General Hospital
Access Hollywood Chats It Up with General Hospital's Emme Rylan and Kathleen Gati!

Courtesy/AccessHollywood
Access Hollywood’s Sharon Spaeth was on the set of General Hospital earlier this week for the 13,000 episode celebration and had a few moments to pull none other than Emme Rylan (Lulu) and Kathleen Gati (Liesl Obrecht) into the GH wardrobe department to get some face time in this video interview with the two talented ladies from Port Charles!
During the conversation, Kathleen reveals how she first found out that none other than the evil Dr. O was going to end up being Chief of Staff at General Hospital! Plus, Emme discusses the difficulties she faced replacing Julie Marie Berman in the role of Lulu Spencer Falconeri!
But, what of that dark secret that Dr. Obrecht is carrying around? That Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) baby Ben is actually the bio-child of Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) and Lulu, whose marriage fell apart because they thought they lost the only baby they can ever have, when it was revealed baby Connie, now baby Georgie, was actually Spinelli (Bradford Anderson) and Maxie’s (Kirsten Storms)! Oh, what a tangled web!
Watch this very cute and engaging interview with Emme and Kathleen after the jump! Then, let us know what you thought about their comments!
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom

This week on all-new episodes of General Hospital, the race is on! Can Lulu (Alexa Havins) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) get to Rocco (Finn Carr) and Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) in time to ensure their safety from Cullum (Andrew Hawkes)? Can Carly (Laura Wright) with the help of her brother, Lucas (Van Hansis) rescue Josslyn (Eden McCoy) from captivity at Wyndemere? These questions may be answered, plus the return of the one and only Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) are on tap!
In the just released General Hospital spoilers video for the week of June 22-26, Lulu tells her mother, Laura (Genie Francis), “Dante and I have to get to Rocco before Cullum!” Meanwhile, Rocco (Finn Carr) looks angered and emotional as Britt walks through their cabin hideout. Does Rocco know his parents are on the way to find them, or has Cullum already tracked them down to the British Virgin Islands?
Back in Port Charles, Carly is informing Lucas that his niece, “is a WSB agent.” She knows Josslyn (Eden McCoy) is being held against her will at Wyndemere, and she has to find a way to get her out. Lucas agrees with Carly’s plan of, “We go in and we don’t leave without Josslyn!” Elsewhere, Josslyn is looking worried for her future as she is stuck in captivity thanks to Cassius, Cullum and Sidwell!

Courtesy/ABC
FINOLA HUGHES RETURNS
The final moments of the teaser promo reveal Anna in a psychiatric clinic in France. We have not seen her for months after Cullum, Sidwell and Pascal fed her hallucinogenics to make her believe her arch nemesis, Cesar Faison was alive!
Now, the doctors walk towards her hospital bed, where we see the super spy calmly knitting. Is Anna back to normal and playing everyone to get out of her predicament, or does she still remain deeply traumatized … or both?
Take a look at the rest of the official GH spoilers for the week below.
MONDAY, JUNE 22
Willow gets an unwelcome surprise. Trina sticks to her guns. “Nathan” wants reassurance. Ethan advises Ava. Brook Lynn receives an update.
TUESDAY, JUNE 23
Dante cautions Liz. Laura learns a secret. Brook Lynn confides in Michael. Sonny challenges Ava. Chase makes a decision.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
Anna meets with her doctor. Carly makes a stunning confession. Britt extracts a promise. Cullum pulls a fast one. Gio and Emma hit the pool.
THURSDAY, JUNE 25
Josslyn clashes with Cassius. Lulu and Dante make a discovery. Chase receives a warning. Jordan seeks help. Alexis is summoned to the PCPD.
FRIDAY, JUNE 26
Anna takes a huge risk. Britt is in grave danger. Willow is in disbelief. Danny must act fast. Curtis jumps to the wrong conclusion.
Check out the latest General Hospital promo entitled, “Rescue Mission” below.
Now weigh-in: Do you think Anna is still mentally off-balance, or OK, and just pretending to be troubled to get out of France and get back to Port Charles? Will Josslyn finally be rescued, or will Carly and Lucas find themselves locked up with her? And, who will get to Britt and Rocco first? Cullum, or Dante and Lulu? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.
