General Hospital News & Gossip

News for the week of 14-Aug-2000
by Carol Banks Weber

Briefs from an August 6^th fan appearance at the Comedy Works in Denver, CO by Maurice Benard (Sonny) and Ron Hale (Mike):

• Good thing co-star and good friend Hale was around. He helped break the intro ice with, "What is that thing I see every so often of you with the cards, is that a promo or something?" . . . referring to ABC Daytime's black-and-white soap commercials in between "General Hospital" scenes, on Sonny. "Oh that, it is nothing, it is just stupid," replied Benard, making his feelings negatively known.
• Super Soap Weekend this year? Forget about it. He's never gone. And never will at this rate. [Well, there goes my round-trip Orlando, FL ticket . . .]
• Yet another centerfold-minded fan wanted him to strip down for the requisite chest and butt shots, but he refused like the gentleman and actor he is. Er, not quite . . . he did flex his biceps and smiled when Hale commented, "Is this what it has come to? Maurice doesn't have a very nice butt!"
• Neither Benard nor Hale would talk about why TPTB recast Tammy beyond, "The other actress just didn't work out. Next question, please!"
• In what turned into a free-for-all board debate about his appropriateness, offensiveness and meanness towards co-star and former on-screen partner, Lisa Vultaggio (Hannah), Benard pissed off many when he answered a question about whether he could see Sonny paired up with Nancy Lee Grahn's Alexis thusly: "Sure, I can see myself with anyone who can act!" Meaning. . .not with Vultaggio, eh?
• Being Sonny takes up all week, what with the five hours actually at the studios each day, learning his lines and preparing for the next set of scenes. He spends quality time with his family weekends. As much as he can.
• He's so happy Steve Burton's (Jason) back for a few weeks . . . already the jokes are flying fast and furious about the Borg's fly-away "Chia Pet" hairdo. The subject of hair turned to Jacob Young's (Lucky II) and practically the rest of the guys in the cast, which then prompted Hale to remark, "What is up with these guys? They seem to be in a hair competition and they are all men!" They nickname Burton "Beaker," the Muppet with the wild hair.
• Figure this one out from Hale: "I'm not going back to the show 'Port Charles.' I don't want to go back there."
• When it came to manic depression, Benard got serious, quiet and solemn, giving the audience a small glimpse into the mini-depressions he endures thrice yearly, for about a week's duration each time. . .while Hale observed protectively, a little worriedly. "They just come from out of the blue," Benard explained. "I mean, my life is going great right now. I've learned that I have to just ride them out. I tell my wife that she can't help me, I'm just in a funk."

Everybody loves Ingo Rademacher. Since he's soon leaving his role as Jax this month, some co-stars did the yearbook well wishes . . .

Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth): "I didn't have a storyline with him - - although I would have loved to have had a love/romance storyline with him. So it's really a bummer that he's leaving. He needed to stay for a while. It would give Liz a chance to grow up! I must say, I'm going to miss his friendship at work. We will always remain friends. He will always be dear to me. I love him."

Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis): "I loved being married to Ingo. He was, I think, my best-looking husband. He was really easy to work off of. But onward for him. It's nice to walk out one door and walk through another one. With Ingo, there's so much potential. I told him that I'm going to come over [to Titans, his next gig] for a few episodes."

Constance Towers (Helena): "To sum Ingo up in one word: delicious. He's the most delicious young man. He's fun, bright and attractive. I just think he has potential to move on and be a big, big star. He has that wonderful quality of stars of yesteryear. If he has the opportunity, I don't think there will be anything to stop him."

Amber Tamblyn (Emily): "Ingo is Ingo. He's a wonderful guy. He's very funny. He's also very dorky and lovable. I'm going to miss his loud mouth down the halls at work. I hope he does well on Titans or whatever else he does. I hope someday he comes back. . . . like everybody else does."

Lisa Vultaggio (Hannah): "Ingo always has a smile on his face. He's always been positive. I think his energy will be greatly missed. He truly is a ray of sunshine. But to answer the question that he has asked me a hundred times, as of July of the year 2000, 'Ingo, I am not single yet.'" [Jeezuz! Always "Mackin'!"]

