Who Should Be Michael Easton's Next Leading Lady?

Actor Michael Easton just had a big storyline on ABC's One Life to Live. His character, John McBain, left his bride-to-be on their wedding day after learning that she'd been lying to him about her child's paternity. If it's really over between John and Natalie, who should be his next leading lady? Who's next for John McBain?

As one of daytime television's leading men, Easton has been paired with many actresses over the years. Quite a few of them have been during his tenure on One Life to Live, where he's portrayed John McBain since October 2003. Since his arrival in Llanview, John has been romantically involved with several women. Natalie was the first, as well as the most recent, but that ended when he learned of her continued deception after giving her many opportunities to come clean.

Now that John is done with Natalie--or at least claims to be--the fans will be ready for him to begin another relationship soon. Although the brooding police detective will be reluctant to trust another woman, he will inevitably become involved again. The question is whether it will be with a new character or someone already on the canvas--maybe even Natalie again. In the interest of casting a new role and giving an actress a job, let's take a look at some of the actresses who have already demonstrated good onscreen chemistry with Easton.

Christina Chambers
Christina Chambers played Marty Saybrooke for a brief period, and it was her portrayal of Marty that was initially paired with Easton. They had terrific chemistry together, but unfortunately, it wasn't meant to last. Marty was killed off--or so everyone was made to believe; she was brought back later when the original actress was able to return. If Chambers is available now, she could return to One Life to Live as a different character. It's not unheard of, and the show could make good use of her chemistry with Easton.

Rebecca Staab
Rebecca Staab's character actually married Easton's character on Port Charles. Caleb (Easton) was a vampire; so was Elizabeth (Staab), thanks to Caleb's vengeful actions against those who had wronged him. He targeted Elizabeth because her daughter, Alison, was one of his enemies when he returned to town. Staab and Easton played well off each other, and it would be a hoot to see them together again.

Erin Hershey Presley
Erin Hershey Presley seems to have chemistry with everyone. Another Port Charles cast member, she was never paired romantically with Easton, although their two characters (Caleb and Alison) alternated between being good friends and sworn enemies. The two even had a shocking one-night stand that was induced by magic; Alison couldn't stop herself despite being horrified and disgusted by the idea of cheating on her soul mate. Whether Caleb and Alison were getting along or not, their portrayers' scenes were always memorable and fun.

Kelly Monaco
Port Charles fans know that Kelly Monaco and Michael Easton were one of the show's super couples. Their onscreen chemistry was undeniable; they absolutely sizzled. ABC and SOAPnet took advantage of their chemistry with "What If...John McBain Met Sam McCall," one of a series of "webisodes" featuring characters from two different ABC soaps. In this episode, John was trapped in an elevator with Monaco's character from General Hospital. In a nod to their previous alter egos, a poster on the elevator wall mentioned Caleb and Livvie, their characters from Port Charles. This episode left fans wanting more--much more.

Even though Monaco has a contract role on General Hospital, Caleb/Livvie fans would love to see her move to New York and join One Life to Live. Unlikely? Probably. Besides, General Hospital fans want her to stay exactly where she is.

Sources:
Michael Easton, IMDb
Christina Chambers, IMDb
Rebecca Staab, IMDb
Erin Hershey Presley, IMDb
Kelly Monaco, IMDb