General Hospital News & Gossip
News for the week of 20-Jun-2005
CORRECTION
In last week’s News & Gossip, we recapped a repeat of a Soap Talk segment (original airdate 5/31/05) featuring fashion boutique Drama Queen Style and their designs promoted under the label “House of Drama.” We had incorrectly switched the names of the boutique, Drama Queen Style, and the label of the new clothing line, possibly leading to confusion over who designed which fashions; to confuse matters further, in an article at Soapdom published under Danielle Orsino’s byline, the fashions are referred to as “Danielle Orsino’s Drama Queen Design” line.
According to JR Stewart, The Drama Queen Style line officially launched in October of 2004, not at the 32nd annual Daytime Emmys. The “formal introduction to the world” at the Daytime Emmys referred to in last week’s column came from Drama Queen Style’s press release, which stated that “…the glamorous couture designs of Drama Queen Style will make its debut on May 20, 2005 at the 32nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards under the label ‘House of Drama’.”
According to Danielle Orsino, she was asked to create dresses for Soap Talk by the host of the segment, JR Stewart, and according to JR, she does not work for nor have business ties with Drama Queen Style, owned by Danielle Orsino.
The Brook Lynn skirt was designed by Amy Weis, a designer that Danielle Orsino features on her web site, not by Danielle herself.
The Maria dress, described as an “ice pink and blue slit gown” is actually coral, according to Danielle, or peach, according to JR. To our eyes, the dress looked like it could easily be described as pink and blue, although next to the magenta and cyan Liz dress, one can see why the Maria dress might be more accurately described as light peach and turquoise.
Lastly, the designer and promoter have taken issue with certain words used to describe some of the dresses. Carol and I are admittedly not certified and licensed fashion critics, and perhaps describing them as "tacky" was a fashion faux pas, for which we apologize.
Are you an armchair fashion critic? You be the judge.
(L to R:) The Liz dress, the Brook Lynn skirt, the Greenlee dress, the Jess/Tess dress and the Maria dress. Check all that apply.
SoapZone.com regrets the confusion caused by the errors, and we honestly regret that we do not take fashion promotion as seriously as these people do. — Jeff
Dancing With The Stars is definitely the surprise hit of the summer. Everybody’s talking about it, from the watercooler folks to the reporters at Entertainment Weekly. It even beat out the NBA. The reasons for the new (to America) mid-season reality-TV show’s success could be the fancy costumes of the celebrities and their professional ballroom dancers, the sniping by American Idol-wannabe judges, the excitement of a true competition with only pride at stake and a trophy as the ultimate prize, set against pumping music and enthusiastic crowds. Or, it could be – for many soap fans – the underdog presence of Kelly Monaco (Sam), who only wanted to do the gig for fun and quickly found herself the target of some unnecessarily cruel and thoughtless attacks by the judges (one of whom joked about someone in her circle dying) following the first two weeks’ worth of dance-offs. These judges dogged Monaco from the first moment she struck a pose with Alec Mazo in a passable waltz and sizzling-hot rumba, and it showed in her cracked smile, cracking voice, near tears. Based on the judges’ lowest scores from their first week, Monaco and Mazo figured they’d be the first couple to go, and so, went all out in the second week’s rumba, she barely dressing for the occasion (the show had a tough but fun time finding a hidden place to mic her). Surprise, surprise, the soap fans – and others who felt the judges were out of line and out of their minds – voted the couple to stay. In the aftermath, Monaco expressed her disagreement and dismay at the judges seemingly to target her, her second thoughts at signing up for a reality-TV series and her gratitude for the fans, the GH cast and crew for helping through the tough spots. When first presented with the opportunity to join the other rag tag celebrities in this British rip-off, Monaco questioned her sanity, as well as hoped that this wouldn’t be like those other reality-TV shows that exploit the common denominator over a coupla bucks. ABC Daytime president B.S. Frons assured Monaco that the network only supports uplifting programming, Monaco and the other participating celebrities received financial compensation before they began the dance-offs, and everybody is in it to have fun, do their best and maybe work hard enough during rehearsals to win the trophy (that’s all they get). “Everyone's pretty stable and set in their careers, so it's not about money or trying to get a career. That's a cheese factor too, in my opinion. Money is the root of all evil and people can get pretty nasty on reality shows. So I'm really glad that's not the incentive in the end,” Monaco said. –TV Guide Online, Insider-News, June 14, 2005