Michael Saucedo (Juan): "I'm very sad to see Ingo go, but very happy that he's got something lined up. He's a big teddy bear. Ingo is quite the joke teller, but he never gets the punchline right, which is actually the funniest part of his jokes. He's a good guy. I'm going to miss having him and his painted toenails around here." [Painted electric neon blue, this seems to be an ill-advised trend among men. Please give it up.]

[SOURCE: ABC Soaps In Depth, August 22, 2000]

Nothing new in yet another Coltin Scott (Nikolas II) interview out in newsstands now. Same true story about his close family growing up and the heartrending, untimely death of his father, Stephen Martinez, due to two silent heart attacks following the last of the chemo for esophagus cancer. In a lot of ways, that father-son bond resembles the one sparingly utilized between Stefan and Nikolas, since Scott became the recast. To say the young actor was devastated at his father's death would be to understate the tragic obvious. He looked up to his chemical engineer father, nearly as one would a Greek god, a golden hero. "When this man walked into a room, heads turned. He just had that presence, it was just incredible," Scott described. "He was my best friend, and we talked about everything, we experienced everything together, and we went everywhere together. He was everything there was." Even after his father died in Scott's arms at the hospital, days, weeks, months, no matter how upset, how self-destructive, how much money - - much of it an inheritance - - thrown away, that bond lived on, protectively in spirit. A car accident two weeks later could have turned fatal had it not been for divine, fatherly intervention. "I fell asleep at the wheel, and I drove my car off a 60-foot embankment. I was heading straight for a telephone pole when I woke up, and the only thing that I could do was to brace myself, because I didn't have a seat belt on, and I knew what was happening," he described. "The thng that flashed through my head, for some reason, was to pull the emergency brake. So I did, and it swung me over 360 degrees and landed me parallel one foot from the telephone pole. I really thought that was it, and I was going to join my father, but he was there with me on that - - obviously - - and it worked out." No longer stupidly wasting his life, Scott's finally taken that death as an inspiration to continue the legacy of compassion and humility he father left behind in him. [SOURCE: Soap Opera Weekly, August 15, 2000]

Fashion redeux from the GH Fan Club Luncheon on July 23^rd: Tava Smiley proved she had some of Chloe's designer instincts in putting together her own outfit for the event, white hip-hugger skirt and a top created from her mother's aqua scarf and belt made of silver rings (former possessions back when mom was Tava's age) . . . While Amber Tamblyn (Emily) wore a birthday gift from Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) - - a favorite necklace of silver fairies connected by a blue stone - - and borrowed silver eagle earrings from mom who bought them in Colorado.

Robyn Richards (Maxie) competitive sails with the Santa Barbara Youth Foundation, racing FGAs, 13-ft., two-person boats. She participated in nationals a recent weekend. Cute guys there notwithstanding.

Contract Status:

• Let me rephrase . . . Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) had not yet re-signed when she talked contracts at her July fan event. Close to, but technically not quite. Same difference. But the difference this time are in the special perks attached, which she revealed later. "I'm not walking away from this job, because, as you know, I have a daughter to support. I have to say that ABC was incredibly generous." Generous how? Grahn's kindergartener-age daughter can continue private schooling and Grahn can visit her ailing father in Chicago every five weeks. Even though TPTB dislike contract talk in open public, Grahn figured they wouldn't mind this one exception, since she's praising them. "To me, that's the best contract I've ever signed." Her presence is kicking up as well on-screen. Not a coincidence, in my book. [SOURCE: ABC Soaps In Depth, August 22, 2000]
• The deal-breakers for Maurice Benard (Sonny): Keep head writer Bob Guza and give the character manic depression. Seems those higher up worry that this disease would stigma Sonny's sex appeal. Groan.
• Constance Towers (Helena) isn't on contract, because she doesn't want that. She prefers the freedom of flexibility to spend with her family, travel and other outside endeavors.

Not Brenda. Her resemblance is striking and strikes Jax off on a wild goose chase the next few weeks. As portrayed by <A HREF="http://www.longorian.com/eva.htm">Eva Longoria</A>, purportedly real-life girlfriend of Tyler Christopher (ex-Nikolas and ex-flame of original Brenda, Vanessa Marcil).

