General Hospital
GH's Tonja Walker Shares How She Is Playing Olivia's Back-Story!
Photo: TonjaWalker/Getty Images
As viewers of ABC’s General Hospital know, Olivia (Tonja Walker) is out for revenge for everyone that she deemed wronged her. In fact, in key scenes with her brother Julian (William deVry) on Thursday’s episode (GH was pre-empted for the presidential inauguration on Friday) Olivia says she feels cheated out of everything that her dear brother head while she was in hiding, and in exile, on the other side of the world. It was also revealed that Olivia is still carrying a disturbing grudge for Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) over both women’s love for the late Duke Lavery.
But while plenty has yet to be explained on-air as to how Olivia ended up alive and well when she was presumed dead in the first place, Tonja Walker took to social media to share the back-story she has created for herself as an actress: “I know. I’m playing a back story where Olivia had to create a fantasy/reality life in order to survive. Not written, but for me it works. I’m playing in my mind that Olivia was “saved” by her father’s “Friends” which they promised do for him on his deathbed. (Her casket? maybe wax figure in casket? This I’m not concerned with) These Friends disposed of Colton, whom she loved, and proceeded do all they could to break her. Torture, isolation ,mind control, were used to make her do the bidding of the Chinese and Russian mob. Instead of taking care of her she was tortured and isolated, imprisoned and blackmailed. It order to stay alive she escaped into a world that was based on reality that could give her a glimmer of hope. She used regressive or deep seated memories or fantasies to find strength and then found allies and made strong connections .. she discovered how strong she was… Liv discovered What was happening in PC, remembering bits and pieces. Some real some not. Now we will see what she has in mind… Again….none of this is written so I’m not divulging any secrets. As a matter of fact, the writers may have something better to explain the change she’s had and Liv’s regression!! But for those who have asked me what happened, this is what I made up… The story on GH is held very close to the vest… More will be revealed !!!! Hope you enjoy. Thank you for your decades amazing loyalty and love. Tonja”
So, what do you think happened to Olivia Jerome? What do you think of the back-story Tonja shared for how she is filling in the blanks right now for Liv’s back-story? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
I didn’t watch GH back then but always read spoilers and recaps in the magazines, so kind of know how she fits. Anywho, as long as this leads to redeeming Julian, I am all for it! Stranger storylines have been out there, so why not. Nice to see they didn’t recast and used the original actress.
Since Duke died….he has gotten more storyline, more mentions, more family, and more people caring about him than he had when he was alive. As someone who never particularly cared for the character during any of his incarnations (except the Gregory Beecroft version) this kind of storytelling is just bizarre and unnecessary. He is dead! Now he has one woman mourning him, a sudden son, and a psycho whack job who was obsessed with him 30 years ago….but was long over it before she “died”. She had found love and redemption with Colton Shore, Felicia’s cousin. I just hate when soaps present characters who never grow, never change, and in fact, regress. 30 years is an awfully long time to be obsessed with someone…especially when he is DEAD. Griffin should have been Robert and Anna’s son from when they were presumed dead. It would have linked him to the fabric of the show…given Robin a sibling, and Anna another child. Duke was never a legacy character. He was on for 3 years in the 80’s…and had no ties to any family on the canvas. And his 2012 return was a bust! He spent most of his time playing dress up and having tea parties with Emma. They should let sleeping Dukes lie. Unless they are leading up to yet another return from the dead….this is all pointless drivel. To put some frame of reference time wise on this….if it was 1990 right now…..and the show was reaching back for storyline ideas…they would be going back to 1961 and dredging up old obsessions. Its not relevant now, especially for a character no longer on the canvas! If the show is going full steam ahead with Olivia…then they darn well better tie in veterans who were in her storyline orbit at the time like Lucy, Felicia, Anna etc. I like the actress…I think its an okay story twist….but there has to be some follow through on what caused her to suddenly be obsessed with a dead man again. Seems to me…she should be targeting Julian. After all…he supposedly killed her in 1990 and also killed Duke.
i’m disgusted…. with the weak links these writers bring
it’s all written in stone… or is it? I swear GH and DAYS share the same storylines.
it’s a crying shame…. literally… BOTH SHOWS; bring back BIG NAMES… for both shows.. only to be dumbed down…ie: the audience crying foul… and then some
expletive expletive
both characters @GH, Olivia Jerome played by the wildly present with so much gusto… that it’s a serious let down… not to see how truly Tonja Walker is capable.
of course she’s loopy and harboring so much fault that she’s gone and nutted up.
