General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL 56th Anniversary Episode: Gail’s Final Wish Brings Remembrances & Touching Moments
Simple two-person scenes that most soap opera fans long for were the order of the day in a special love letter to longtime viewers tied with a nice bow, as well as saying goodbye to the beloved Susan Brown (Dr. Gail Baldwin). The actress passed away at the end of August of last year.
Using the history of many iconic characters relationships that are still on the canvas decades later, General Hospital celebrated its 56th anniversary with the airing of this special standalone episode on Tuesday.
In story, Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) has gathered everyone that Gail has requested to be present at the hospital to honor her final wishes. So, Scott (Kin Shriner), Franco (Roger Howarth), Laura (Genie Francis), Lesley (Denise Alexander), Bobbie (Jackie Zeman), Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) Monica (Leslie Charleson), Kevin (Jon Lindstrom), Lucy (Lynn Herring), Maxie (Kirsten Storms), Mac (John J. York), Felicia (Kristina Wagner), Sonny (Maurice Benard), Carly (Laura Wright) and Julian (William deVry) all wind up together at a nurses’ station.
Alexis explains the task at hand at Gail’s request that has each of them receiving a piece of the original blueprint of the hospital. Next, each person is to go to that location and find an envelope with their name on it and then return to the nurses’ station. And from there, the story unfolds, putting former enemies, painful memories, and heartfelt enduring relationships to the forefront.
Courtesy/ABC
First, we find Lesley Webber and her longtime nemesis Monica Quartermaine going at in the locker room looking for their envelopes, which featured Lesley calling Monica “a slut” for ole’ time sake! Next, Bobbie and Felicia find their envelopes by the wall of photos which brings back B.J.’s death and Maxie’s heart transplant that saved her life.
We then find Lucy going through some of her Nurses’ Ball gowns and Monica happens by. Lucy finds a pocket square of Dr. Alan Quartermaine, and then tells Monica how badly she feels that she treated so bad, and that Alan would want his true love, Monica, to have the pocket square.
This episode though, truly belonged to Kin Shriner, who brought the anguish of a grown-up son now having lost both his parents. =When Scott sees Laura, she is trying to help him figure out his piece of the blueprint. He shares that he remembers Gail dragging him back to Port Charles kicking and screaming, but how if it was not for her, Laura would have never been in his life. When Laura finds the envelope meant for him, he shares that he hopes it contains advice about how to continue on without Lee (the late Peter Hansen) and Gail.
Courtesy/ABC
Then, in a hankie-inducing moment, Franco apologizes to his dad for working undercover with Jordan and not telling him. Scott understands, as it reminds him of how he treated his parents in much the same way. An emotional Scott tells Franco he loves him and he will never turn his back on him. Because of Franco, Scott now understands what his own parents went through and the two men hug, sort of.
CourtesyABC
At the hospital chapel, Sonny and Laura talk about how she knew that the mobster was a good guy right from the start, and the two touch upon their mental health issues. Maxie thanks Mac for being there as her father, while Mac says he never thought he would be a stay-at-home dad, but wouldn’t have traded that experience for anything.
Epiphany and Liz have a nice moment about the nursing profession and being there for each other, Carly tells Bobbie she’s pregnant, Julian and Alexis share a close moment. And later, Scott and Bobbie discuss their past which ends in a friendly hug. Also, Sonny comes down the hospital stairs and looks up and see the Stone Cates Memorial plaque in remembrance of the fight against HIV/AIDS and a nod to that landmark storyline on GH.
Kevin and Lucy cross paths, and he clarifies he loves Laura. Lucy says even still she will stand by him. When they go to the hospital chapel to find the envelope for Kevin, Laura is there waiting. Lucy bows out. Kevin says he will always love Laura.
Once everyone returns to the nurse’s station with their envelopes, it’s time they open it at the same time. But what was in it? Confetti! When Alexis reads more of Gail’s letter, she tell everyone that they all need to carry if forward, and do some amazing things. and Gail thanks them for coming and being her friend.
