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A Genie Francis Return In The Works At GH? Soap Icon Says Of EP Frank Valentini: "I Don’t Believe He Took Any Pleasure In Seeing Laura Diminished"

By Michael Fairman

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Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

Genie Francis has spoken out in a one-two series of tweets on Monday.  The daytime drama icon, where she has played Laura on and off for decades on ABC’s General Hospital, was recently taken off-contract by the series prompting a massive fan outcry on social media.

It appears that perhaps a return is in the works for Francis, who reports via a tweet that she, “Had a lovely lunch with Frank Valentini this week.”

That was followed-up by a longer statement where Genie came to the defense of GH EP Valentini, who has received much negative pushback on the decision to have Genie taken off-contract.

Francis said: “It’s been painful for me to see @valentinifrank receive so much of the blame for the decision to take me off contract. No one fought harder to re-establish Laura on @GeneralHospital. He has always been my champion & I don’t believe he took any pleasure in seeing Laura diminished.”

So, do you think GH is working on a return for Laura and solid story for her?  What did you think of Genie’s statement?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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I do think a story is being planned for Genie and I bet several stories are being thought out too concerning Laura. Of course the folks were going to be upset if she was off the canvas if she hadn’t planned on leaving herself. Can’t wait to see what Laura will be up to next.

Best news ever! I’ll start watching the day Genie returns! And she is such a decent person–seemingly fairminded and positive. Nice to see. She’d be a nice person to meet, for sure! I love her measured tweets and responses–and her honesty. Come on home, Genie–with that great (neverending :)) story line!

This is good news as I stopped watching the show since they essentially dropped her. If it wasn’t Vallenti that was responsible for this, it must have been the high up clowns that have the big ABC focus on its shows being heavily into violence and sex. Such a pitiful mentality at that network.

hi James R. Poissant..
Genie was offered recurring and a deal..
She turned it down and walked out..
Seems now she has accepted, or whatever happened.

I wouldn’t count on her being given a lot of on-screen time after whatever is planned for her return. Someone wanted her gone, less screen time, why dunno.,,perhaps the finacial dept was involved.
( Ihope for her fans she was given a beter deal.. time will tell..

Genie is ever the class act,and deserving of a great story line.
Hope to see her back on the canvas soon.

My question is, if Frank didn’t have anything to do with taking her off contract, why was the story that HE is the one who refused to speak with her when she asked to, when she was informed her contract was not renewed. She was told FV didn’t have time to speak with her when she found out she was being let go.

hi Sue McGee..
It is ‘gossip” without sound facts..
Nobody knew what actually went down and by whom..
Soap boards are full of false information ..
To know the truth one would have needed to be there. I have read more false junk gossip on soap boards then one would think possible.

“Soap boards are full of false information,” eh Sue? 🙂

The question that should be asked is WHO told Genie that FV didn’t have time to speak with her at the time. The decision to put Genie on recurring status was made at the Corporate level by those who have much more power than FV. Now those decision makers have come to realize they have made a huge mistake and FV is the one who has to make peace.

Nathan Varni and ABC upper brass who never wanted Laura/Genie to have a prominent story. Makes no sense. The show has no moral center. She could be it.

She should be that moral center. Well said! Daytime dramas demise is because there are too many cooks. I think if producers/writers could be allowed to craft as long-term bible for their series, there would not be this to and fro-ing. Fans too need to accept conventions as recasts and that some decision cannot be reversed. We sometimes get in our own way of progress in continuing evolution of story. That said, Genie Francis belongs on GH and Laura Spencer is a legacy character that should remain on canvas.

I have always believed that the ABC upper brass have never seen Laura/Genie as separate from Luke/Tony. They would not allow Laura to grow and come into her own without Luke at her side. I would not be surprised if the ABC upper brass doesn’t offer Tony Geary thousands of dollars to come back for a month or so just to let us know how necessary Luke is to Laura.