@DAYS Anna DiMera as played by the uber sexy fantastic missed so much… that this is serious hurt. unless Andre is able to pull out a biggie and – LOL.. oh wait… just bring Anna back… and get her back involved with Roman. she is the pendulum of all that is DiMera… with what we currently have on the canvas. She is the spirit and driving force with all of Salem’ites. she’s that able.
pissed off
of course she’s loopy and harboring so much fault that she’s gone and nutted up.
I already posted… this is all being done to give the Hope and Rafe show a get out of jail free card. RIGHT? god i’m sick of Hope.
we all know… that Julian and Ava must be cleared… HEY how much you wanna bet… that Ava is going to blame sis Olivia for changing Morgans meds. just as she told Julian about giving Olivia Falconeri son sugar pills.
you know… i’m disgusted… because both shows sole focus lacks so much vitality energy and imagination.
@GH. sole focus … love bringing up the dullards… Carly / Sonny / Jason / Sam
@DAYS. sole focus… Hope and Rafe seriously ? Hope baggage has been given so much reprieve. Rafe NEEDS TO man up and partay. he’s certainly not going to be getting anything from Hope… she’s too old for him.
what a waste of two dynamic actress with character aplomb… wasted
@GH head writers Jean and Shelley are truly looped out and LOST
Pretty sure Felicia and Colton were an item before Ariel returned so I sure hope they weren’t cousins!!!
Really good post! I bet Duke resurfaces!
Sorry!! Colton was Lucy’s cousin! My bad! Lol.
i believe Olivia was brainwashed by the mob and made to believe she was a woman named Alex Olanov and sent her to Llanview to frame her for the murder of Carlo Hess so they could take over Carlos mob connections and also had her involved with and marry Asa Buchanan in a plot to get their hands on his loot!
hi Jimh
Seems she came from a time when the soaps were still intriguing & exciting ..
su…i wish you were around to see the soaps like i had…they were really great, especially the murder/crime drama The Edge Of Night…it was the most suspenseful soap and fun to watch…most of the soaps were so good back then…i wouldn’t hang with friends until i was done with my soaps!…
I love your theory!!
Yep, that sound’s great !
Those were great shows. I was raised on Ryan’s Hope , AMC, OLTL, GH and then the Edge of Night. Lol- A time when writers actually could write a story to keep you anticipating and wanting more.
It seems like Tonja has put more thought into Olivia’s story than the writers probably will…
Exactly! That’s what is wrong with the current regime at GH. (And good for Tonja for doing it!)
So far from what I’ve seen the story is weak,,
It hasn’t had suspense.
It has given wonder as to who (and even that was obvious) but that has been about it for the intrigue. There was no surprise.
And good lord! Duke, again!! (insert your fav swear word) that was the kill-point.
It should have been the mama Wu..
Give Brad and Lucus a drama adventure upfront story..
All the ingredients were there= Brad mama Wu’s son Lucus Julian’s son deep in trouble saving each other and throw in Sonny, Ava and Jason..
That is the heavy side of GH talent wasted once again on the same players.
J&S are pitifully empty of imagination. Lazy and Weak writing.
Looking forward to Tonya on GH. Used to also like her bad-girl ro.le on OLTL as Alex Olanvo with Carlos Hessser.
You need to leave your brother and annealing matter of fact leave town
I keep wanting to say she has Duke alive and hidden somehow which is the only thing that would get Julian off the hook for Duke’s murder. I know I could be way off-base but right now, that’s the gut feeling I’m going with.
I like your theory.
We can only hope for that.
Why bring him back to kill him? (I had the same gripe about AJ…. grrrr)
Don’t even go there about AJ. I am still pissed they killed him off again. That was one character I wanted to see happy and we never got the chance.