The judges were a lot nicer to Monaco in the third week of Dancing With The Stars, aired June 15, after her jive dance to Footloose with Alec Mazo. But then, the pair were better, looser, dancing more than posturing. She was called a “firecracker,” and admired for the snap of her legs pumping. They still need to work on their timing, coordination and rhythm to the music together, as one of the judges mentioned, but overall, fourth place is better than last, which the actress acknowledged. When the judges’ total equaled 21, Monaco quipped happily, “We got out of the teens, so that’s good.” She also said that she can work with constructive criticism, which the judges gave. The Bruno guy even told her that she took their constructive criticism from before and improved her game. Best of all, Monaco and Mazo survived another round of the final voting process (the judges’ scores adjusted with the viewers voting in, in a five-point system). Evander Holyfield, who looked pissed, and his dance partner Edyta Sliwinska, however, weren’t so lucky.
Jennifer Bransford (Carly) just happened to be sitting next to Ty Treadway (ex-Ty/Colin, OLTL) on a plane ride when the two struck up a casual conversation. Quickly, as they were getting acquainted, Bransford learned that Treadway had done a soap, the same one she’d done, and that both their characters had gone psycho over either Nora or Bo. Going psycho as Georgie, Bransford said, was enormous fun. Some of the fun, crazy scenes included Georgie going violently psycho on Rachel, Nora’s daughter, with a telephone. In doing that scene, Bransford assumed Georgie would kill Rachel with the phone as her murder weapon, but naw. Now, Bransford is on GH, a higher-rated ABC Daytime drama (but not by much judging from May Sweeps), taking over the popular icon of Carly, a role she’d originally believed – during auditions – to be Jordan, then Drew. Taking on such an insta-recast in the fast-paced soap world provided many challenges. It’s not the same as preparing for a play, Bransford explained. "In a play, I can discover the character first by talking with the director and the other actors, but on a soap, there isn’t that luxury," she added. Thankfully, she benefited from generous and supportive co-stars, and the knowledgeable writers, who were there for her every step of the way to ease the one-day transition, on her creative terms.
The details of Wally Kurth’s (Ned) ordeal as a parent when son Brogan came into the world six months ago were revealed on the June 13th SoapTalk show. Brogan was born with a distended stomach, which later showed to be a perforation in his intestine. After the pathology reports, a quick fix, and two weeks in NICU, doctors gave him a clean bill of health. But for a while there – with Kurth’s wife Debra at one hospital, and him with the baby at another – the parents didn’t know if the problem would turn out to be serious. "I figured, this is my third child, it’ll be easy, but with Brogan’s health scare," Kurth explained, “I truly realized that every birth is a miracle.” With the baby healthy and well, Kurth is free to be the daddy he’d always wanted but – in the previous two births of his daughters – didn’t believe himself ready to be. He even rough and tumbles with his son, dangling Brogan upside-down by the legs, while his wife Debra freaks out.
Sometimes, a far-from-textbook birth gives a man greater appreciation for the title of, Father. Other times, it’s simply the day-to-day interactions between him and his children. Wally Kurth (Ned) took a lot for granted before son Brogan came into this world six months ago, but afterward? No more. The actor/producer/musician takes nothing for granted and lives everyday fully in the presence of his three children (daughters Meghann, 19, Rosabel, 8, Brogan, 6 months), appreciating them in a way he wasn’t able to at a younger age. Brogan, especially, has given Kurth a new lease on fatherhood. “I allow myself to drop everything and become completely present in his life,” Kurth said. “When I’m with him, I’m really with him. I’m not reading the paper. I’m not on a phone call. I’m there. I am giggling and laughing and enjoying just looking into his eyes.” With Rosabel, Kurth races her on bicycles, checking out the scenery, be it a park or the ocean. And with Meghann, who is fast turning into a good actress, he’s become the father and friend he maybe hadn’t in her growing years. His children take after him in their ability to be silly and weird.
