GH In The News: The PC Press Club

[DanaK]

 

Edited March 9, 2022 by DanaK

[DanaK]

 

[Auntie Velvet]

Tyler Christopher will be on Mo's YouTube show on March 27. Obviously we can only go by the screenshot until then, but I'm hoping he's doing better these days.

 

 

[DanaK]

I'm not sure I knew Jonathan was gay or else I forgot. But congrats and hope he will be very happy

[Grinaldi]

Jonathan has been out for a few years. But he was never super closeted. He used to pop up on Kathry Griffin's reality show as one of her friends. That's as close to coming out a person can do short of saying "I'm gay".

Fun fact: all three of the major male teens from Mean Girls have all since come out. 

[Kiki777]

11 hours ago, Grinaldi said:

Fun fact: all three of the major male teens from Mean Girls have all since come out. 

Wait who’s the third?

I didn’t know JB was ever on AMC... off to Wikipedia 😆 

[peachmangosteen]

2 hours ago, Kiki777 said:

Wait who’s the third?

Jonathan, Daniel Franzese, and Rajiv Surendra.

[Melgaypet]

3 hours ago, Kiki777 said:

I didn’t know JB was ever on AMC... off to Wikipedia 😆 

Jonathan Bennett was one of the pre-Jacob Young JRs.

He also memorably (well, to me) guest-starred on a few episodes of Veronica Mars.

[Ambrosefolly]

I wanted Jonathan Bennet to play the grown up Port Charles' Neil (friend of Serena, Frank Scanlon's son) and former boyfriend to Lucas Jones.

[jsbt]

Lord, I forgot Neil existed. That little goober.

[Melgaypet]

1 hour ago, jsbt said:

Lord, I forgot Neil existed. That little goober.

Neil! I called him Sad Eyed Cancer Kid, because my heart is made of coal.

[UYI]

From yesterday:

 

[jsbt]

18 minutes ago, Melgaypet said:

Neil! I called him Sad Eyed Cancer Kid, because my heart is made of coal.

I just remember he was in The Cell with Jennifer Lopez around the same time playing like a snake/shark-faced boy or something. Still, better than Dylan Cash.

Kin always shows up onscreen or IRL dressed like '80s New Wave never ended or the Love Boat never came into port, and god bless him.

[Desperado]

Just finished listening to the Soap Opera Digest podcast interview with Sydney Mikayla. Such an impressive artist and young woman.

Her decision to leave GH for school seemed very genuine and well thought through. I predict great things for her no matter which career she chooses.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-ghs-sydney-mikayla-guests-on-digests-podcast/

[Asp Burger]

This part isn't directly about GH, but I saw an interview a while back with Sarah Polley, the Canadian actress turned writer and director. She had been an actor since she was a little kid. She was in One Magic Christmas with Mary Steenburgen, the Baron Munchausen movie of Terry Gilliam, played Ramona Quimby on TV and was in another Canadian series. Then she was in some good movies as a teen and young adult and looked set to endure as an in-demand actress, before she segued into behind-the-camera roles. 

She's very strong today in advocating for restrictions on the amount of time per year that minors can work as actors. She says she has never talked to a former child actor, either Canadian or American, who wasn't to some degree messed up by the experience (including herself).

It's almost a cliché, child actors coming to terrible ends or at least having difficult lives, but honestly, the more I hear from vets like Polley, the more I'm surprised the "good outcome" rate isn't even lower! I see from Sydney's credits that she's been in the business for more than ten years, so she had to have been very young when she started. I'd understand if she wanted to do something else with her life, even though I enjoyed her acting on GH. 

Edited March 23, 2022 by Asp Burger

[dubbel zout]

I think one problem is when the kid is the breadwinner in the family. It creates a very weird power structure. There are laws in place for financial protection, but the parent/guardian is still very much in control.

That's one reason why I don't really mind not seeing the kids on air that often. Babies and toddlers don't really know what they're doing or why they're there, but when the kids get to be around 4 or so, you can start to tell if they want to be there, and it can be painful when it's obvious they don't. 

I think GH spares us most kids at that age because Frank is cheap and doesn't want to spend an afternoon trying to film a scene with a kid who isn't cooperating for whatever reason.

