• Nominees
• Reactions
• Predictions

Erika Slezak – Lead Actress

“I found out I was nominated when my daughter Amanda called me this morning, and she said, “Mom! Congratulations.” She was watching it on The Today Show. So I was absolutely delighted it came from her. I submitted my 40th Anniversary show for the final round of voting that got me this nomination and of course, I am delighted. I wanted to submit a different show that I just loved and that was when Viki walked in on Charlie and Echo in bed. But they split that into two shows, but we taped it as one show. There was so much material in it, so Frank Valentini said we are going to cut it into two shows. I couldn’t submit it because it was not a full show.

So I went with the episode were I played Viki and her alters, Jean and Niki. It was an actor’s nightmare and dream show! (Laughs) The nightmare part was playing all the different alters all together. Listen, I am not complaining. I loved every second of it! But it was a great deal of work. The problem with doing that show was because we had two doubles, we had to shoot it as if it’s in Viki’s mind. We had to have all three of us, (the three alters), and so I had to have doubles who would be playing the other characters. So when I would be playing Viki someone else would be playing Jean, and someone else would be playing Niki. When I was playing Niki, someone else was playing Viki and Jean, and it was very complicated. I had to know what I was going to do in order to react. So I had to ask these ladies, “Please don’t do anything. Just say the lines flat. I cannot react to you, because I have to know what I am going to say.” (Laughs) That was the only way I could react to them. We started with Viki, and then Jean, and then finally Niki. I was scared to death, and it was shot out of order. It was scary and thrilling! I thank God for Larry Carpenter’s directing. Frank Valentini was there overseeing everything as well. I thank God for that, too. I am just glad OLTL got a bunch of nominations and we will be there to represent the show!”

Crystal Chappell – Lead Actress

“I called my publicist Leslie Penny and we listened to The Today Show together as Kathie Lee and Hoda read off the nominees, so that is how I found out. My husband, Michael Sabatino is always so sweet to me when something like this happens as are family and friends. Then the B&B camp called to congratulate me! They are such classy people! I have to tell you, they are the nicest group of people. Fans were supportive and congratulatory, and I am especially happy for people who liked watching Carly and liked the story. It is a nice thing for them, too. I submitted the same thing I submitted for the pre-nominations which was Carly’s detox. It was just me and three really wonderful day players. There wasn’t a great deal of dialog on my part, but it was a good script with good direction. Carly was detoxing and hallucinating, and thinking that she is hearing her son. I really enjoyed the storyline and I think I talked about that with you at that time. It was very much a collaborative story we told. I am happy just for that reason that the nomination happened. A lot of people worked very hard on it. The whole story gave me headaches! I would go home with headaches because it was so intense. Certainly that episode was one of those days where I was sweating and rolling around on the floor. So that day of shooting was very intense! Look, it’s the stuff you want to be challenged with. I had no complaints. I am thrilled to be in the company of such actresses as Erika Slezak. I turn into a little girl at the mention of her name! (Laughs) It’s so true! I remember meeting her for the first time and thinking, “Oh, my God. That’s Viki. Don’t look stupid.” I was such a fan, and am such a fan.”

Jonathan Jackson – Supporting Actor

“It is pretty cool! I am thrilled and very thankful. Each year has its own unique set of circumstances. I am excited for all the nominees as well, and especially the GH family. I found out I was nominated when I got a text from a friend, but really did not make much of it, and fell back asleep! (Laughs) But then my kids came in and told me, “Congratulations”. I guess they had talked to someone and found out. And so I found out from them, which was cool, and really sweet.

