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News for the week of 21-Jan-2008
Most girls would kill to be in Lulu’s position, with one sexy man after another chasing after her. The idea of such attractiveness does appeal, it did to Julie Marie Berman, playing the character in question…at first. But the idea and the actuality are two different animals. Berman would rather Lulu settle on one guy for her or be off on her own, independent and strong again, not some guy’s nursemaid.
Sarah Brown (the original Carly) will make her soap opera debut in a new GH role on January 31st. The role is, as has been rumored online for months now, Claudia Zacchara, Johnny’s mysterious, headstrong and tough sister. Claudia’s first order of business will be to go toe to toe with Sonny (and Brown’s former screen partner, Maurice Benard).
About five months before a deal was struck to return to GH in a new role, Brown was seeing GH people everywhere she turned. First, she was at a car wash doing her thing when she ran into Maurice Benard (Sonny), a neighbor of hers. Then, she would see Kin Shriner (Scott) often at the gym. Executive producer Jill Farren Phelps next, hugs, updates, and before you knew it, they had a character outline head writer Bob Guza Jr. put together and a pitch that appealed to the creative actress in Brown. They’d had her in mind for some kind of GH return before, back before she took on a role at ATWT, but always made it clear that it would never be to reprise Carly (but one possibility at the time was coming back on as Carly’s evil twin), which she found “interesting.” This new character they pitched was really interesting to her too—with or without a writers’ strike. Explained Brown, “They let me know that everybody was still really happy because [head writer] Bob [Guza Jr.] had written so much of the show before [the strike], and before he knew I would take the job he wrote this outline based on how he thought I would play the character. That was wonderful to know. Obviously we hope the writers' strike doesn't go on much longer, because it's exciting to me to work with Bob. I want to get his deep insight into the character.” –TVGuide.com, Soaps News by Matt Webb Mitovich, January 18, 2008
Check TVGuide.com’s soap section often. Mitovich – who seems to be on a firsthand text-message basis with the actress (lucky duck) – has several more Sarah Brown-related tidbits coming up, including the sneak preview of the first standoff scene between her and Laura Wright (Carly).
Megan Ward (Kate) grew up admiring and having fun playing with Barbie hair, dreaming about having such hair herself. She went on to marry an actor turned Mattel executive and now, she said, laughing, she has more Barbies than she knows what to do with. But hair has never gone out of style for her, it’s always been an appealing topic of conversation, one she said she finds herself indulging in often amongst friends. “I always feel that I have to apologize to my friends when I get on the hair topic because it sounds so silly to people who are not involved in the business. But the truth is, half of who an actor is, is determined by their hair.” Ward revealed that she has been thinking about a different style for Kate’s hair, but she has to be careful. Daytime hair may be a lot more outrageous and less realistic than nighttime TV hair, but changing hairstyles isn’t so easy to do on a whim, it has to be well thought out and in keeping with the ongoing story. –Soap Opera Digest, January 22, 2008
Jason Gerhardt (Cooper) could tell his character wasn’t long for this world (he’s off the show soon). The atmosphere at GH’s studio was tense anyway, he reported, with the Text Message Killer story kicking into gear; actors watched their backs in case it was their character who got tapped to be the killer or the fatal victim. What Gerhardt can’t tell, is whether his character got tapped to be the killer or the fatal victim, not even after this week when – SPOILER ALERT! – Maxie finds Cooper dead by hanging. While the affable actor took his firing in stride, amazing considering he’s a new dad to his second child just born a month ago and the writers’ strike continues, he did take issue with one missed opportunity. Cooper’s last name was Barrett, the same as the infamous Brenda (as formerly and originally played by Emmy-award-winner Vanessa Marcil). Like many fans, Gerhardt too wanted to know what was up with that. “There was a lot of good story, I feel, that has gotten flushed down the toilet. I guess they didn't feel that was worth going after. It boggles my mind that it wasn't even addressed. It was just put on the table and left there.”
Otherwise, it’s all been good, good people, good experience, and hey, even good story for an actor when Cooper looked to be the text message killer. It sure beat his usual background work.