Duke will be alive. She doesnt have him since she is so obsessed with those pictures. Duke will return and it gives Anna and Griffin something big to act in.
I think I missed an episode. How many pre-emptions/ reruns last week?
ditto
all these preempts and “classic” ep
That was the greatest episode of GH in months, in much part due to Tonja’s performance as a dangerous woman, and I hope that this continues to build. I love how Anna, Griffin and Duke are in the middle of it all. Well, Duke’s pictures and name anyway (Hint to TPTB!) Many would say all of this is too much to ask for but I will anyway for those who are not brave enough to due to previous writing gone wrong. I loved the details paid to the Naxie wedding as well. See even if we don’t have the budget for a big wedding, or whatever, the writing can be our savior in daytime serials.
“I am the queen of the Jerome family, and I am calling the shots”
Hell yeah! Olivia is back and crazier than ever! She will teach baby sister, Ava, what a real villainess looks like. The creepy little shrine to Duke in her office, with pictures of her face pasted over Anna’s, just proves her cray cray hasn’t been dialed back an inch. Julian is a fool to think they came to some compromise (Olivia said she blames him also for not getting her happy ending with Duke) and they will find some poor sap to blame for the car bombing. Rudge is probably planting explosive materials in the Jerome penthouse as we speak that will make it look like Julian tried to fake his death to frame Sonny by blowing up his own car. He is such an idiot to think she is really gonna lay off him after that soft moment they shared. Ha! Love seeing Tonja Walker back on GH and that flashback with Finola Hughes was gold! Olivia: Anna will suffer, and suffer, and suffer. Woah! She is coming for her, isn’t she? I wouldn’t be surprised if Olivia takes aim at Griffin (when she finds out he is Duke’s son to get one over on Anna) and it looks like he is ripe for the picking right now.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Walker in late 2012 – around the time that GH was dabbling with criss-crossing the GH and OLTL storylines (like putting the storyline in motion that Alcazar and Tomas were one and the same person since they were played by the same actor).. which I rather liked and wished they’d been able to move forward with. Anyway, Tonya pitched the Olivia/Alex story at the time and I thought it had merit and hoped that powers that be would have made it happen.. but alas.. the collapse of all that dashed those hopes.
But, well, maybe that’ll happen now. Congrats to Tonya on reviving one of her iconic roles.
My apologies – it’s “Tonja” not “Tonya”.
I love Tonja Walker, and I loved her character, Olivia Jerome. However, it seems ridiculous that she would still be obsessed over Anna and Duke. For longtime viewers, you’ll remember that Olivia redeemed herself over time and that was through finding genuine love with Colton Shore, who was Lucy’s cousin and Felicia’s ex-husband. She gave up on her vengeful ways and was even trying to warn Anna of something in that courtroom when Julian had gunned her down. If she wants revenge on him, that’s plausible, but the Anna and Duke thing had been buried. Colton grieved over Olivia and left town. The writers need to do their homework or explain the regression in a way that makes sense.
General Hospital
Adam Huss Makes Another Return to General Hospital as Nikolas Cassadine
Nikolas Cassadine will be back on your screens next week but now via Pentonville. That means, that actor Adam Huss is back for a visit for all-new episodes of General Hospital.
In story, Ava (Maura West) comes to visit her ex in the slammer. So, just what does Ava want now? She clearly has been working an agenda on Sonny (Maurice Benard). Is she working with Valentin (James Patrick Stuart)? What will she tell Nikiolas? stay tuned.
Meanwhile, once news of Huss’ return broke earlier on Friday via Soap Opera Digest, he also announced his return on his Instagram expressing, “For all those who’ve been asking, cat’s out of the bag;) Thank you to all my #Nikolas #GH fans for your unwavering support. I don’t take it for granted for a second! (Even when I can’t answer 😊) #generalhospital”
Photo: ABC
Huss took over the role of Nikolas back in January of 2023, after Marcus Coloma left the soap opera. Previous to that, Huss filed in for Coloma in September of 2021 and November of 2022. Fast-forward to January of 2024, Nikolas gave Ace to Laura and Kevin to raise, while he eventually turned himself into the police for kidnapping Esme and keeping her hostage while she was pregnant and Wyndemere.