As far as the reel I chose, there was a lot from the amount of storylines and episodes, and from the intensity of what they asked me to do. It was way more than usual in terms of serious choices to look at. But, I ended up going with the episode at the Haunted Star where Lucky told Luke that he was the driver who hit Jake. It was when Lucky was asking him how much he had been drinking. And, there were six or seven scenes with Tony Geary (Luke) and I. There were a lot of different shows to look at, but that particular one just was a really special show for me and for Tony, as well. Something just happened when we were doing those scenes, so that is why I went with that. It just seemed like a complete show, with a beginning, middle and end to it. But, there was Luke’s intervention, the material with Tony when Luke was at the Bordello, and the episodes with Jake dying. There was also Lucky getting drugged up for two days. I mean, there were so many, it was literally like there were a lot of different options. The intervention was really powerful and that was another one of those moments I will cherish with Tony. But in terms of an entire episode, this one that I chose had the same quality as the intervention, but it has six or seven scenes in it, as opposed to the one big scene in the intervention. Tony and I we did leave each other messages on nomination day. I was super excited for him as well. And like I was saying, this last year on the show really meant a lot because of the amount of stuff he and I got to do together. It was something we had been talking about during the years I had been away from GH … that we wanted to work with each other again and do some great work. That is one of the reasons it is so special. I feel I did honor what I wanted to do with Tony, by picking this episode for Emmy contention.”

Chandler Massey – Younger Actor

“I woke up at around 7:30am and called my publicist, Jeff Ballard. He told me I was not nominated! And I was like, “Oh man. That is a bummer.” But then he told me was joking and that I was nominated. (Laughs) My mom and my dad both knew, so they called me and they were very happy. I am happy that my scenes struck a chord with the voters. The first round, for the pre-noms, I submitted the scene with Will and Gabi, when Gabi breaks up with Will. And then, for the next and final round, I submitted the episode that aired on December 30th, 2011. There were Will and Marlena scenes in it, and a bit of Will and Sonny at the end of it. What happens in it is; Marlena and Will meet up and they are talking about her and John, and then it goes into more of her listening to Will and his problems, and why things didn’t work with Gabi. At that point, he comes close to admitting that he is gay, but he has to leave. Then he is at the pub and Sonny comes in with Tyler and Will sees that new dynamic between them. I liked it because I thought it had a range of scenes, and I thought it was not over the top. I also went with this episode because my mom told me it was her favorite episode. I took her advice. It is an honor to be nominated, but I have always been more about the acting then the accolades.”

Heather Tom – Lead Actress

“It is the first time in Lead Actress category for me. I feel like I am with the big girls! (Laughs) I am thrilled. I kind of threw caution to the wind this year. I thought, “You know what? If I can’t compete in lead actress after 23 years then what am I doing here? (Laughs) So here we are. I found out I was nominated from Eva Demirjian, our B&B publicist. She texted me before I woke up! It was a nice wake up call. I chose the scenes for the competition where after Katie has a heart attack, she is with Bill. There is some stuff with Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy) as well. I just thought the scenes were great. Sometimes you get an episode where you go, “I love this show from start to finish,” and this was definitely one of those shows. I felt like the writing and the situation was really honest. It is obviously heightened for drama, but I felt it was honest work, and that is what I always like to submit. I also in the same category as Erika Slezak this year and I have such respect for her. She is so amazing and I have always thought that. I am so grateful I got to work with Erika and all those people at One Life to Live. Robin Strasser (Dorian) actually emailed me this morning! I am so grateful that I got that experience to go and do that show. I think Erika is awesome and I can’t wait to see her on Emmy night. I also got a text message from Don Diamont congratulating me, but he and many of my castmates are in Italy shooting a remote! Hopefully, they are drinking lots of wine and celebrating the B&B nominees! (Laughs) Now I have to figure out what to wear at the Emmys! I have no idea! I like to push the envelope and I like to wear some fashion-forward stuff. So that is probably the road I will go down this year, but we will see how it all goes! “

John McCook – Lead Actor

“It is fantastic to be nominated. I am glad I was not holding my breath, I got to tell you. (Laughs) I was surprised and pleased. I have submitted myself a few times over the years, and even some of the years when I thought, “Nah, what I have is not very strong.” But I thought the scenes that I had to submit this year were worthy of being up there. They were really good scenes between Eric and Stephanie about personal intimacy with the two of them, and affection. She was not comfortable doing it anymore because of her cancer. It was a really good adult scene. It was about us and not scenes about our grandchildren, and wondering which of them was going to get laid, or not. When you pick scenes it’s never just about you. It’s about you and your scene partner and the writing. What I liked about it is that the writing was so natural and yet very literary. Patrick Mulcahey wrote it, and it fit Susan and me very well, because he knows us very well. What I liked about my performance in it was it was not overacted or extremely dramatic with histrionics going on, and bulging veins. It was quiet and yet intense heartfelt material. Susan and I came from two different points of view in the scene, and yet there was no winner or loser at the end of the scenes. I think that is why it scored well with the Academy. I think it’s pretty different and not typical of what some of the Emmy stuff is.

