General Hospital News & Gossip
News for the week of 13-Jun-2009
Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) has strong opinions, and she’s not afraid to state them matter-of-factly, without the slightest tinge of offense or condescension. She has an opinion about almost every subject raised; certainly, it’s the case when Michael Fairman did an interview of her from June 5th.
She can’t stand her current storyline as the meddler, trying to out Rebecca to Nikolas as a con artist. She’s taken to calling herself Gladys Kravitz (the nosy busybody from the ‘60s/’70s hit sitcom Bewitched). Here’s the balanced, tactful however: “This is just occasionally what happens, but I do get to show up for work and get paid, so that’s the good news.”
She still pines over the loss of one of her favorite and most realistic soap couples, Alexis with Sonny. While she’d be the first to tell you that theirs wasn’t the most outstanding and romantic of couplings, there was still a “complicated, connected bond” worth exploring. It’s too bad head writer Bob Guza Jr. was never a fan. “Writers get to have a passion for something, or not. Not everybody likes the same thing, and he did not see it that way, and he is the head writer and it is his vision,” prefaced the ever-diplomatic Grahn. “He gets to decide what he likes and what he doesn’t. So, by all means, for me saying that I ‘liked it’ and he ‘didn’t’ doesn’t make him wrong or bad. It’s neither of those two things, and that’s what happens with writers.”
The Emmys can go on without Grahn’s input. Not that she was even asked. She’s known others who may have paid dues to the Academy, like her, but weren’t allowed to vote on the ballots because, allegedly, they didn’t consent to become a judge as well. That’s all very well and good, but, “I don’t make deals with my vote. I understand they need judges, but they have to find a better way to get judges. But I don’t want to be a spoil-sport for the people that were nominated. It was a beautiful thing, and it was a great moment for me when I got one. I don’t want to suck the air out of it for someone who is having a good time with it.”
Despite rumors of bad blood provoking a vengeance-minded Rick Hearst (Ric) to bolt suddenly to B&B to reprise Whip, the truth is far from soap operatic. Hearst explained to TV Guide columnist Michael Logan (B&B Steals Rick Hearst From General Hospital, June 8, 2009) the behind-the-scenes, serendipitous events that led to his ABC departure (June 25) and CBS reentry (July 17). The multiple-Emmy-winning actor was disappointed by going from contract to recurring on GH, but pressed on with the show in whatever capacity they gave him. In the meantime, he pursued pilot season and a guest spot of CSI: New York’s finale. While this was going on, B&B’s head writer/executive producer Brad Bell rang Hearst up with an offer, come back as Whip when Stephanie enlists him to woo Brooke away from Ridge. “In one way, it was like being shot out of a friggin’ cannon. In another way, it was like coming home. It was such a nice, easy transition. [Laughs] Let’s face it, it’s not a big stretch. I’m going from a fast-talking, scheming attorney to a fast-talking, scheming publicist.” Hearst is going into his B&B reprise without any expectations of longevity. He had such a great time with the cast, crew and story before, he’s sure he will again. And if nothing else, his experience on GH shows that anything can happen—two Emmys and a familial bond to a major character don’t necessarily guarantee job security.
Hearst was saddened about GL’s cancellation, too. If they ask him to return as Alan-Michael Spaulding to finish out GL’s last season, the privilege would be all his.
When Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) was told by his manager that he could try out for a major soap opera from ABC Daytime, the young actor laughed out loud. He knew this could either be a terrific disaster or a brilliant move. (There aren’t a lot of normal, ordinary-looking guys like him in soaps, least of all as characters spouting computer jargon and sporting three-packs.) Judging by the huge following of Spixie fans devoted to geeky Spinelli’s unorthodox romance with fashionista Maxie, it was the latter. Throughout each adventure, Anderson remains grateful for the opportunity and maxes out the attention for the little guy, the underdog everybody roots for and feels a kinship to. While Spinelli may not match the godly studs intrinsic to this bodice-ripping genre, Anderson says the computer dork is a difference that matters. “Our audience is looking for characters they can get behind. If it happens to be this stunningly beautiful couple, great. If it happens to be this quirky little guy who struggles through life a little bit, that’s great, too. You need someone to root for, and hopefully my character has become that.” Hitting it big with Kirsten Storms (Maxie) has provided Anderson with his share of shirtless love scenes. Every time TPTB warn him two weeks in advance, Anderson means to get in fighting shape, and then by the next morning, he’s forgotten his good intentions. This last time, he said he went to Vegas to have fun and get spray-tanned. The spray-tan idea came from Storms, who figured it was either that or the gym. If he only had the presence of mind to add a no-shirtless-scene clause in his contract like some other actors he knows. “I’m the only one who wasn’t smart enough to negotiate it. As far as ratings go, me taking my shirt off is certainly not going to help.” –TV Guide, Emmy Watch: General Hospital's Bradford Anderson by Michael Logan, June 08, 2009
Rumors abound as to Spinelli’s parentage. At this rate, according to one of the writers—Elizabeth Korte—parentage is the last resort. Anderson was told by Korte that only when they basically run out of gas is when he’ll play out a who’s my mommy and daddy? story. He joked that if they appear to run out of gas, he’ll remind them about the parentage angle as his golden parachute.
Ronnie Marmo (ex-limo driver for Jax) – Tyler Christopher’s (Nikolas) 68 Cent Crew Theatre Company creative director – returns for another GH role, July 9. Marmo, who has appeared as a guest star on Y&R and Jag, has been plying his trade in three flicks.
