| Liz Sanbourne | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Passions character | |||||||||||||||||||
 Amelia Marshall as Liz Sanbourne | |||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by |
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| Duration | 2001–06 | ||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | October 3, 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | February 17, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Past, regular | ||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | James E. Reilly | ||||||||||||||||||
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Liz Sanbourne is a fictional character from the American soap opera Passions, which aired on National Broadcasting Company (NBC) from 1999 to 2007 and on DirecTV from 2007 to 2008. Created by the soap's head writer, James E. Reilly, Liz was portrayed by Amelia Marshall from October 3, 2001, to February 17, 2006. Arreale Davis and Taquel Graves also played the character in flashbacks in 2003. Reilly approached Marshall about the role after they worked together on Guiding Light; Marshall was attracted to the series due to the opportunity to play a darker and more complex character than her previous experiences. Her casting was part of NBC's attempt to include a racially diverse ensemble on daytime television.
Liz, part of Passions' Russell family, is introduced as a resort owner involved in the love triangle between Sheridan Crane and Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald and his brother Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. She gains more prominence on the series as the antagonist and foil to her adoptive sister Eve Russell. Liz's desperation to expose her sister's past relationship—and child—with Julian Crane leads to the breakup of the latter's marriage and family. Later storylines focus on her relationship with Eve's husband T. C. Russell and attempts to murder Alistair Crane for raping her as a teenager. Liz eventually abandons her vendetta against Eve and Alistair in order to find love in the future. Following her exit from the series, Liz is identified as the biological mother of Chad Harris-Crane, which proves his relationship with Whitney Russell is not incestuous.
Liz has been widely praised by television critics, specifically for her role as a villain. Marshall received a nomination for Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess in a Drama Series – Daytime in the 2005 Soap Opera Digest Awards, but lost to Jane Elliot for her portrayal of General Hospital's Tracy Quartermaine. Co-stars Tracey Ross and Rodney Van Johnson praised Marshall's performance on the series, but they were disappointed at her removal. Marshall's departure was the result of significant cuts in the soap opera's budget.