General Hospital
GH’s Nancy Lee Grahn Shares How “Hard” it Was to Say Goodbye to Kelly Monaco, and Play Out Their Final Scenes as Mother and Daughter
Two-time Daytime Emmy-winner, Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis), has taken to social media to address the on-screen death of Sam McCall played by Kelly Monaco. On Wednesday’s October 30th episode while Alexis was visiting her daughter in the hospital, as Sam was recovering from live-saving liver transplant surgery (S donated her liver to save Lulu Spencer), suddenly things went very awry.
Before you know it, Alexis was at the nurses hub pleading for help and in shock as all of Sam’s monitors and alarms went off. After trying valiantly to save her, Lucas, Portia and Elizabeth had to face the truth that Sam died.
Now today, on the October 31st episode, and in the days to come, Alexis will have to face the tragedy and losing her eldest daughter. While so many GH viewers are outraged with the soap for killing-off Sam to begin with, now they are watching and enduring the heartbreaking fallout, which we are sure will feature many gut-wrenching moments from the cast.
Photo: JPI
Grahn shared how difficult it was for her to perform with Kelly in her final scenes, “As hard as it may be for GH viewers to watch today’s episodes and the episodes to follow, it was equally as hard for me and my casemates to play.” In tribute to Kelly, Nancy added, “Playing Kelly Monaco’s mom has been effortless and the love is real.”
After she posted her sentiments, several fans responded about their real-life experiences, and how Nancy and Kelly’s scenes hit so close to home with the death of a loved one and a child. One mom shared, “I had to change the channel when Alexis climbed into the bed w/Sam. Lost my son June 2022. He was 25 and severely disabled. Complications due to Crohn’s disease got him. I climbed into his bed as he took his last breath. Can’t watch death scenes any more.” Nancy responded, “Understand. I’m so sorry. My sister has Crohns. Don’t watch. Just watch happy shows.”
Photo: ABC
As for Monaco, this week’s episodes will mark the end of her 21-year run on General Hospital. Along the way, she was acknowledged for her performances back in 2006 in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category at the Daytime Emmy Awards and became one of the most popular actresses to ever appear on the ABC soap opera.
What do you think about the sentiments shared by Nancy Lee Grahn on playing out the scenes where she loses her on-screen daughter Sam as played by Kelly Monaco and saying goodbye to her longtime scene partner and castmate? Comment below.
As hard as it may be for #gh viewers to watch today’s episodes and the episodes to follow, it was equally as hard for me and my casemates to play. Playing Kelly Monaco’s mom has been effortless and the love is real. 💙
— Nancy Lee Grahn (@NancyLeeGrahn) October 31, 2024
It might take a while to get over today’s episode. Nancy Lee and Steve Burton knocked it out of the park. I loved how Nancy Lee’s goodbye scenes were as fierce as we would have imagined. Steve’s was understated and…perfection along with the flashbacks.
The entire episode was a return to form with the show. Excellent dialogue and great acting. I’m also loving that Cody is no longer bumbling and is standing up and saying what we all want to say to Drew. Michael and Willow’s scenes were great, but we know the fallout of Michael and Sasha will be some great drama.
I wish Frank and the show would listen to the fans. It is obvious there are several actors on the show that are EXTREMELY unpopular with those who watch the show faithfully. Sam could have been in an interesting triangle with Dante and Lulu, a storyline with Jason getting back together, etc. Instead, Drew and Portia stay on the show.
Give us more Tracy, Lucky/Elizabeth, find Jason a love interest, bring Valentine back for Anna (or Ava) and a storyline of substance for uber-popular Maxie.
There are now seven people who will never watch GH again because of what the Producers/writers did to Sam. For these people there is nothing GH can do to make them get over it.
Perfectly stated
Bring Valentine back, are you crazy? That S,O.B causes nothing but trouble for anyone he comes in contact with!
Kelly is one of the true stars of daytime this just isn’t right.
Agreed
The ICONIC SAM MCCALL!!!!!!!
NEVER FORGOTTEN
FOREVER REMEMBERED
WE LOVE YOU KELLY, 21 YEARS AND BEYOND!!!!!!!
Same Here
Why is GH bringing on ALL of these new actors and firing the best ones ? Sam is a needed character.Sam and Finn would have been a super couple. LuLu, Gio, Natalia, Rick, and Holly, would not be missed !!! GH is not what it used to be. I have been watching since 1963. Gone to Soap Opera Weekend’s. Too many new people. Too many storylines . No connection anymore.
