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General Hospital

Do You Have The "IT" Factor To Get A Role On GH? Casting Director Mark Teschner Fills Us In!

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

General Hospital Casting Director and Daytime Emmy winner, Mark Teschner gives soap fans inside look, and actors who aspire to get a role on the iconic soap, a rundown of what he looks for when casting a role in Port Charles in a portion of his segment which will be seen on tomorrow’s night’s ABC News 20/20 special edition – General Hospital – The Real Soap Dish (9PMEST) with host Katie Couric!

Teschner says you have to have the “It” factor to be cast on General Hospital, and it’s more than just being sexy, beautiful and talented!

The casting wizard’s advice to those who want to get into daytime acting is , “You have to be prepared to bring it, and you better be the best actor you can be, because hundred and hundreds of actors audition for every role.  And it’s not enough just to have a great look, or somebody told you should be on soaps …  I don’t even know what that means!”

Watch the segment with Mark after the jump, then let us know if you think the cast of GH has the “IT” factor? And if you were auditioning for a role on GH, could you bring it?  Plus, was it interesting to listen to Teschner’s advice for that inside perspective?  Weigh-in!

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So…us “ugly” ppl don’t have a chance.

Youd have to put an s&h in front of ‘it’ to describe my looks and no talent…if only Felix could do a makeover on me! Then he’d be forever known as a miracle worker! LMAO!!!

it’s more than “JUST” being…. “sexy” beautiful… Talented”…

COME HITHER…

read my lips… my oscar is within’ reach…..

i’m a show unto myself.

dare say… who deigns to exist with me.

east coast, central…. and Pacific…. shout out….

WRITERS… ????? WTF… ???

I hate to be snarky but I guess Mark was on vacation when they recast Kristina? A very rare casting misfire. You could tell they knew because the actress was hardly airing even when Trey was alive. The actors who play both Rafe & TJ are very good.

She was hardly airing because there was no story for her. They brought her back for the sake of bringing the character on. Waste of Lindsey’s talents.

The soap medium pisses me off with their looks. I’m tired of seeing these unrealistic men and women on my TV screen. Not everyone loves it. He seems so snide to me.

I wish they didn’t recast kids just because they were growing up a little awkward, loved Jake on Two and a Half Men, he was so relatable and funny.

Can someone please direct me… I saw the poster of gh 50th anniversary framed of the georgous “Sonny Corenthois” hope not misspelled. Anyway can not find again evev goggle. I want to purchase. And while I have u wonderful ppl. To talk to is there anyway someone can convience ” sonny to go on dancing with the stars as one of the new cast maybe next yr.!!!! Plz. I am one of his biggest fans can’t go one day without my sonny fix!!! Plx. Convience him! Tks. Wish jason was still there too…. 🙁

Please, how ignorant can one be? He’s hardly a wizard, just got lucky that’s all.

HOW DID KA GET HER JOB NO TALENT OR LOOKS AND THERE BRING HER BACK UGH. KA IS NO STARR

I am LMAO!! She irks me and agree no talent at all..

Casting directors really need to hire more actors of color for leading roles. There is still a serious lack of racial minority actors who portray lead chars. gh’s fictional town is ny based. There really should be more actors of color on gh. These chars of color should be lead roles. My opinion is that most of casting really has to do w/ an actor having the “right look”. Tons of hollywood actors used to model. An athletic scout can’t discover an athlete by going to a mall. While tons of actors are plucked from obscurity bec they have the right physical appearance. No acting experience and training is necessary for actors. Actress quevenzhane wallis portrayed a char from black poverty. Of course they cast a black child actress who is very dark skinned. Actress wallis has never had any acting experience. A child actress w/ no acting experience already has an academy award nod w/c is considered the “highest honor” for hollywood. There really is no acting experience necessary for hollywood. Anyone can act. Anyone can get cast if they have the right look for that role.

My opinion is that a lot of casting has to do w/ preserving the definitions of beauty bec anyone can act if they know their dialogue. The definitions of beauty are being limited by fashion and hollywood. Fashion magazines regularly lighten the skin of women of color. It’s the same w/ promotional pictures from hollywood tv shows. Actors of color are often made to look less like a racial minority when their skin is lightened. Its bec actors of color who are dark skinned and do not have anglo features are often considered ugly for tolerant hollywood’s “beauty standards”. A lot of racial minority actors that are cast tend to appear racially ambiguous and light skinned to conform to hollywood’s white standards of beauty.

hollywood has a horrid track record of awful casting for racial minority roles. Light skinned actress zoe saldana was hired to portray dark skinned nina simone. They didn’t hire a black actress who is dark skinned. They darkened zoe’s skin bec her skin tone can be manipulated. But her facial feautres conform to white standards of beauty compared to other black actresses.