Courtesy/ABC
Just then, Scott leaves the group and walks to the GH memorial wall and unveils a photo of Gail. What followed was a montage of many of the moments discussed earlier in the two-person scenes, which was a clever way to let the characters and the dialogue speak for themselves, and go to the clips at the end of the episode.
How nice it was to see moments with Kin Shriner, Genie Francis, Jackie Zeman, Denise Alexander, Leslie Charleson and many more!
What did you think of GH’s 56th anniversary episode? What did you think of the performance of Kin Shriner? Genie Francis. etc? Share your thoughts and review via the comment section below. But first, watch the final emotional moments and montage of the 56th anniversary episode below, as the song “Good Times” an original composition by Becky Shaheen and Gavin Linnahan, written for this standalone episode, accompanies the action.
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Gail went through all that trouble, writing up her fjnal wishes, in her will, keeping everyone in suspense for weeks, only to throw a bunch of glitter at several people she hadn’t seen in years? Dumb. But Kin Shriner and Genie Francis were awesome. Love those two. They are the reasons why I started watching GH in 1978.
Nor had she met her grandson, Dumbo, er, I mean Franco, who was dancing around trying to catch the confetti.
@Harry….She might as well have “glitter-bombed” that clueless crowd who didn’t even realize they’d been had until the very end. And all to provide Franco’s highly-contrived confetti moment which remains to be surpassed only by his skillfull rendition of munching on “air popcorn!” Remember that dramatic gem????
I agree Joe. For obvious reasons, this was Scottie’s episode, and Kin proved it by his performance. Like everyone else in the late seventies, I was glued to my TV everyday after school, during the Luke and Laura years. Due to work, and losing interest, I gave up in the mid-eighties. I started watching the anniversary shows at the 50th, just to see ( not to sound morbid ), the the vets that are left, and to see if the ones who are gone are mentioned. When Scottie uncovered Gail’s picture, I was hoping the camera would do a quick… Read more »
Overall, it was a touching episode. Great to see the interactions.
No need for Julian to be there, however. They could have had Alexis flashbacks if they included the more logical Ned.
And did we really need Laura to prop up Sonny? Would rather have had her in a scene with Bobbie.
Otherwise, the stroll down memory lane was nice for us long time viewers.
Touching at times, yet still woefully inadequate! Where to begin, where to begin??? Well, I will take your cue, Steve, and go with the most obvious flaw in this whole episode. As you pointed out, there was absolutely no need for Julian’s clearly out-of-place presence! It was just another transparent excuse concocted to promote a “Julexis” re-coupling, which quite frankly, always brings a dirty, raunchy vibe to any scenario! Hardly the appropriate emotion to be included in a purported salute to a classy, highly-respected, dearly-departed member of the GH staff! Sorry, but are we really expected to buy into the… Read more »
The Sonny propping continued on Thursday with Epiphany singing his praises. This is the same man who is in many ways responsible for her son’s death! Ugh!
What’s next? Scotty and Sonny playing cards? Monica and Sonny doing a duet at the Nurses Ball?
Yep, Shay and Steve, Epiphany treats Sonny like he’s a hero and she treats a truly good guy, DR Kevin Collins, like he’s the Devil incarnate.
Epiphany irritates me with her misplaced angry, moral indignation.
@Steve…A more appropriate storyline would have seen Monica and Epiphany forming a support group for all the mothers who’ve lost children at the hands of Sonny Corinthos and his minions!
I enjoyed the show for the most part, but couldn’t they have included at least one clip of Gail. Was it necessary for Sonny, Franco, and Julian to be there?
Right? It was supposedly all about Gail and yet it wasn’t. SMH.
I agree Davy. Although I liked this episode better than last year’s anniversary, I wish it included clips of Gail.