It is wonderful to be in the middle of these great Lead Actor nominees. What I like about it is, they are all grown ups. We have all been doing it for a long time. It is the not the first nomination for any of them. I was nominated once before, too. We have all been journeymen actors on daytime for a long time. We have all accomplished some really good work and weathered a lot of dull stories in our tenures. I have been on my show for 25 years, but that is less than Bob Woods or Tony Geary. This is warming and very nice to be included. My wife Laurette is very excited about it, but she thinks I should win an Emmy every year … and she’s right! (Laughs)”

Laura Wright – Lead Actress

“Here we are again! Finding out I was nominated made me think that last year’s nomination and win wasn’t a fluke or a mistake! (Laughs) It was a great morning. When my husband and I thought the nominations were coming out last Friday, my husband had to go out of town. And he said, “Well I don’t want to go out of town in case you get nominated.” We usually do breakfast with champagne and have friends come over like we did last year. He likes to celebrate and make it a big deal for me. So, he changed his business trip to this week. So when they changed the nomination announcement dates, he was like, “Oh no!” So last night, my daughter and he where in cahoots! They had a bottle of champagne in the fridge and then a wine class where she wrote, “Congratulations. We love you,” all over it. So she poured me a glass of champagne this morning! Then my son walked down with one with a bottle with sad faces and red writing on it and said, “Well, we won’t need this one! (Laughs)

The episode I submitted was when Carly asks Jason for Jake’s kidney for Josslyn. It was between that and when Carly thought that Sonny had caused Jax’s accident and she smacked him at the police station and went off on him. Now that is what I used to get the pre-nomination. But then I watched my work with Michelle Stafford and Christian LeBlanc who were my eyes and ears, and it was like there were eight scenes of the same type of scene of yelling and yelling and yelling at Maurice Benard in that episode. So it did not have any levels. And then when we looked at the other episode, Michelle and Christian went, “Oh, this is so sensitive and beautiful and emotional.” So we went with that one. Many of my scenes in that show are with the amazing Steve Burton. There is nothing better than the Carly and Jason relationship. I feel very free as an actor when I work with him.

I think I got stiff competition in my category. I think they are all amazing actresses. I am bummed Michelle Stafford is not in the group. I think everyone who got in does deserve to be there. I remember last year, Susan Flannery said to me, “Until they open that envelope. We are all winners. So enjoy this ride until the Emmys.” And that was the best advice. And my concern after winning last year was; you don’t want to win an Emmy and then the next year, no one knows who you are or you disappear! (Laughs) But look, if it’s not your year, it’s not your year. If I didn’t feel I had Emmy worthy material, I would not submit myself because it is then all about ego. If I thought I did work that was O.K., I have no problem putting myself in the Supporting Actress category. As for as the upcoming ceremonies and not knowing if they will be televised or not, I remember when I use to race home to watch the Emmys when they aired it in the afternoon. It has just gotten so out of control, that we lost the reason why we have the Emmys anyway. Last year’s telecast was an advertisement for Vegas! I would have rather have the Emmys not been televised, and for all of us to have been together and showing clips from the shows, instead of watching Celine Dion! I think the Emmys and the hard work of everyone in daytime should be honored properly. Hopefully that can happen this year.”

