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Happy ANNAversary! Finola Hughes Celebrates Today 30 Years On General Hospital!

Simply, the best!  I think all General Hospital fans would agree that one needs to look no further than former spy and now federal agent Anna Devane, as one of the top daytime female character to be admired who has survived insurmountable odds, fought the bad guys, has been a mother, a lover, and a grandmother … and is sexy as all get out doing it!

Daytime Emmy winner Finola Hughes (Anna), who is a nominee again this year, has brought her style, grace and heracting chops to General Hospital for 30 years and today is the day we celebrate Finola and Anna Devane.

Earlier today, a very special edition of #AskGH was all the rage on Twitter with Finola answering fans questions and many video tributes have been posted and poured in for the big  “AnnaVersary”!

In addition, in honor of her 30th anniversary, Finola also appeared on The Rachael Ray Show.  During her visit, she surprised Dr. Ian who is a superfan of GH.  Finola revealed to the good doc that she brings big news.  GH is giving him a small role on the soap.  “You know, I may not be the commissioner anymore but we’ve managed to secure you a role as a cop on our show,” said Hughes!

After the jump watch a special video tribute put together lovingly by robertannafan and Finola on The Rachael Ray Show.  Then share your well-wishes for Finola, and tell us your favorite Anna Devane moment!

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Both the videos were fun to watch..
and=
Finola you rock !!!!!

Finola does rock, su. I wasn’t even born when she first appeared on GH, but I completely adored her on AMC. She is just one of those people who just attract, and she’s beautiful inside and out, I’m sure. Go get ’em, Finola….

Someone on a soap opera—even if there was a break—that long and having many front burner storylines, i consider a lead actress and not supporting!!!

Read her reason for putting herself in supporting this year it was in SOD last week I am sure you can probably read it on line! Congratulations to FH and please bring Scorpio home from Genoa City and back into her arms! Miss those two’s wonderful chemistry!!!!

Tristan Rogers signed a new contract with Y&R in January,so Robert will not be returning to GH in 2015.

Jimh..
supporting actor has nothing to with how long one has been with a soap..
It’s that a Supporting actor’s day is typically pretty short, whereas its very common to have lead Actors work 10 or 12+ hour days ..

Some actors are an everyday person (lead) and others are sporadic (supporting)

Finola is one of the greats, for sure!

Hi Jim. She definitely has been lead in the past, but not for this nominating year she wasnt. She didnt drive story nor did she have enough screen time to warrant lead. Which is why the Peggy McKay thing boggles my mind. She is the epitome of what supporting actress should be. Finola is a smart cookie…..she knows that under this regime her character has been made to look like a bungling fool who cant even make an arrest for jaywalking. Finola was truly supporting in 2014. I have enjoyed all of her work and I hope one day GH will find a regime who will restore the character of Anna to her former glory and prominence.

I know what your saying…Peggy Mckay i love her and she is great but is rarely on and has no real story of her own…FH may not have a real story of her own(well, she did loose her commisioner job and dealt with Duke somewhat which is more story than brief appearances at Days with Peggy who hasnt any of her own story) and FH is shown more so in comparison FH feels more like lead than Peggy…im just glad the emmys are back on tv!!!

Of all of the actresses/female characters I’ve watched in Daytime television over the last 50 + years, Finola Hughes/Anna Devane are the women I most admire & would like to be, when I grow up. 😉

She’s the best! Lucky us for seeing her work onscreen!

Congrats to Finola on her 30th ANNAversary! How lucky and fortunate we fans have been for all these years to have the opportunity to enjoy the talents of Finola and the wonderful character of Anna Devane!!

The video tribute is amazing! I’m sure it was difficult to select scenes when there have been so many many great scenes and storylines involving Anna over the years!

Some of my favorite storylines over the years have been the flashback backstory of Robert and Anna and the Alien/Faison story. Favorite scenes are way too numerous to mention!! Comedic scenes between Anna and Frisco, family scenes with Robert, Anna and Robin, fierce scenes between Anna and Faison, etc., etc.

Again, congrats to Finola!! Hope to see many more years of Anna Devane!!