No, no and NO! And your’re so right, Davy! How could it be that the “woman of the hour,” Dr. Gail Adamson-Baldwin didn’t rate even one video appearance? Whilst her photograph on the wall of GH honor was a fitting reminder of this beautiful character and the equally-lovely actress who portrayed her, it was extremely curious that she was not represented more prominently in this episode. Unless I missed it, there wasn’t even an “In loving memory” tag dedicated to this very special lady….how strange!
The “In Memory of Susan Brown” was shown at the end of an episode months ago.
Thank you for the information, Joe. I thought that was most likely the case, but given this special episode was one which no doubt attracted a wider audience than this soap does on a regular daily basis—i.e., a lot of former GH fans tuned in to see their old favorites—-I expected a bit more than the perfunctory unveiling of a photograph of Gail/Miss Brown. I especially would have appreciated video footage of her ever-elegant character interacting with the featured legacy players taking part in this 56th anniversary salute, as that would have very nicely tied this episode together with a… Read more »
I loved it but yes, the scenes between Monica and Lesley were the best.
They were also the saddest….watching those two laboring down the hallway like little old ladies made for difficult viewing. On the other hand, it was too comical to have them still rehashing old grievances…especially when Lesley couldn’t resist calling Monica a “slut” for the umpteenth time for good measure! Given the conduct of more modern GH-ers, Dr. Quartermaine was a real piker in sexual licentiousness!!! (Just compared to that floozy Lucy Coe alone! And what about Bobbie???)
thought I was one of the best anniversary shows yet !
Thought it was the best anniversary show they have done
It always baffles me. If they CAN write classic soap opera that is moving, and emotional, and true to history…why don’t they???? They trot out the vets once or twice a year for these special episodes…when that’s who they should be writing for and focusing on all along! The scenes are richer and Fuller with the vets. Don’t get me wrong…I think the Ryan killer story was for the most part very layered and well written. I get why Ava had to be front and centre! But this story should have been full of Lucy and Scott and Mac and… Read more »
Well said, Colin. I so agree with you! It was so good seeing the old faces that I grew up watching every afternoon when I got home from school. It’s proven over and over, the shows that discard their veteran actors and bring on a bunch of newbies, always create fan backlash. When will the producers learn???
The writing wasn’t brilliant, but the delivery by those stellar actors sure was! I was expecting clips earlier in the show and so was a little disappointed at first. But the acting! Those pros really delivered and made me feel like I had seen what they were talking about from all those years ago; years before I started watching. That’s talent!
Congratulations to all who participated in that episode for such compelling work!
Here’s to 56+ more years, GH!
@Rodd….Having video clips interspersed throughout the show when the actual characters were referencing their past storylines would have provided a far more effective and enjoyable method of presenting this episode. This would have offered a more “you were there” experience for viewers like yourself who weren’t initially around when these scenes originally aired! Whilst I was fortunate enough to have watched a great many of those scenes firsthand, I still would have preferred the appropriate clips accompanying that dialogue down memory lane. It would have made it much more special.
Should had shown some Gail flashbacks in scenes with Monica, Scott ect so new viewers could be introduced to and know what a wonderful character Gail was from the shows golden years…show felt good seeing many iconic characters interact with each other tho i did not understand why Lesley is still angry at Monica when both seemed civil and friendly to each other during a visit a few years ago…of course it had to have Sonny and Carly who i guess dont get enough screen time(roll eyes) and a few others we didnt need but i let it pass-it is… Read more »
Heeey Jimh ..
I, like many others, have never heard of Gail.
The entire episode was a huge HUH?
It was made for the ol’ timers, only.
All others, like me, that came to Y&R well after that era hadn’t a clue about what in the heck was going on. It was nonsense to us.
I have not a clue as to who was whom and the whole of it was a complete HUH??
They could had done more with the ep to help give a clue to what a wonderful era that was for all you youngins-lol
HEy su, all the more reason it should have had clarity.
