Port Charles News & Gossip

News for the week of 16-Dec-2002
by Carol Banks Weber

Several actors are up for the resurrected Soap Opera Digest awards, special presentation taken over by the cable channel SoapNet, April 12. Thorsten Kaye (Ian) competes against some heavy-hitters, like GH’s Maurice Benard (Sonny) and OLTL’s Roger Howarth (Todd) in the “Outstanding Lead Actor” category. ...While the selection of Michael Easton (Stephen) as an “Outstanding Younger Actor” nominee confounded those into strict age detail, the bright spot – and possibly the contender to beat – lies in the option for “Favorite Couple,” i.e., Rafe & Alison. “Favorite Show” and SoapNet’s “Outstanding Plot Twist Award” [PC’s is fighting and defeating evil] round out related interest. SOD subscribers have till January 3 to mail in their ballots, while voting is open at SoapNet for the plot twist award.

Dunno what Brian Frons is so upset about. Rumors of a possible cancellation under his watch aren’t that far from outlandish. Even with the new ABC Daytime presidential speak. He claimed, nothing will happen to PC as long as he keeps committing promo time to it. And he has, big-time, with the special December 30^th kick-off of the next story arc, “Surrender.” But, he countered, if the top brass at Disney, which owns ABC, came down and pulled the plug... Same diff.

But what of his penchant for blowing a gasket every other sentence? Brian Gaskill (Rafe) seemed blithely oblivious to his character’s very annoying quirk—made more obvious since his immortal angel turned earthbound slayer—during a recent Max’s Musings on the subject. Or, was he? Countering hothead with clouded judgment, over-protective, focused and priorities, the actor did allow a fault, if for the greater good. “…becoming human again was a gift from above…but now as he returns to life, he also returns to all his previous instincts as a slayer…which will again and again get in the way of his ‘stop and smell the roses’ philosophy that he tried so passionately to get across to Alison when he was an angel.  Rafe was able to inspire and teach as an angel…now the challenge he faces is the same as us all.” He also managed to tie in fiction to the reality of everybody’s lives in an earnest, if not sappy, analogy to battling vampires, be they bullies, father-in-laws, or any challenge. “So as you go out to face your Vampires…find courage in yourself, not only to fight, but to know when to back away…and focus on those who need you more…even if it’s just focusing on just you for a change.” –SoapTown USA, Max’s Musings, December 6, 2002

Can’t get enough of his cornball? Vie for a chance to be Brian Gaskill’s (Rafe) date at Caesar’s Palace’s International Masquerade Ball in Las Vegas. Highest online bidder will win his – nearly, gotta acknowledge fans – undivided attention. Bidding will include price to attend event, for children’s charities.

Old and new traditions as man and wife combine this year for Brian Presley (Jack) and Erin (Alison). Understandably, they want to carve their own, as well as blend in their families’. Still mourning the loss of her grandmother, Erin plans to prepare an authentic Scandinavian lefse meal using her nana’s griddle and rolling pins (from grandpa) for her entire family, arriving from Seattle. Brian’s contribution comes from a deep fryer, specially bought for the turkey, his family’s tradition.

Don’t misspell his name. It’s deVry, not DeVry. And, keep updated on his resume. Otherwise, William deVry’s (Timothy Dolan) December 6^th SoapTownUSA interview went as expected. Lots of shop talk, genre comparatives, the usual hobbies and influences. The 10-year acting vet and native Canadian broke into the biz playing host to the Florida Travel Show, moving on to the Universal Studios Theme Park, before amusement trifling turned seriously legit, if Steven Spielberg (Seaquest DSV) counts. Before actor, waiter, bartender, model; since, real estate rentals to fall back on. All that out of the way, deVry will figure interestingly in the next story arc as Ian’s supernatural go-to guy. Off-screen, their roles were reversed, as Thorsten Kaye (Ian) became PC’s tour guide of sorts. “He was the guy I went straight to and asked him to tell me anything I needed to know if I was going to make it through the day. He was very obliging, and I was very grateful,” deVry explained. “He put in a lot of nice words for me around the studio. I’m sure I owe him for my repeated visits to the show.”

Here’s hoping rumors of Kevin’s demise, come the 10^th story arc, are false. If for nothing else than the actor who portrays the psychotic psychiatrist is just now really enjoying the duality of an edgier role play, perhaps more than he ever had as purely evil twin Ryan back in his GH period. Equally rewarding, getting a different reaction from his cast mates, old and new, to the revised Kevin. Added Jon Lindstrom: “... it’s reenergized my interest in coming to work every day.” –ABC Soaps in Depth, December 24, 2002

Christmas comes but once a year. When Brian Presley (Jack) was a little kid growing up in Oklahoma, Christmas couldn’t come fast enough, even with his mom decorating before the day after Thanksgiving [“Her theory was that if she was going to have her house decorated, she wanted to enjoy it; she’d go all out”]. But then who could blame the budding athlete? He scored so many cool sports toys and gear, a football uniform, balls, skis. Then, he got to enjoy a delicious meal with the family, watch two flicks in a theater, and the day after, head over to Colorado for some snow skiing. His traditional parents spun the entire legendary gamut, complete with Santa’s boot prints in the fireplace, the cookies and the note. The legend dissolved into cold, hard fact when he came across a coveted skateboard in the closet, but he kept up appearances for his younger sister. For a while. To this day, though, he still carries what his parents imparted to him, that special spirit of Christmas. –Soap Opera Digest, December 17, 2002

While Brian Presley (Jack) cited wedding Erin Hershey Presley (Alison) as most memorable of 2002, the other Brian talked angel tattoo. A wing on a shoulder blade, maybe. Something he contemplated prior to landing the role of a reel-life angel. Oh yeah, and somewhere out there, a song has him in mind, but Mr. Gaskill (Rafe) won’t say who or what, just that it’s by a musical friend.