It’s even worse for Asian american actors. The film “dragon ball” cast all the Asian american chars w/ white actors. The film “last airbender” whitewashed the lead roles and only cast dark skinned Asian american actors for villainous roles. The film “all you need is kill” cast tom cruise to portray a char who should be a Japanese soldier. The movie 21 is based on Asian american students from MIT. But majority of the cast was whitewashed. The lead char was portrayed by british actor jim sturgess. Tolerant hollywood would rather hire a dialect coach for sturgess than cast an Asian american actor to portray an Asian american char! It’s bec Asian american actors don’t confrom to hollywood’s definition of leading men. There are still no Asian american actors and actresses who are part of hollywood’s a list!

It really begins w/ the casting and writing for tv shows. There should be more racial minority writers to create racial minority chars. There really should be more racial minority casting directors who cast the right actors of color to portray chars of color.

General Hospital

General Hospital Pays Tribute to Tyler Christopher at End of Episode, ABC Exec Nathan Varni Shares: “You’ll Always Be In Our Hearts”

If you caught the end of the Monday, November 27th Thanksgiving episode of General Hospital, the ABC daytime drama ended the show with a special dedication to Tyler Christopher (ex-Nikolas Cassadine), who passed away on October 31st at the age of 50.

With a very touching title card, and a photo of Tyler from his younger days as the dark prince of the Cassadine clan, it read, “In Loving Memory of Tyler Christopher.”

On Tuesday, November 28th, ABC Current Series executive, Nathan Varni, who oversees Grey’s Anatomy, The Conners, Station 19 and General Hospital for the network, shared on X some additional thoughts on Tyler’s contributions to the GH family.

Photo: JPI

Varni expressed: “This lovely tribute card was shown at the end of yesterday’s episode of GH In loving memory of Tyler Christopher. Thanks for bringing Nikolas Cassadine to life on our screens, you’ll always be in our hearts. RIP.”

Tyler played the role of GH’s Nikolas from 1996–1999, 2003–2011, and lastly from 2013–2016. He also took on the role of Connor Bishop from 2004–2005. The late actor took home the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2016 for his work as Nikolas.

Share your thoughts on GH honoring Tyler at the end of their Thanksgiving episode via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

GH’s Scarlett Fernandez on Charlotte’s Mindset: “She Completely Believes That Anna is Out to Get Her”

Once returning to General Hospital, Scarlett Fernandez (Charlotte) has been involved in a juicy storyline, where an impressionable young Charlotte Cassadine has been persuaded almost brain-washed, if you will, via a letter from Victor Cassadine from the grave.

In it, he implores Charlotte to keep Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) away from her father, Valentin (James Patrick Stuart). So, taking that to heart, Charlotte burned Anna’s house down and much more.  When she gets shot by Anna after intruding into the super spy’s apartment, the stakes get even higher.

Valenin had figured out that Charlotte was stalking Anna and trying to do her harm, but did not inform Anna. That has caused a major rift in their relationship.  Meanwhile, Laura (Genie Francis) and Valentin confronted Charlotte after she returned home from the hospital.

Photo: ABC

In her latest interview with Soap Opera Digest, Fernandez shared on getting to play this kind of story: “It’s definitely an honor because when I was little, I was getting storylines, but this is just crazy! I kind of feel like I’m treated like an adult on the show now, almost, and it’s just been great. I’ve been given great stuff and the fact that Frank (Valentini, EP, GH) and all of his co-workers have trusted me has just been an amazing feeling.”

With everyone confronting Charlotte on her dirty deeds against Anna, and her denying it, Fernandez weighs-in on just where Charlotte is at this point in her mind: “I think that she definitely realizes that the people around her don’t believe her and don’t trust her and I think that really frustrates her because she completely believes that Anna is out to get her. So that (the adults in her life don’t believe her) is hard for her.”

