the character since he originated it on the series in 1981, and is currently the third longest serving actor on the show. The character was created by head writer Pat Falken Smith. Abe is the widowed husband of Lexie Carver, daughter of international crime lord, Stefano DiMera. He is the father of Brandon Walker, Theo Carver and Lani Price.^[2]

Character history

Abe grows up in Salem with his brothers, Theo and Jonah. His passion for justice starts young, but amplifies after Theo is killed by a crooked police officer. Abe joins the Salem Police Department determined to rid the city of filth, including international crime lord, Stefano DiMera.

Abe is the police officer who investigates Anna Brady's claim that she was sold into white slavery. She reports the existence of her secret Swiss bank account to her husband, Roman Brady.

He has a relationship with a woman named Nikki Wade, but this is cut short after he stands her up at a débutante ball in favor of heading up a drug bust. He was also in two short-lived relationships with Dr. Valerie Grant and singer Tamara Price (the latter which he had a daughter with named Lani, a child he never knew he had because Tamara never told him she was pregnant before they broke up and she left Salem). Before Abe's promotion to police chief, he meets and marries Alexandra (Lexie) Brooks. Just after their marriage, Lexie goes searching through Aremid's files for her adoption records. She finds out that Frankie Brooks (AKA Celeste Perrault), whom she thought her aunt, is her mother. She also learns that Stefano DiMera is her father. Conflict has risen many times in Abe and Lexie's marriage due to the presence of Stefano.

His next major storyline involves the Aremid wedding of Peter Blake and Jennifer Deveraux. Abe is caught up in the investigation of Tony DiMera's murder. Abe and Lexi go to Paris to find Marlena when Stefano kidnapped her. They end up finding and saving Marlena and catching Stefano but are unable to prosecute him, because only Stefano has a drug that can save Roman's life. Abe, Lexi, and John help break Stefano out of jail and later he is pardoned for his crimes after returning to Salem with the drug Roman needed.

Later, Abe and Lexie adopt baby Isaac, thinking he is the child of Wilhelm Rolf's (a man working for the DiMeras) alcoholic niece, Marlo. Isaac is actually Bo and Hope's son who Stefano switched at birth. Abe is later appalled to learn that Lexie knew of the switch, but hides the truth from him. Abe files for divorce but after Lexie helps Hope, Brady and her son Zack, Lexie and Abe reconcile.

Shortly after, Brandon Walker comes to Salem with a deep hatred of Abe. Lexie sleeps with Brandon in a weak moment and becomes pregnant, not knowing who the child's (Theo) father is, but this is soon resolved. The baby is Abe's and they reconcile for good. Brandon's presence causes issues for Abe until it is revealed that he is Abe's son, by Fay Walker. After some time, Abe and Brandon embrace each other as family, and have since had a good relationship.

Abe is shot dead on the day of Theo's christening. He is the first victim of the 2003 Salem serial killer. Months later he turns up on a remote tropical island, (melaswen/newsalem) which is a complete replica of Salem. Although his "ghost" started appearing to Celeste and Lexie while he was supposedly dead, (this was not explained). He works together with Roman and the others and got off the island. Abe is reunited with Lexie and Theo but goes blind and learned he is impotent. His anger shines through and he becomes paranoid that Lexie is cheating with Tek. She isn't at the time but does so soon after, and stops her affair when Abe finds out from an anonymous note what has been going on. The marriage is in turmoil for a while until he uses Lexie in the EJ Wells investigation, then falls back in love with her. They stay together until Lexie disappeared December 29, 2006.

His eyesight starts deteriorate again and he recently undergoes a second retina transplant. At the same time, Lexie is found in the tunnels under Doug's Place and the DiMera mansion, where Andre has kept her all these months against her will. The transplant successful, Abe has return to work as the Commissioner of the Salem Police Department. In fall of 2010 Abe returned full-time to the screen. He began investigating the murders of the people of Salem, because he didn't want anyone going through what he already had. However the tables may turn on him when Stefano decided that he was going to frame Abe for the murders. In June 2012, Lexie, who had cancer, died peacefully in Abe's arms.

Cultural impact

James Reynolds' portrayal of Abe Carver since 1981 has made Abe the longest-running African American character in American soap opera history.^[3] Having logged more hours on television than most actors, Reynolds is also a humanitarian^[4] and his work on Days of our Lives helps continue his work. For his role as Abe Carver, James Reynolds earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 2004.

Abe was a minority character of tremendous integrity who was not working for somebody else. He was in charge—and that meant a lot to the African American audience. It had real impact.

— James Reynolds^[3]

References

External links

• Abe Carver profile - SoapCentral.com