Well put, Jimh! I could have done without Sonny and Carly, too, not to mention, Alexis and Julian, Franco, Stella and Curtis! This episode should have included only the nearest and dearest to Dr. Gail during her years on GH! (And copious clips of the lovely lady doc in action with those she chose to assemble in her honor.) But it was lovely to see Epiphany back where she belongs, and the timeless Liz included in the episode. (That girl simply does not age…amazing!) And the ever-luminous Laura whose smile still lights up the room! (I would have loved to… Read more »
As usual..well said comments from you…agree 100%
Thank you, Jimh! Very nice to hear from you! Hope you are well…
Don’t forget Franco is Scotty’s son. And Franco works at the hospital.
Yeah…. a serial killer who works as an “art therapist” for children. Who the Hell made that hiring decision??
Sounds like a decision which would have emanated from your own Human Resources Department, Satan! However, I do believe it was Dr. O.’s call…certainly not one of her best, although I do miss her running GH. There was never a dull moment when “Mutter” was in charge!.
How can we forget, cooks 7570? They never let us overlook that sorry fact, although Heather’s maternal half of Franco’s DNA-equation seem to have been conveniently swept under the rug as of late…Her role as “Mommy Dearest” has been diminished to nil….about time Franco visits his mom in her high-security cuckoo’s nest, since there’s no way on God’s green earth that we wouldn’t have heard a peep from her for such a long expanse….something surely must be up with this legendary GH schemer??? (I should have thought that our canny super snoop Heather would have had the goods on Ryan… Read more »
Bit of a disappointment honestly. After months of build up about “what was in Gail’s will” we get envelopes full of confetti? Flashbacks would have been better in context, not mashed together at the end with some dumb song playing over them. And Frodd didn’t need to be there at all. Yeah I know we’re supposed to pretend he’s a “Baldwin” now, but he never even met Gail. Or Lee. Or any other member of their family apart from Scotty. And for Frodd to be in the flashback montage at all…. It’s a General Hospital anniversary show, for Hell’s sake.… Read more »
The confetti was anti climatic for sure.
Why Franco, why Julian (JULLIAN? REALLY?), Stella, and other characters having nothing to do with Gail and her legacy character? Laura and her mother Lesley? PURE GOLD! The rest?
A perfunctory episode-appearing done out of duty rather than compassionate commitment.
What a waste to have Laura reminding viewers what a swell fella Sonny is when we could have had a scene between her and Bobbi recalling how they started out as enemies fighting for Scotty.
I thought it was a beautiful memory brought together with understanding
As I mentioned in the other thread about this episode, I found this anniversary episode excellent, with one major exception: As pointed out by others, the need to prop up the character of Sonny was an incongruous, unconscionable, incomprehensible plot point that stood out like a sore thumb. Saddling the much beloved Laura with the herculean task of affirming the goodness of polarizing Sonny was a gratuitous waste of time in this milestone, otherwise special, episode. Sadly, I see this trend of propping up the character of Sonny at all costs to continue until GH wraps up its historic run.… Read more »
(SMile!)
In keeping with the theme of Laura validating and propping up Sonny by stating that she has always known he was a good person, here is some dialogue from future episodes: Monica: “You know, Sonny, you’ve been more of a son to me than A.J. ever was. He was nothing but trouble. When you killed A.J., you were actually relieving me of my long suffering. So, thank you, Sonny. And I apologize that it took me so long to realize that.” Scotty: “Sonny, I’ve been meaning to thank you for helping my little girl Karen when she was so young.… Read more »
Join the discussion…Hey James this was hysterical! Thanks !!
Thanks so much, Melissa!
Excellent suggestions, James! You should be writing for GH, although I’m not sure your tongue-in-cheek suggestions would be well-received by those who seem to think that Sonny the Great walks on water! Having said that, all I can is add “Encore, encore!!!” (I had a few ideas of my own regarding other characters to add to the “Sonny Songs of Praise” scenario…How about an entire episode featuring the ghosts of all those dead people he wronged??? It would be sort of a reverse take on “It’s A Wonderful Life!”)