Former GHer John Ingle (ex-Edward; Mickey, DOOL) boasts an all-girl cast in his family, daughters Jessica and Jennifer, twins, 49, Carrie, 47, Melanie, 45, and Chrissy, 35. He shared in the parenting duties, including the feedings. But sometimes, dad being dad, he couldn’t – for example – tell his twin daughters apart, and thinks he might’ve fed Jessica more than once, “One time, [she] said, ‘That’s why I’ve always had a weight problem, Daddy: You fed me twice.’” At the time of his twin daughters’ birth, ultra-sounds weren’t in existence, so parents-to-be were often surprised during the birth. They had no idea whether the baby would be a boy or a girl or more than one. As parents in the Ingle household, both John and wife Grace-Lynne made sure to impart to their girls the power of the non-judgmental approach, encouraging the children by example to avoid using the guilt-ridden term “should,” as in, “You should be ashamed of yourselves” or “You should’ve done your homework.” Instead, they used the term “I wish you would’ve” then filled in the blank.
Another former GHer, Jack Wagner (ex-Frisco; Nick, B&B), impressed his musically-inclined two boys, Pete, 14, and Harrison, 10, by rocking out with his band during a rehearsal. The boys – who are into classic ‘70s rock – themselves know how to play the keyboard and the drums, respectively, with their father frequently joining them and their own band members in jam sessions. While Wagner can’t see much of a family resemblance from him to his sons, they’re their own men, others do. But he does see a bit of himself and a lot more of his wife, Kristina (ex-Felicia). A challenge Wagner has encountered in parenting post-millennium has been the hands-off discipline. Back in the days of the baby boomers, parents would threaten to kick their children’s asses if they didn’t behave and back off from disruptive behavior the first time they’re told, he described. Nowadays, Wagner admitted, since that’s verboten, it can be challenging to get his kids to mind him. “What can I say now? ‘You’re not going to play video games for nine years?’ I just can’t quite get the threat together.”
AMC’s Vincent Irizarry (David) enjoys his three very different children, too: Siena, 15, Aria, 7, and Elias, 3. Irizarry spends time with each of them engaging in their individual interests. With Siena, it’s theater, film and music… she reads Shakespeare. With Aria, it’s tae kwon do and piano lessons. With Elias, it’s his never-ending train tracks and whiffle ball golf in the backyard. Becoming a parent has given Irizarry a renewed appreciation for his own parents, enlightenment he couldn’t understand under their thumb growing up. “All the things I blamed my parents for when I was growing up, I worried I’d realize that they were blameless, that I was the problem [laughs].” The actor recommends for him and his family, patience and understanding – kids will be kids, but they’re okay – are essential.
