General Hospital News & Gossip

News for the week of 05-Apr-2003
by Carol Banks Weber

After clamping down on radio shock jock Howard Stern and following the February 1st Super Bowl “wardrobe malfunction” of Janet Jackson’s half-time strip tease, the FCC could focus its censoring eyes next on daytime’s dramatic fare. At this point, commissioner Michael Copps said, it’s purely in the speculative phase and it’s based on his inadvertently catching a few revealing love scenes on a few soap operas one recent afternoon, which he refused to name. He also refused to cite examples, saying only that the FCC will include daytime’s line-up – when children are home and possibly watching too – in its quest to clean up the airwaves. Already several primetime dramas have edited out possible offensive scenes. If Copps is serious, expect soap executives to begin the arduous rewrite process.

The giddy boyish excitement is palpable whenever Rick Hearst (Ric) talks to just about anybody in the press about his recent Daytime Emmy nomination (winners announced May 21) as “Outstanding Supporting Actor.” An odds-on favorite, Hearst plans on celebrating big, including his two young sons, the entire family, maybe an all-night jazz party at some club down in Greenwich Village afterward like last time—regardless of win or lose. But win or lose, he’s sure he turned in the best work of his past year, following his gut, and that he’s at the pinnacle of his acting, amongst some of the finest in daytime. “I'm working with actors on GH who are truly at the top of their game; there's not a weak link at all. Having this role right now allows me to play the darkness in a human being, but still play a human being. I think that's what has kept him alive.” –TV Guide Online, Soaps, Q&A, March 23, 2004

Another actor who is quite effusive about GH, the talented cast and crew and the outstanding writing, Scott Clifton (Dillon) understands full well just how the show received so many Emmy nominations. “Mostly I think that GH gives the audience what it wants. They do it by providing an intelligently written show that has a great pace. Also, and I realize that I may be biased here, but I think that GH has the most talented actors in daytime.” Look for the (idealistically misguided) younger actor nominee in the audience on May 21 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with his family by his side, and try to imagine him in his favorite, lucky boxers, trying not to look so star-struck. –Soap City, March 23, 2004

Not everybody on GH awaited word of the Daytime Emmy nominations (announcements which aired live on The Today Show weeks ago). Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) was too much into her sleep to remember, when her phone rang, rousting with an irritated, Who’s calling me this early? She kidded around that perhaps she could arrive at the May ceremony decked out in her Dobson, the butler beard.

Before GH happened to Scott Clifton (Dillon), the guy had no idea the breadth of male haircare products out there, much less the difference between gel and paste to keep those luscious locks in place. Now, he’s a believer and an active subscriber to the latest. He even made space in his luggage for hair products before heading off to see his ancestral homeland, Scotland during winter break. Before showing up onstage in character, Clifton endures the ole flat-iron process with a little TMS paste, for that perfectly imperfect feathered look.

Good thing Tyler Christopher’s (Nikolas) quite the chameleon, in ability and social niceties, or he’d have stuck out like Paris Hilton in that dreadful reality-TV show, The Simple Life. A recent jaunt down to his wife’s parents’ Texas ranch tested his adaptability thoroughly. It took a few days getting used to, not shaving or showering, suffering bruises, just basically learning how to live with chickens, roosters, doing country work, especially coming from the luxurious show biz haven of L.A., where strenuous is a limo ride down to the private personal trainer.

Greg Vaughan (Lucky) really really wants to play on the CBS game show, The Price Is Right. Small problem: He’s a former CBS employee, having done a stint on Y&R as Diego. All former and current employees aren’t allowed. And believe Vaughan, he’s tried, going so far as to sneak on the set in a get-up, but the game show Gestapo caught sight of his daytime-familiar face and pulled him out of the running. If he can’t go there, the fearless actor would love a shot on NBC’s Fear Factor, bugs or no bugs (he joked that Texans aren’t phased by that stuff).

On the event of Matt Crane (Lt. Ross Duncan) appearing on GH with his pregnant wife Robin Christopher (Skye), the two actors are their own mutual admiration society, he raving about how she’s so adored by her cast members, she cooing about how he still commands compelling on-screen after these years past on AW (where they both were on as Matt and Lorna). Best of all, they’ll have a souvenir for their firstborn son, due July 11, a scene of all three of them together: mother- and father-to-be and their unborn child sitting warm in the womb.

If it weren’t for executive producer Jill Farren Phelps’ support and her idea to bring him on on a short-term basis in the first place, Crane wouldn’t have felt initially excited and scared to death. Those jitters quickly went away once he remembered the hang of soap acting—something he hadn’t done since his AW years as Matt. Would he do it again, not just to escort wife Robin Christopher’s character Skye off the show for maternity leave? Sure, he said, but only if an offer comes his way (several soaps might already be interested), he won’t be in hot pursuit.

Christopher’s pregnancy, unlike most first-timers, has been a breeze, hardly a gag reflex in sight, which helped surprise those around her when the good news was inevitably shared. Nobody suspected. Hopefully, by the time the baby comes around, Christopher will be equipped with all the good advice of and kind-hearted offers from cast and crew with kids of their own on how to put her little one on a nighttime schedule, a major concern.