Thanks so much, Shay! I know I only scratched the surface. As we know, there are many more characters Sonny has “wronged!” I wholeheartedly support and like your idea for an “entire episode featuring the ghosts of all those dead people he wronged.” Maybe it could morph into a whole week. “This week on General Hospital…”
Looks like something I’ll look up and watch, although I am happy to fast forward through anything that involves Laura saying anything nice about Sonny – part of my Laura love stems from the fact that she’s told him off more than once over the years and has maintained that. If she’s lost that, it diminishes the character for me. He’s not a good guy. Never was/never will be. Geez, they just had a storyline a few months ago that was all about him having killed a guy when he started out in the mob. These writers can’t even remember… Read more »
Breaking News
NATAS Reveals Categories to be Presented at 49th Annual Daytime Emmys and Creative Arts & Lifestyle Ceremonies
On Monday, The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced which categories will be presented at the 49th Annual Daytime Creative Arts & Lifestyle and the 49th Annual Daytime Emmy Award ceremonies. Both award shows will be held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.
The Daytime Creative Arts & Lifestyle Emmy ceremony will stream live at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT on Saturday, June 18 at watch.TheEmmys.tv and via The Emmys apps for iOS, tvOS, Android, FireTV, and Roku. while The Daytime Emmy Awards telecast will be presented live at 9 PM EDT (replay at 9 PM PDT) on Friday, June 24, on the CBS Television Network and streamed on Paramount+.
Check out the alignment of categories for each show and ceremony below.
The 49th Annual Daytime Creative Arts & Lifestyle Emmy Awards
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Categories to be awarded:
Outstanding Culinary Series
Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program
Outstanding Lifestyle Program
Outstanding Travel, Adventure and Nature Program
Outstanding Instructional and How-To Program
Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program
Outstanding Entertainment News Series
Outstanding Daytime Special
Outstanding Short Form Daytime Program
Outstanding Interactive Media for a Daytime Program
Outstanding Daytime Promotional Announcement
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Outstanding Culinary Host
Outstanding Daytime Program Host
Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Non-Fiction Program
Outstanding Directing Team for a Single Camera Daytime Non-Fiction Program
Outstanding Directing Team for a Multiple Camera Daytime Non-Fiction Program
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition
Outstanding Original Song
Outstanding Lighting Direction
Outstanding Technical Team, Camera Work, Video
Outstanding Cinematography
Outstanding Single Camera Editing
Outstanding Multiple Camera Editing
Outstanding Live Sound Mixing and Sound Editing
Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing
Outstanding Main Title and Graphic Design
Outstanding Casting
Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design
Outstanding Costume Design/Styling
Outstanding Hairstyling
Outstanding Makeup
Outstanding Special Effects Costumes, Makeup and Hairstyling
Lifetime Achievement Award: This Old House
Photos: ABC, CBS, NBC, JPI
The 49th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards
Friday, June 24, 2022
Categories to be awarded:
Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
Outstanding Game Show
Outstanding Informative Talk Show
Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actor
Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress
Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actor
Outstanding Younger Performer in a Daytime Drama Series
Outstanding Game Show Host
Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host
Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host
Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Lifetime Achievement Award: John Aniston
So, what do you think about how NATAS has chosen to give out this year’s gold statuettes? Looking forward to the ceremonies? Comment below.
General Hospital
General Hospital’s Nancy Lee Grahn Chats On Her Daytime Emmy-Nominated Performance and Its Significance
When the nominations were revealed for the 49th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, General Hospital mainstay, Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis), was recognized for her stunning work in the Alexis-centric standalone episode which honored her 25th anniversary with the ABC daytime drama series.
Grahn, is already a two-time Daytime Emmy winner. She won back in 1989 in a tie for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her work as Julia Wainwright on Santa Barbara along with All My Children’s Debbi Morgan, and again received the honors in that category in 2012 for her work on General Hospital.
