Breaking News
General Hospital’s Stuart Damon Dead at 84
More sad news to report on Tuesday. General Hospital’s Daytime Emmy-winning star and beloved veteran actor, Stuart Damon (Dr. Alan Quartermaine) has passed away at the age of 84 following a long battle with renal failure.
ABC7’s Los Angeles’ entertainment guru, George Pennacchio learned the news and took to his Facebook page to announce Damon’s death expressing: “We’ve lost a soap opera legend. The great Stuart Damon, best known for playing Alan Quartermaine on General Hospital for many decades, has died at the age of 84. He’d been struggling with renal failure for the last several years. His son, Christopher, told me he so loved being a part of that soap. He said, ‘It was his favorite place to be. He loved playing Alan and was always so appreciative of that role and that job. It was his passion.” Before GH, Stuart made a mark opposite Lesley Ann Warren in the 1965 TV movie, Cinderella. He was a kind, loving and friendly man. It’s something Christopher heard his entire life. It was my honor to know Stuart Damon. May this Prince R.I.P.”
Photo: ABC
Stuart played Dr. Alan Quartermaine on GH for over 30 years from 1977 to 2007 and then he re-appeared as Alan’s ghost in 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2013. Damon also played Alan on Port Charles for a time, and had roles later in his daytime career on As the World Turns and Days of our Lives. He won a Daytime Emmy in 1999 for the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Alan’s hydrocodone addiction storyline.
Photo: NBC
Damon started his career on Broadway and was best known before GH for his role as “Prince Charming” in the 1965 TV version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella opposite Lesley Ann Warren.
Stuart is is survived by his wife, Deirdre Ann Ottewill; daughter, Jennifer; and son, Christopher, as well as his grandson, Alexander, whom he and Ottewill legally adopted in 2000.
Photo: ABC
The actor’s former GH co-star Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio) expressed on learning the news of Damon’s passing: “It is with much sadness I heard of Stuart Damon’s passing. He brought a real steadiness to the Quartermaine family. I enjoyed my scenes with him. Rest easy my friend.”
Sean Kanan (Ex-A.J. Quartermaine) shared: “I am saddened to have learned that Stuart Damon has passed. Although we had lost touch over the years I will never forget his kind soul, zany sense of humor and talent. RIP Stuey Damone”
Photo: ABC
Amber Tamblyn (Ex-Emily Quartermaine) shared: “Broken hearted to hear of the passing of Stuart Damon. He played my adopted dad on General Hospital for 7 years and he was the most kind, wonderful, loving, supportive person. He always made me laugh and made me feel safe on set. I love you, Stewy. Rest well now, my friend.”
We will continue to update this story with more on the passing of Stuart Damon.
Watch below one of the most heartfelt moments, when Stuart won his Daytime Emmy, and his emotional and touching acceptance speech.
Now, share your remembrances and condolences on the passing of Stuart Damon via the comment section.
#BREAKING – Actor Stuart Damon, best known for playing Alan Quartermaine on @GeneralHospital has died at 84. He also played The Prince in the 1965 TV movie, “Cinderella.”
He’d been struggling with renal failure.
(📷 courtesy ABC, Cathy Blaivas & Craig Sjodin) pic.twitter.com/71s6PVMm6J— George Pennacchio (@abc7george) June 29, 2021
Rest in Peace, Stuart Damon.
Wonderful actor, classic portrayal of Dr. Alan Quartermaine, who was one of the stalwarts on GH for so many years. I still get angry when I think of the disgraceful way ABC and Jill Farren Phelps acting on orders from above treated him in firing him from the show, and killing him off in 2007.
I remember him being front and center on GH when I first started watching in the early 90s. Alan and Monica were one of the all-time great soap couples, with all their cheating, deception, murder attempts (lol), they always found their way back to each other. And lest we ever forget, The Quartermaine Mansion is Monica’s house, because Alan gave it to her!