Eddie Alderson – Younger Actor

“I woke up super early to get ready to go to school and someone tweeted me, “Congrats.” I was confused! (Laughs) I did not know today was the announcement. And then they tweeted, “On your Emmy nomination.” And I wrote back, “Are you joking?” Then more people tweeted me, and my phone has been blowing up all day. It’s been quite a day and I am so honored. Just to be mentioned in the same breath as Bob Woods and Erika Slezak … and to be nominated with them is pretty surreal. Bob called me earlier and we were talking and we were both tipping our hats to each other and kind of congratulating each other. We were saying how much we are both excited for one another. I personally would not be where I was at on the show, or as a person, if it was not for Bob. He is a major part of it all. I really miss Bob. I miss seeing him everyday. It will be great to see him in June at the Daytime Emmy. For my reel for the competition, I submitted the episode where Matthew confessed to Bo and Nora that he murdered Eddie Ford. I liked it because it had really intense scenes. We all worked really hard on those scenes, and they were really emotional. Bob was phenomenal in those scenes as well. As far as knowing my fellow nominees in my category, now that my sister Kristen is on GH, I do know Chad Duell! So that is kind of interesting to be in the same category with him. I am not really thinking it as a competition, though. I am just honored to be nominated. And whether I win or not, it’s fine. All the guys in the category deserve it Just to be nominated is a big deal.”

Elizabeth Hendrickson – Supporting Actress

“I have never been nominated before. My mom and I had planned to find out who got nominated together, even though she is New York. My mom and I are very close. I had no one else to watch the nominations with this morning. But they cut off the announcements after Best Actor on The Today Show. Kathie Lee and Hoda then said, “Check out the rest online!” (Laughs) So I went online and that is where I read it. My mom and I were still looking at each other through our FaceTime application on IChat. She started screaming and jumping in the kitchen. All my friends that I wanted to celebrate with were asleep. The only thing I was ever nominated for was being a part of Imaginary Bitches, but that was for the show. This is my eighth Daytime Emmys that I have been involved with having been part of the cast of All My Children and The Young and the Restless, which have been nominated as Best Show many times. The first person to actually call and congratulate me was Y&R’s executive producer and head writer, Maria Arena Bell. And when the phone rang, it had a 212 number on it. I thought, “Oh no. Is this an Ex I don’t want to talk to anymore?” (Laughs) And it was Maria and that was such an awesome surprise! She had such kind words for me, and it was great that I could say “congratulations” back to her. That was a really nice phone call I did get a text message also from Billy Miller. He has been away in Australia shooting a film. My castmates; Christel Khalil, Greg Rikaart, and Michael Muhney also all texted me.

For my Emmy reel I submitted, when Chloe finds out that Delia had leukemia. I went with that, because honestly I felt I had a full arc in that show. There was a beginning, middle and an end. It was a great story. I got to show a lot of range, and also got to work with some great supporting actors who were in those scenes. If anything, it was my supporting actors who supported me through the entire shooting day, and the writing. It was just all wrapped up in a neat little package. I could not ask for a better show. I guess I better start looking for a dress tomorrow! And that actually is my favorite part every year, and the most exciting thing for me. So this year is going to be extra special and now I am going to really be thinking through what I am going to wear, I guess. (Laughs) I will be getting on that right away.”

Matt Ashford – Supporting Actor

“I was at work yesterday and I was coming down the hall and I had to go into hair and make-up. I heard people screaming and cheering, as it was being announced on The Today Show and then we found out more names online! It is a nice button on my time at Days of our Lives, and it comes from your peers and that is always something that is special. And because I have judged and I have seen a lot of work, I feel there are a lot of really good actors in the supporting and leading roles, and there is a lot of good writing! So I kind of look at it and go, “Wow. This is good. These people are good and this is engaging storyline.” That is why they were nominated, and I am glad to be included in that. And even though if this is as far as it goes for me, it’s been really nice to be included with this group of people. I have such admiration for people, who take material that sometimes has been done before, and they find a way to deliver something fresh. There used to be joke, that if you win an Emmy, you will be off your show! (Laughs) In keeping with that, and in my case, I am leaving the show, it seems pretty obvious. (Laughs) So now I am going to appreciate the time that I still have there at DAYS.