[Ambrosefolly]

4 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I think one problem is when the kid is the breadwinner in the family. It creates a very weird power structure. There are laws in place for financial protection, but the parent/guardian is still very much in control.

That's one reason why I don't really mind not seeing the kids on air that often. Babies and toddlers don't really know what they're doing or why they're there, but when the kids get to be around 4 or so, you can start to tell if they want to be there, and it can be painful when it's obvious they don't. 

I think GH spares us most kids at that age because Frank is cheap and doesn't want to spend an afternoon trying to film a scene with a kid who isn't cooperating for whatever reason.

You know what is even cheaper? For Frank not to saddle more unnecessary kids onto the show. I feel that up until the early 2000s (pre JFP & Guza), the show was really good about spacing out kids, and not writing in every pregnancy. Now there are a ton of kids that if the show was to survive, they will have to deal with. Whats worse, a good chuck are directly or indirectly related to Sonny, which was a DOOL-type trap that GH successfully avoided for decades. 

[Mirabelle]

5 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I think one problem is when the kid is the breadwinner in the family. It creates a very weird power structure. There are laws in place for financial protection, but the parent/guardian is still very much in control.

 

Amber Tamblyn wrote about this very topic in the NYT in relation to Britney Spears' situation. Amber managed to disentangle her career from her parents but not without hurt feelings. 

[DanaK]

I haven't listened to the interview, but the excerpt in the article sounds like Chris (ETA: Sorry, Tyler) has had a very rough, sad life due his addictions and mental health issues

Edited March 29, 2022 by DanaK

[jsbt]

He (allegedly) left GH in part due to his issues and then (allegedly) got carted off his last soap on a gurney before being recast, so yeah. ETA: Well, not allegedly anymore because here he is talking very openly about it. To his credit.

I hope he continues getting well and if he wishes, I would welcome him back.

Edited March 28, 2022 by jsbt

[ffwbe]

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/gh-casts-new-cop/
 

There’s a new cop. I saw elsewhere that the actor is on contract which leads me to believe that we’re probably not going to see Chase as a cop anytime soon if ever. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

4 minutes ago, ffwbe said:

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/gh-casts-new-cop/
 

There’s a new cop. I saw elsewhere that the actor is on contract which leads me to believe that we’re probably not going to see Chase as a cop anytime soon if ever. 

But he's supposedly a rookie, not a detective. It's BEYOND STOOPID that Chase is still suspended.

[Mirabelle]

The PCPD has the worst union of all time.

[nilyank]

1 hour ago, Mirabelle said:

The PCPD has the worst union of all time.

Like when Lucky was injured in the line of duty and he didn’t have enough health insurance to cover his hefty medical bills.

[Tenshinhan]

10 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

But he's supposedly a rookie, not a detective.

Could be a rookie detective.

[Asp Burger]

The show is overpopulated as it is. I wonder if someone is leaving. 

I listened to the Maurice/Tyler conversation. I don't have much to say. It's a horror story. Maurice seems compassionate. I think Tyler's some way away from being able to deal with being on a soap. Best to him, though.

[ffwbe]

Unless a couple splits soon, I think they cast this guy for Britt. She’s the only single woman within 10 years of his age in either direction and they’ve been having her mention dating again. 

[dubbel zout]

Are they invested that much in Britt to cast someone especially for her? I know they've been pushing her singleness as a negative (ugh). The actor looks really young to me.

I wonder when the secret talks with SBu will begin, if they haven't already.

[Aymery]

Maybe he'll be the middle of a triangle between Brad and Britt, straining their friendship and winning GH diversity accolades for having the first bi male regular on daytime.

(Frankly, Brad needs a new love interest more than Britt, he has literally no one to date.)

Edited March 29, 2022 by Aymery

[YaddaYadda]

3 hours ago, Asp Burger said:

I listened to the Maurice/Tyler conversation. I don't have much to say. It's a horror story. Maurice seems compassionate. I think Tyler's some way away from being able to deal with being on a soap. Best to him, though.

I don't usually listen to Mo's podcast or soap podcasts in general, but I made an exception for this one and was left speechless. I don't follow the lives of actors and I don't go out of my way to find gossip about them, but I had read on here that Tyler is an addict, but I no clue that it was just the tip of the iceberg. 

It's sad and harrowing what happened to him, but he seems like he's slowly finding his way. 