Please leave out Holly! The GH storyline does not need Ric… yes more Maxie!
Lulu and Rick are legacy characters same as Sam. I love Rick! If I had to pick I’d take Rick over Sam and Lulu, though it’d be nice if they all came back. GH are the legacy characters; no one can replace any of them.
Great writing and acting today. Loved the JaSam flashbacks. It’s a shame that the news about KM had to come out before she died on screen. As a long longtime viewer and fan of the genre, I wish they had kept this under wraps, and she just died. Now that would’ve been an iconic moment like Tracy keeping Edward’s meds, BI’s heart were.
That they used organ donation as a vehicle to kill off Sam does an immense disservice to the organ donation community.
We know that soaps are not real, but GH has been known for its commitment to telling real, intense stories. But now what they’ve done is stop (potentially) thousands of donors for people who desperately need organs.
There were so many other ways to handle this but Frank and the writers once again did the lazy thing and as a result could be responsible for people dying.
And yes I know that they are leading up to a serial killer storyline with this, but people have very short, very selective memories.
All that said, I will miss Kelly. And NLG did masterful work with a truly crappy storyline.
It was never stated the transplant is what caused her death. At all.
This whole scene of a “cardiac arrest” out of nowhere, in a healthy patient supposedly recovering well, is giving me flashbacks to the last time AJ came to Hell.
You might remember in that case, shortly before AJ shuffled off his mortal coil, we saw Ava in his hospital room convincing herself that AJ had to die before he remembered that she had confessed to the murder of ConKate shortly before the whole mishap with her $1.98 WalMart handgun.
Now I’m not saying Ava killed her own niece. They defintely were not close, but Ava would have no reason to kill her. What I AM saying, is that the cause of the “cardiac arrest” was probably the same thing in both cases – some sort of drug injected into the IV drip. Unfortunately those sort of drugs are very often “untraceable” so there may be no telltale signs of it turning up in the autopsy.
But I have a feeling that neither Alexis, Jason, or Sonny are going to believe this was a case of “natural causes” that took Sam out. So who would be the suspects? Hell only knows. If it’s Cyrus the Virus, at least that would finally lay to rest the ridiculous idea that he gave up his past sinful lifestyle when he “found” my Former Employer.
I have a [strong] feeling it was Cyrus’ doing after he failed at executing Lulu via her ventilator.
They have been saying this for weeks, nothing new! Yes, Cyrus is most likely the murderer.
I don’t think he tried to kill Lulu. I think he wanted Sam out of the picture so that Dante and Lulu will get back together. I think he messed with Sam’s intravenous line or something which caused her to have a heart attack.
Any procedure or operation can have that consequence. it was because of having the operation.
And per projected spoilers:
A little naive here?
Jesus. Really? Let me say this simply.
Leaving aside that Frank abhorred Kelly…if not for the surgery, Sam would not have died.
Too many people have antiquated beliefs about organ donation and there are never enough organs donated. People die daily as a result.
And now Frank has used organ donation as a vehicle that can – and will – lead people to believe that doing a live organ donation will kill them.
Frank and Doris Hursely must be turning over in their graves! Eliminating a legacy character , Sam, in the worst way. Valentine and his staff should be fired. Any parent watching this will think twice about becoming a live donor.
The scene where Alexis & Jason met eyes & he rushed the kids off to Bobbie’s gave me chills. Emmy Award for Nancy Lee Grahn at Sam’s bedside after she died. Last time I cried so hard was when Sasha & Brando lost their precious little baby. Jason with Sam afterwards & the flashbacks were so good. They never should have killed Sam-agree with others that there are too many characters & storylines on this show & many who could be sent off & NOT missed at all. I haven’t seen Friday’s show yet but my God how is Laura gonna take this & Sam’s poor kids? Sam was connected to so many.
I’m waiting for fallout from organ transplant organizations, since this was a bad decision in writing by the GH decision makers. It could potentially put a damper on people who were thinking about donating.
I agree. Thought that from the start. Fix it, fi nish it, ASAP! I donated a kidney to my sister, and from the start of this storyline I was scared about how people will take this! It was great up until the murder. Promote organ donation!!! not murder!
