General Hospital
GH Head Scribe Ron Carlivati On Franco's Popcorn Pantomime!

Courtesy/ABC
We have previously written here about the fabulous performance of Roger Howarth as Franco, as he proceeded to destroy his “Hallowedding” to Carly (Laura Wright) on last week’s episodes of General Hospital!
Throughout the scenes, Howarth was at his best, complete with sitting on the sidelines pantomiming eating popcorn as he got a front row seat after dropping his bombshells to the wedding party: Carly cheating on him with Sonny (Maurice Benard), and Michael (Chad Duell) finding out that Sonny shot and killed his father AJ Quartermaine, and that Carly went along with the cover-up!
Now Soap Opera Digest has posted an online interview with GH head writer Ron Carlivati for some behind the scenes insights as to what was written in the scripts, and what was ad-libbed including; that end of the episode devious wink Franco gave to Carly, and the popcorn pantomime. Here is an excerpt below:
Carlivati on if the Popcorn pantomime was scripted: “No, it was not. I mean, we indicated that the camera was on Franco at the reveal, to see his reaction. We did not say what that reaction was. Frank (Valentini, executive producer) told me, if I’m remembering this correctly, that (Roger Howarth) did it with the popcorn during rehearsal, and then he didn’t do it when they went to tape it, and Frank was like, ‘Wait, wait, wait, why didn’t you do that thing that you did before?”‘And he was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know, I was just trying it,’ and Frank said, ‘No, no, no, you gotta do it.’ So, it was something that he did when they were rehearsing and Frank loved it and said, ‘You have to do that when we tape it.”‘
Did you love the popcorn pantomime and Franco’s wink as much as we did? Comment below!
Loved it; in fact I loved his whole performance that episode!! Howarth has fleshed out the Franco character better than James Franco ever could!
Loved the popcorn and the wink at the end was perfect!
I love Roger’s portrayal of Franco but I wonder how long can Franco last in a town where the the only friend he has is some unemployed, barely out of her teens girl? Plus I am sick and tired of everyone being able to insult him without judgements. Franco made some horrible choices but people forget if it wasn’t for Franco, Michael might be dead and Morgan may be in jail for his murder, after the fight on the docks where Morgan knocked Michael into the river unconscious and he we about to drown. I think we see the writing on the wall , Franco and Nina are going to become G.H. answer to the Adam’s family as a couple.
Franco has replaced AJ as the town punching bag. I was frustrated for AJ and I’m now frustrated for Franco. Let’s not forget, in addition to what you mentioned, Franco also risked his life to save Carly from Heather…actually tried to kill Heather (remember when he buried her thinking she was dead?) to protect Carly. And she runs back to…and sleeps with Sonny…who didn’t lift a finger to rescue her and threatened to kill her when she shot Olivia. I love Roger and he finally has some material to play off of. Unfortunately he’s going to be the town pariah…unless he gets a few people in his corner other than Kiki. Popcorn scene was very Todd…Roger…now Franco. Subtle but effective.
LOVED IT! ROGER IS THE BEST!!!!
Did I love the popcorn pantomine and Franco’s wink? I think it is pretty sad that this is what passes for great acting choices and gets attention. That’s what I think.
Well, speaking for myself, I keep lowering the barometer for my expectations. I thought the popcorn bit was funny, however it was evocative of Todd from OLTL’s past as he simulated the same action when he pulls off similar antics when Todd was supposed to marry Blair.
I do understand why they call him Re Ron. The dialogue at this wedding was almost word for word the same dialogue utilized at Todd and Blair’s wedding. Also Nina’s theft of Ava’s baby is a repeat of Marci stealing a baby. Oh well, it’s been amusing and not painful to watch as of late.
This again showcases why Roger Howarth is one of the best in the business. That wink and the popcorn pantomime were fantastic. Honestly, the scene probably wouldn’t have been the same without it, and it fits so perfectly with the character. Roger finally has the material worthy of his talents, and he’s finally getting me to love Franco. Couple the “Hallowedding” with the other madness going on in Port Charles, and it was GH’s best week of shows in a long time.
Totally agree! He’s finally really playing Franco and is playing it to the hilt!
Great actor..
Franco often shocks me…mostly to the point of laughter! I enjoy Roger Howarth.
grrrrreat!!!!
The pop corn (relax watch the show) was Rogers inner genius when it comes to subtle humor..
I really like the ”’wink” that was so believable for the ”I gotcha” ..
Franco is a very unique character that only Roger could own..
Roger is a soap treasure …
Love love love the wink and Frankco eating pop corn well done acting.
I actually watched this twice (great episode) and had no idea what the heck Franco was doing with those movements. So now I know!
I agree. I didn’t know what he was doing, but it was funny to watch.
Roger Howarth can make reading the phone book entertaining.
He is a talented actor and “makes” the scene…. I would watch him in anything he chooses to do….
having watched Roger for so many years, I knew it was just ‘so Roger’ to do that. You can’t script his humor!
That’s why he’s the best there is.
It just goes to show how off GH’s priorities are that the reveal to Michael about what Sonny and Carly did, about justice being served for AJ, is all. About. Franco. The. SERIAL KILLER.
Roger is just simply the best actor in daytime! They are finally putting him to good use! I also love the “Pepperoni” comment. That was super funny. Roger is just such a peach!
That was hysterical! Roger is a great actor! Has chemistry with anyone that shares scenes with him!
Loved the episodes! Roger Howarth has been and continues to be brilliant !
It seems as though a lot of Roger’s expressions are unscripted-which I love! Roger is very talented, a great comedic actor with great timing. Just continue to flush out the fact that he was brought back as Franco-stop referring to how he was a psychotic serial murderer, etc.
I love Roger, and trying to like Franco. It’s hard when the best character ever was Todd. EVER. Todd had people who loved him because they went deep into understanding where he came from. I’m not there yet with Franco, but that being said, anything that RH does is okay by me. My issue is why the Franco blame? Why not let us sympathize with him. Sonny killed AJ, Carly covered it up. She cheated. Her arrogance is annoying. Let’s not pretend they did nothing wrong. So yeah for Franco for blowing up there world. And Michael, the kid had to know. Just wondering how Franco is going to come out of this by leaving with Cocopuff Nina. She’s an emmy waiting to happen. Oh the wink and popcorn ….classic.
Totally agree. Franco was completely justified; he risked his life to save her from Heather when she was kidnapped! She cheats on him, betrays him in every way…Sonny is a serial killer!!! LOL…it’s as if being a murderer in the mob is SO much more sane than just than Franco’s past actions. Sonny and Carly’s indignation and ridicule of Franco would be so much more palatable if we saw more people in Port Charles side with Franco, even in a private conversation. But they won’t. Just like the scapegoat that was AJ. And actually, Scott. They pick a few people in town who are the pariahs. (They’re usually the ones I side with.)
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 episodes of 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 Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. 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 early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “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, Zamprogna 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 100% down for. “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, 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. There’s 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 guy 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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