The guy really digs heavenly themes. Besides the tattoo idea, he got himself Angels Over Broadway on DVD. The 1940 film starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Rita Hayworth simply sends him.

In this business, there can be more than a fair share of assorted phonies and sharks, and generally, actors who are always on and always obsessed about the next scene, the past scene, the next audition, the past—well, you get my drift—they just can’t be regular folks. Thorsten Kaye (Ian) ain’t one of ‘em. And he certainly doesn’t invite any of ‘em into his casual, laid-back, everyman’s home. The complete opposite of typical, neighbors Brian (Jack) and Erin Presley (Alison), on the other hand, are welcome any time. “I’m glad those two are married. They’re good together; they’re good people,” he said. Good enough to break bread – or, in Kaye’s case – grill steaks with. –Soap Opera Digest, December 17, 2002

When one door closes, another opens. And, when one loses out to another contestant on a beauty pageant, there’s always the next audition. Rebecca Staab (Elizabeth) — who recently watched herself as a 1980 Miss USA/Nebraska finalist with best friend and Godchild at their prompting — came across the woman who took the crown, actress Shawn Weatherly (Baywatch, Police Academy 3, Mind Games) applying at the same PC casting call (which happens quite often, as the two audition in sorta the same circles). But this time, Staab won. And there she is, Miss Alison’s Mother! Even more Matrix, the day prior, she’d just finished watching Weatherly be crowned on that video. “I was like, ‘Hi, just watched you on TV last night.’ So it was kind of funny that she was up for the part of Elizabeth too. It all comes around!” Meow? –ABC Soaps in Depth, December 24, 2002

Ian Buchanan (Joshua; ex-James, B&B; ex-Duke, GH) talks about signing on with PC instead of B&B, because the offer came first come, first served, in a long-term, comprehensive package fully utilizing his services. He mentions Christmas in his native Scotland, accenting Yank for his kin’s shock effect and shooting London-based Red Light Runners, a movie co-starring Minnie Driver and Harvey Keitel, early this winter. He even talks about how torn he was the years his friends Susan Flannery (Stephanie, B&B) and Finola Hughes (Anna, AMC; ex-Anna, GH) were up for the same Emmy and he stayed on the CBS side, but then Hughes, pregnant at the time, came over when she lost to Flannery and mock-chastised, “Okay. Now that you’ve got what you wanted, can you love me again? Can you be my friend again?” And it’s hard to forget the image of him singing along to opera, sipping a martini and readying himself for a leisurely, elaborate meal preparation, heavy on garlic. But his travels, literally around the world, with soap pal Flannery, several times over, really put me in awe of the man who knows how to take a break in style. Although lately, thanks to 9/11, that world is not so wide open. “I’ve traveled for more than 25 years with a great deal of freedom and never thought about the places you couldn’t go. The last couple of trips we planned, we’d have to check if it was safe to go there.” –Soap Opera Digest, December 17, 2002

For those sharp shooters wondering why nothing supernatural happens over at GH, same location. Think of it Ian Buchanan’s (Joshua) way: “What I told myself was that now I’m underneath Port Charles. We’re kind of like the underworld.” –Soap Opera Digest, December 17, 2002

Most actors in Michael Dietz’s (Mark, B&B; ex-Joe) place – fired, unemployed, living off a commercial royalty, clearly unwanted around PC studios, even to just shoot the breeze with friend Jay Pickett (Frank) in the privacy of his dressing room – would go the bitter, vengeful route. Not this February 10^th-born, Pittsburgh native. The former marketing director for a dating service navel-gazed. He pored over books in search of himself and his abilities. He played guitar and wrote songs. He stopped and smelled the roses. And he knew a good sign when it showed him the door. If it weren’t for that imposed break, he’d never have met his best friend/wife/actress Paige Rowland (ex-Kit, AMC) and the mother to their recently-firstborn daughter Madison, he’d never have formed a production company with Rowland, and he’d never have stumbled into a job ready-made for him—his third soap time playing doctor. “I feel like I matured and learned more in those couple of years than I ever had. I think that’s when everything good happened to me.” –Soap Opera Digest, December 17, 2002

With a newborn around to love, cuddle and take care of, the newlyweds still find it hard to believe. So much that they often kid around about merely being September-born Madison Michaela’s babysitters. But it’s real alright, and so’s that steady job only a 15-minute drive away—handy when you’re supporting a family. Being on a soap that actually airs in most affiliates in the U.S.? Priceless.

Gossip for the week of 16-Dec-2002
by Carol Banks Weber

Turn the page – amidst too many pages of merely calendar announcements – and, whoa!, there they are! ... Ricky, Livvie, Jamal, Alison and Jack, sitting around a table looking very youth demo chic, everybody smiling except Ms. former Playboy, selling Champs Sports like nobody’s business except, there’s no mention of them anywhere on the full-page ad of Seattle Weekly’s alternative pub. No reference to their soap, their soap characters, nothing. They mighty as well be kids at a mall, down the street, nameless photogenic strangers. So, what good does that do a mutual cross-marketing program, designed to attract non-viewers? Unless it’s by piquing curiosity, therefore sending the hapless potential customer scurrying off to hunt down identities...

SoapTown USA’s SoapBoy – who’s conducted a contest to rename his column – rumored last week that of the actors on PC, three will leave by the next story arc, possibly Eddie Matos (Ricky), Thorsten Kaye (Ian) and Joy Bisco (Marissa).

The huge announcement coming from on high, could be PC’s end following two more arcs, or a major PC programming move, after OLTL and before GH.

Expanding Rafe’s clan, from Lucy, to ... mom?

Not a SORAS’d Danny, but ... Dillon over to GH?

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