Originally, Todd was conceived as short-term; Howarth is credited with "turning what was a day player role into a compelling, long-term character". Initially designed to be a ruthless, cunning and one-dimensional villain, he is presented as having significant trouble with the law. His infamous 1993 gang rape of Marty Saybrooke is noted as one of soap opera's classic, "most remembered and impactful" storylines, and the story's popularity compelled the writers to evolve Todd into a complex character, often selfish and acting the villain but also compassionate and devoted to protecting his loved ones. These aspects were first aided in 1994, with the series' reveal of Todd as the son of Victor Lord, the brother of Tina Lord, and half-brother of original One Life to Live heroine Victoria Lord.
The character has married and remarried longtime love Blair Cramer multiple times, and the series has given them two living children, Starr and Jack. In 2009, Todd is presented with a second daughter, Danielle, conceived with his former wife and love T�a Delgado during a previous reunion.
Todd has been the subject of numerous soap opera articles, feminist studies, and inspired the creation of a doll in his likeness. He has remained a popular and controversial figure since his creation, and is considered one of soap opera's breakout characters.
Todd Manning was originally intended to be a short-lived role. Howarth's portrayal of the character inspired notable fan reaction, which prompted the creators to layer Todd's personality and showcase him regularly within the series. Michael Malone, the character's creator, said fleshing out the villain reminded him of what he loves about soap operas. "The story-telling is a genuine collaboration, not just among writers but by the actors", he said. Malone felt he could not take full credit for the development of the character from Marty Saybrooke's gang rapist to what the character later became, and also noted Howarth's impact:
In the creation of Todd Manning, no one played a larger role than the remarkably talented Josh Griffith, first associate head writer, then co-head writer, during my stay at One Life. Josh loved, lived and breathed Todd and fought passionately for his position on the show. Second, Todd never would have evolved from "first frat boy" to the major cast member he became without the powerful talent of Roger Howarth. Because of Roger's ability to convey the complexity of Todd (the hurt as well as anger, the insecurity as well as bluster, the brains, yearning, manipulativeness, sexiness, tenderness, nastiness) we were able to explore both the deeply dark side of this character (the effort to destroy Marty to cover the rape, the attempted revenge on his lawyer Nora, the attack on Luna) and at the same time slowly uncover his growing struggle (usually a failed struggle) towards some kind of redemption. Romantic leads have often begun their careers playing villains (Valentino, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart among them). These characters appeal because they make women feel both the thrill of the "bad" and the lure of the hidden "good": they can lead the man to change through love. "I'll save him!" Fans loved Todd from the beginning because he always had that appeal. The network was therefore happy to have him return to Llanview whenever Roger would come back, and happy to have him move into story in major ways.
Malone originally scripted Todd as a serial rapist. During the 1993 rape storyline, it is "Todd canon" that he raped character Carol Swift a year or two before raping Marty, and there are hints in the series that he raped other young women before Carol. The character is at first presented as 18 years old, but is later stated to have been 20 at the time of the rape. Over the years, his age has been changed slightly or drastically based upon the occasional rapid aging of his children.
Malone gave the character the last name "Manning" without knowing Victor Lord's mistress was named Irene Manning. This oversight allowed the writers to later reveal Todd as Tina and Victoria Lord's brother. In December 1994, Todd finds a letter, following the death of his then-father, Peter Manning. The letter, written by Peter's wife � Barbara "Bitsy" (Jones) Manning � whom Todd believed to be his mother since before her death, reveals that Todd was adopted. While the letter and the official ABC Daytime biography of the character state that he is the biological son of Victor Lord and Peter's sister, Irene, the October 3, 2011 episode rewrites history when Todd berates his mother for handing him off onto her psychotic cousin.
Todd was made Victoria's brother to give the writers more story to work with while transitioning Todd from a recurring character to a main character. As the son of Victor, Todd became entitled to $30 million inheritance. The writers chose to begin the storyline with the mystery regarding the false heir, David Vickers, a con-man claiming Todd's fortune as his own, and have him corrupt Tina. Developing Todd not only as Victoria's unwanted sibling but as "her professional rival" who used "a splashy tabloid newspaper to wipe out her venerable Banner" appealed to Malone. In late 1993, the character was given a "nasty-looking" scar to his right cheek in order to make him seem even more menacing; the series showcased Marty's friend, Luna Moody, stopping his second physical attack on Marty by hitting him with a crowbar and scarring his face. The camera would often emphasize this scar, which would later become synonymous with the character. Independent casting director Howard Meltzer explained, "Todd wears the scar like a badge. It's a warning to others: Don't mess with me." Meltzer felt that Howarth underplayed Todd; Todd did not have to rant to incite fear. "He gets a lot more from the raising of an eyebrow than raising the volume of his voice," Meltzer stated. Todd's actions were mostly in response to the environment around him. Meltzer thanked Howarth's "expressiveness" for making it possible for viewers to see "the wheels turning". The scar additionally served as a reminder to Todd, of his past villainy against Marty. It was applied by glue, with a little makeup to make it look more authentic, and usually took 10 minutes to apply.
The character has married and remarried longtime love Blair Cramer multiple times, and the series has given them two living children, Starr and Jack. In 2009, Todd is presented with a second daughter, Danielle, conceived with his former wife and love T�a Delgado during a previous reunion.
Todd has been the subject of numerous soap opera articles, feminist studies, and inspired the creation of a doll in his likeness. He has remained a popular and controversial figure since his creation, and is considered one of soap opera's breakout characters.
Todd Manning was originally intended to be a short-lived role. Howarth's portrayal of the character inspired notable fan reaction, which prompted the creators to layer Todd's personality and showcase him regularly within the series. Michael Malone, the character's creator, said fleshing out the villain reminded him of what he loves about soap operas. "The story-telling is a genuine collaboration, not just among writers but by the actors", he said. Malone felt he could not take full credit for the development of the character from Marty Saybrooke's gang rapist to what the character later became, and also noted Howarth's impact:
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Malone gave the character the last name "Manning" without knowing Victor Lord's mistress was named Irene Manning. This oversight allowed the writers to later reveal Todd as Tina and Victoria Lord's brother. In December 1994, Todd finds a letter, following the death of his then-father, Peter Manning. The letter, written by Peter's wife � Barbara "Bitsy" (Jones) Manning � whom Todd believed to be his mother since before her death, reveals that Todd was adopted. While the letter and the official ABC Daytime biography of the character state that he is the biological son of Victor Lord and Peter's sister, Irene, the October 3, 2011 episode rewrites history when Todd berates his mother for handing him off onto her psychotic cousin.
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