Lynn Herring (ex-Lucy) will appear on ATWT as Audrey, a kind of early-day Lucy in the gold-digging department. Audrey spawned Henry, and makes her presence known July 24. The sick thing is, Herring wasn’t so busy on her ranch that she refused to return to GH. GH’s PTB never bothered to reach out and bring her back. Herring was ready and willing to do soaps, she even inquired about taking over as Jill on Y&R when Jess Walton almost let her gig go. The people at ATWT got wind of Herring’s interest and took it from there. The ATWT job is set for six to eight weeks.
TV Guide columnist Michael Logan (“Exclusive: Lynn Herring Joins ‘As the World Turns,’” June 9, 2009) got the real deal from Herring about never having been asked to do even special guest spots on GH. At first, she understood that maybe crazy, wacky Lucy wouldn’t match the serious mob tone. But then, they started featuring Finola Hughes (Anna) and Emma Samms (Holly), and Herring felt weirded out by that. “I thought, there’s gotta be a little space for me! But with Kin Shriner [Scotty] gone, there weren’t many characters Lucy had related to a lot. I guess I was disappointed quite a bit, really. I understood why I wouldn’t be offered a full-blown, long-term thing. I just wanted something.”
Several of GH’s prominent actors, such as Tony Geary (Luke) and Jane Elliot (Tracy), will serve as Daytime Emmy presenters in the August 30th awards ceremony, held at L.A.’s Orpheum Theatre and airing on the CW network. Geary and Elliot will present for “Outstanding Lead Actress,” Greg Vaughan (Lucky) and Kimberly McCullough (Robin) for “Outstanding Writing-Daytime Drama,” Laura Wright (Carly) and Drew Garrett (Michael) for “Outstanding Younger Actor,” and ABC Daytime president Brian Frons gives a sneak peek at a new SOAPnet show.
Laura Wright’s (Carly) been a reading fool lately, catching up on current, popular literature during and around her breaks. She loves John Grisham books, and read “The Associate” by him. She joined the popular masses with “The Twilight” series. And she met God through “The Shack’s” protagonist, c/o writer William P. Young. “The Shack” reminded her of “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold, in its hard-to-take, adult subject matter (a young girl is raped and murdered, and her spirit observes from heaven what happens next). Wright, whose daughter was real young at the time, stopped reading by “The Lovely Bones’” third chapter. In order to derive the beauty of the entire story, Wright explained, you must get through the worst of it. Getting through the worst of it, as a mom, is tough.
Sarah Joy Brown (Claudia) joins Tyler Christopher (Nikolas) June 26th on FOX-TV’s game show, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? Date and name of charity unknown as of yet.
Alexis Pullos takes over as the SORAS’d Molly, set to air next month.
Christian Alexander (Kiefer) causes trouble with Michael, June 18.
Dakota Mitchell (Callahan) faces Jason’s wrath after hassling Sam, June 15.
SoapZone.com’s resident faker of press releases and writer of awesome fiction, CesarFaison/Matthew Weaver, has been commissioned by soap columnist Marlena De Lacroix to provide his original soap satire for her blog. From her intro, last week: “His work is very sophisticated and entirely original, and it always makes me LOL. … His first piece, On the Next Baristas, imagines some of our favorite soap actors in five familiar-seeming primetime shows that actually are purely his invention.”
Gossip for the week of 13-Jun-2009
Morgan turns into Michael, pre-coma, butting in on his parents’ love lives and trying to orchestrate a reunion. Kristina and Michael nearly kill Morgan with their joyride this week. If not this week, then the next.
Here we go again. Painful, just painful. When Michael packs up for the Quartermaine mansion, Sonny and Carly commiserate by making love. It starts off innocently enough. But the agony of watching their son walk away from them is just too much to bear, so clothes start ripping off. Too bad, Claudia or Jax busts them mid- or post-hump.
JaSam fans must wait until September to see the BFFs grow back into lovers. Close the book on Liason, though; that’s nothing but a cocktease.
EYE ON SOAPS columnist Sage Bourland criticized the actors who’ve declined to appear at the annual summer GH Fan Club Luncheon coming up next month. These are the actors who won’t be at the luncheon but make sure they host their own, money-making events. He wrote in his June 10th column: “They take full advantage of the fact that the GH Fan Club has brought all of these fans to one location to pimp their own causes and (in some cases) raise money for themselves, but refuse to support the club in return? Does anyone else see a problem with that or is it just me? So far, the names I have heard mentioned who are doing this are Rick Hearst, Nancy Lee Grahn, Tyler Christopher and Sarah Brown. To my knowledge, only Tyler Christopher has been confirmed publicly by his event organizers as shunning the Fan Club events and it is even widely publicized by his ‘people’ that Tyler’s event is the ONLY place where you can see him. The others are rumored to not be attending as nearly as I can tell.” Bourland doesn’t have a problem with those who don’t attend anything during this time, the Tony Gearys, Ingo Rademachers and the Jackie Zemans. But for the actors who can’t be bothered to show up and honor their fans en masse? “This particular weekend is about the fans and their dedication to the show. All of that should rise above the petty slights, real and imagined, and the stars should take one moment of their time to honor the attention that is lavished on them via television viewing and campaigning and letter-writing for just that day and night out of the year.”
General Hospital News & Gossip, Copyright © 2010 Carol Banks Weber. Published by SoapZone.com / Jeff Jungblut. No part of this page may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed on this page are those of the author and may not be representative of SoapZone.com or its advertisers. Don't steal scoops.