As far as my episode, I went with when Jack goes to Marlena for a look-see to see what this therapy thing might actually be like, because he had never done well with therapy before. . So this therapy session goes off the scale for him. It was a very fun show. I knew even when I was doing it, that the writers had written a complete arc within one show. I think they did it for this purpose, for me to submit for the Emmys, which is very nice. And as you know Jack is suffering from PTSD. What actually happened as far as we can tell with him was he was dealing with gun-runners and either they were part of the Taliban or some part of that. He was kidnapped and held captive and tortured. The thing that got me it was for no particular reason. Jack did not have any information. The main thing is he never knew why or what he was doing there, and that itself was him screaming for helplessness and never knowing what was going to come next. PTSD is something that can not be settled or solved, I think when you have it you have it for the rest of your life. The fact is that PTSD exists for all sorts of things. People have been mugged, people have been in accident, and children going through life-threatening surgery, it is real and it happens all the time, and it affects people forever. I am hoping there is resonance there. Whether DAYS does more with it, I don’t know. But to be able to portray this condition has been so rewarding for me.”

Bradford Anderson – Supporting Actor

“I found out on Twitter and that is the first time that ever happened! In the past, I have always gotten a call first thing in the morning from our publicist. But, I did get a call. So, I got up with my daughter at 6:45am that morning and got into things with her. I did not even think about it. Then it got to be 8AM Los Angeles time. I realized, “Oh the nominations came out this morning. Well, I did not get a call, so I guess I was not nominated. Ok, great. (Laughs) ” So then I thought, “Well, OK. I will go online and see who did get nominated.” So I went on Twitter and clicked on my Interactions and got all these “Congratulations!” Then I realized, “Oh, I guess I did get nominated! Sweet!” I am so flattered to be nominated.

I submitted the scenes between Maxie and Spinelli at Georgie’s grave. These were scenes with Kirsten Storm from last summer. She was not feeling well that day and she did a great job. It is the first time the audience sees that the Jackal P.I. persona is actually a defense mechanism and what it’s all about. Maxie brings him to Georgie’s grave to snap him out of it. He has moments where he is in and out. She pushed him really hard and then he goes into this neutral state, but highly emotive, where he doesn’t sound like Jackal P.I. He doesn’t sound like Spinelli, either! The way I liked at is was him stripped down from everything saying, “I can’t lose anymore. I can’t lose anyone else.” He then snaps back into the Jackal P.I persona and says, “And that’s why I need you to stay the hell away from me!” And so you realize why he is in that persona, but also why he is keeping Maxie at bay. Deep down, it’s self-preservation. In truth, that storyline was the only one I had in 2011. I got to do some fun things last year, but nothing was a clear cut Emmy show. I am not sure what they do on other shows, but our writers don’t write Emmy shows. They write what they feel moves story forward. So sometimes when you are submitting one episode, it does not fit together. I thought that the one I went with was the most self-contained episode. The Jackal P.I. storyline was not easily digestible for a lot of people, but it was challenging for me. I felt like that day I made sense of it pretty well. When I submitted it, I realized out of context it might not work for people. So this was not an episode when I submitted it I went, “This is it! Whoa!” But it was something I was proud of and obviously, I am thrilled that people enjoyed it as well. At the end of the day, I am thrilled that General Hospital got so much recognition and that so many of my compatriots did. I am excited for Emmy night and obviously getting a nomination makes the night all the more intriguing.”

Jason Thompson – Supporting Actor

“My agent called me from Israel. That is how I found out I was nominated. She had just stopped for something and she got internet service for a second. She knew that the nominations were coming out and she looked and saw my name and called me. I completely blanked on what was happening! I got home late the night before from acting class. I got up early and watching a movie in bed, and then I saw that my agent was calling me, and she said, “Congratulations”. It was very much surprise though. I was blown away by it. I can’t believe I get to be included with all the other guys who were in this category in all of soaps. I personally think this could be filled with all the guys I work with on a daily basis on GH. I am happy to be part of that group. Kimberly McCullough (Ex-Robin) sent me a text message congratulating me, but she does need to pick up the phone more often! (Laughs) I am happy for the show and I am very happy for Jill Farren Phelps (Ex-EP, GH). These are her nominations. I could She worked really hard and she cared about the people that she worked with for years.