It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since Van Hansis made his debut as the recast Lucas Jones on General Hospital. It was back on October 4, 2023 that GH fans got their first look at the former As the World Turns (ex-Luke Snyder) favorite in his new soap role.
Hansis became the fifth actor to play the role of the adoptive son of the late Bobbie Spencer and Tony Jones, and the biological son of the late Julian Jerome and Cheryl Stansbury. Prior to Van, C.J. Thomason (2002–2003), Ben Hogestyn (2005–2006) Ryan Carnes (2004–2005, 2014–2020, 2024) and Matt Trudeau (2020–2021) had played the part.
When Van left daytime after As the World Turns sadly went off the air in 2010, it would be 14 years until he stepped back into the updated frenetic pace and grind of acting on a daily soap opera.
Photo: ABC
LUCAS CAME HOME TO PORT CHARLES
Since Lucas has been back in Port Charles, he fell in love with the late Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo) who was murdered, moved into a new apartment with his current roommate (soon to be love interest?) Joe Fitzpatrick as played by Jonathan Bennett, has become best buds with the “Britch” Dr. Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud), and has found himself involved in multiple other storylines. However, now that Van is firmly implanted on GH, might Lucas get a leading storyline of his own? Stay tuned.
In the meantime, to acknowledge his two-year anniversary at General Hospital, Hansis shared via his Instagram a photo montage and some heartfelt “thank you’s’ and words. “Two years ago yesterday, Lucas Jones came home to Port Charles looking a little different. Looking exactly like me.” began Hansis.
“When I took on the role, I was told it would be a heavy recurring for a few months and then we’d see where it goes – being based in NYC at the time, I thought it would be a fun little gig that would bring me back to my old stomping grounds of daytime for a bit.”
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL HAS BEEN LIFE-CHANGING FOR VAN HANSIS
Next, the longtime New York-based actor confirmed he has now moved to Los Angeles as this new chapter of his life has unfolded, and how grateful he is that the show’s writers and producers have continually given more for Lucas to do.
Van explained, “But then they kept writing for me more and I fell in love with Lucas, and everyone around him (in front of and behind the camera). I wanted to stay a while and am so grateful I have. Being a part of GH these last two years has been life changing. Literally. My family and I are Angelenos now, I’ve made incredible new friendships and have been able to revisit old ones.”
The three-time Daytime Emmy-nominated actor concluded with, “Thank you Frank (Valentini, executive producer, GH), thank you Mark (Teschner, casting director, GH), for inviting me to the party. You throw a great one. ”
So, happy to know Van is sticking around General Hospital for some time to come? What has been your favorite Lucas Jones moment over the first two years of Van’s run? Let us know via the comment section below.
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Breaking News
Robert Kelker-Kelly, ‘General Hospital,’ ‘Days of our Lives’ and ‘Another World’ Star Dies at 62
Robert Kelker-Kelly, who became prominent as a one of the leading men in soap operas back in the late 80s and 90s has died at the age of 62. TMZ first reported the news of Robert’s passing on Saturday, October 3 at his home in St. Peters, Missouri.
According to the St. Peters police report, officers responded to call at around 8:16 pm about an unconscious man who was not breathing, as paramedics and other EMS were en route, Kelker-Kelly had reportedly complained of chest pain shortly before becoming unresponsive and the circumstances appeared consistent with a medical event.
Officers and paramedics administered life-saving measures, but were unsuccessful in reviving Kelker-Kelly. The cause of his death is still unknown and under investigation.
Photo: NBC
Daytime fans first saw Robert back in 1987 when he was cast as Sam Fowler on Another World. He played the role for three year suntil 1990. Two years later, he took over the role of Bo Brady on Days of our Lives replacing Peter Reckell, who at that time decided to leave the show.
As Bo, Kelker-Kelly was major in story playing opposite the likes of: Crystal Chappell as Dr. Carly Manning, Kristian Alfonso as Hope Williams and Lisa Rinna as Billie Reed. When Peter Reckell returned to his signature role in 1995, Kelker-Kelly left the show.
Next, Robert returned to his original stomping grounds at Another World but this time as race car driver, Bobby Reno who was actually Dr. Shane Roberts. His second AW stint lasted from 1996-1998.
Photo: ABC
Eventually, the actor would begin his run as the evil Stavros Cassadine on General Hospital in 2001, then make returns in 2002 and 2003. In 2013, he briefly returned as Stavros as part of the show’s 50th anniversary celebration, and made one last appearance in 2014.