Now. she is vying for the gold in 2022 in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category against other formidable actresses including: B&B’s Kimberlin Brown, DAYS Stacy Haiduk, Y&R’s Melissa Ordway, and her GH castmate, Kelly Thiebaud.
Michael Fairman TV caught up with Nancy to talk about her decision to enter the Emmy race this year, her powerful and moving scenes, why this nomination is significant and important to her, and her take on some very important social issues of our time.
Always candid, insightful, combined with great humor and wit, here’s what Nancy had to share below, and make sure to check out GH this week when sparks fly between Alexis and Gregory (Gregory Harrison). Will he turn out to be the new beau in Alexis’ life? Stay tuned.
Courtesy/ABC
Congratulations on the Emmy nomination. How do you feel about being in the running again, especially with the material from your 25th anniversary episode?
NANCY: You know, I don’t submit myself if I don’t think I have something, and I didn’t last year. This year, I had the one show, and the first reason I submitted myself was I had the episode that was worthy of the competition. These judges have to sit, and watch this stuff, and very often, it’s hard to watch soap opera scenes. It really is, unless you’re in it. It’s a different kind of material that most primetime people aren’t used to watching. So, it’s tricky business. I don’t want to put them through anything too awful. I don’t want to torture them and I’ve judged before. It can be a bit tedious. So, for me to submit myself, I thought, it has to be something that isn’t going to torture another human being. The second thing is, older women get marginalized the older they get, and they get diminished very often, and every time we get nominated, it means something different to me. This time, to me, I want it to somehow be symbolic, or a shoutout to women who are still producing, who have been doing their job for a long time and are still doing it good enough, and that it’s still worthy of respect and recognition.
When we were at the GH Convention back in March, I played the scene on-stage for the fans in attendance of when Alexis goes over to the corner of Kevin’s office and heals her younger self. You saw the reaction just from the fans. It’s such a beautiful moment within the story. What did you think about how the standalone episode was crafted?
NANCY: It was a different experience for me because GH co-head writers Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor, and script writer, Scott Sickles gave it the attention, but even more to that, they allowed me to participate in the creation of it. They allowed the director, Phideaux Xavier, to participate. We all sat in a room. They said, “You know what? Make it how you’re comfortable with it.” There were so many people who gave it time and effort, and Phideaux gets a lot of credit because he came up with a lot of ideas. So, the little girl in the therapy room wasn’t initially a part of it. That was Phideaux’s idea, and they let us alter things, and they allowed me to write some words that meant something to me with the character. Our producers, Michelle Henry and M.K Weir, who I both adore, were also a part of this.
Courtesy/ABC
That is great to hear that you were involved in the collaborative process of the creation of the episode.
NANCY: We read through the whole script, and we worked it like you would on primetime. We went through it like, “Does this moment work? Does that moment work? Does this make sense? Does that make sense?” We never do that in soaps. We don’t get to that. So, it was a gift to me. It really was. Chris and Dan, and Scott and Phideaux, and the two producers, generosity in gifting me that experience and making sure that it was to everybody’s liking, was really very special to me, and it meant a lot.
Did you come up with the key lines which summarized Alexis as a person and her journey: “I’m Alexis Davis, and I’m a fighter, and an idealist and an advocate?”
NANCY: No. They designed it, but we were allowed to enhance and contribute creatively to it, and, we don’t normally have the time to do that. They don’t have the time to – and you can’t allow people to do that with every episode, to be creatively participating, because it would turn into madness with everybody.
Then, when it came down to choosing the scenes from your anniversary episode to include for your Emmy submission, was that a challenging process of which moments to go with?
NANCY: I just told a little story with it with the time that I had, and so, I edited it with a friend of mine. I did a sort of pre-edit on it, I’m good at that, and handed the timeline to our editor, who nicely put it together. It took very little effort.
In my humble opinion, I think that episode featured one of your all-time best performances.