OLTL’s Robert S. Wood (Bo) finds himself cautioning his son Tanner, 14, all the time—the way his aunts had with him, and this realization is both astounding and humbling. His late father – deceased in 1975 – would’ve loved watching Tanner grow into a man and teaching the kid a few tricks, Woods said. “That’s the thing I missed most raising him: I wasn’t able to share him with my own parents. They would’ve worshipped him.” But Tanner has his old man to do things with, from golfing with Woods and his pals to practicing BB-gun-shooting, and tossing the baseball around in between chores – sharing time together is always an ever-present source of joy for both father and son, who both share the Woods family dry sense of humor. –Soap Opera Digest, “Pop Stars,” June 21, 2005
Whenever Rick Hearst’s (Ric) boys – Nicholas and Cameron – watch their father enact love scenes on GH, they’re on him about *cheating* on their mom. Wife Donna doesn’t mind those love scenes, it’s part of her husband’s job, but their children aren’t buying that, they’d rather leave the room than be subjected to the love scenes, or they’ll admonish their dad about only smooching on their mommy, nobody else. Hearst will joke that they’ve got a good point, but when a salary is involved, he, as an actor, will do what’s in the script. Hearst, the father, takes his sons fishing, just like when he was a kid and his father did that for him, it’s a great way to bond. Bonding on such a regular basis enables Hearst to know his children, their strengths, their dreams, and he does know them very well, with much fatherly pride. Nicholas and Cameron both take after him in certain personality attributes: “My oldest son, Nicholas, has this intense intolerance for any injustice – like if someone is getting picked on – which is also the bane of my existence. Cameron is very aggressive in his convictions. He is very direct and he’s nobody’s fool.” –Soap Opera Digest, “TAKE FIVE,” June 21, 2005
SoapTalk invited Alicia Leigh (Courtney) and her father David E. Willis to appear in its special Father’s Day edition, June 15. They recalled her foray into acting, the thrill her father felt at her deciding to forego her other great love – athletics – to jump full-time into the auditions at age 15. At five, she did a local bank spot with her actor father, who’d moved his family (like National Lampoon Vacation’s the Griswold’s!, he cracked) from the South to California in the 1980s when the children were small, to pursue his dream full-time. The commercial had her missing a teddy bear, after having left it inadvertently at the bank, and then having to move with her family across the country. The bank then Fed-Ex’d the bear to her, and to get an authentic look of pure joy on her face, producers of the commercial brought out a little puppy to show her off-camera. Aw. Willis’s father also relayed the awww emotions during a highlight in her career, when she – a working soap actress on Another World – brought him as her date for a red carpet event in New York…right before facing the paparazzi, he whipped out a gift for her on the precipice of her 21st birthday, a gift she treasures to this day: a pearl ring encrusted with small jewels. After viewing some embarrassing childhood footage of a little Willis falling off the top of a cheerleading pyramid, dancing in a performance and nearly twisting her arm off the parallel bars – “You are so dead” – that her dad brought for the occasion, co-hosts Ty Treadway (ex-Colin/Troy, OLTL) and Lisa Rinna (ex-Billie, DOOL) gifted him with an ipod from SoapTalk and Sears, where America shops. Willis called her father kind, wonderful, the best father a kid could have, “He doesn’t have a malicious bone in his body.”
Here is where I review the first installment (in a 12-hour extravaganza) of Steven Spielberg’s TnT mini-series, Into The West, co-starring Tyler Christopher (Nikolas/ex-Connor) as Jacob Jr., a half-breed scout. The mini-series began two weeks ago. Unfortunately, because it is such an historic documentary of a recreation, I flashbacked to my History 101 class in high school, and zoned out, procrastinating with the psychotic trashy Britney Spears and Kevin Federline reality-TV series on UPN and Real World/Road Rules Inferno II on MTV, a rerun of Stripes on TBS, anything else. So the review will have to wait until next week, or when I get to it -- after I do my nails… Christopher believes wholeheartedly in the entertainment, educational and enlightenment values of Spielberg’s mini-series project. He promised viewers that they will be rewarded with a true glimpse into what it was like for people to try and carve a new life in the new world out west, similar to what Spielberg and Tom Hanks did for the WWII HBO mini-series, Band Of Brothers.
