Rex Balsom is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life To Live, portrayed by John-Paul Lavoisier since May 9 2002.

With the character initially named "Jamie" prior to production, then-Executive Producer Gary Tomlin "toyed with the idea" of putting Rex in a gay storyline; Lavoisier stated in Soap Opera Digest in 2003 that he had been "asked by the higher powers at the show how I would feel about doing something like that. I said, 'Absolutely, any plot you want to give me, I'll take on strong.' And they said, 'Okay, we just wanted to check.'" blank">Dawn, Randee. "Rex and the City." _Soap Opera Digest, 1 April 2003. However, this idea was never realized and the character has been repeatedly paired with women. Calling Rex a "heterosexual horndog," Lavoisier noted that he "added a glint in [Rex's] eye he'd lifted from Ryan Phillippe's ... Cruel Intentions character of Sebastian. 'They said, "Sure, go with that. Start with that." And that was pretty much it.'"

In 2007, the series began a revisiting of Rex's backstory before his arrival on the series in 2002. The introduction of the character's high school girlfriend Gigi Morasco and her son Shane — and the fact that Gigi has something she has waited years to tell him "Rex and Gigi's Secret Past Revealed on OLTL." Soap Opera Digest, Vol. 32, No. 52, 25 December 2007, page 8. "[Rex and Gigi] were high school sweethearts in Michigan, when Rex used to live with his Aunt Corrine ... Rex just abruptly left town and left Gigi and never gave her an explanation ... She tried to get in touch with him for a very important reason and she never could get in touch with him." — has indicated that Shane may be Rex's son. Hinsey, Carolyn. "It's Only My Opinion." Soap Opera Digest, Vol. 33, No. 4, 22 January 2008, page 45. "Raise your hand if you believe Shane's dad is really dead. Anyone?" Tomlin's return to the series as Head Writer during the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike also featured Rex beginning an investigation into his own family history, prompted by his pending wedding to Adriana Cramer blank">One Life to Live recap (1/17/08) - ABC.com "Rex is hit with the reality that he hardly has any family at all. He wants to explore his background." and the "suspicious" behavior of his mother _Roxy. One Life to Live recap (1/8/08) - ABC.com "Rex and Adriana meet Charlie, who digs himself in deeper with his web of lies and abruptly claims his last name is Balsom in his effort to keep his paternity of Jared secret. When Rex later questions Roxy about being related to Charlie Balsom — and wanting to investigate his family history — Roxy overreacts in warning him not to. Rex's suspicions are raised." One Life to Live recap (1/9/08) - ABC.com "Roxy seems to be keeping a secret about the Balsom family."