In total agreement with each of you—the lack of a moral center for the show, virtually abandoning the character of Laura, the inability to write Laura as anything other than an adjunct to Luke. And while Genie chooses to be classy, dignified, and now diplomatic (in defending Frank), I still apportion the blame to Frank. It’s his name and title that rolls with the credits at the beginning of each episode and it’s under his tenure that the character of Laura has been relegated to window dressing. He misread the room on this one and was woefully out of touch with his constituency, the viewers. If the decision was being made above him, it was his job to pushback for the good of the show, anticipating possible repercussions. He demonstrated a lack of backbone in my book and he should have been able to prevail—fighting for his show, his vision, the chess pieces he wants to feature, and ensuring the writing team was in lockstep. But instead, we had a writing team executing their vision, after much neglect, and an EP who was apparently powerless to run his own shop. He gets no points from me for falling on the sword for a decision that may have been dictated from above—as a manager and executive, he has to be able to make his case for running his show how he sees fit. Sounds like tacit approval to me.

Fortunately for TPTB, the drama on the screen has been that good of late, almost rivaling the drama behind the scenes! How about we resist the urge to f-it-up further and enjoy our 55th year on air! And given the current brain-trust in charge of this ship, the accomplishment of 14k+ episodes and 55 years is all the more astounding.

Very well written! I concur.

You nailed it right on the head Reed.

im sorry but after so many promises from general hospital to give laura story line and a big build up just to have her exit again ,,the last time was the last time for me ,,i tuned out g,h,,,couldnt stand to watch one more hour of the jason carley hour,,,like i said before even the amazing maura west couldnt keep mme tuned in,,,i always feel so suckered going back to g,h when i hear genies returning only to find out yes i was suckered,, sorry g,h and sorry genie wont be returning with you,,,even if its true,,and some how i think this whole return crap is just another g,h ploy to calm down the watchers

So hope that’s not true–but I can’t quarrel with you skepticism.

I understand the skepticism also. If I get excited for her return, the writers will just end up having her working at Kelly’s one day each month, making the occasional salad for Roxie the bearded dragon. 🙂

I would like to see Laura and Lucy finally start that company…and that Jim guy becomes obsessed with her…also Jim is interested in the Q mansion and tries to take it from Monica-Jim is another Q…both Monica and laura could get stories…Valerie Spencer was an epic fail as a character as none of the writers did anything to make her more connected to the Spencer clan!!!!

What bugs me…how Peter and Valentin meet so publiclly where anyone can see them together

Yes, everyone can see Valentin’s Peter!!

They should meet in the MetroCourt parking lot and Valentin can offer him a contract. Wait, sorry, that would be Valentini 🙂

If she really believes that about Valentini not sure why she didn’t tweet support for him sooner.

If she’s back, great. Just hoping it’s a good story because no matter the actress/character boring is as boring does. Meaning, is she’s still going to be dressed as granny goose and have little walks in the park, I’m fast forwarding.

Good question I smell a rat just do not know who the rat is ?

Genie is tactful and diplomatic perhaps.

who knows k/kay. people have to kiss up and make nice where they work. IF they WANT to work. gotta play the game….

Kay, I blame AJ.

don’t be touching my AJ, Harry!

Too funny the show will survive and I have fond memories but you never put your eggs in one basket ensemble cast let them all do their magic I would live to enjoy the show again I will give them credit the Alzheimer’s story line is being done very well and with a recast ! Kudos

What they ate:
Genie: Seafood Salad
Frank: Crow

🙂

Ha! Love it!

I wonder if “Crow” is among the Nutrisystem meals that Genie is hawking during the GH commercial breaks? It’s sad that’s the only way we get to see her these days, but maybe there’s hope after all. Still waiting for the “Killer V’s” (Vicki [Dummer, if you can believe it], Varni, and Valentini) mea culpa and that “Laura-centric story.”

Love to see Laura back – if it actually happens. Now they can quit giving all the air time to Frodd & Ava.

Hopefully Laura found her son Lucky while wondering the planet, and he can come back with her, take his job back, and they can lose the idiotic new cop, who apparently was only brought in to prop McVampire 5.0.

I removed GH from my Hulu watch list just this past weekend. I’ll believe it when it happens. GF is a class act. TPTB not so much.

She’s coming back with a SORAS’d Spencer Cassadine for his summer run. In related news, Cameron and Jake will also be aged to interact with Josslyn and Oscar at camp, etc. They will need to limit interaction with Charlotte and Emma though.