As for going back out there and pounding the pavement, well, he’s been there before and by the grace of God, he’ll do better than okay, it’s in the Lord’s hand, Gerhardt relayed. –Soap Opera Digest, January 29, 2008
Kimberly McCullough (Robin) addressed the nagging question of her character’s HIV status with regards to her pregnancy story in the January 18th NY Daily News interview by Carolyn Hinsey. Like me, McCullough wanted to make sure the issue was addressed, which she said it has been by producers. Apparently, we find out this week that Patrick knew that the condom they used on that one night of comfort sex was faulty after the fact. Robin didn’t know. Because of her HIV status, Patrick quietly goes about testing himself for any exposure and finds he’s clean. “It's really the only way for them, meaning the 'GH' producers, to make Patrick the father, which is what everyone wants. As long as they deal with the fact that he was exposed - which they have, since he had a test and is clean - then I don't have a problem with it.”
Now that we got that out of the way, how’s McCullough handling having to soon put on a pregnancy belly? Other actresses may fret about how fat it makes them look, but McCullough’s not one of them. She said, bring it on, she’s actually looking forward to wearing it.
Seamus Dever (TV shows CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Close To Home, upcoming movie Affairs In Order) appears as the new medical hottie, Dr. Ian Devlin, who causes the nurses to swoon over themselves this week. Dr. Devlin knows Dr. Patrick Drake from medical school. America Olivo (TV shows House, How I Met Your Mother, upcoming movies Circle, The Last Resort) will attract Ric’s interest as Marianna this week too when they meet each other at Martha’s Vineyard. Both new roles are recurring.
Gossip for the week of 21-Jan-2008
Sonny and Kate may go walking down the aisle yet. As for me, I love Sonny and I love Kate, but I zone out when they’re together. The pace goes way down.
Stan’s death could introduce another character related to but not friendly with Epiphany, further enlightening viewers as to the complicated makeup and origins thereof of this crusty nurse.
Who else wanted Joe to put a bullet through Dr. Ford’s skull? For heaven’s sake, you have a severely ill and graciously saintly pregnant woman sinking to the floor, and all you can do is insist they go to County because they can’t pay the insurance?! That’s not just unjust, that’s insane. The human bomb scenes were painfully, unnecessarily cruel, its participants, oddly removed from the situation, except for my new boyfriend Cassius.
Natalia Livingston (Emily) may return to GH as a real, living person. Think of Al going to heaven, then coming back to earth in the body of Michael McBain on OLTL. I think I read about this rumor on the online Canadian TV Guide gossip section.
A certain female cast member could be with child in real life, according to the latest gossip at Wubs.net’s Wubbly Rumors… Also, Nikolas will fall in a nearly dead faint, requiring the removal of his tumor anyway—with or without his permission. During surgery, Emily comes to him and the two say goodbye as spirits… The Text Message Killer (Max? Harper? Cruz?) goes after Elizabeth and Lulu as his next near-victims… Scott’s teenaged daughter Serena could make her way to GH to tangle with her dad and her newfound big bro… Sonny appears as a model in the next issue of Kate’s Couture.
Found this at Chez Rouge’s GH board about the possible mis-identity of the text message killer: “Apparently, JD (Logan) spilled at his PA that JG (Cooper) is leaving the show and that he is not the TMK. Looks like the rumors of someone being killed who is suspected to be the killer but isn't are true.”
Tired of the old GH opening with the faces and the men in the tuxedos? Soon, maybe as soon as the beginning of February Sweeps and Sarah Brown’s arrival as Claudia Zacchara, we’ll witness the unveiling of a new and updated opening. So reported Daytime Confidential last week. Additionally from Daytime Confidential: Ingo Rademacher (Jax) was reported as taking off suddenly for a personal emergency, requiring a short-term recast (which we saw last week), but then it was reported to be a scheduling snafu that caused the recast. In any event, Rademacher went off on vacation, so we’ll feel Jax’s absence in ongoing story, “and they just may explain his absence with Jax being in Canada working on the Montreal hotel. Jax may also be leaving his wife with some things to think about, mainly their marriage and starting their family.” Daytime Confidential mentioned a Garin Wolf, which I took to mean the writer in charge during the writers’ strike. They said that the generally likable Wolf remains faithful to head writer Bob Guza’s story bible outline, “with his own take on them.” Wolf also allegedly favors the Elizabeth and Jason pairing, as well as the repartee between Alexis and Jerry, and Mac interacting more with Felicia. Finally on Daytime Confidential, look for Anna Devane to maybe pop her head back in with Robin about to have her grandchild.
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