Now, you are the first to know that the four nominees in my category from General Hospital are not going to be showing up at the Emmys. I am going to take them out beforehand! (Laughs) I am going to have a little trouble with Sean Blakemore. He is a really big guy, and Jonathan Jackson is wiry so he could be dangerous. As for Bradford AKA Spinelli, he could just outsmart me! (Laughs)

As for what I ended up submitting, it was Robin and Patrick at Emma’s birthday and how we ended up video taping each other. And the reason: I was looking through all the material and there was some good stuff. But the other material we were looking at was when Jake got hit by a car and all the fall out from that and everything. And then I started to see that Jonathan Jackson was better than me in every single scene. I knew he was also going to submit his own tape in the Supporting Actor category. So I did not want to submit two episodes for Jonathan. (Laughs) In all honesty, I really liked Emma’s birthday episode. We were joking around at the beginning and having fun and then it brought it back to Robin and Patrick and the life that they had at that exact moment and now they have a daughter! They can’t believe it’s been a year since she was born, and it was a real connection between Robin and Patrick. The connection I had with Kimberly McCullough in those scenes I felt were real. I really enjoyed that day and had fun that day. I think in that episode it showed where Robin and Patrick were in their lives. And even as actor’s, we got to play around and feel what it is like to be family and then there was some love in at the end of it. The whole episode to me was rounded out with a nice arc within itself. We don’t get episodes like that. Usually it is an open-ended thing. For me, you don’t know how people are going to react, but I felt good about it, and if they are going to be going for the real emotional stuff and the breaking down sort of material, they are not going to get it in this episode. But that’s O.K. I felt like it was interesting also because in that episode when we were videotaping message to Emma, I am looking straight into the camera. So it’s a little more intimate. I am grateful people responded to it to get me this far in the competition. For me, to get this supporting actor nomination, I am only 50% of it. There is the lighting and the cameras, and the writing and the directing, and Kimberly. There is so much that goes into it. To get this little nod is a very nice feeling. I know it a competition, but if it’s ever a time where everyone in the industry has to have the daytime genres back, it’s now.”

Melissa Claire Egan – Supporting Actress

“I was at home and my mom was visiting and I was up with her and my boyfriend having coffee. We looked it up on NATAS’s website. So we logged on and scrolled down and I saw my name. This is my third nomination which is bananas! It is still just as flattering and exciting as the first time. It really is. Annie from All My Children is like the gift that keeps on giving. (Laughs) Long live crazy Annie! They wrote a really great story for me as I was leaving the show and so I submitted when Annie really lost it. It was Valentine’s Day and Annie had just locked Marissa in the attic. She goes down and talks to JR and he is trying to get her to commit herself. She is just starting to unravel. She keeps telling him why she didn’t want to go back Oak Haven as it’s lonely and she does not have anyone there. Annie feels like five minutes in there is like forever. I liked that there were levels to it. You saw two different sides to Annie. At the beginning of it, you saw crazy stuff where she is in Glenn Close Fatal Attraction mode when she is in the attic. You see a nastier version of her there. And by the time she goes downstairs and talks to JR, you see how vulnerable she is, and how terrified she is of Oak Haven. I just thought it was well-written and Jacob Young was incredible in those scenes. I just liked how they turned out. They were really sad when he was trying to get her to help herself. She was just so sick.

I did hear from a lot people on nomination day. I talked or texted with Chrishell Stause, Alicia Minshew, and Cameron Mathison, which was really great. I can’t wait to give Debbie Morgan and Darnell Williams big hugs for their nominations. Their scenes were so great! That is why All My Children was such a family. I also heard from our executive producer, Julie Hanan Carruthers and other producers, and the crew! They were all like my brothers and sisters and aunts and uncle. It was such a special family there. I learned so much from those actors. Billy Miller called me from Australia! What a good bud, huh? (Laughs) I hope for the fans who keep us in our jobs, that they will get an opportunity to see the Emmys. I hope we get to share this with them and they find a home on television or through the internet. The fans have been incredible.”