Photo: ABC
The return of Huss comes on the heels of multiple reports that his on-screen son, Nicholas Chavez is not returning to the show as Spencer Cassadine, while in story Spencer is believed to have drowned int the Seine River after falling off a boat in France, when drugged by Esme.
So, looking forward to seeing Adam Huss back as Nikolas? Do you think GH will eventually have him more full-time? Comment below.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Sonny and Jason Trade Threats on Each Other
The love affair that once was mobster Sonny (Maurice Benard) and hit man Jason (Steve Burton), and having each others back, is now apparently over! On the Thursday April 25th episode of General Hospital, an increasingly paranoid Sonny is confronted by Jason.
Jason wants to talk to Sonny about a “family matter”, but Sonny says they aren’t family now because he’s working with the Feds. Sonny goes on to say how he cannot trust Carly (Laura Wright) or Jason and he knows about Jason buying back the Metro Court for Carly from Nina (Cynthia Watros).
When the conversation turns to Josslyn (Eden McCoy) and Dex (Evan Hofer), Jason informs Sonny that Kristina (Kate Mansi) knows Sonny ordered a hit. Jason is worried about Dex’s safety. He tells Sonny that if he does something to Dex, Kristina will figure out that he is responsible.
Courtesy/ABC
Sonny goes on to say how much he loves his kids and how he will protect them. He then tears into Jason for abandoning his sons, Danny and Jake, for two years and how he has no right to stand there to tell him what to do.
Jason warns Sonny again to leave Dex alone or he’ll personally stop him. Sonny snaps at Jason, countering, “You’ll die trying!” And at that point, Jason walks out and Sonny slams the door behind him.
What do you think about this split in the longstanding relationship of Jason and Sonny? Do you like Jason and Sonny at odds? Will Kristina be the person to ultimately figure out what is happening to Sonny, or it might it be Nina, who knows Ava (Maura West) is up to no good? Share your thoughts in the comment section, but first watch this clip from part of the Sonny/Jason scenes below.
Breaking News
REPORT: Nicholas Chavez Not Returning to General Hospital
For those who were holding out hope that Daytime Emmy winner and fan favorite, Nicholas Chavez would be returning to General Hospital after filming his leading role in Ryan Murphy’s Monsters anthology, it looks like those hopes have been dashed.
According to a report from TV Line, although unconfirmed from General Hospital or a representative for Chavez, the actor will not reprise his role as Spencer Cassadine on the long-running ABC soap opera and continue the love story of Sprina opposite Tabyana Ali (Trina, GH).
Chavez was cast as Lyle Menendez over the the summer of 2023 for the second season of Murphy’s limited Monsters series on Netflix. In the upcoming season, the series will focus on the the case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, the two well-to-do Beverly Hills brothers accused of murdering their parents in 1989.
Photo: ABC
After word from Chavez casting was revealed, GH fans were concerned over the fate of the Sprina story, a spokesperson for GH shared, “We support Nicholas’ endeavors and look forward to having him return to General Hospital once this project is wrapped.”
In story, the series “killed off” Spencer when he went overboard with Esme to the steely waters below after being injected with a drug, thanks to Esme and falling into the Seine River in France. However, his body was never recovered, and believed to have drowned or washed away. Thus, leaving an opening for Spencer to return in the form of Chavez or be recast down the line.
Photo: ABC
TV Line shared that ‘multiple sources’ are confirming that Chavez is not returning to the ABC soap opera, which is what many had suspected might be the case once he left for this major starring role in a Ryan Murphy project. Chavez has been relatively quiet on social media for months.
Photo: ABC
The Michael Fairman Channel spoke with Nicholas Chavez for a virtual interview when he first joined the show in 2021, and spoke to him right after when he won the Daytime Emmy in 2022 – you can see those below.
No word yet on when Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story will debut on Netflix, but it is assumed later this year.
So, what do you think about the news of Nicholas Chavez not returning to his role as Spencer Cassadine on General Hospital? Comment below.
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