Frank can stick up for himself. You don’t need to kiss up. And please tell us, who is to blame for your contract being unfairly and abruptly ended? And when will the power brokers at GH (whoever they are) realize that the fans can make them or break them? If we stop watching, their jobs are over. Soaps are on a tightrope as it is. And there aren’t 1000 other soaps to go to for another job anymore. Bring Genie back, and Rebecca Budig, too. And don’t sign people to long term contracts and then break them because you don’t know how to budget your money.

I’m still pissed that Laura Wright boyfriend, is hired AND given contract

there he was … just as naked as Nathan … as Maxie “has no one else to turn to”

as she’s outside his hotel room.

what was it : no harm no foul… said that twice.

okey dokey whatever… STILL

can’t stud

There is something we are missing here. Genie is in a front burner story getting married to Kevin and running for the mayor, then it is announced that she is taken off contract and abruptly the story changes and she goes off to Spencer. Then you have Frank and Nathan saying that she deserves a front burner story worthy of her talent. So if they are not making the decisions who is? I know networks always say they don’t comment on contracts but there are comments, I don’t get it, does not compute.

I’ll take a Laura storyline any day over a Jason one, after a great start where everyone was included, the jason return is now a total bore, now it’s bout Sam Jason and sorry but together they are a bore , it hurts seeing them on screen and what ever chemo they have is lost on me, plus peter August being Anna’s son is a total bust, Finola is awesome I’m so glad she has a storyline but this one I’m not feeling it.

“…Peter August being Anna’s son is a total bust ”

I just don’t see it either… no matter how they try to give him an “image”

he can’t even act with the ditzy chicks… Lulu and Maxie… NO MATTER how many inroads he makes with these two.

he’s got to act with Finola Hughes and get the audience to buy him

NOT

he sure makes me wish it was Griffin after all… as her long lost son

I would much rather have Tony/Luke back..
Laura is hoo hummm I never cared for the character and she was newbie to me .

Seems she changed her mind, after quitting, then not quitting, because she wasn’t needed so now she most likely has accepted the limited time/appearances she was offered.
(something is better than nothing)

(( and– not everything that goes on behind the curtain, that we’re not privy to, is Frank’s doing.))

A newbie? YOU must be the newbie, su0000! 🙂
Are you privy to the back channel? How? Just curious.

Tony? Luke? Who is he? 🙂 🙂

I don’t think so, su. She’s back and they’re going to make sure she gets a better story than the one they even had planned. Apparently they thought there wouldn’t be much outcry over her “demotion.” Well, after 20,000 signatures on a petition to bring her back they had no choice.

It’s not Genie who quit and changed her mind; she just had to much pride to accept less than she was promised. Now, she’s the victor.

We shall see….

Hi Harry..
No worries.. I felt the love in your post, yes I felt the love ahaa..
thing is.. As most all herein, they have watched GH since day one, Not me..
So, my opinions are not of the same mind-meld.
I react to what is now and not from 5 decades in the past(I wasn’t yet born)
Just keep on trying to understand me lol and know that Laura was a newbie to me, indeed.
And, Laura, bored the bejesus outta me,, 🙂

And, Harry,, enjoy the return of Laura… and I’ll keep you informed of my most valued opinions 🙂

Hey su…

Just so you know. I get why you feel the way you do about Laura. If I didn’t have “history” with her she wouldn’t be must-see TV for me either; as it was her recent stories bored me so I’m hoping they come up with something better/more vital for her character.

My comment to you was about her “quitting/not quitting” changed her mind because of nothing better…THERE I don’t agree.

For the reasons I gave…

We know Su0000, you take every opportunity to remind us that you don’t like Genie. It’s unfortunate that you don’t know the shows history and her contribution to it, but continue to voice your opinion.

hey Justian..
I know absolutely nothing about Genie..
I don’t know if she’s married with kids what size shoe she wears or what she eats for breakfast or where she lives, I have no knowledge of Genie to have an opinion of her….
I said Laura the character, I don’t care for the character..

And, when Laura appeared she was a newbie to me, and many others..
And, the history of Laura is so far in the past that it would not even hold interest to me.. I’m futuristic 🙂

I know the Laura character has many fans and I’m happy they have her back..