NANCY: Thank you. There was a nice effort from everybody, from the lighting to everybody else, and all the effort Phideaux put into it. He worked so hard on that! It was fun for us. It was like the old days where you really got to work something out.
Photo: ABC
It truly harkened back to everything we knew up to that point about Alexis and her past as well, and included a montage of scenes over the years.
NANCY: I think it was M.K. who put that together, but when you’re working at the pace we’re working now, to have to sit and put together a montage of twenty-five years, that’s not an easy feat. Nobody has time for that anymore, but they did it, and like I said, it was really, really appreciated. My only thought with it is that I wanted it to be relatable to other people. I didn’t want it to just be some, you know, self-indulgent Alexis episode. I knew that by bringing in the little girl and talking about people being hurt in their childhood and how that makes somebody feel that it was probably relatable to many people, and so it became meaningful to other people and not just me.
Do you think you’ll attend the Daytime Emmys? I know the last time you won you were not present.
NANCY: Yeah, I’m planning on it. I mean, barring anything happening! (Laughs)
Does it feel nice to be recognized by your peers?
NANCY: Of course, it does. It always does, and way too often, women who are still producing well in their jobs, don’t get the respect and the acknowledgment for it. So, that’s why I’m saying, this is no small thing, and that I want other women to know that I know that, and that I wish for them the same thing.
What was the reaction of your daughter, Kate and your fiancé, Richard, when you told them you were Emmy-nominated?
NANCY: Richie goes, “What is this? Your 18th nomination?” (Laughs). You know what I mean? It was just kind of like, “Yeah, sure, why wouldn’t you be?” It wasn’t like, “Oh, my God!” It was like they kind of expected that. That was nice! I’m glad they feel that way. I’m glad they weren’t surprised. They were like, “Sure! Of course, you would be. Why wouldn’t you be?” I said, “You know, it doesn’t always work like that!”
Photo: JPI
Now comes the part of having to find a dress and all that goes with it for the red carpet. Do you enjoy that part?
NANCY: No, I hate that part. That is my… oh ‘boohoo’, you know? I mean, I have to find something to wear. Also, the older you get, that becomes so much less important, and the more makeup, and the more hair, and the more foofy, the more ridiculous I look. I start looking like Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. You’ve just got to keep it simple.
You were talking about women and ageism. Do you not feel that also exists for men?
NANCY: It exists for men, but it’s not at all on the same par as women. I mean, men still get paid more than women, and men still are valued more than women. I mean, there are exceptions, but if you look in any place of employment, even the soaps, you will typically find the men making more money than the women, and the older the women get, the less they get. Life’s not fair right now. It’s fairer than it was, but still the equality game is not won yet.
Photo: JPI
I know how much all of this means to you in terms of equality for women, and people being run out of their jobs because of their age.
NANCY: It’s just a reality. It’s not something that I’m hopeless about, but I have a story to tell. I’ll tell it when the time is right. It’s life! It happens in every field everywhere. When my mom was 70, she was still producing the exact same way she was producing when she was 30, and she got run out, and was replaced by a man who was 40 or something, and there was no particular reason for it. It was just, “You’re done. We decided you’re done,” but like I said, it happens everywhere, in every line of work, and that’s why I just wanted to give a shout-out, when you still, after 36 years, can be recognized or shown respect or acknowledgment for what your do. It’s a very big deal that I am appreciative of and grateful for.
So, rooting for Nancy to win the Outstanding Supporting Actress prize? Happy she was nominated for her work in the the milestone episode devoted to Alexis? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, and to tune-in to the 49th annual Daytime Emmy Awards on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ on Friday night, June 24th.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: What’s Up With Elizabeth?
Guiding Light’s Lee Lawson Dead At 81
Tanner Novlan Talks Surprise Return to The Bold and the Beautiful
NATAS Reveals Categories to be Presented at 49th Annual Daytime Emmys and Creative Arts & Lifestyle Ceremonies
General Hospital’s Nancy Lee Grahn Chats On Her Daytime Emmy-Nominated Performance and Its Significance
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall to Guest Star on UK Soap EastEnders
GENERAL HOSPITAL: What’s Up With Elizabeth?
