The Texan industrialist father of newly arrived characters Clint and Bo Buchanan, Asa was originated in late 1979 by Philip Carey.

[2] Throughout those years, Asa's ruthless business dealings and attempts to both protect and control his family members drive much of the drama in the series.

Actor Philip Carey portrayed patriarch Asa as a contract player for over 27 years from the character's on-screen inception in December 1979.

[9][10][11] Beginning in the same episode, Robert S. Woods appears as a young Asa in a storyline in which the characters Bo and Rex find themselves in 1968.

Born on October 31, 1924,[16] and raised in Texas, Buchanan moves the headquarters of his company to Llanview, Pennsylvania, in 1980 to stay close to his two headstrong, but troubled sons, Clint and Bo.

[1] Living in Paris as her twin sister Nicole Bonard, Olympia (Taina Elg) surreptitiously arrives in Llanview and attempts to shoot Asa as he marries Samantha Vernon (Julia Montgomery) but is snatched by Asa's nephew Rafe Garretson (Ken Meekler) before she can reveal herself.

[18][19] Olympia later falls over a balcony at a lavish costume party, and, on her deathbed, she tells Bo that Asa was not his father.

In 1986, Tina Lord (Andrea Evans) discovers that Asa has been leading a double life for years; on the tropical island of Malakeva, he is known as Jeb Stuart and has been "married" to a woman named Pamela (Christine Jones) for a decade.

Later, David's brother Dr. Spencer Truman (Paul Satterfield) claims to be Asa's son, but a DNA test proves otherwise.

He bequeaths his mansion to former daughter-in-law Nora Hanen (Hillary B. Smith), who has been living there with her and Bo's son Matthew (Eddie Alderson) since her house burned down; he also leaves his yacht, the Jeb Stuart, and his tropical island, St. Blaize's, to loyal servant Nigel.

He instead challenges the family to run it as a cohesive team and, if the company's stock rises, be rewarded handsomely in a year.

Not wanting the Buchanans to discover that con man David is one of them, Nigel gives his inheritance to Alex in exchange for her silence.