General Hospital
Finola Hughes Expected To Be Off General Hospital for 3 Months While She Directs The Film BYRD AND THE BEES!

PhotoCredit: HutchinsPhoto.com
Finola Hughes, who has been turning in exquisite performances this past week as Anna comes to grips with the fact that Duke Lavery (Ian Buchanan) was shot and killed, will be taking a short leave from General Hospital, according to the latest edition of Soap Opera Digest.
The actress is expected to take three months off of her role on GH this summer to direct her new film, Bryd and the Bees. The film is set to star Jonathan Rhys Meyers which is said to tell the story of struggling author, Rebecca Byrd, who on an impromptu trip to Scotland lives the most romantic story she’s NEVER written.
GH’s head writer Ron Carlivati related to SOD, on working around Hughes short leave: “We worked with that, so you get to see some of what becomes of Anna after Duke dies, and we’re forced to hit the pause button a little bit with Anna Devane, but she will be back, rest assured.”
It remains to be seen if Anna will be written-out for awhile, or if she will be on the canvas but not appearing on-screen.
So, excited to hear Finola will be shooting her new film? How do you think GH will handle her short break from playing Anna? Share your thoughts below!
I will miss Finola during her absence. She always puts forth amazing work!
Wish you well on your project, but hurry back to GH.
i’m happy for Finola, but i hope its not 3 staight months off the air, i was so happy that she was appearing more on screen hopefully if she does go off they will have her finally looking for Robin, Robin needs to tell her mom all the people who have done her wrong so that anna can start getting back at people like Helena and jerry who both have kept robin their prisoner.
I like how you think. Yes, go off and find Robin and bring her home! Kim or some other actress, it doesnt matter at this point!
If she directs a film, its 3 straight months, she cant make a film crew sit around to run back and do GH.
Very impressive…directing Jonathan Rhys Myers…one of my favorite actors! While I’ll miss her character on GH…taking time off to grieve Duke will enable Anna more ready for a new love if they take her down that road. Anything sooner would have been disrespectful to the romance of Anna and Duke.
I’m pretty sure this film will be great..have never seen Myers in anything that wasn’t. Great news…
GH’s cast are very talented in the arts..
It is good that they can do other projects to express their talents..
One should not spend their lives on a soap opera there are other things to do, also ..
Finola will be missed.. but- she will return and that is a good thing ..
I hope they send her to Scotland to lay Duke to rest in his home town.
I second that…
Would have been nice if they’d sent her and Duke off together somewhere. Let’s hope they handle it by giving Anna some hope that he’s alive and sending her to find him!
I second that! If she and IB both needed to exit the canvas to work on her film (IB is in it too) then they certainly could have had Duke & Anna leave together instead of having Duke die so suddenly. Maybe after they were wed. That would have brought in the viewers as much as a funeral.
The only way they can rectify this with legacy fans who are disappointed at yet another legacy character dying is by giving Anna a clue and an inkling Duke is still alive somewhere before she leave for summer.
Since the summer scripts are most likely already in the hopper, I think they could just have her bank some scenes and show them throughout the summer. They did that last summer when TG was off– Fluke showed up in a brief scene here and there– especially since they knew this was coming for a while no doubt. But whether seen or unseen, she will not be forgotten and look forward to seeing the film she is directing when it comes out.
I hope that 3 months goes by quick. Love Anna so much. Hoping Anna can find Robin out there.
Rarely do I get so pissed off about my favorite soap but Finola leaving for three months would have been a perfect excuse not to see her while her and Duke head out of the country. No they had to kill Duke and THEN F with us and think he is alive only to find out it was only a dream of Sonny’s! Terrible. Terrible.
I know, Timmm. She always brightens my heart when I see her. I love her so much…and, will be sorely missed, albeit summer is fast approaching…kids out of school and all…..I hope not to miss much of my soaps.
Hopefully Anna comes back with Robin. Recasted or not. DVR GH and watch it after the kids are fast asleep!
Easier said than done, Timmm. Two hours with my son and I’m exhausted….the kid has more energy than twenty, six-year-olds combined. Thank God for nanny and my family.
I don’t know about a Robin recast. Most fans will be up in arms, no? Robin left soon after I started watching, I don’t know her….so, it makes no difference to me if she is recast. It would be great if Anna comes back with her daughter.