Robert has also became a professional pilot full from 2003 to 2015 and had been married to former Days of our Lives star, Miriam Parrish (ex-Jamie Caldwell) from 1997-2011, but the couple divorced in 2011. Since that time, he has not remarried.
Recently, Robert was back in the news when Lisa Rinna talked about her time working with her former Days of our Lives co-star in her recently released memoir, You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It.
Rinna shared on her then on-screen love interest, “Behind the scenes, we hated each other. Remember when Kathy Hilton said I was the biggest bully in Hollywood? Not true. Not even close! I have legit stories about the real bullies in this town. Robert Kelker-Kelly is one of those bullies.”
The former Billie Reed and reality star even punctuated that with, “He made my life a living hell on the set of DAYS, He was horrible to me, I’d go so far as to say verbally abusive. He was passive-aggressive, manipulative and played weird mind games.”
Michael Fairman TV will provide further updates as they become available on the death of Robert Kelker-Kelly.
Now, share your remembrances and condolences on the loss of Robert Kelker-Kelly via the comment section below and let us know of all his daytime roles, which was your favorite.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Everyone Turns Their Backs on Sonny; Can Anyone Get Chase to Open His Eyes About Willow’s Treachery?
This week on all-new episodes of General Hospital, the ABC soap opera picks right back up with everyone turning their backs on Sonny (Maurice Benard), and now the one person he hoped would be by his side appears to be abandoning ship when Justine (Nazneen Contractor) doesn’t believe him about ordering the beatdown of Sidwell (Carlo Rota) in the latest spoilers video.
Sonny screams at Justine, “Someone is setting me up.” She says, “It’s over!” He proclaims, “I didn’t do it!” Little do they know that it was actually Ava (Maura West) and Drew (Cameron Mathison) who set Sonny up to take the fall for the Pentonville drama that left Curtis (Donnell Turner) with injuries as well.
Then, Lulu (Alexa Havins) is seen using her voice memo app on her phone to record her discussion with Sidwell while he is recovering from his injuries at the hospital. This moment is intercut with Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) saying, “I wish there was someone who could get Chase (Josh Swickard) to open his eyes about who Willow truly is!”
Next, Willow is seen happily waving while at a table at a Metro Court Gardens, while Chase, Michael (Rory Gibson), Brook Lynn and Ava (Maura West) all receive text messages. Tracy (Jane Elliot) punctuates the promo stating, “That’s the real Willow,” while the words “The world knows” comes across the screen.
Take a look at the official GH spoilers for the week of October 5-9 below.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5
Sonny challenges Justine. Josslyn takes matters into her own hands. Britt and Willow discuss matters of the heart. Jason is taken to task. Serena finds herself in a bind.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6
Felicia has welcome news for Anna. Brook Lynn confides in Valentin. Hudson tries to talk Josslyn down. Lulu makes a daring play. Willow and Chase discuss his marriage.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7
Carly asks Anna for a favor. Tracy bites her tongue with Gio. Drew and Alexis go at it. Scout tries to broker peace between Danny and Rocco. Lulu pursues a lead.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8
Carly supports Sonny. Lulu’s latest article makes waves. Ava pitches a new target to Drew. Curtis gets a shock. Chase throws down the gauntlet.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
Britt offers a lifeline. Anna offers her expertise. Sonny reassures Gio. Portia makes her loyalties clear. Dante’s investigation hits a roadblock.
Check out the latest General Hospital promo for the action this week entitled, “The World Knows” below.
Now weigh-in: With everyone disbelieving Sonny, what will be his next move? Will he hit rock bottom, or rise up and fight back and prove his innocence? Will Sonny enlist Jason to get to the bottom of this, even though Jason is out of Sonny’s business? Meanwhile, can this truly be the week that Willow is exposed for her multitude of crimes … or is this all a red herring? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.
Van Hansis Marks Two Years as ‘General Hospital’s’ Dr. Lucas Jones
Robert Kelker-Kelly, ‘General Hospital,’ ‘Days of our Lives’ and ‘Another World’ Star Dies at 62
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Everyone Turns Their Backs on Sonny; Can Anyone Get Chase to Open His Eyes About Willow’s Treachery?
GH’s Kayden Brenna Tokarski Addresses ‘Positivity and Negativity’ That Has Come Her Way as She Embraces Playing Scout Cain
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