General Hospital
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric

With the highly-anticipated returns of Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) on this week’s June 24 episode of General Hospital, Steve Burton’s (Jason Morgan) upcoming return on July 13, which also serves as the ABC daytime drama’s 16,000 episode, things are about to fire on all cylinders in the story, as noted today by series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).
On Father’s Day, the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor and mental health activist took to his Instagram and expressed in a video that he has some unbelievable upcoming senes with the aforementioned Burton and Hughes. Add to that Nazneen Contractor (Justine Turner) and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), where Benard gave credit where credit is due to the GH writing team, which is led by co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten..
In this video, Benard said, “I just want to get on here and say that I did some work with Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Rick Hearst, Nazneen Contractor, and they’re all just fantastic. Truly fantastic. But, I want to say the writing was just exceptional. It truly was. It was exceptional. So, thankful for that kind of writing. I know writers don’t get the credit a lot, but I just want to say to the General Hospital writing team, keep rolling!”
GENERAL HOSPITAL PREVIEW
So now the question becomes, with a major tease like that, what is about to go down between Sonny, Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric? Will we finally get to the end of the line for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), as previously teased by the GH co-head writers? Will we learn what happened to Jason and Anna, fully? Will Justine and Sonny becomes closer or stop their liaisons? And what of Ric? Will he be true blue to his brother or double-cross him? There is a lot at stake as we move further into the summer and one that looks like it could be one of the more exciting ones in years!
FINOLA HUGHES CONFIRMED AMAZING SCENES WITH MAURICE BENARD
As a punctuation point to his video, Benard also shared this written message in the post: “I just did some wonderful scenes with Steve Burton, Rick Hearst, Finola Hughes and Nazneen Contractor and and unbelievable writing, freaking amazing scenes that you will see in the near future on General Hospital.” In fact, Finola Hughes jumped in the post comment thread and responded, “I loved our scenes so much xxx”
Fans will most likely see all the scenes Benard referred to later in July, since GH tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.
So, are you excited to see what Maurice is talking about? Are you hyped for what’s to come on GH? Any clue on what you think will go down between the main characters on the soap with the returns of Anna Devane and Jason Morgan to the mix? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Announces Upcoming Release of His First Single, ‘If You Need Me’

In a surprise move, Daytime Emmy winner, Chad Duell (ex-Michael Corinthos, GH) is getting ready to unveil a new chapter of his career in music.
The former GH star, where he played the son of Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) for 15 years, has announced his new single, “If You Need Me” will drop on Friday, June 26. The single is now available for pre-order on Spotify and major music streaming platforms and is distributed by DistroKid.
Taking to his Instagram story over the weekend, to announce the pre-save of his new single, Chad expressed, “I’ll make a full post about what I’ve been up to and my music once it goes live next week, but you can pre-save my first single so it goes straight to your Spotify once it drops next week.”

Photo: CDuellIG
SINCE LEAVING GENERAL HOSPITAL
Previously, since his departure from the ABC soap opera. Chad starred alongside Zach Mendez in the world premiere of of Yum Yum at Annapolis, a new play written by Bruce Reisman. Duell last appeared on General Hospital on the January 21, 2025 episode.
The part was recast with Rory Gibson who debuted as the new Michael in May of 2025 during the Nurses’ Ball episodes and who has remained in the role since that time.
In an interview earlier this year on The Able Show, Duell said on his decision to exit the soap opera, “I was blessed to be part of that (show) for as long as I have, but what happens sometimes is if you’re doing the same thing, especially in a creative field for such a long time, you can get a little burnt out in a way. It can make you a little depressed, so that’s kind of what happened. On top of that, I had other things going on in my life at the time. My father passed away recently and I just needed a reset. So, I stepped away. A lot of times you have to go through some stuff to really step into that next level. I needed to kind of feel uncomfortable.”
So, what type of musical genre will Chad’s new song be? Country? Pop? Rock? Dance/Club? Something else? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below, and if you are eager to hear the new single next week via the comment section below.