After Jake wakes up from his ‘stupor’, chances are he and a Sam will end up together….all his feelings for her will be flooding back. A double whammy for Lizzie…her deception and her rival Sam. Jake’s shiny perception of Liz will leave a bitter taste in his mouth. Little miss-goody-two-shoes is not at all what she seems. Too bad. I really wanted this relationship to work. Her own fault!!!!!l
The way to Patrick would be open for Robin….not that there would be any doubt he’d go running to Robin, slo-mo, ….so, yes, I’m all for a recast if Kimberly is not ‘available’.
My best friend has a son and she usually watches Y&R around midnight! So I know you got your hands full!
I love Kim playing Robin. She is a rare child actor who got to play her character as an adult and play it well. If Kim doesnt want to return and GH needs the star on screen, thats when I would recast. Your seeing it right now. Robin’s “Uncle Duke” died and Robin is nowhere to be found!
I just like looking at Jakeson and Sam together. They seem like a perfect fit. Plus, they seem to have chemistry and heated passion.
I think Anna should have a show down with Carlos and he ends up dead! So she has to go to headquarters to be questioned & do paperwork and stuff then she says she needs a little break!! By then 3 months will be up before you know it!! We’ll miss you Anna!! They can write a good scene of you having it out with Carlos!!
Didnt u watch the show, thats what happened, she killed Carlos
Thanks GH for permitting Finola maximize her Talents.I am far far away,Philippines but I am religiously following Anna.Canvass please so we won’t miss her!
Can we have a contest to have fans vote for next seasons DANCING WITH THE STARS, soap star dancer. The winner to be announced the first day of the show?
Interesting title. This film will definitely be something to see……especially since it’s set in Scotland.
I will miss her….
Sealbh math dhuit! …. And, Godspeed.!!!!!
I shall miss her loads, too, CeeCee. In addition to Dr. O., she is my favorite over-50 lady on the GH canvas due to her cool, classy, calm and collected presence. Shall be a long summer without her, but I also wish her well! (Seems she shall need it….apparently, JRM has once again fallen off the proverbial wagon, as his disheveled, disgusting self has been photographed staggering around London for all and sundry to see….nice one! Hope his latest drunken escapades don’t interfere with the filming schedule….)
Shay, Shay, Shay…favorite over-50 lady on GH? Does this mean you have over/under 20, over 30, over 40, ladies, girls, men, guys, etc? I think from reading your other comments you meant well, but…:))
@Rose….Well, thank you for the benefit of the doubt! Of course, no harm was intended, I simply was noting that Finola’s absence shall be sorely noticed, not for the least of reasons being that Anna is such a shining example of everything “a woman of that certain age” should be! Except for the character of Dr. O.—as so charmingly portrayed by Kathleen Gati—I find all the other females in Port Charles’ 50-something age bracket to be wanting on so many levels….you already know that I consider Lucy and, most especially Alexis, to be utterly disgraceful!!! (No need to further expound on that thought…..LOL!) Hence, in addition to just outright missing the admirable Anna and all that her character brings to the GH canvas, I shall truly be longing for the tasteful sophistication that is Finola Hughes’ trademark. Her discerning presence is not just welcome, but irreplaceable, as well.
I will miss Finola but wish her well with her new adventure. She was outstanding today with her live performance when she shot Carlos.
I will miss Finola, she is a great actor. Wish her
Luck with the film she is directing.
Hurry back to GH, it won’t be the same without you.
well I think she will come back with a solid strong wowan that always be can’t wait to see more of anna
When will her movie come out we will miss you come back very soon
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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 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 they were previously, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. And 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 2025, and “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, Zamprongna 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?”

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 down 100% to play. “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 and 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? 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 of them for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.
General Hospital
GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

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.
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)

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.”

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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