Forgive SUooo, for she knows not of what she speaks…..or she doesn’t know for whom she speaks….um….better yet, SUOO doesn’t know what the hell she is talking about. Ignore her, for the sake of your sanity, IGNORE HER!!
Sorry, SUOO, I have grown fond of you much as one would grow fond of festering blister, but really, it’s clear you like to come in here and kick sand in our faces.
No offense., you know I love you.

Su, we agree!

hi Timmm , where yah been lol
We agree! now we can wear matching T’s !

To use your own words, we are not privy to all that goes on behind the scenes – so I do not know where you are getting the information that she has changed her mind accepted the offer of a few episodes that was reported back in January. So you think she’s only going to do 12 episodes in the next year? That’s hardly a major story and it would not satisfy the legions of fans that protested her being taken off contract. As for Luke – there were times that I liked and admired him but those times are over. His ego and arrogance can stay in Amsterdam – Genie Francis is the one I’m interested in watching now. I have loved her from her first days on GH. It’s that history and how her character has evolved over the years that has captivated me and her many fans.

hi Bostonncc ..
My exact words were;
”Seems she changed her mind” seems= having the appearance of, not factual ..
Something changed, she is back 🙂

I was nowhere near a soap opera when Laura was ” catavating fans” lol
I hope for her fans the original deal was changed..

She’s getting a major story?
I can’t imagine what that could be, Spener or Nikols returning with her is all I can think of for a major story ..Nope, that would need a recast of Nikols and no mention of a recasting.
A major story, hmm no idea what that could be about.

It amazes me that we have GH fans that QUIT watching the show because Genie is off the show. The show is not “Genie Hospital!” I watch for ALL the characters, good or bad. I’m a fan of the SHOW. Secondly, what makes Genie interesting now? So she was running for mayor, so what! What, after that? It hasnt helped Ned’s screen time. Heres the thing, I love Tristan Rogers but if he comes back to chew a couple scenes and leave, foget it, dont waste my time. Until Genie is given a good story, dont waste OUR time! PS: I love Jim Harvey!

hey Timmm ..
I agree with you !

Timm, you seem angry. Try decaf!

I see his point, Harry. And I agree. Laura did nothing for me this time around. I was bored. She’s always “welcome” on my screen. But she’s not who I tuned in for and her stories were not compelling. Fact is, with everything that’s happening now with Drew/Franco, Liz/Franco…Sam/Jason, Sam/Drew, Alexis, Julian, Kim, Mike, Anna/Peter/Valentin…I’m interested in these stories. .they’re the stories that I’m loving! I think GH has been great; lots of drama and damn fine acting!

Unless they come up with some story for Genie/Laura that can match those, she’s back burner for me.

It doesnt taste the same!

Hi, Harry!

I quit not only because of how they treated Genie, but because of how they favour the male stars–financially, in terms of story–and over a soap icon. None of them have been on time magazine, yet the show is written around these two men for the most part. And throw in Carly. Since I have grown to detest these characters, why watch a show that doesn’t value the stars that many of us love as much if not more? Genie was fired–12 episodes after breaking a 5 year contract, refusing to speak to her–incredibly disrespectful. If this is truly “General Hospital” then let’s honour that part of the show which is an umbrella for multiple stories and multiple characters including a very popular soap icon. We fought for her back, and hopefully Valentini won’t reneg yet again. She has been badly treated by ABC and GH for decades.

Genie has been partly to blame over the years. Plus, Genie doesnt drive a front burner story anymore. Lulu sucks and Lucky is gone. Sonny, Jason and Carly are connected to many characters with different stories. And, they have focused more on the hospital but the problem is they pull these doctors away from the hospital. Finn and Griffin, are examples. And they need to cleanup the crap and dump Amy. Felix was a much better character.

Timmm…I guess it’s all in how you see it. But out of curiosity why is Genie “partly to blame over the years?” You can only be front burner if the writers give you interesting stories to work with. The way I saw it, it was the Luke and Laura show with he emphasis on Luke. Laura seemed to be second fiddle to a man who at one time raped her. Other times she had to be on the run with him (during which she could be pretty resourceful), or trying to make a home for Luke, Lucky and Lulu. Then add her MIA nervous breakdowns and being institutionalized several times.

