Jake Harrison - Mel Hayes

Melvin "Mel" Hayes is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live. Stephen Markle played the role from April 1997 until January 1999, with later guest appearances on July 21 and 22, 2008 and January 7, January 8, and February 8, 2010. Mel is the father of Dorothy Hayes, played by newcomer Elizabeth Röhm from 1997 until 1998.

Mel Hayes is a prize-winning journalist and "loose cannon" who crosses paths with Dorian Lord in April 1997 and soon sparks a relationship. Dorian convinces Mel to seek a job at Llanview's newspaper, The Banner, and he moves into a houseboat on the Llantano River. The death of Mel's wife Muriel in a plane crash 18 months before had fueled his addiction to alcohol, which in turn has estranged him from their children, Roger, Frank, and Dorothy Hayes. Dorothy comes to Llanview in 1997 to rebuild her relationship with Mel, but leaves in 1998 after a failed relationship with Joey Buchanan. Mel and Dorian's family begin to suspect that Dorian is hiding something from her past; after Mel's investigation into the deaths of Dorian's parents reveals conflicting information, he convinces her to face her painful childhood. Dorian returns to Canton in 1998, remembering the psychological abuse she and her sisters had suffered at the hands of their mentally ill mother, Sonya. Dorian is shocked to discover that Sonya had not only killed Dorian's father, but is actually still alive and being cared for by the former Cramer nanny, Charlotte Stonecliffe. Dorian and her daughter Cassie are attacked by a deranged Sonya, who later dies with Charlotte when the house is consumed by fire. Furious that he had dredged up her past, Dorian breaks things off with Mel.

A near-death experience after Dorian is accidentally shot changes her mind. Dorian proposes to Mel suddenly at The Banner in May 1998; they marry in an impromptu wedding in the middle of the newspaper's city room. All ends badly in January 1999 when Viki Carpenter — Mel's boss and Dorian's longtime nemesis — is on a plane with Mel and inadvertently intercepts a note from Dorian telling Mel to come home. Viki gets off the plane instead, and it crashes; Mel is killed and Dorian blames Viki. Psychic Madame Delphina later channels Mel's spirit, who advises Dorian to make peace with Viki and give up her vendetta. Feeling a great sense of peace, Dorian finally accepts Mel's death, and lets go of her animosity toward Viki over the crash.

Mel appears to Dorian as a ghost on July 21 and 22, 2008 (One Life to Live's 40th Anniversary episodes) as Dorian grapples with whether or not to try to save Viki's life after a car crash. His words ultimately get through to Dorian, who manages to revive Viki. Subsequently in 2008 and 2009, a young woman named "Mel" (Tia Dionne Hodge) — whom Dorian comes to believe is either her Mel in another form or sent by him — appears in various guises whenever Dorian behaves less than ethically, speaking to Dorian's conscience with advice and warnings.

Mel reappears to Dorian on January 7 and 8, 2010, as new Llanview Mayor Dorian gives in to Mitch Laurence's threats against her family and fires Police Commissioner Bo Buchanan at Mitch's command. Mel returns on February 8, 2010, to convince Dorian to stop Charlie Banks from going through with his and Dorian's plan to kill Mitch.