25 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Are they invested that much in Britt to cast someone especially for her? I know they've been pushing her singleness as a negative (ugh). The actor looks really young to me.

I think that they like Britt but they're not really sure what to do with her at this point. They seemed to have shelved the Huntington and the jazz hand for now.  

I'm still hoping that the new cop is part of the Wu family, Auntie Selena's son. They need to expand that family if there's going to be anything interesting happening on the mob front, which there should be. 

[TheMediaHo]

A few years back, Tyler Christopher did an episode of Celebrity Wife Swap, and his very odd food regimen (EVERYTHING gets weighed) and lack of interest in having a social life outside his house were the main things that needed to change. Tyler did loosen up a tad by the end, but not too much. He came off like a control freak. 

[Cheyanne11]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

I wonder when the secret talks with SBu will begin, if they haven't already.

Ugh, his smugness will be off-the-charts when he makes his inevitable return.

[DanaK]

Nancy is having surgery (ETA: Sorry, recovering from surgery)

Edited March 29, 2022 by DanaK

[WendyCR72]

So Susan Diol must officially be out of the biz, as she was always the temp Alexis go-to in the past! Hope Nancy recovers fast and feels better soon.

[Jaded]

10 hours ago, Asp Burger said:

I think Tyler's some way away from being able to deal with being on a soap. Best to him, though.

I too don't listen to/watch Mo's podcast but went looking for Tyler's social media when it was posted he was going to be a guest. I had wondered how Tyler was doing from time to time since his exit from Days and would usually get distracted by something before looking online for any updates. His IG account didn't raise any alarms sadly the same can't be said for his Twitter account. I thought his Twitter had been hacked when I saw it the week before last because it was wall to wall Bitcoin retweets and Bitcoin related in general in what kind of seemed like an obsessive/hyperfocused type of way. 

I'm leaning towards giving into my curiosity and checking out Mo's podcast for the fist time to learn about the extent of Tyler's issues. Hopefully sharing his personal stories can help others. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Jaded

[Asp Burger]

It appears Diol is still acting. She has a role in something that's in postproduction. 

But her last GH appearance was 20 years ago. She covered NLG in 2001-02 and, in the same period, also played "Lady Ashton" (I don't remember that).

[jsbt]

"Lady Ashton" was, IIRC, a fantasy bit in '02 where Alexis reflected on her recent choices and options for her life. It was supposed to be an in-joke for the audience. I don't remember if this was the same episode, but I could swear they also had her return for another fantasy with Alexis critiquing herself, which presented Susan Diol playing Alexis as a breathy, clumsy geeky schoolgirl iteration. I was stunned and thrilled by this because it was very clearly a meta move with the returning Guza team absolutely savaging McTavish and JFP's version of Alexis, who often behaved exactly like that with Sonny - and who was played regularly by Susan Diol during NLG's absence.

Of course, not long after this Guza and co. wrecked Alexis too, but hey.

[Grinaldi]

Ah, bummed I missed this. I love a good JFP/McTavish toast even if it came from Guza.

[Asp Burger]

That's like a baseball clubhouse with a .225 hitter mocking a .200 hitter.

The discussion reminds me why I never liked Diol's Alexis. She made me more admiring of NLG. Even when they were writing Alexis as neurotic and flustered to a degree that was hard to buy given her history and experience (and I recall that actually starting pre-McTavish, in 2000 with "Eddie's Angel," when Guza was head writer of record but supposedly not really), NLG gave a sophisticated, witty portrayal. Diol just made her seem a hapless butt of the joke. Not really a fair comparison, because it can't be easy just to step in at short notice, but still. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by Asp Burger

[jsbt]

I thought Susan Diol did an excellent job with thankless material. I didn't fault her. She's always been a very solid actress.

32 minutes ago, Asp Burger said:

and I recall that actually starting pre-McTavish, in 2000 with "Eddie's Angel," when Guza was head writer of record but supposedly not really

I thought the Eddie's Angel/Alexis the centerfold stuff started pre-2000, but I may be wrong. It seemed to last years. I did not think it served Nancy well either. (I do think most of it was Guza though - my understanding is MVJ, etc. pinch-hit for a relatively brief period, but it was all his existing team in place until Jill and Megan arrived so it's really hard to tell.)