A concern for most actresses – crying on cue – hardly bothers Robin Christopher (Skye), mostly because she can, simply by empathizing with her character’s problems while being acutely aware of her marks, her lines, her physical effect and her performance overall; plus, being pregnant, all those hormones influencing the tear ducts, kinda helps. This is one woman who can turn the emotions on and off with the flick of the camera angle. Crying, without looking like a ridiculous raccoon cartoon, however, can still be challenging. “You don’t know what is coming out of the different orifices of your face, and you really have to try not to be self-conscious about your runny nose and runny mascara. But at the same time, you know that you’re performing.” –Soap Opera Digest, March 23, 2004

Rick Hearst (Ric) may have a lot of things going for him – kind, considerate, friendly, gracious, popular, uber-talented – but as organized about his portfolio as a certain co-star isn’t one of them. For that special skill, the Emmy-nominated actor pointed to Cynthia Preston (Faith), who has all her photo shots online at the ready. “She will have every picture she’s ever taken ... guaranteed. She’s smart because she burns them onto a CD and she has them all set up on her computer. ... She’s wicked efficient.” –Soap Opera Digest, March 30, 2004

One of Robyn Richards’ (Maxie) earliest childhood memories is of sleeping in the back seat of her mother’s car en route to the GH set to perform. The surfer girl, who enjoys family vacations to Hawaii and, a recent fave, Mexico, grew up on the ABC soap, believes in working and playing hard equally and would jump at the chance to teleport herself anywhere, any time.

When Leslie Charleson’s (Monica) new pet parakeet Penelope bolted from its cage and went missing, she relied on old pet dog Feather to track it down, which she did, on a dresser nearby. A gift from a friend, Penelope is the second such bird to nest in Charleson’s menagerie. The first came from Stuart Damon (Alan) and his wife years ago. [Wait a minute, shouldn’t that be bird Feather, dog Penelope?]

Soap celebs have their share of fans, but they too are fans of other celebrities. Robin Christopher (Skye), a budding chef herself, admires cooking guru Julia Child, and would love to pick her brain on how she accomplished so much while keeping to the theme of moderation. Scott Clifton (Dillon) isn’t too proud or macho to admit he’d be right up there with the screaming girl fans if Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty doffed his shirt on stage, so into the band is he. “I think he’s one of the most brilliant songwriters of our time.” Kelly Monaco (Sam) finds Michael Jackson’s celebrity increasingly frightening to behold lately, but still intriguing enough to wanna meet the guy. –ABC Soaps in Depth, March 30, 2004

The 99-seat, L.A.-based theatre Tyler Christopher (Nikolas) and his 68 Cent Crew helped build – with tremendous help from his fans – is ready to put on its premiere play, The Boys Next Door, with showings through May 22 on Fridays and Saturdays. Christopher, naturally, is a part of the cast, along with Ronnie Marmo, Jamison Jones, Jerry Brennan, Hardin Madden Jr., Tegan Summer, Kurt TenEyck, Gordon Bash, Rosalind Gatto, Kerrie Blaisdell and Sara Widzer, with Crystal K. Craft (Aspen Women) as the director. The story involves the antics of four mentally handicapped guys and the social worker who must tend to them. Info & reservations ($20 a ticket): (323) 467-6688.

Gossip for the week of 05-Apr-2003
by Carol Banks Weber

Great. Five months of the “Brenda Returns!” buzz. The latest, Vanessa Marcil would reprise her popular GH role only to expedite the permanent exit of Maurice Benard (Sonny), who wants more outs and out, period.

What do Benard, an ultimatum, more than a few red faces on the set, a huge announcement and possibly a sudden departure by the end of the week (last week) have in common? Beats me. Ask Data Lounge’s Hemmer.

Here’s hoping this one’s completely false: Marisa/Marissa Ramirez – the model-turned-wannabe-actress who dissed some of the writers in her last well-known interview, post-GH – could be wooed back any minute to reprise her role as Gia, the original. No thanks, I’d rather Andrea Pearson.

Curiouser and curiouser about Tessa Allen (ex-Molly-CE) being or not being the recast, SORAS’d Lulu. Soap Opera Digest had an article reporting no recast scheduled (according to GH’s reps). But I just found out from a reader who supposedly knows from Allen’s manager that the little actress did win the part. Then, from another board, a poster suggested that the part was withdrawn due to an early leak on the ‘Net about the recast.

The accelerated plot devices and plot holes exist on GH for a reason: to keep up the buzz. The idiots in charge (TIIC) figure if we’re bitching about some anomaly on the show, that means we give a damn. That’s why we see crazy nonsense that even the actors bitch about, such as the strongly signaled romantic kiss between Jason and Carly out of the blue in the middle of the hotel fire in February.

Another non-sequitur (don’t bother looking for follow-through) that had fans buzzing, but not in a favorable way: Jax talking up Courtney as a new business woman with more than a glint in his eye, then, nothing. Think we’re pissed at that nothing? Vacationing Jax portrayer Ingo Rademacher is rumored to be barely cooling his heels, relying on his intrinsic Zen patience and calm to weather this storm. But not for long. They better cough up some story for him or else.

As is the case with Sonny & Carly, Jason & Courtney, Ric & Elizabeth, and now Nikolas and Emily, no obstacle will keep TPTB’s chosen few couples apart for long. By May Sweeps, NEm will reunite, Mary forgotten. But Mary has a strong following, almost immediately upon premiering. If she proves a hit with Lucky, as intended (as opposed to another strong rumor of Luckily – Lucky & Emily)...

By the time Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) returns from her maternity leave, her character, too, will reunite with Ric. Her request for a divorce is yet another lame plot device, conveniently used to facilitate her leave, March 30.

The clues c/o Wubs.net and Data Lounge: Woman in trench coat, nemesis out of the building, not Vanessa Marcil’s Brenda... Hmm, maybe the nefarious return of executive producer Wendy Riche, who – according to the rumor mill – can’t stand co-head writer Robert Guza Jr., currently on “vacation,” and vice versa? Or, Genie Francis (ex-Laura) about to make it out with Tony Geary (Luke), for L&L’s (and Geary’s) final retirement?

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