Jeffrey King is a fictional character from the soap opera One Life to Live. The character was introduced in 2013, and the role was originated by Corbin Bleu.
A freelance journalist, Jeffrey is a friend of Llanview residents Danielle Manning and Matthew Buchanan, both of whom he met off-screen while Danielle attended boarding school in London in 2009. The character plays a pivotal role in the show's relaunch as his arrival and introduction as the star reporter at The Banner helps to reignite the iconic long standing feud between Victoria "Viki" Lord and Dorian Cramer Lord.
Creation
Background and casting
In January 2013, head writer Susan Bedsow Horgan posted photos on Facebook of herself and co-head writer Thom Racina as they brainstormed over a list of character names. The newly created character of Jeffrey was at the bottom of the list. A brand new character listed among the usual One Life characters led to speculation that the name was code for an already established character. Several other characters emerged in audition scripts, including "Sam" and "Mick Wilder" which led to speculation that the three were the same character.
On March 14, 2013, producers Prospect Park sent out a press release announcing that star Corbin Bleu, known for his supporting role of Chad Danforth in the musical franchise High School Musical, had been cast in the role of Jeffrey King. Bleu later took to Facebook to express his excitement about joining the series in its next life. Bleu told Us Weekly that the producers called and offered him the role. The actor revealed in an interview with Soap Opera Digest that the executive producer reached out to him personally. Bleu made his first appearance in the series premiere of the revived series on Hulu, on April 29, 2013.
Characterization
Jeffrey was listed as "Black + British" in his 20s. According to the original press release, Jeffrey is a "brilliant young reporter who moves to Llanview to work for publisher, Victoria Lord (Erika Slezak) at Llanview’s newspaper, The Banner." The official series description from iTunes described the character as "Viki’s sexy, young reporter." According to Bleu, Jeffrey is a very "eager" reporter. He is "smart," "quick" and "power hungry". "I love that he is able to spit out information without thinking," said Bleu; Jeffrey really knows journalism. According to Bleu, Jeffrey is a "driven person", but he also has a "laid back side to him." Bleu also described the character as "motivated" and "very savvy". In addition, Jeffrey is also very "eager" in his professional life. Jeffrey is not the average "good character", according to Bleu. The character has "a little bit of [good and bad]" in him. The one-time teen star said what appealed to him was Jeffrey's "transformation" from his work persona to his who he is when he hangs around with friends. Bleu revealed that Jeffrey's "dark side" plays a part in both his personal and professional life. When asked if his character would ever take a page from his High School Musical character and perform, Bleu stated that "singing" would not be very in character for Jeffrey.
Development
Because Jeffrey is a new and un-established character, Bleu said, "[T]he possibilities are endless." According to Bleu, "[Viewers] see lots of different sides to him." In an interview, Bleu stated that there was a lot that would happen with the character of Jeffrey. Bleu revealed in Soap Opera Digest that the character of Jeffrey intermingles in quite a few storylines. Bleu's first major storylines provides him with the opportunity to work with not only the newcomers to the show but also longtime veterans. When asked about a potential love interest, Bleu revealed that there was a potential pairing with Jeffrey and Destiny Evans (Shenell Edmonds) coming up. Bleu referred to Jeffrey's past as having a "puppet strings" effect on his future. In November 2011, Bleu said that the series would soon delve into Jeffrey's past and reveal his "true purpose". By late November, Ron Raines, known for his role as Alan Spaulding on Guiding Light was cast in the role of Carl Peterson, Jeffrey's longtime mentor.