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I know some fans arent but im ok with Emme as Lulu and Kathleen Gati…a Star is Born…she is my favorite Queen Of Mean!!!
Meanwhile, is Jerry Jax going to kidnap Robin again? If Luke is buried in that grave…wouldnt he have suffocated by now…where does Carly go potty being tied up so long;she’s going to need a change of undies, lol…i see Victor Cassidine comes back Fri!!!
LOL– I always think the same thing when people are held captive on soaps– like Robin when she was in that lab for or when Duke was tied up with Dr. O in the cave at Nicholas’ home— where or how do these people go to the bathroom.? Now I do realize soap time is different than our time, meaning what might play out on screen over days our time in their reality might be only a few hours, like Nicole and Fr. Eric in the basement but still??? And have you noticed for the most part their hair remains clean and neatly brushed– oh well– just be glad our television sets don’t have a smell feature.
It was Victor, not Jerry…
Then if not Luke…since he is at sanitarium…then may Carly will be buried in that grave like i originally thought and this is when Shirley Jones guest stars?
Victor head of the wsb does explain how Dr.O became head of the hospital…Victors sinister plot to take control of PC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So Victor kidnaps Robin to have her attempt to bring Helene and Stravos back from the dead!!!!!!
What a great interview! Loved it! Love them! Love GH! Love this site! Love you, Michael! Love, Love, Love!
great!
Kathleen Gati (Dr.Liesl Obrecht) and Roger Howarth (Franco)
are the two most exciting, intriguing, intense, awesome characters with General hospital !!
I can’t get enough of either of them..
both portray their characters with excellence… BRAVO !!
luv.. DrO and FrancO … !!!
I agree 100%, we need to see more of them.
I don’t know how you could compare a talent like Kathleen Gati to Roger Howarth. She is a total pro with so much range of emotion and so much nuance to he performance and she elevates the actors around her.
Howarth is a one note actor who has one tool in the tool box. Twicth, tick, stutter, physically flail around and chew the scenery. He gives other actors no room as he lights his hair on fire in every scene. There is no comparison between the two.
@GH.
I’m noticing that… more and more… his physical ‘ ity… emoting… and he drudges out his dialogue….
it’s kinda like huh? where is this coming from? why?
he’s cute, sexy for his sake… and it’s a little long in the tooth.. if you will… how he’s soapbox ing…. I would never hurt Carly… and LOL…. poor Carly.. is it worth cheering for her at this point?
for the sake of her kids… damn them… for getting in the way… it’s her way or the high way… yawn… carly being carly… girl gets what she wants….
at least… we’re not seeing her scream.. about her kids….
even ditzy Heather… with her ruination… is still alluring and captivating enough… that she’ll talk circles around… ” but , it’s Carly”
there’s no comparison… Kathleen Gatti’ Dr. O… is mainstream… and has brought so much potential… with her all that
what to do with Franco… watching him and silas … with conjoined jail cells….
ugh! i’m certain… Kiki will rally these two….
Yikes… ! the three amigos… fool us again
I love Dr. O!!!
Great interview. I had no idea the actress who plays Obrecht was not German. My only complaint (not about the interview or the actresses) is that the writers/ producer etc are being very unfair to Leslie Charleson. Why can’t they give her more of a part. I’m surprised she does not quit. And though it’s rather funny having Obrecht as the head. How stupid is that? It’s not a comedy show, but that’s what it’s become. Everything is implausible.
The female joker! What a sad joke GH has become.
I like Dr.O…my current favorite daytime villain…i do agree that ‘seems’ stupid she is head of the hospital but there is more to this story than her just getting a job…just gotta wait and see how it plays out!!! I do wish they give Leslie more of a story…hope they ring on Nina’s father and it turns out he was an old flame of Leslie’s before she came to Port Charles…Leslie became pregnant by him but put the baby up for adoption…he and his wife adopted that girl and it turns out to be Nina but he never told his wife he is really Ninas father and Leslie was the mother…i would love Oltl actor Jerry Dorn to play the father!!!
bring not ring…lol
Who is Nina?