So if anything it’s really says something about what she has done in her role as Laura over the years that so many fans were upset by her leaving, how it happened, and really want her back with a front burner story line. Preferably with Kevin. Yea Genie!

Plus I love to dislike Jim Harvey. You have to have a baddie and Greg Evigan is playing him so well. He seems to intersect with almost all of the key characters making for fun drama. I especially like how it’s bringing strange bedfellows together like Franco and Drew and Liz and Sam. Love their scenes together. And don’t mess with Olivia from Bensonhurst, or Ned whose more hard-nosed Quartermain dna is re-emerging when he finds out he was being played by Jim/developer about his real intentions for Charles Street.

Rose, Genie wanted to do other things after her huge success as Laura. It had been written that they wanted/needed her on the show and she declined several times. Every Batman needs a Robin. She was Luke’s sidekick. He was a leading man, she was not a leading women. NOW, she could do that role but honestly, what can she do? If her kids were around it would help. If she were with Jim Harvey versus Kevin, it would be way more interesting.

Timmm…Thanks for the background. Maybe at an early time she wanted to have the Anna and Robert relationship instead of the sidekick they gave her. Who knows what really goes behind tptb vs actress scenes. But II would rather she assumes being Bruce Lee instead of Kato, and goes after Jim Harvey in her own Laura way. :))

I agree, why not tweet that before she had this meeting with Frank. To me, it seems like Genie is sucking up to Frank to get her job back.

or after as a thank you; gotta play the game to stay in it!

I really hope something is in the works to have Genie return as Laura! I’m also happy to hear that she doesn’t blame Frank and that she considers him her champion. That being said, I wonder if Laura couldn’t return to PC after the earthquake to really shore things up for those hit hardest by the quake and become the social activist for the under dogs, etc.??? Just a thought.

Tony Geary has sold his home in Los Angeles and moved permanently to Amsterdam.

This entire situation is a mess! If Frank Valentini is not the demon here…and I’m still not convinced that he isn’t…then who is? ABC has treated Genie Francis and the viewers of General Hospital like dirt. It’s unacceptable. Who are these morons running ABC Daytime? They have no clue.

The lizard will get more air time then she will my dear Genie close the door move on!

lol

” FRANK ”

this is nothing more than an about face. HIS trio of Jason / Drew / Sam has -TANKED-

unless Steve Burton bares all… shows his worth. 3 years of paycheck. GEEZUS.

let’s truly see what he’s about.

this Peter August as Anna son. like all his pets… another one who cannot act.

Carly and Sonny are so done.

PEOPLE : its amazing any one finds Sonny of interest. WATCH him in scenes with Max Gail… Maurice Benard is passing the buck… like he ever had any. to Laura Wright to go down that trail of emotion. as she does his work… at communicating any thing with his dad… EXCELLENT WORK by the way Max Gail.

even Carly doesn’t measure up. but leave it to Frank and Maurice to “call the shots” and that’s acting. dag! you would think when he went to pick up Avery @ Ava. it seems like Sonny does have to machismo… and comes across as near bullying Ava , over their daughter.

it just doesn’t follow. this is horrible stuff

Sonny and Carly

CARLY : don’t bother wearing heals… PICK UP YOU FEET.

Jason and Sam : ugh … long 3 years
Michael and Nelle : they just need to leave

Thank you Frank for nothing

Who knows, maybe someday Maurice Benard and Laura Wright will be shown the door, like Genie was-Luke and Laura were once the focal point of the show for quite some time. I have always been a fan of Maurice, since his All My Children days. I loved when he first entered into Port Charles. Loved him with Brenda, in the ’90’s. As for Laura Wright, could do without the teenage angst/drama/theatrics. I think she’s beginning to believe the hype.

My dream storyline for Maurice is for Sonny to finally meet his maker in a major whodunit storyline. After the funeral, Maurice walks into the MetroCourt lobby to check in. When the clerk asks his name, Maurice replies “Nico Kelly”.

teh-heh

He’s the Executive Producer. He had a say in the matter. So many dropped storylines-all over the canvas, as for Genie (long ago, before Frank) reviving Deception, and of course the Mayoral election. I think Genie is playing the political card.