Photo: ABC

There is also burgeoning chemistry between Jake (Hudson West) and Charlotte! So what does Fernandez think of that? Is she using him, or could be the beginning of young love? She expressed: “I think it’s definitely a little bit of both. I think that maybe she and Jake are partners-in-crime, but I also think that Jake has or will have a good influence on her. She just really needs someone to be there for her and for her to be able to confide in and I think that he has been that.”

So, have you been enjoying Scarlett’s performances as a troubled Charlotte? Would you like to see Jake and Charlotte have a ‘date’? Do you think Charlotte needs deprogramming to help her out of the grip that Victor has on her; as she believes Anna is the cause of all the trouble that will come her father’s way, if she doesn’t find a way to get rid of her? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

Soap Stars and Notables Participate in the 91st Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade (Photos)

Sunday night in tinseltown, it was time for the 91st anniversary of the Hollywood Christmas Parade, which has become an annual tradition featuring soap stars and other celebrities from primetime, movies, music, and sports as thy drive down famed Hollywood Boulevard amongst floats and musical performances.

While many attended the live event, viewers around the country will be able to see the taped version of the parade on Friday, December 15th when it has its first airing on The CW in a two-hour special starting at 8 pm ET/PT.

Taking part in the festivities were: General Hospital’s Tajh Bellow (TJ), The Bold and the Beautiful’s Kimberlin Brown (Sheila), Ashley Jones (Bridget), Denise Richards (ex-Shauna), and Naomi Matsuda (Li), Days of our Lives stars, then and now, including: Deidre Hall (Marlena), A Martinez (ex-Eduardo), Stephen Nichols (Steve), Brant Daughtery (ex-Brian), and Jen Lilley (ex-Theresa), The Young and the Restless’ Kate Linder (Esther) and former star Tatyana Ali (ex-Roxanne), The Bay’s Kristos Andrews (Peter/Adam) and Maxwell Caufield (Sir Thomas Kenway), plus As the World Turns Ming Na Wen (ex-Lien) and more.

In addition, iconic dancer/singer and choreographer, Paula Abdul was the recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year, while Dean Cain, Erik Estrada, Laura McKenzie, Montel Williams along with guest host, Elizabeth Stanton, called the Sunday-after-Thanksgiving tradition from different locations around the parade route.

Now below, check out some of the snaps from the 91st annual Hollywood Christmas Parade featuring some of your soap favorites.

Photo: JPI

Wow! Marlena and Sheila together for the first time! Imagine if Marlena as the MarDevil met up with Sheila Carter and caused all sorts of havoc from Salem to Los Angeles? Crossover? Here’s Deidre Hall and Kimberlin Brown getting into the holiday spirit.

Photo: JPI

Reunited and it feels so good? Remember when Daytime Emmy-winner, A Martinez came to Salem to play Eduardo Hernandez, father to Gabi, Rafe and Dario? Now, A can be seen in The Bay. Meanwhile, Stephen Nichols continues to keep on keepin’ on as Salem’s “Patchman”.

Photo: JPI

GH’s Tajh Bellow with his lady love actress Lauren Speights.

Photo: JPI

Giving us some Christmas wrapping vibes, The Bold and the Beautiful’s Naomi Matsuda (Li).

Photo: JPI

Always ready for the holidays is former Days of our Lives star, Jen Lilley (ex-Theresa).

Photo: JPI

Former ‘Bold and Beautiful’ star, Denise Richards (ex- Shauna) dressed in the holiday spirit.

Photo: JPI

There is no doubt! Our pick for ‘Best Dressed’ has to go to General Hospital’s Josh Kelly (Cody). I mean, how can you top that for being in the ‘Christmas Spirit’?

Photo: JPI

Humanitarian of the Year recipient, Paula Abdul.

Photo: JPI

Former As the World Turns Star Ming-Na Wen (ex-Lien Hughes) ready for the holiday season.

Photo: JPI

Brant Daughtery brought along his young son, and wife Kimberly, who is expecting their second child.

Photo: JPI

Maxwell Caufield who will soon appear in the latest season of The Bay, looking ‘Christmas’ dapper.

Photo: JPI

Ready for winter, and dressed in holiday white, Y&R’s Kate Linder.

So, who’s holiday outfit from their appearance in the Hollywood Christmas Parade, did you think was the best? Let us know via the comment section.

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