General Hospital
GH's Michelle Stafford Video Interview: Everything You Wanted To Know About Nina Clay & Then Some Part 1!
Photo: MF Soaps Inc.
It looks to be a pivotal week on General Hospital for Nina Clay and her machinations, and her relationships with Silas and Franco!
Since coming to the ABC soap opera two-time Daytime Emmy winning dynamo, Michelle Stafford (Nina Clay) has been making watching Nina’s twisted revenge plots must-see TV! You just never know what she is going to do next, or think next, or when she might be prone to have one of her fantasies such as: stabbing Silas (Michael Easton) with a butcher knife post sex! And that crumpled piece of paper revenge list of Nina’s is getting lots of good use, as she continues to exact her plans on her unassuming victims!
On-Air On-Soaps sat down with Michelle Stafford for this very special two part video interview where we delve into a myriad of subjects surrounding Nina Clay, and working with the different actors and characters in Nina’s orbit that are on the Port Charles canvas!
In part one, Michelle discusses what made her decide to come to GH to take on the role of Nina Clay, how she and GH head writer Ron Carlivati have collaborated on the character to bring her life, if there has been a feeling of competition between heavy hitter actresses on the GH set which now includes: Michelle, Maura West (Ava), Laura Wright (Carly) among others! We also chat on what fans can expect if/when they see Nina in scenes with the person she is most mad at … her mother, played by Donna Mills (Madeline)! Later, we get into Nina’s revenge list and what Nina thinks about Silas and Sam (Kelly Monaco) … and Ava! And then there’s the subject of Ava’s baby, and Nina’s obsession to have one of her own … or is she planning on taking Ava’s? Plus, find out what Michelle had to say about Nina’s wheelchair days and more!
Make sure to come back to On-Air On-Soaps tomorrow for part two of our interview, where we discuss what it has been like for Michelle to work with Roger Howarth (Franco), and where she sees the on-screen relationship between Franco and Nina heading. Plus a preview of what is to come, Billy Miller (Jason) coming to GH, the state of soaps, and we continue to delve deeper into Nina’s revenge list! The second part is not to be missed!
Now after the jump, watch Part 1 of Everything You Wanted To Know About Nina Clay & Then Some! Then chime-in, what was your favorite comment made by Michelle in the interview? Share your thoughts below!
Have to love Michelle, a dynamic woman!!
So happy she came to GH.. She is awesome!!
She is a great addition to my favorite list;
‘Michelle Stafford’, Maura West, , Billy Miller, Roger Howarth, Michael Easton, Finola Hughes, Maurice Benard, Anthony Geary, Jane Elliot, Kathleen Gati, Jason Thompson..
WOW!!!! .. that ^^^ is a list of the best of the best!!! GH is bursting with talent! #1 ..!!
(I think Michelle and Billy are having a riot with GH !!! 🙂
That was GREAT! ♡ IT
So freakin cool the part about kelly was hilarious!
What can I say? I’ve said it all already. I LOVE YOU, MICHELLE.
I liked that scene when Silas caught Nina running around the hospital and wants to know how she suddenly is out of her wheelchair…just watch she’ll make something up…i can see her falling to her knees with her arms reaching heavenwards exclaiming ‘Its a MIRACLE!!!’ and gulliable Silas falling for it…lol
I said on another post, jimh, that Nina will tell Silas that she has been keeping it a secret until she was strong enough to surprise him. So, you see, we think alike…lol
Have you ever met her? I would love to. I bet she is super nice.
No, I have never met Michelle, Timmm. I have been watching her for 14 years, though. I know it’s silly, but I feel like I know her. I have a girl-crush on her. LOL
I was hoping the secret she was hiding is that she was born a man…then she got ‘female parts transplant’ so she could get preggy…hey, it would work on this show…lol
Oh, man, jimh…you still manage to crack me up !!!!
fabulous interview
Great interview. I think Nina has potential. I think she was shown too much her first few months, but lately things have evened out. Her scenes with Franco are great. There is a lot of chemistry there, and I’m curious where their relationship goes.
Thats what I said to people who were not familiar with her work on Y&R. That character was super crazy but leveled off somewhat. Now we see Nina doing the same thing. She still and probably will always have a few screws loose but thats what makes her entertaining. Love her!
.
(((((((((waving))))))) to Michelle .. We Love You!!!!
(so happy you got out of Y&R 🙂
Michelle is great. For GH fans who are new to Michelle Stafford, check out her web series from last year titled “The Stafford Project.” It is on Youtube. There are 10 episodes and they run anywhere from 8 to 18 minutes long. She plays kind of a character, kind of based on her own life, and kind of reality driven. It is so good! She said recently she is shopping around more episodes to distributors. Cannot wait!
I’ve really warmed to Nina because of the way she is with her brother, James, & Franco. Frankly, I think she’s a better friend to Franco than he is to her. It’s interesting to watch her try & protect him from the pain she knows he’ll feel. You’d think she would be glad to have a fellow “cheatee” to commiserate with. But, in spite of her ongoing underhanded revenge, she doesn’t want that for him. Like Fairman alluded to, we’ve only really seen one side of her pain. Once we get that confrontation with her mother, I think people will know how badly she hurts, even if they don’t agree with her way of dealing with it. Nina is stuck in one gear, & I think she’ll eventually get out of it. I like how TPTB are showing all sides of the characters. They aren’t just black & white. “Villains” love their families & yearn for acceptance as much as the “good guys” do. And, sometimes the “good guys” make horrible decisions in spite of their good intentions. I’m hooked!
You are so right, Kansas. Nina doesn’t know how deep her feelings for Franco run. Yet, she protects him; even with Silas. To me, her lying to her husband speaks volumes. It shows where her allegiance lies.