Edited March 30, 2022 by jsbt

[DanaK]

He’ll be on today (Wed) to talk about mental health and anxiety

[Melgaypet]

I've got nothing to add to the Susan Diol conversation, but I wanted to compliment @Grinaldi on your excellent Jean Randolph avatar!

[Asp Burger]

You’ve no doubt read on social media about the “Men of General Hospital” advertising that ABC is rolling out this month. I saw the first of the four commercials, featuring Chad Duell.

There may be one thing in it that is a spoiler, so I will tag that at the end.

It’s very ‘90s in look and sound. For starters, they’re playing that En Vogue song throughout (you know, “Whatta man, whatta man, whatta man, whatta mighty good man”).

There are moodily lit shots of Chad in a studio, wearing a suit, staring down the camera, then in profile and turning to look at us. Sometimes he's holding a briefcase.

Those shots are intercut with clips from the show. Michael hitting the bag at the gym in slow motion. Michael kissing Willow. Diane saying to Carly that her son has the face of a choirboy and the heart of a tiger. Michael hitting Chase in the junk. Willow telling Michael he is the most wonderful man. Michael holding Wiley.

At the end, we’re back in the moodily lit studio, where Chad smiles slightly for the first time. An announcer’s voice says, “Check in with Michael. Weekdays on General Hospital!”

Other entries in the series will feature Donnell Turner, Michael Easton, and, finally, Maurice Benard.

The one potential spoiler:

Spoiler

Kidding. This is all just my contribution to your April Fools' Day.

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Asp Burger

[dubbel zout]

You got me good,

@Asp Burger! I totally fell for it! Excellent prank!

[Auntie Velvet]

On 3/29/2022 at 12:59 PM, TheMediaHo said:

A few years back, Tyler Christopher did an episode of Celebrity Wife Swap, and his very odd food regimen (EVERYTHING gets weighed) and lack of interest in having a social life outside his house were the main things that needed to change. Tyler did loosen up a tad by the end, but not too much. He came off like a control freak. 

I was thinking about that too! As a TC fan, I was a bit taken aback.

I watched several bits of the Interview with Mo. I had to FF because Tyler is still in that mode of self-fascination with all the twists and turns, and it's a little uncomfortable. Totally a normal part of recovery, but still a bit intense. 

I do wish I could be interviewed by Mo, though. He's so impressed by everything. "Wow, that's CRAZY!......Really?? Wooooooow."  

Edited April 1, 2022 by Auntie Velvet

[statsgirl]

@Asp Burger

Spoiler

Hats off to you. I was about to blow a gasket with those four until I got to your spoiler.

🙌🙌🙌

 

[30 Helens]

Spoiler

Excellent job, Asp Burger. But sadly, this is something I could totally see them doing. Hopefully nobody from the show sees this and gets ideas.

 

[TeeVee329]

On 3/29/2022 at 12:44 PM, Aymery said:

Maybe he'll be the middle of a triangle between Brad and Britt, straining their friendship and winning GH diversity accolades for having the first bi male regular on daytime.

(Frankly, Brad needs a new love interest more than Britt, he has literally no one to date.)

I assume, the next time Pride rolls around, they'll dust off Felix again for Brad to go on a date with.  And in the same restaurant will be Terry and Chet, on their second date. #eyeroll

And my dream for Britt is still a romance with a dastardly doctor in the early David Hayward or Chris Ramsey mode.

[Cheyanne11]

Kirsten Storms was MB's guest on his latest show.  I had no idea she had Bipolar.  She's been thru a lot and was very forthcoming in this interview. 

[Asp Burger]

The uneven miking on that episode was giving me my own mental health issues. A volume level that made Maurice clearly audible was making Kirsten much too loud. And he's the low talker of the two of them, so I wished it had been the other way around. 

I didn't know KSt had a recurring role on 7th Heaven. 7th Heaven was very GH-heavy. Nancy Lee Grahn played the principal, Alicia Leigh Willis was one of bad-girl daughter Jessica Biel's besties, and Tamara Braun was on it too...I think she was a classmate of the oldest son (Barry Watson).

No show was more fun to mock on TWoP than 7th Heaven, especially in its why-is-this-still-running later years, when all those random kids kept moving in with the Camdens (because the young actors playing the original cast were finally free and running for the hills).