General Hospital News & Gossip
News for the week of 23-Jun-2008
Tony Geary (Luke) won his 6th Daytime Emmy for outstanding lead actor in ceremonies held at the L.A. Kodak Theatre June 20th. He was the only ABC Daytime actor to win anything this year. Following his win was GH’s for best drama.
Geary brought up the comedic part of his submission reel during his speech. He said that the director of the story, Luke goes to hell, encouraged him to “make faces you could see from the moon,” and so he did. He thanked “partner-in-crime” Jane Elliot (Tracy), who “makes me on time, makes me better.”
Executive producer Jill Farren Phelps was slammed by the boards for opening her speech – for the best drama win – with “Well, this was expected.” Fans thought that unscripted line was a little arrogant, but I personally thought she was being sarcastic (and I’m the last person to stick up for JFP). The rest of her acceptance speech was written down in notes and veered off topic to the current social ills, floods, gas prices. Somehow Phelps managed to connect GH’s win as best drama (probably on the strength of the Metro Court hostage Sweeps story) to the suffering of the people throughout the world.
The only Creative Arts and Entertainment award GH walked away with, on June 14th, was in outstanding casting. The 35th annual Creative Arts Daytime Emmys were given out in New York City’s Frederick P. Rose Hall and featured over 1,000 actors, producers and craftspeople from daytime.
Logan’s loss is gonna be Johnny and Lulu’s gain, head writer Bob Guza previewed. Logan will die this week, sparking a whodunit involving the star-crossed couple and some others. But! Logan’s portrayer, Josh Duhon, will linger on for the story.
Sarah Brown (Claudia; ex-Carly) showcases her three Emmys, “my girls,” on the mantel, where they belong, not hidden away in, say, a bathroom, like one actor she heard about. Yet, even with her pride, she knows that in the end, these are just statues that can tarnish and go from gold to silver, or chip away. “Nancy Lee Grahn [Alexis] said whenever one of the angel’s wings would break, it’s a good reminder that while they are indeed honors, they’re just statues, so you can’t take it all too seriously.” –Soap Opera Digest, June 24, 2008
Most actors find out about their Emmy nominations as they’re announced on TV. But not Anthony Geary (Luke). He found out from his makeup artist at the GH studio the following morning. While pleased at his 12th nomination, Geary was sad and perplexed about the GH actors not included with him, agreeing that the nomination process does seem to need overhauling (but at a loss as to the magic bullet). He was also perplexed but relieved that the comedic part of his two-part submission reel was accepted as worthy of a nomination, ‘cause normally, he said, it’s not. The nomination, regardless of a win, “feels like a validation of survival,” Geary said. –Soap Opera Digest, June 24, 2008
Geary took his job as an Emmy judge in the past very seriously. While some judges this year complained about the number of pre-nom reels they had to sort through, with others refusing to even view them, Geary said he didn’t mind the work load. He parsed out his viewing throughout the week, but he did view each and every reel for an acting category.
Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio) won’t return to GH this summer, but he will be on GH’s SOAPnet spinoff, GH: NS. Instead of battling viruses, terrorists and mobsters, Robert will return for his daughter Robin—a storyline turn that sits well with the actor. “Robert and Robin will finally get a chance to connect as adults. The last time he was in town he was too busy battling a killer virus, so he’s never even dealt with her being HIV-positive.” –TV Guide
Finola Hughes (Anna) shows up on GH this week, along with Kin Shriner (Scott) and Jason Cook (Dr. Matt Hunter). Looks like Anna’s settling in as grandma-to-be and Scott’ll join forces with Logan to target Johnny.
Cook is stoked to be working again with his pal Kirsten Storms (Maxie). (They were once DOOL’s young teen supercouple.) He said she’s been so supportive and excited about his GH gig. He had a choice between GH and OLTL (Frons is a fan), and both were tempting, but he went with GH. He also could’ve considered reprising his DOOL role as Shawn but he said at the time he wouldn’t uproot Brandon Beemer (the recast) like that, it wouldn’t be fair. He came in to the GH gig with zero expectations. But soon learned fans held plenty, with a countdown to his appearance as well as eager anticipation for his pairing with Storms. When the two were named as this year’s Daytime Emmy presenters, together with Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), he knew this was indeed a big deal.
Gossip for the week of 23-Jun-2008
Well, that was 20 minutes I’ll never get back. Thank God for the FF button on my DVR remote. The 35th annual Daytime Emmy (aired on ABC June 20th) ceremony – set up like a wedding reception, with tables and chairs and booze, guests gathered around according to casts, and the fans up in the balcony – came and went without much excitement, just a few moments to smile or groan at. Here are a few of mine:
• What the hell was Laura Wright (Carly) thinking, showing up as a presenter in that terrycloth towel?! Standing next to Tony Geary (Luke) looking dapper in his tux and Sarah Brown (Claudia; ex-Carly) slammin’ in her top-to-bottom designer gown, Wright looked like she snuck in on the fly after a shower.