Molly Burnett – Younger Actress

“Chandler Massey texted me, that is how I knew about my nomination. You see, I had texted him the day before to tell him how amazing his scenes were on a recent air show. So the morning the Emmy nominations were being announced, I was walking into Starbucks getting some coffee and he texted me, “Well, I guess we both must be doing something good, because we got nominated!” Right after I found out, I called my dad and I said to him, “You better get your suit ready, because you are going to be my date!” (Laughs) I am also so excited for Shelley Hennig and being nominated in the same category with her. She is my girl. She submitted the breakup with Nathan in her wedding dress, and they were wonderful. I am excited that Crystal Chappell, my on-screen mommy is nominated too! And yes, Casey Deidrick is very excited for me, and Shawn Christian is very upset! He told me that Crystal Chappell and I should not have got nominated, because we didn’t deserve it! (Laughs) As far as what I submitted, I went with the scene where Melanie and Daniel find out that Parker is not his. So Melanie goes to the hospital to find Daniel and tells him that she found a divorce lawyer. There is a scene with Kayla in it, and Melanie kind of freaks out on her, and then she freak out on her dad. Then Melanie goes to Daniel’s apartment and Chloe is there. Melanie tells her basically, she has three seconds to get out of the house! (Laughs) I think I gave her 60 seconds. I was lenient (Laughs). I always submit something I feel really good about. Two years ago it was the material with Nathan. And this year, it was a lot of pain with Daniel. But a lot of really powerful women stuff with Chloe. It was about taking charge of a situation I clicked with this episode, I think.”

Jacqueline MacInnes Wood – Younger Actress

“So this is how I found out! (Laughs) I was just about to shoot a scene in the Adriatic sea in Italy. The water was only 54 degrees. Our executive producer and head writer, Brad Bell came up to me and said, “How does it feel to be Emmy nominated?” And at first I didn’t get it. I thought he meant the scene I was about to shoot would be nominated! I laughed out loud then I realized what he was saying. It was pretty cool. Actually, it was pretty spectacular! We were having such a fabulous time meeting our fans that came out in droves to see us film in their town that this just topped the cake for me. I am just incredibly humbled and excited to be part of the Daytime Emmy nominations.”

Debbi Morgan – Lead Actress

“It is so bittersweet getting the nomination. What I submitted was the episode of when Angie finds out that her baby died and Jesse takes her to the grave site where he has buried her. You know what? All I remember was those scenes were so gut-wrenching and difficult, because those are the scenes where you just have to hope that they get it on the first take. Because to repeat all of that again is difficult, and you just want it to be fresh and be in the moment. Whenever you are outside and dealing with the elements and not in that controlled environment, like you are when you are in the studio, things happen. And we had to do that scene two or three times. It was tortuous! So I said, “Well, damn. I deserve an Emmy for this!” (Laughs) I may not get one, but I damn well deserve one! (Laughs) The thing about it was that Lorraine Broderick was back and she was writing All My Children at that time with Agnes Nixon. And those scenes were just so beautifully written. It just makes me so sad, because I think we would be in a different place here if she had been on board much, much earlier. There were so many variables involved, but towards the end of AMC’s run, the writing was just really wonderful.

I can say, if Erika Slezak and Laura Wright are in my category, I can go, “Wow! I am in a great group of women.” I don’t know. I don’t’ think this is mine. I think I had a wonderful story, but I have seen some of those actresses when I was looking at the reels. I saw Crystal Chappell’s work, and the scene she submitted where she is in the hospital bed detoxing, and I went “Oh, my God.” It’s amazing! As far as getting ready for the Emmys, when I pick out a dress it’s always towards the last minute. But I guess, I will go shopping soon, though. (Laughs) I have a very dear friend of my mine who designed my wedding dress. I might have her throw something together for me. (Laughs) Whatever the case, I will enjoy the evening and am thrilled to be a part of it.”