I meant Monica, not Leslie…
MONICA! not Leslie…ok Leslie C. plays Monica…i meant Monica…dont want some to think i meant Leslie played by Denise Alexander, who by the way could be doing more too…like in scenes with Lulu instead of just bein Spencers babysitter!!!
I agree, Denise Alexander could do more too. I don’t know if she just wants to work once in a while or wants more work, but I get the impression Leslie Charleson wants more work. Having Obrecht the head of GH is beyond stupid. And I hate Cassadine story lines (meaning the evil ones, not Nicholas) So I guess that guy is going to kidnap Robin. Stupid, but not as dumb as Obrecht at GH. While the actress is talented and funny, I think spinning her off in a comedy soap would be better. Some humor on a soap is good. Cioming from Luke, fine. TRacy fine. But having the hospital itself the comedy, then you have to change the type of show. Maybe we can get OLTL and AMC back on ABC if they become funny. Maybe Obrecht can become a neighbor in Pine VAlley. A competitor of Adam’s company or take over Erika’s empire. Maybe she could start another newspaper i Lllanview. But head of GH = no.
Well, Leslie’s not on contract, so she could do other projects if she wanted to. I’m sure she appreciates having the job, at this stage in her life, even though she’s not on that often. But I agree…they haven’t been fair with her. I’d love to see her in a different S/L away from the hospital, maybe getting involved at ELQ with Tracy, but the show is juggling so many stories right now that they’re not doing justice to half of them.
And I agree…this whole COS storyline is THE most implausible I’ve seen in a long time!
I don’t know if the writer is male or female from your users name, but “I’m sure she appreciates a job at this stage of her life..” What about Tony Geary who does whatever he wants on GH and is on or off as he chooses. They just brought in some new Cassadine guy. I have seen his face and heard his name in soap magazines but have never watched anything he’s in. He looks older than Leslie Charleson. Just because she’s not young there are many story lines good writers could manage. I don’t know what COS means. This writers PTB do not respect older women.
I miss Monica Q, too!
Lin…I’m a woman just a couple years younger than Leslie, so I know of what I speak when I said she must appriciate a part-time job at her age, and a good one at that.
FYI, Leslie Charleson and Thaao Penghlis are both 68 and Tony Geary is 66…same as me.
I know I wouldn’t want to be working full time at my age and consider myself lucky to be retired! 🙂
I love dr. o. I’m so happy, she is staying on gh. she is a wonderful actress.
Love Emme as Lulu! I hope fans start to warn up to her! No she is not Julie Marie Burman, but that is fine with me! I liked JMR, but loving the feminine touch that Emme has given to Lulu! Now if only she and Dante could reunite! Oh, and Dr. O is one of my favorite daytime villains tied with DAYS’s Nick Fallon!
If people haven’t warmed up to her in a year it’s not going to happen. BTW the feminine touch? really? JMB dressed way better than ER does.
JMB… has the bodacious… “BOD” to pull off ANY thing…. man… woof! through the roof HOT! when she gussies up and make ups her hot to trot!
recall her this past year at the emmy’s: when she won… that dress… hair up with make up…. dang!
you know how it goes…. Fans.. have no choice… but.. to let the shows… carry on… recasts are
I have accepted emme rylan as
she’s by all appearances more feminine and dolled up….
she’s smaller, petite… and wheres those puffy sleeve shirts alot… to hide her stick arms
I just wish… the mindset of our lovely females…
please gain some weight…. it’s OK
I agree Phil…that’s what I said on another post…Julie Berman was more of a tomboy.
Kathleen Gati’s beautifully crafted Dr. Obrecht has proven a worthy opponent for Finola Hughes Anna. Not only is she a wonderful addition to the cast, she is a warm and genuinely charming woman in person. Definitely a keeper.
what a delight… to see how animated… Ms. Gatti is
as she, and others have coined…. it’s truly a symbiotic relationship
when a newbie takes off and helps FIYAH our shows…. I couldn’t be happier that she enervates herself… as an actor… and the audience feasts
trust us, Kathleen! you as well… are a highlight of General hospital
————-
Emme Rylan… hang in their… trials and tribulations abound….