• Julie Marie Berman (Lulu) and Tyler Christopher (Nikolas) said some things that were too clever for me, something about Tyra Banks and a swirly, I don’t know. But they impressed me with their clever ease in front of the live cameras.
• Jeanne Cooper (Katherine, Y&R) has never won before this year. It was her eighth Emmy nomination as Outstanding Lead Actress and her first win. She kissed one of her sons, Corbin Bernsen (ex-Durant), before going up there and delivering the mother of all speeches. She sarcastically said, since everybody always thanks the best directing, the best cast, etc., she would thank her "lousy" directors, her lousy producers, her lousy cast, etc., and then added, but we're still number one. Yeah!
• Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) set the fashion trend with her home-made poufy dress, short, flirty, summery, that a lot of the other actresses mimicked, including Rebecca Budig (Greenlee, AMC) to great effect.
• How cute was Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), holding on to Kirsten Storms (Maxie) as she held onto Jason Cook (Dr. Matt Hunter), pulling her right arm closer to him as she kept her left arm in the crook of Cook’s. The trio were comely Emmy presenters.
The only solution to Jason’s, Spinelli’s and Claudia’s virus is to drink Monavie. Jason and Claudia drink up but Spinelli accidentally smashes his bottle. Jason has to spirit Spinelli to GH’s ER. I wish this was a joke. (Don’t call me!)
Who on GH was fired? Little birdie, please let me know.
Lulu tries to defend herself from Logan for a second time. This time, she may have done him in for good and left him for a corpse at Nikolas’s free clinic. Or maybe it’s Johnny, with Claudia trying to frame Lulu.
Claudia and Nikolas give in to their growing attraction, pursuing their biological imperative. Strong feelings for Nik doesn’t preclude obeying daddy Anthony and legally wedding Ric.
Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) will head off the show to enjoy some time off. So will Sebastian Roche (Jerry), which means the two characters may skip town to explain their absence.
Leyla’s mom pokes her nose in her daughter’s personal affairs. Nadine gossips with the mom about Patrick toying with Leyla’s affections. The mom rails against Patrick, Patrick turns around and rails against Leyla for spreading gossip and siccing her mom on him. Robin sees Patrick and Leyla looking intense together, misreads the situation as usual and second-guesses whether she should reunite with him.
Antonio Sabato Jr. reprises GH’s Jagger for GH: NS and brings with him an autistic son named Stone. His devotion as a single father interests Patrick and Robin.
Dominic Rains is busy with theater projects, so his brother Ethan will play Leo when GH: NS resumes this summer. Galen Gering (ex-Luis, PSNS) was almost tapped as a Leo recast, and may still pop up in another role.
Ethan Rains will definitely play Leo. He was on hand at SOAPnet’s Live from the Daytime Emmys pre-show June 20, along with some of the rest of GH: NS’s cast, to promote the show’s 2nd run this summer. Another new cast member, Carrie Southworth (Claire, GH: NS; ex-Dr. Gwen, GH) was singled out from the cast for an interview, where she described her character as a “funny mess” and later, was allowed on the shoe cam to display her designer Chloes (were they Chloes? I forget). Sonya Eddy (Epiphany) said she bought her Emmy dress off the rack at Nordstrom’s. Looked like Kent King (Lainey) and Minae Noji (Kelly) will return too, ‘cause they were there. SOAPnet’s Live from… fashion co-host, Finola Hughes (Anna) singled out King’s light-beige, 1940s-esque number as eye-catching and fashion forward.
Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio) confirmed his appearance on GH: NS to Hughes. Looking dapper in his suit, Rogers joked, “Isn’t this the line for ‘Iron Man?’” but then grew serious when delving into his upcoming storyline with Kimberly McCullough (Robin). He said the writers promised that 2006 will have never existed (when he returned on GH to fight a viral plague and was berated as a deadbeat dad). When he shows up on GH: NS this summer, Robert will be revised as having always maintained a close relationship with his daughter and is there for her again during her pregnancy. “With a pencil stroke, [the writers] eliminated the deadbeat dad,” he said.
Another GH returnee, Antonio Sabato Jr. (Jagger), confirmed to co-host Rebecca Budig (Greenlee, AMC) that he’ll be on GH: NS with a five-year-old son named Stone. Sabato also revealed that he will return as an FBI agent. After joking about the heat, “I’m trying not to move. It’s 110 degrees out here,” Sabato said he was glad to return, it’s like “coming back to my roots.”
Not GH: NS-related, but also seen on SOAPnet’s Live from… pre-show, Julie Marie Berman (Lulu) and Kirsten Storms (Maxie) were together as friends. Berman did most of the talking, as Storms seemed a bit shy. Berman said she would marry her boyfriend Mike, a real estate agent (she likes that he’s not in show business), this August. Storms – who is said to be one of Berman’s maids of honor – said she didn’t have any momentous announcement like that, she’s just presenting for best writing.
General Hospital News & Gossip, Copyright © 2008 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.