Such sad news ): Such a sad few days with two legendary daytime performers passing away ):
One of my all-time favorite Daytime Emmy moments was when Stuart Damon finally won his way overdue Emmy!!! I loved Alan Quartermaine so much and was so incredibly angry when they decided to kill off his character in 2007. It was such a terrible decision. The decimation of the Quartermaine’s and the focusing on the mobsters, particularly Sonny Corinthos, alienated millions of GH viewers. I have so many treasured memories of Alan over the 30 years he was on the show.
I also love The Boys From Syracuse cast album, where Stuart sings several of the Rodgers & Hart songs that he performed in a popular off-broadway production!
The world is a little sadder. Any day Alan was on, you knew it would be at least a good episode. Stuart Damon had such a comforting voice and demeanor (well, maybe not when he was trying to have a roof collapse on Monica & Rick).
Soap fans used to like to say “we know” how a character feels or may act. With Stuart’s touching portrayal of Alan, longtime fans always knew where Alan was coming from and how he would react. Alan gave Monica a house, but Stuart gave GH fans a soap home for over 30 years.
There will be party at the original Floating Rib tonight with Steve, both Edwards, Lila, Lee and Gail.
Farewell sweet prince.
He was great on GH. Rest in Peace!
I watched Mr. Damon throughout his entire tenure on GH. What a stage presence! What a great actor! I fondly recall as a child (and beyond) watching his performance in “Cinderella” — a magical production that seemed to air annually. I can still full well remember the songs, “Ten Minutes Ago,” among them.
When I think of his storylines on GH, I instantly recall the time Alan painstakingly planned to have a house fall on lovers Monica and Rick. Still, it was the relationship between Monica and Alan that had staying power. Even after affairs and breakups, they always reunited, often passionately! Alan’s relationships with his parents, sister, and even Susan Moore, among others, were always engrossing. And that is, in large part, due to Stuart Damon. May he rest in peace…
wow, so sad to hear about Stuart Damon, he was one of a kind. RIP.
Prayers to his family. What a great actor he was. Loved him as Alan Q. Thanks for the memories. Rest in peace.
He truly was a Prince Charming RIP you sweet man!
What a huge loss, Stuart Damon as Alan Q was one of my favourite characters. What a fantastic speech he made in 1999 for Best Supporting Actor – that’s what the Daytime Emmy Awards shows were like, that one was in New York! Wish they would be like that once again, somehow, someday. Anyways, shame on JFP for killing Alan off from GH and killing off other beloved characters. Alan is always missed in scenes in Q house. I hope there is a way that GH can close an episode “in memory of Stuart Damon” and show scenes with Monica, Lucy, his various children, Ned, Tracey, Edward/Lila. The list goes on.
I hope they will honour Damon on an episode soon. RIP and regards to Damon’s family. 84, is so young! Bless him for a beautiful and intriguing portrayal of Dr. Alan Quartermaine. You will be always be missed Stuart/Alan.
Yes – GH absolutely needs to do a tribute episode to the late great Stuart Damon. They could have various characters remember Alan and have an episode full of flashbacks to celebrate the greatness of Stuart Damon! I hope the producers understand why this is needed – many of us were wounded by the terrible decision to kill off Dr. Alan Quartermaine and we miss him terribly.
I sure hope they do at least an entire episode
The tribute episode would be more difficult to pull off here than the recent Sean Donely tribute (for example). Sean had been unseen for decades, but was still presumed to be alive. Alan Quartermaine has been dead since Jerry Jax took the Metro Court hostage, so it’s not like you could have a typical memorial service for him now.
So how do they pull this off?? Given Stuart Damon’s pre-GH background in musical theatre, I would find some way to dedicate the 2021 Nurses Ball to Alan’s memory. Yeah, it would involve some convoluted writing to create that premise, but it could always involve some long lost Quatermaine money turning up to bail out the hospital from whatever mess was created by Cyrus the Virus when he was using it as a front for his drug business for several months.
Here is how they could do it: it could be Monica and Alan’s anniversary and she has memories (flashbacks of Alan) and then we could see Lucy, Jason, Ned, Laura, Robin, etc. could visit for the special episode – it would be possible and it would be such a great thing for them to do! They can take an episode and pay tribute to this great star of the show! It wouldn’t need to be a memorial service, it could be characters remembering Alan, and they could do what Y&R has done occasionally and break the fourth wall and pay tribute to Stuart, the way they have done for Jeanne Cooper and Kristoff St John. They can do this and they ought to do it!!!