Newbies are to be commended, when your acting contributes… some more than others… but… it all comes together
What is FIYAH?
Hope your the same Lin who asked me who Nina is…i dont know if you have or havent been watching lately but Nina is currently the unseen wife of Silas Clay who is accused of allegedly putting his wife in a coma…some of us believe its his lookalike brother Stephan who is responsible for Nina’s coma…Stephan is Silas’s brother who was on the show over a year ago who may or may not be a vampire?
Thanks. Yes, I am the same Lin. I guess I’m stupid as I still don’t know what FIYAH is. My understanding is that Leslie did want to work full time. I didn’t think of his wife in a coma when she was just referred to as Nina, but yes, I do know who she is now. I’m not a fan of the Stephan Clay/vampire/or not story line. I stopped watching whatever that show was they were on (can’t remember right now) when the vampire storyline started. Not into it at all. The character of Silas is not acting like an innocent man. I’m not a big fan of Silas. He’s not very likable or lovable, though had been improving until this storyline. He is not acting the way most people would act, faced with that situation. His reactions to me are not believable, especially for an innocent man.
@Lin….That would be “fire”…..fueled by the highest octane!!! Kind of like sizzling to the nth degree….at least that is my interpretation!!!! ; )
Some of the best soap actors were at one time a recast of their characters.
Fun interview!!! Liked them together! Kathleen is a delight off screen as is Emme (I’d seen her interviewed before)!
I am a big fan of Dr O but was not happy to see her as Chief of Staff. I wish that TPTB could have found a better way to keep her on GH. KG exudes so much charisma and warmth. I am a fan.
I totally agree. The actress is totally different than I expected. There is room for humor in a soap. But I don’t see this character in the hospital. Perhaps in a David Hayward (from AMC) role where she develops crazy things but not as head of the hospital.
Replacing Lulu was going to be difficult but in the hands of this talented actress was done with ease! Ms. Gait is a find! A villain that they just don’t make anymore. Glad she is sticking around!
It seems Ms. Rylan is trying way too hard to convince the audience that she has chemistry with Dominic Zamorogna. It’s just not their, IMO. Hoping Frank and Ron move Lulu in another direction AWAY from Dante.
I had that distinct distinct impression also. Thanks for confirming my thought.
The actress is doing the best she can but she’s just not Lulu. I understand she didn’t even audition for the role.
@Harry-Regarding the current occupant of the role of L. That is correct. The recast did not go through the audition process nor was she required to do a screen test with Mr. Zamprogna.He informed us at a fan event the weekend of March 9, 2013, he had not even met her in person. The first time they met face to face was their first day of taping together on March 18th (as I remember from an interview published later).
Agree. When I heard that I was like “what chemistry?” I certainly didn’t feel it.
Ditto.
Ditto. Truthfully never have felt it.
Dr. O was fun as Faison’s side kick but a little Dr. O goes a long way. She’s like a jalpeno pepper that way.
Over using her is like over using Fonzie, and hence begs the over used phrased, they’ve jumped the shark. Having her become a cartoon villain ruins the character’s mystique. I am glad Ron is having a lot of fun playing Batman with his characters, but he’s entered the land of cartoons and doesn’t seem to know how to write a daytime drama.
I agree.
her “MEAN”ingful looks… and shrill caricature… is villian’ness… and intent
but… let’s not get too cartoonish…. i’d hate to see Ms. Gatti go by the wayside… like the ruination… of Heather Webber
I love you Robin Mattson
these two… are meant to savor and stratosphere witty
I love them still
Love, love, love Kathleen Gati!!!!!
I like Emme Rylan a lot more after that interview and hearing her express her excitement and dedication to the character of Lulu. I thing she’s doing a great job, I’d wondered if she was really giving it her all, now I think she is but that being said Julie Berman is a much stronger, emotionally charged believable actress and if the show ever had the opportunity to have her reclaim LuLu, I think they should jump on it. Just saying… I know this is off topic but I have to throw it out there every so often, Sarah Brown. Never stop calling her GH!!! Create a new character and make an offer that she can’t refuse.