So happy for Genie and all of us Genie fans I will start watching again this fall.Wooo hooooooooo!

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

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General Hospital

GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

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Patrick J. Gibbons

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.

However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.

Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC

FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG

Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!

Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”

MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).

Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI

PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY

Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”

It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”

A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons

IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”

He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”

Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.

So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)

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Chad Duell, the Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who stepped away from the pivotal role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, opened up about: his previous decision to leave the series after nearly 15 years, where’s he’s at now after time away from the demands of a daytime soap opera, and took a stroll down memory lane with some of Michael’s most-acclaimed storyline during his run, during a livestream chat on August 19 on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Viewers last saw Duell on-screen as Michael in January of 2025, and with his successor in the role, Rory Gibson making his debut at the GH Nurses’ Ball in episodes that aired later in May. It was clear that during the conversation, Chad was a bit surprised that the GH brass decided to recast him when he thought he was just taking some much needed time off.

Burn-out of the daily grind of being on a soap was definitely a part of Chad’s decision to take a break. Duell explained “People know when you’re doing something for so long or your character is kind of in the same place for so long or doing the same stuff over and over again, you do get a a little burnt out, you get a little stiff, stale, a little stiff at times. I didn’t want that to be any sort of lasting impression. I have 15 years of a body of work of I’ve done on that show, which is fantastic.”

Chad Duell

Photo: ABC

WHILE CHAD WAS AWAY GH RECAST MICHAEL CORINTHOS WITH RORY GIBSON

Chad shared, his mindset when leaving GH was, “I’m taking some time away, we’ll see what happens.” Then he added, “Obviously, they decided to go in a different direction with Michael when I was gone. I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”

Duell also shared he has not watched a single episode of General Hospital since he left the series, but now feels he reenergized following the loss of his father and stepping away from the GH, “I’m in a place now mentally, where I’m ready to sink my teeth into it again.”

Courtesy/ABC

Even though he is no longer Michael on GH, Chad was very happy with his final storyline where Michael was set on fire when a bomb exploded at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. “It was fun to put him in a dangerous situation, because I was wanting Michael to be in something scary instead of trying to be a hero character or just things happening around him, but to be the center point of tragedy happening to him. (I always saw) Michael as the heart of the (Corinthos) family.”

When Michael was badly burned the show chose not burn his face, which normally a soap does when they are recasting role and switching actors. Chad weighed-in, “They didn’t burn my face because I told Frank Valentini (EP, GH) I’m willing to come back. It was just a little bit of a break. So, I assumed that if they would have burned my face, they could have brought somebody back looking different than me… if that’s what their plan was.”

Courtesy/ABC

MEMORABLE MICHAEL STORYLINES

One of Chad’s most memorable performances was the in the storyline of Michael’s rape while he was sentenced to prison in 2010 and the confession of it in 2011. “It was so well-written and I was very nervous,” recalled Chad. “When I get really nervous about something, it ends up being really good when I do it, because it just means I care a lot about it”

“I have to put a lot of effort and work into it, and I really want it to be good.  I was working with Dominic  Zamprogna (Dante) and Steve Burton (Jason) a lot during those scenes, and Laura Wright (Carly). It was great working with Steve and Dominic, especially, during that storyline.

A NEW SOAP ROLE FOR CHAD?

As to a future soap opera role, Chad is open to the idea and would love to jump back in to a juicy role, “I know people over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless. They know that if they’re interested, I would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”

Meanwhile, Chad has been busy putting out new music under the moniker Duelly and during the interview he explains how he creates his EDM tracks and much more. You can stream his latest single, Static in the Quiet Room on Spotify, Apple Music and You Tube Music.

You can check out the full conversation with Chad Duell below.

Now let us know: what show would you like to see Chad cast on down the line? BTG, DAYS, B&B, Y&R, or a new role on GH? What did you think of his thoughts on the casting switch while he was away in the role of Michael? What was your favorite Michael storyline during Chad’s 15-year run on the ABC soap opera? Let us know via the comment section.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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