Y&R’s Eileen Davidson and Beth Maitland Honored with 40-Year Milestone Celebration (PHOTOS)
GH Alum Sydney Mikayla Talks On Her Daytime Emmy Nomination, Decision To Exit & Her Former Co-Stars
As the World Turns Alum Marnie Schulenburg Passes Away at 37
THIS IS US: Goodbyes and Connections; Rebecca Passes Away in Penultimate Episode
GH Alum Sydney Mikayla Talks On Her Daytime Emmy Nomination, Decision To Exit & Her Former Co-Stars
DAYS OF OUR LIVES PREVIEW: Peter Reckell Returns as Bo Helps Ciara and Steve in Their Time of Need
GH’s Michael E. Knight Chats On: Taking on the Role of Martin Grey, Friendship with James Patrick Stuart, and All My Children’s Tad
General Hospital’s Nancy Lee Grahn Chats On Her Daytime Emmy-Nominated Performance and Its Significance
As the World Turns Alum Marnie Schulenburg Passes Away at 37
The Bold and the Beautiful Scores Biggest Audience in Over Two Years
The Young and the Restless Daytime Emmy Nominees Talk Reactions, Reels, and Their Co-Stars
Fox Announces Primetime Soap ‘Monarch’ On Fall Schedule
GENERAL HOSPITAL: What’s Up With Elizabeth?
Y&R’s Eileen Davidson and Beth Maitland Honored with 40-Year Milestone Celebration (PHOTOS)
Guiding Light’s Lee Lawson Dead At 81
Tanner Novlan Talks Surprise Return to The Bold and the Beautiful
The Young and the Restless Daytime Emmy Nominees Talk Reactions, Reels, and Their Co-Stars
GH’s Michael E. Knight Chats On: Taking on the Role of Martin Grey, Friendship with James Patrick Stuart, and All My Children’s Tad
DAYS OF OUR LIVES PREVIEW: Peter Reckell Returns as Bo Helps Ciara and Steve in Their Time of Need
FRIDAY: Y&R Alum Michael Graziadei Featured in Netflix’s New Series ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’
General Hospital Tapes 15,000th Episode; Featuring Genie Francis with Almost Every Single Cast Member Appearing in It
TONIGHT: General Hospital’s Michael E. Knight Live! – 8 PM ET/5 PM PST
DAYS Daytime Emmy Nominees: Arianne Zucker, James Reynolds, Stacy Haiduk & Lindsay Arnold Chat On Their Reels, Reactions, and Co-Stars
THURSDAY: General Hospital and All My Children Favorite, Michael E. Knight Livestream Interview
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General HospitalMay 19, 2022GH Alum Sydney Mikayla Talks On Her Daytime Emmy Nomination, Decision To Exit & Her Former Co-Stars
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Days Of Our LivesMay 14, 2022DAYS OF OUR LIVES PREVIEW: Peter Reckell Returns as Bo Helps Ciara and Steve in Their Time of Need
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General HospitalMay 15, 2022GH’s Michael E. Knight Chats On: Taking on the Role of Martin Grey, Friendship with James Patrick Stuart, and All My Children’s Tad
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General HospitalMay 22, 2022General Hospital’s Nancy Lee Grahn Chats On Her Daytime Emmy-Nominated Performance and Its Significance
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As The World TurnsMay 18, 2022As the World Turns Alum Marnie Schulenburg Passes Away at 37
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NewsMay 17, 2022The Bold and the Beautiful Scores Biggest Audience in Over Two Years
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InterviewsMay 15, 2022The Young and the Restless Daytime Emmy Nominees Talk Reactions, Reels, and Their Co-Stars
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Breaking NewsMay 16, 2022Fox Announces Primetime Soap ‘Monarch’ On Fall Schedule