I am stunned to hear this news. My first exposure to Stuart Damon was the 1965 Cinderella broadcast. I was mesmerized by him. When he came to GH, I was thrilled. He did not disappoint. He was just super as Alan Quartermaine. I was so sorry when they killed the character.
My most sincere condolences to his family. Thank you Mr. Damon for sharing your amazing talent with all of us. Rest in peace.
He did a great job on GH. RIP
Him and Ray McDonald…how sad!!!
Alan was one of my favorite actors on GH of all time. When he was on the show the Quartermaines were front and center. Alan was constantly bickering with Tracy, wanted to kill Monica and always looking for Edward’s approval. As a father, his hope lied in the hands of Jason and AJ ruined that with a car wreck. Alan’s heart was broken. His marriage to Lucy Coe was epic. He was a rock on the show. When he was killed off, it was one of the big mistakes of all time on GH! A little part of the show left with him. Not only because of his connection to so many but the pure talent Stuart Damon had. Rest my good man!
ANOTHER great loss to the soap community and one of the touchstones of the halcyon days of GH. I also recently spotted Mr. Damon in the Oscar-winning 1973 comedy “A TOUCH OF CLASS”. He’s in the last scenes of the movie, offering to share a taxi with Best Actress winner Glenda Jackson, who knows enough by now to say, “You’re married? You take it.” He was incredibly handsome then…and always. I hope they honor him accordingly.
If that brief memorial this week was all gh is doing for Stuart it’s really sad!
I think there will be an actual tribute episode coming. The current regime seems obsessed with the Quartermaine family in recent weeks…. bringing in a “new” family member (even if he looks just like a dead serial killer – which nobody seems to notice) and apparently about to see another presumed “dead” family member return (also with a “new” face) and the question of who will control ELQ being a front burner storyline.
Now if they would only give this kind of attention to the Spencer family…….
Breaking News
‘Neighbours’ EP Jason Herbison on Series Daytime Emmy Nomination: “It’s a Huge Honour to be Nominated Alongside Such Iconic US Daytime Dramas”
When the 51st annual Daytime Emmy nominations were revealed last Friday, the iconic Australian soap opera, Neighbours, made the grade as one of the nominees for this year’s Outstanding Daytime Drama Series going up against U.S. titans such as General Hospital, The Young and the Restless et al.
That is because the revival of Neighbours, which is now seen in the United States streaming on Amazon Freevee, is now eligible under the rules from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).
Not only did Neighbours receive its first Daytime Emmy nomination for Drama Series, but also for one of its legendary stars, Guy Pearce, who returned for a stint in the revival as Mike Young. Pearce is nominated for Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series.
Photo: Freemantle
Throughout its run, Neighbours has received several nominations and wins in Australian and the UK, with this being its first nomination in the U.S.
Neighbours Executive Producer Jason Herbison shared on this momentous moment for the series: ‘Neighbours has been on an incredible journey these past few years and a Daytime Emmy Award nomination is the icing on the cake! It’s a huge honour to be nominated alongside such iconic US daytime dramas. This news is an exciting moment for our hard working cast and crew and a wonderful recognition of the new chapter of the show on Amazon Freevee.”
Photo: Freemantle
For those who need a bit of a refresher on the revival of Neighbours. The series streams exclusively on Amazon Freevee in the UK and U.S. and on Prime Video in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. New episodes air daily Monday-Thursday on Amazon. The new series launched on 18 September, 2023, and picks up two years after the finale left off. In Australia, Network 10 retains first-run rights in Australia for the new chapter of the series.
Photo: Freemantle/AmazonFreevee
The series is known as the longest running local drama of all time in Australia and has launched the careers of so many celebrities including: Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, the aforementioned Guy Pearce, and Liam and Chris Hemsworth, to name but a few.