Okay, I lied. (Actually, I wrote the above on a Thursday morning, then watched the first two-hour installment later that night.) A lot of viewers and some critics have expressed boredom at the slow-moving beginning of this Spielberg mini-series, but not me. I thought I’d be bored out of my mind (Indians, pioneers and Keri Russell don’t do it for me). Instead, like Matthew Settle’s lead character Jacob Wheeler, I fell in love with the West and all its inhabitants, the settlers, the miners, the native Americans; every actor cast simply disappeared into his/her role until there was nothing left but the history, the culture clashes and blends and the once-lush, unsullied beauty of America. I learned so much more about how the native Americans used to be, how different every tribe was, than from my history books and the Hollywood-ized versions. Extraordinarily exceptional in their ability to impart the unique, memorable warmth of the spirit of Americana were Josh Brolin (Jedediah Smith, mountain man), Simon R. Baker (Loved By The Buffalo, Lakota shaman) and Will Patton (Fletcher, mountain man). Two scenes stuck out in my mind for the ick and ooh factors: when the White Feather’s (former name of Loved By The Buffalo, before the boy became a holy man) older brothers led a stampede of buffalo over a cliff to their deaths and a Grizzly took off most of the left side of Smith’s scalp. I am hooked. Here’s wishing Spielberg gets inspired by Hawaii next.
Tyler Christopher (Nikolas/ex-Connor) just might’ve discovered his creative freedom in the mini-series. Because of his appearance in the Steven Spielberg wonder, the 32-year-old actor recently enjoyed a People.com “Celeb Spotlight.” The mini-interview is well-written, a thorough summary of his life to date, including the not-so-amicable divorce from Eva Longoria (ex-faux-Brenda; Desperate Housewives) and his athletic childhood growing up in Ohio. Eight years before producers tapped him to play a half-breed scout for General Custer, Christopher began tapping into his native American roots – his father is Seneca, his mother, Choctaw – with the help of the Kiowa family’s Susan Seal. Good preparation for a primo role on Spielberg’s mini-series, indeed. Christopher, obviously, is thrilled to be a part of a DreamWorks project such as this. “It's one of those roles that, as an actor, you just sit and hope for.”
The copper-colored, strapless gown with the mermaid skirt that Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) made (with her seamstress mother’s help) for the Daytime Emmy ceremonies came from inspiration in spotting material usually made into curtains at a fabric store. Usually, Herbst seeks to sketch out a dress design in her mind, then find material to fit her vision, but what actually happens is, she finds wonderfully inspiring material with which to design a dress around. For the Emmys, she envisioned the entire 1940s-feeling ensemble in a My Fair Lady for the post-millennium, complete with black, rounded toe BCBG pumps, a Georgie Alexander purse also in copper and a thin gold necklace… nothing ostentatious, just elegant and understated, comfort also a consideration. Backstage details: Herbst would’ve sewn the gown too, but with two children in tow and a job at GH, she just couldn’t spare the time; she didn’t need her own hair and makeup team for the event, since she does all that herself; a favorite childhood pastime for her would be to play dress-up, doing her older sister’s hair; every Emmys she attends, by the end of it, her feet in her fancy new shoes are sore and worn out; she wore her copper bag, with a strap attached around her wrist for utmost ease of comfort.
It took several auditions for other soaps, one failed attempt and a few years before Sandra Ferguson (ex-Amanda, AW; ex-Jade, Sunset Beach) finally made it on GH—a dream of hers. But thanks to perseverance, exceptional acting ability and the long-time acquaintance of casting director Mark Teschner, made it she did, as the new Felicia. She’d actually kidded Teschner to look her up if Felicia ever had to be recast; then, lo and behold… the call actually came and before she knew it, she had to perform in the middle of a major story revisiting the emotionally poignant “B.J.’s Heart” – a story the Labines made award-winningly famous in the ‘90s. “I got thrown to the wolves. Wham, bam, here's your director, your stage manager, five, four, three, two, one, go. … Thank God, I work with great people. I got hired and four days later, I was on set and I was trying to catch up on everything I hadn't seen in a gazillion years. I remember watching the show when I was in middle school, so I was trying to identify people from back then. It was like taking a crash course in the history of Port Charles.” Ferguson had done a recast before, when she took over in a short-term capacity for an on-maternity-leave Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, B&B) in 1997. The actress – who filmed a scene in the movie remake of The Longest Yard but wound up cut out in final editing – had taken a self-imposed hiatus lasting three years, but came back around because she’d yearned to work in the genre again. So, she did. –Soap Opera Digest & Weekly
With all the cute, cuddly cats running around Robin Christopher’s (Skye) house, you’d think her toddler son August would be able to find himself a constant buddy there. Instead, Christopher said, he’s locked onto a rock he found around the garden, and can’t be without it, not even when he sleeps or bathes. If he ever lost it… Christopher speculated that the smooth stone might be related to her husband (and August’s father) Matt being a sculptor.