From actress to mother of two and scriptwriter, Emma Samms (ex-Holly Sutton) today is the epitome of content. The glam-glitz of Hollywood far behind her, she rests comfortably amidst the idyllic, bucolic English countryside of homebase, London a mere two hours away. Such a dichotomy from previous roles dripping with lavish excess. Recall the TV drama series primetimes of "Dynasty" and "The Colbys," and a handful of campy comedic fodder films still replaying on the Comedy Channel - - and it's almost impossible to reconcile with the naturally down-to-earth, 39-year-old sporting an adorable short bob in a tangle of crimson and burnt umber highlights, practically invisible in everyday normalcy. "I really don't miss the big hair and the glamor. It just doesn't go with being a mother. Days go by where I haven't actually looked in the mirror," Samms said. So devoted to her family - - she's been happily wed to childhood pal and psychiatrist John Holloway, 43, since 1996 - - she would rather write for actors, because it allows her to work around her children's (son Cameron, 3, and daughter Bea, 2) schedules and needs. She wouldn't have it any other way. Good thing she's actually good at what she does. Her first project, TV-movie "His Bodyguard," aired in 1998 on the USA Network. And a recent script she completed will begin shooting in November. That's it. No mystery, no fanfare, no tantrums, no whining about lack of roles for women her age. Oh puhleeze! Nothing that melodramatic. "I haven't withdrawn for any reason other than I've got something more important to do," she added. [SOURCE: People, August 14, 2000]

The former Nikolas, Tyler Christopher, makes it a point to learn from the best, no matter what the genre. At GH, his mentors - - by example and/or proactively - - were Stephen Nichols (Stefan), Tony Geary (Luke), Genie Francis (Laura), as well as former GH acting coach Andrew Magarian. He watched their every move, speech and carriage. A newbie at the time, he learned the most from Geary, marveling in a freedom about the Emmy winner's performances, compelling even in the smallest of maneuvers. Christopher's even tried to adopt a few of Geary's humorous, clever turns of phrase to make one point. A lot for a little.

Maybe you'll catch that imitation is the sincerest form of in Christopher's next indie film, "Out Of The Black," shooting this month. Directed by Karl Kozak, co-starring Sally Kirkland, Dee Wallace-Stone, Jack Conley, Jason Widener, Allison Lange, Michael J. Pollard, Miles O'Keeffe, Sally Struthers and Jacqueline Aires, who plays Sherry to Juan on GH. Aires will be Christopher's love interest in the movie, which also has a photo-journalist on staff now putting together a behind-the-scenes documentary - - quite out of the ordinary in such circumstances for a low-budget indie. Theatre release possibly next year.

Gossip for the week of 14-Aug-2000
by Carol Banks Weber

Is Amber Tamblyn (Emily) fed up with playing second fiddle? She may leave for good when her contract comes up, for movies and primetime.

Could Patch still be alive on NBC soap "Days Of Our Lives?" Remember, the coffin had been switched, the body never really found out and burial resisted. Maybe TPTB left that door open in case Stephen Nichols (Stefan) ever finally got fed up with the inept BS over at GH and quit. 'Course "TV Guide Online's" new "Ask Soaps" guy, Michael J. Maloney is pretty sure Nichols remains firmly "ensconced at General Hospital (where he plays Stefan), it's not something that Days will be addressing anytime soon - - unless the show opts for a recast, which many feel is not likely to happen." [BTW, what happened to Jonathan Reiner, who always used to do this section?]

Was that Jacob Young (Lucky II) sandwiched between two "Playboy" babes at Hugh Hefner's mansion for a spritzy shindig recently? What girlfriend!

The Brenda look-alike Jax spotted may not just be actress Eva Longoria, who bit-parted a stewardess in "Beverly Hills, 90210" once . . . but, the real thing later? Industry sources reveal that Vanessa Marcil was successfully convinced to escort close buddy Ingo Rademacher (Jax) off the soap, i.e. Brenda and Jax reunited and it feels so good. If true, should happen during the last week of August.

Speaking of Marcil, her love life's peaking again. The lucky guy: Matthew Perry of primetime sitcom, "Friends." According to the August 15^th "National Enquirer" article, Perry's in a "tug o'love" with her and a television executive. Marcil and Perry ran into each other on a Warner Brothers studio lot and hit it off immediately. They've dated a few times, mostly quiet dinners. Presumably, Marcil told a friend that Perry is "a great guy. He makes me laugh a lot!" He couldn't decide who to accompany to the wedding of "Friends'" co-star Jennifer Aniston to Brad Pitt, so he took Claire Forlani instead, who couldn't find a date.

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