Long running series star Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodbridge shared their many thanks on Neighbours Daytime Emmy nominations in a video message below.
So, what do you think of ‘Neighbours’ being nominated for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series at the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards? Could they be the spoiler in the category? Weigh-in below.
Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne would like to share a special message regarding our incredible #Neighbours Daytime Emmy Award nominations 💛 @DaytimeEmmys pic.twitter.com/wWWo5PxmfD
— Neighbours (@neighbours) April 23, 2024
Breaking News
Kim Kardashian, Emma Roberts and Marlene King Land ‘Calabasas’, a Soap in the Vein of the ‘O.C’ and ‘Beverly Hills 90210’, at Netflix
There has been lot of soapy projects coming to life and in the works of late, and now comes word that Kim Kardashian is executive producing a new series in development for Netflix called Calabasas.
After a bidding war last week, it looks like Netflix cemented the development deal from Kim, and her producing partners American Horror Story co-star Emma Roberts (pictured below) and Pretty Little Liars creators Marlene King and Alexandra Milchan.
The concept of Calabasas is based on the book If You Lived Here You’d Be Famous By Now by Via Bleidner. King set to write the adaptation and will serve as the series showrunner.
Photo: JPI
According to Deadline, Calabasas is said to be in the vein of primetime young teen and young adult soaps the O.C. and Beverly Hills 90210. The story follows “Via, a 16-year-old sheltered Midwestern Catholic school girl whose world is turned upside down when her family moves and she’s forced to transfer to the fast world of Calabasas High where nothing is as it appears and where everyone is trying to be someone else. It’s a place where dreams come true … but not without complications and sometimes unforeseen consequences.”
Photo: Hulu
As fans of the Kardashians know, Kim and her family made the town of Calabasas a household and worldwide name. Kim being attached to this project helped make its sale. This marks her fourth project to sell since the writers and actors strikes concluded at the end of last summer.
So, would you be interested to see a teen soap called ‘Calabasas’ on Netflix from Kim and company? Comment below.
Breaking News
The Young and the Restless and General Hospital Actress and Writer, Meg Bennett, Passes Away at 75
Meg Bennett, who had played Julia Newman and later became a writer for the top-rated daytime drama, The Young and the Restless has died at the age of 75. The news comes from her family who shared that she lost her battle to cancer back on April 11th.
Daytime fans remember fondly, Meg’s portrayal of Victor’s (Eric Braeden)first wife. Bennett joined the show in 1980, after her first soap stint for two years in the role of Liza Walton on Search for Tomorrow.
Impressed by her story notes, the late Bill Bell, then head writer of Y&R, had Meg doing double duty acting and writing on the show from 1983-1987. When he decided to write off the character of Julia, he also wanted Meg to stick around as a writer. Not only did this begin a whole other daytime career for Bennett, but she was not done playing Julia either. Throughout the decades, Julia would still come back to Genoa City for a visit. Most recently, Y&R fans saw Julia in 2018, and again in 2020.
Photo: JPI
Bennett also appeared on Santa Barbara and was a writer on that show as well from 1991-1993. She played the role of Megan Richardson. It was next that Meg had her longest writing stint coming to ABC’s General Hospital. Meg wrote for GH from 1993-2011.
In 1995, Bennett won her first Daytime Emmy for writing and her personal life changed after falling in love with nine-time Daytime Emmy winner, former GH head writer, Bob Guza Jr. In addition, GH also utilized Bennett for her acting skill when she was cast as the villainess Allegra Montenegro. Meg and Bog Guza were officially married in 2004 and purchased a home once owned by Boris Karloff and Gregory Peck.
Photo: JPI
Additionally, Meg wrote for The Bold and the Beautiful 1987-1989 and later served as a executive story consultant to Brad Bell from 2002-2004. She also wrote for Sunset Beach, Generations and GH: Night Shift throughout her writing career. She went on to win five WGA Awards for GH and Santa Barbara.
Meg is survived by her husband of 19 years, Robert Guza Jr., two stepdaughters, four grandchildren, a brother and a sister.
Share your remembrances and condolences for Meg Bennett via the comment section below.
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