Ever since promos have hinted that Georgie could be Maxie’s heart donor, I’ve been receiving e-mails begging me for closure. Will Georgie die so Maxie can live? The answer is: No, Georgie is a red herring; if Maxie requires a donor heart, it will come from another, related source (the odds-on bet is Frisco). Even Georgie’s Lindze Letherman wondered and worried when her scripts read for Georgie to hit her head on a table then go into emergency surgery. She also readied herself to be brave in case Georgie wasn’t a red herring after all. Another possibility is Felicia, but new portrayer Sandra Ferguson hasn’t a clue, believing the writers enjoy the character enough to write a little longer term.
If GH isn’t careful, it’ll lose Ignacio Serricchio (Diego) to the break-out mainstream star status. He’s that good and that hungry for all that show business entails, from performing standout whenever he can, to boning up on the workings behind the scenes, as perhaps a producer. Currently, he can be found as a lead actor and producer in the play, In The Name Of Bob, in Los Angeles until June 26. Besides the play, standup and GH, Serricchio has been working on a sitcom and an idea for an improvisational troupe.
Summer’s here, and that means teens, a hurricane and more of Sonny Hospital. SPOILERS TO FOLLOW (with some heavy speculation from me):
- Don’t count Rexis/Reckless out yet. Their unborn baby, born, might change everything back to normal.
- All of Reese’s secrets – her one-night stand with Ric, her real identity as Charlotte – threaten to undo her hard-fought happiness with Sonny.
- In the meantime, Sonny and Reese take their affair to the next, serious level.
- The character of Jason, as well as his evolution post-car accident, are explored deeper and further.
- Maxie and Georgie survive their health crises, with their respective love lives more than intact. Maxie falls for a new guy in town, this Jesse person, who is really a renegade, undercover cop. Jesse and Mac conflict.
- Nikolas and Emily work hard at salvaging what’s left of their relationship. But they might find eyes for other people, like, Emily with Sonny, the one person – like with Jason – she feels she can confide in without judgment or expectation. The Sonny and Emily (Soily) thing is at the testing stage.
- Luke, Tracy, Skye and Coleman, plus a few other characters for added measure, play out the wacky, poignant notes of a contrivance gone serious. Some of the characters start feeling the effects, with real affection and jealousy.
- Elizabeth becomes Jax and Courtney’s surrogate, to help her and Lucky pay the bills and get out of debt. But Elizabeth and Jax might grow closer too, as a result, and that could be bad for Courtney and Lucky.
- Towards the end of summer, a hurricane devastates the town, throwing unlikely characters together and changing lives. It’s the Towering Inferno, Part II, with wind. (Sure beats paying for veterans to stay and hiring superior soap actresses.)
When Lesli Kay (ex-Lois) said she was left out of GH’s frontburner and felt like the “matronly matriarch” because of the “pop group,” at first I thought she meant a euphemism for the favored mob family – Sonny, Jason, Carly, Reese et al – and laughed. But as I read further in Soap Opera Digest’s “More From Lesli,” June 21st issue, I really wanted to cry. It seems TPTB hired her with much fan fare and hope, barely used her, hardly committed to her character, then dropped her because of an inability – the common complaint of fans – to use her fully on the canvas. Kay doesn’t take the near-misses personally and tried to be positive about the whole thing. She’d asked out of her contract, in hopes of returning to ATWT as Molly – a job she’d left for GH, believing she’d moved on to more challenging, frontburning work – but that deal fell through, and now she’d focusing her sights on auditioning for primetime, once she gives birth to her second son, Alec Jude, next month (she’s due July 1). In the interim, she keeps up with her exercises, the Pilates, Gyrotonics, yoga, keeps in touch with a few GH pals, including Rick Hearst (Ric), Adrianne Leon (Brook Lynn) and Wally Kurth (Ned), and hopes for the best. “And if I’m bartending next week, that’s fine, too.”