Genie Francis – Supporting Actress

“Y&R’s executive producer and head writer, Maria Bell, called me at 6:45 in the morning. I was up with the kids getting them ready for school. It was a very nice surprise. And the funny thing about it is; it took 31 years as Laura on GH to get the Emmy finally … crazy, right? This nomination comes for a role that I have only been doing for a year! I got a great text from my Y&R cast members, Daniel Goddard (Cane) and one from Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren) congratulating me. I also got a text from Herbie Weaver our stage manager, and I got calls from people at the network and at Sony. Oh! And I got flowers from my husband and flowers from the Hallmark Channel, too. It was all so nice.

The episode I submitted was the day that Genevieve told Jack about the daughter she had that died, and that it looks like she is getting a divorce. She talks about her relationships with men and how she has only had her husband in her life for most of her adult life. And it ends up with the two of them making love for the first time. The scenes were with Peter Bergman (Jack), who is God’s gift to an actress. He is! It’s so true. He is not only an extraordinary talent, he is also an extraordinary human being, and his kindness and caring equals his talent. You just don’t find that. It doesn’t exist. And I have worked with a lot, trust me! So because of that, he creates such a feeling of safety and team spirit, so of course, my best work is with him.

As far as the women in my category, I think Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe, Y&R) is a really wonderful actress. I know Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis, GH) she is also a wonderful actress. But … Becky Herbst, I would love to see her win, to be honest. She has done some wonderful work! I will tell you the year I did win; she was nominated alongside me as well. I have to say, she came to me with a full heart and said, “I am so happy for you, Genie. It has been so many years and you deserve it.” She came to me and put her arms around me and I hugged her and said, “Your time will come. Your chance is going to come.” You are young and you still have loads of time.” For an actress who has just lost the Emmy to have that much of a giving heart, is rare. So the truth is I would really like to see Becky win this year.”

Robert S. Woods – Lead Actor

“I was out working in the backyard, and I heard my wife, Loyita, screaming, “You’re kidding?” I think Billy Warlock and Julie Pinson called her and told her! (Laughs) I did not know the nominations were coming out that day. I called Eddie Alderson right away when I found out he was nominated, too! I heard from Erika Slezak and she congratulated me, and so did Hillary B. Smith. Frank Valentini called, too, which was nice. He has been working his butt off at GH! If you had asked me, “How would you feel if you found out you were nominated?” I would think, “Geez, I don’t know what I would feel.” But I was grinning from ear to ear. I think a lot of it is that it is so sentimental. One Life to Live is gone. I still can’t believe it. I thought I would be gone some day, but I never thought One Life would be.

As far as the reel I submitted, I changed it up. In the pre-nomination, I went with the barn showdown scene with Clint. Bo was going to shoot him and Asa’s hat was in it, and all of that. Then in the second go round, and for the final round of judging, it was about when we had to make a decision about Matthew, when he was pretty much soap opera brain dead. (Laughs) It was about whether we were going to pull the plug on him, because his heart was a match for Clint. Clint was going to die if he did not get a heart transplant. So I submitted a scene with Erika Slezak, where Bo says, “How do you give up on a child? But if something is not done, do I end up killing my brother by refusing to help him?” It was one of those back and forth moments, and Nora comes in at the end of it. I think the scenes start with Bo coming out of Matthew’s hospital room, and then he turns the corner and there is Viki. It was kind of cool, because way back in 1979 I came in the door and sat down in a chair and said, “I am I am in love with you, Viki!” You know my screen test for Bo was with Erika! And when you watch the nominated scenes, Erika really went to bat for me! She was good with everybody, but there was something a little different about it when you look at all the scenes from that day.

You know what? I would be grinning for the rest of my life if I was to win. I can’t say, who cares? There have been years in the past where I did not care if I was nominated because I have one already. And then I watch friends of mine like Tony Geary and Peter Bergman (Jack, Y&R) who are multiple winners, and especially Tony. And then I thought, “Maybe it would be good to have another one.” Tony must have them all over the place. (Laughs) I would be very happy and proud if I won. I would be so grateful. I had the good sense to come back to the show after I left, and made the choice I did to stay as long as they would keep me. One Life was very good to me, and it gave me one helluva life!”