I didn’t like Michelle at first but now I think shes really getting into the character. She is so funny when she grabs Francos phone from his hands! Love her!
I laughed so hard with those two. Loving Nina and Franco!
I agree! I wasn’t sure at first, either.
Great interview!! Love her. I love the little mannerisms she gives Nina.. like swinging her legs in the wheelchair lol.. I feel bad for the way Silas treats her…. he was so cold to her. She is busted now.. can’t wait to see the follow up on this, part of me feels bad for her. If she would only be honest!! But if everyone was honest and decent then I guess we wouldn’t have a show? Lol
I really miss u on yr it’s not the same the new Phyllis stinks I will b watching gh
I really miss you on the young and restless you brought it all Phyllis was awesome don’t like the .New gal so be watching general hospital
I see that Michelle is having a riot with GH..
GH is totally different than Y&R , its a whole very different world than Y&R..
Michelle and Billy will soar to new and very exciting heights !!
they will have great thrilling drama to act, awesome..
Oh, my, Sally. I love Michelle. But, Gina is a great actress. Give her a chance. She deserves that much. Study Gina’s face and her expressions….she is slipping into Phyllis mode with expertise.
I really do like Michelle as Nina Clay. I like her friendship with Franco. I think Michelle’s scenes with Roger are her best. I like the vulnerability she expresses-when talking about knowing what it is like being betrayed by someone that you love-I also love her crazy antics while plotting with Rosalie. I laugh out loud everytime she refers to her (hit) list. She’s a great addition to the cast!
Hi, dmr. Do you remember how, at the beginning, only a couple of us liked Nina? They were not really ready to receive her? The few of us who knew what a phenomenal actress she was tried to sway the ‘unbelievers’ (lol) to our side…well, it finally happened. It’s great to see that Michelle is finally home….Port Charles.
Loved the interview Michael and Michelle is awesome
I like MS but I do not care for the Nina character I wish she had remained as Phyllis but that is her choice. I was sitting at the bar in a restaurant with a friend the bartender said oh gosh Phyllis is in a wheelchair I said no she woke up over at GH in a wheelchair. He said Oh Man it was priceless so she probably will always be Phyllis to a lot of people. Best of luck to her she seems happy!
The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.
Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Antonio Sabáto Jr., the former Jagger Cates of General Hospital and GH: Night Shift, and the former Dante Damiano of The Bold and the Beautiful has issued his first public statement since the incident involving his son, Jack’s arrest in Alaska for a fatal hit-and-run.
Jack is the son of Sabáto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, and according to court documents obtained by KTUU Jack, was allegedly driving a white Chevy Tahoe when he hit and killed Carl Simmonds, 42, near an intersection in Anchorage around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, November 9.
The reports indicated that Jack fled the scene — but later decided to called the cops to say he hit “something” that “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing.”
Photo: NBC
Now, Antonio has taken to his Instagram breaking his silence on the situation, sharing, “At this time, my family and I are navigating an extremely sensitive and deeply personal matter.”
He added, “As a father, my love for my children remains unconditional, and my priority is the well-being of my family. We ask that the public and members of the media honor our privacy during this difficult time and keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.”
The soap alum concluded, “I also wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the gentleman who tragically lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with them as well. We sincerely appreciate your compassion, understanding, and respect for the privacy of everyone affected.”
Jack Sabáto was arraigned in court on Tuesday, November 10 with bail set at $5,000, and a no-driving order and the potential of $5,000 penalty fees if he fails to attend future court appearances.
Antonio is the father to Jack, 34, daughter, Mina Sabato, 24 and son, Antonio Sabáto III, 15.
This is a developing story. You can check out Antonio’s official statement below.
So, let us know your thoughts on this tragic hit-and-run, which claimed the life of another man, and Antonio’s statement, via the comment section below.
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Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Ava’s (Maura West) daughter Avery looks quite different, starting on today’s November 9 episode of General Hospital. That’s because GH has made Avery into a full-blown teenager and the role is now being played by actress Alya Bullington.
In her debut, the Tennessee native was thrown into the deep soap waters with Daytime Emmy winners, Maurice Benard and Eden McCoy (Josslyn). Bullington weighed-in to TV Insider about her first scene which featured Avery overhearing a fight between Sonny and Josslyn.
She explained “It was something I have never done before, I did not have a lot of experience with the screaming and the crying stuff, but I got my first script, and I was like, ‘OK, this is a huge opportunity to learn so much about how that stuff works and to become this character that I have never even tried playing before.’”
Photo: ABC
THE TEENAGED VERSION OF AVERY WILL HAVE A LOT TO CONTEND WITH
Speaking of working with McCoy, Bullington shared, “She’s incredible. I remember her just laughing and making jokes on set, and then the minute that they started taping, she just locked in and she cried immediately, and my first thought was, ‘I want to be able to do that.’
The soap opera newcomer added, “I think she just inspired me so much because she is so great and she can just lock into whatever character she wants to in the moment.”
The character of Avery was born back in 2014, but as recently as the October 8 episode of General Hospital, the character was suddenly referred to as a teenager. This is the second young female character in recent months to be aged up following the casting of Kayden Brenna Tokarski as Scout Cain.
As for her take on Avery and what’s ahead, Alya said,“She’s emotional, and she’s curious, and she’s a really fun person to play because so much stuff is happening in her life. I think she’s kind of confused about what’s happening and what to believe.”
So, what do you think about General Hospital making Avery a teenager? Are you excited to see the conflict between Sonny, Ava and Avery now that they have aged up the character? Share your thoughts and welcome Alya to GH via the comment section below.
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