Several former GH/PC actors have resurfaced on B&B: Chris Robinson (ex-Rick) reprised Taylor’s father, Jack Hamilton, June 16; Scott Thompson Baker (ex-Colton, GH; ex-Craig, AMC) also appeared on June 16 as Thomas’s lawyer, Connor; and Michael Dietz (ex-Joe, PC) comes back as Mark MacLaine, starting June 27.
Gossip for the week of 20-Jun-2005
People, quit toying with my affections. This week, it’s co-head writer Bob Guza turning tail and running from GH, according to an Anonymous source at gossip headquarters—Data Lounge. Furthermore, according to this rumor, Guza & Co. have stuck around this long because of the powerful clout of Tony Geary (Luke), Maurice Benard (Sonny) and Steve Burton (Jason). Not even their clout, if this is true, is enough to out-trump just plain bad writing. Assistant writer Karen Harris and an as-yet-unnamed co-writer will take over the duties. Anonymous is supposedly the same source for the rumor of executive producer Jill Farren Phelps bowing out to take over Brian Scott Frons’ ABC Daytime position. AMC executive producer – and former PC EP – Julie Hanan Carruthers supposedly sold her Manhattan apartment last week, amidst rumors of her impending GH EP take-over by Monday, June 20.
Let what happened with Lesli Kay (ex-Lois II) be a warning to the aspiring GH soap actresses out there. Just because executive producer Jill Farren Phelps welcomes you with a contract and a bunch of praise, doesn’t equal a promise for longevity – or any decent storyline whatsoever. Kay jumped on the popular GH bandwagon, assuming she’d be given a chance to turn a storyline around involving her character’s extension of family and friends, and watched in the sidelines as those family members disappeared altogether or moved in entirely different, smaller circles, and those friends went off to get married, without her. She also made the mistake of jumping the gun off her contract to go back to ATWT where they treated her well as Molly, but had begun to backburner the character – the same ironic fate Lois II suffered – only to see the return go up in smoke.
Eva LaRue (ex-Maria, AMC): Please read the above about Lesli Kay (ex-Lois) before you go asking GH honchos for a job again. And tell your friends (ex: Finola Hughes/ex-Anna). LaRue made the mistake of offering herself up as another female addition to GH, but found the show already overflowing with enough females. Even if a spot opened up, LaRue – unless she were paired up with Sonny and discovered the fountain of youth – would quickly find herself on the unemployment line again.
Jennifer Bransford (Carly III) told Soap Opera Weekly’s Carolyn Hinsey of “Carolyn’s Corner” that TPTB didn’t really allow her and Tamara Braun (ex-Carly II) to meet in person to possibly exchange notes. Well, she didn’t really come out and say it that way, “They kind of kept us… y’know…,” but we certainly get the gist. What’s TPTB afraid of? Because in the end, Bransford reached out to Braun by phone and received nothing but constructive advice on how to keep Carly viable and originally Bransford’s.
Because Natalia Livingston’s (Emily) work from the past year was recognized with an Emmy, TPTB want to give her more to do on the show and with another Emmy winner. They’re playing coy, but the majority of online-posting fans already figured out that it has to be with Maurice Benard (Sonny). Soily, remarkably, is making waves and bringing out the best in both of these divergent stars. I haven’t seen instinctive vulnerability like that – from both Benard and Livingston – in forever.
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