Palmer Cortlandt is a fictional character on the long-running ABC soap opera All My Children, played by James Mitchell from 1979 to 2010. A major character until 2002, when health issues forced him to reduce his work load, Mitchell continued to appear regularly on the show through May 2007. Mitchell appeared in a handful of episodes throughout 2008, last appearing on September 19, 2008. Mitchell retired from acting in 2009 but made a final on air cameo appearance as Palmer Cortlandt on January 5, 2010 to celebrate the show's 40th anniversary. A little over 2 weeks later, on January 22, Mitchell died at the age of 89. The show aired a tribute to Palmer on April 20, 2010, featuring never-before-seen footage of Mitchell shot for the 40th anniversary episode. Mitchell improvised dialogue about Palmer's dobermans and the women he loved and head writer Lorraine Broderick used it, alongside numerous flashbacks, to frame the special memorial episode. James Mitchell earned seven Daytime Emmy nominations, all in the Lead Actor in a Drama Series category, for his portrayal of Palmer Cortlandt. In 2010, Palmer Cortlandt was ranked #11 on ABC Soaps in Depth's list of Soaps' 50 Naughtiest Bad Guys.