Finola deserves all the love and admiration she is getting today! A class act all the way around and a wonderful actress. I’ve been a fan since she first appeared on GH in 1985. Anna has had some great storylines over the years and Finola always makes the most of what she’s given. Love love love Finola and Anna Devane!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY FINOLA, YOU TOTALLY ROCK! I started watching GH when i was 10, what i love most was when the character of Anna was introduce and later Robin, but what made anna so great was she was like one of the guys, she held her own and could kick butt too, there really wasn’t many women doing that back then in soaps and still today no female character stands out like Anna did, closes one was Jordan, but RC/FV somehow don’t Know how to write kick ass female characters. Still, i love Anna, but i feel RC/FV don’t do the character justice, first of all she should be trying to figure out what happened to Robin, its so wrong that Anna an Patrick bought into Robin fake story and just left it at that. Anna should also be seen spending more time with Emma, after all Emma was the reason she stayed in pc. Also, Anna should go back to being a Spy, its not working for her trying to enforce the law, since under RC/FV regime the character will never solve a crime to save her life. As a spy she’s more in the middle and this way the show can bring in these bad villains for short story arc, i.e like terrorist. I’m not sure if the audience wants to see Anna become buddies with Sonny, but i think the character should be involve in bring down more dangerous characters and have Sonny become that one bad guy every hero had as back up. Remember how Robert befriended Luke and they became buddies and even save the world? Lets be real, Sonny is not a real mobster, yes he’s killed a few bad guys and A.J, but since the show has decided he’s not going to pay for those crime, what other crime is he really committing ? the crime of self righteous? has he really terrorize PC? So to conclude, lets see Anna hanging out with Emma, trying to figure out what s going on with Robin, have a bigger villain come to town and try to really destroy PC so that Anna can then team up with Sonny, be on friendly terms with him, put Helena on warning for messing with Robin, and get her A team back, open a P.I agency, and team up with Felicia, Jordan, and spinneli and solve some dangerous crime and fun capers, oh and no way in hell let her work along with Sam as a p.i, sam can’t solve a crime if her life depended on it

Thanks for your tribute, Michael! I have adored Finola for what seems like a life time. I’m so happy she still reigns as the great Anna Devane 30 years after her first episode on GH. She is a treasure !

OMG, 30 years! We should all hope to look as good as Finola looks as she ages gracefully! My favorite story with her character was when Grant Putnam kidnapped her and kept her in a cage. I know, morbid but her and Brian Patrick Clarke were golden together!

Thanks for the shoutout! It is really hard to pick one favorite Anna moment, but I will go with the scene from 1990, Sean tells AnR that it was his fault they broke up and the Swede was alive

Finola has played Anna beautifully throughout the years,time has
been as kind to her as she has been to us. And the Emmy goes to
Finola Hughes.

Was so happy to see Finola return to General Hospital. Also liked her in Charmed and Staying Alive (you could really see her dance).
Just wish Ron C would give her a prominent role with Anna doing cool things like she used to do. Right now she’s no more than window dressing…she can do more that has a lot more fun and adventure than the dark, downer stories we’ve had the past few years. She really solved crimes and would have never given up on Robin.
Unfortunately, this has happened to other favorite actors GH has brought back, like Ian, Frisco, Kristen, and Tristan. We’re hopefully finishing the Fluke fiasco, and now we get to see Kiki and Morgan try to make Michael look like an alcoholic, Ava wanting to die, again another baby being tossed around for drama, Carly enabling Sonny and saying she’s a good mother, etc. At leased write more upbeat, complicated stories than what we’ve had lately. Also wouldn’t mind Duke getting rid of the beard.

This was a great celebration for a great actress and one of the greatest characters to ever be created for daytime television. Her performances, when they chose to actually use her, are flawless and she continues to reminds fans like me why I still watch GH. Kudos to a classy lady for an amazing occasion.

This was a really wonderful celebration. Even though Anna was nowhere to be found on GH over the past couple of weeks, it was so much fun seeing Finola on The Chew and The Rachel Ray Show as well as having her live tweet with fans on the day of Anna’s 30th anniversary. The photos and videos The Findom shared via twitter over the past few weeks have been phenomenal! Kudos to Finola for reaching this amazing milestone in her career and may she continue to bring us more Anna Devane.

I still think Finola is one of the best things still happening on GH and also in that group are Tony Geary & Jane Elliott. I wish they would use her more! I wish her Congratulations for this great moment! 30 years is really something especially in a genre like daytime TV. She is a class act and clearly the fans believe that too!

I don’t think anyone is more deserving of this 30 year celebration than Finola Hughes. She handles her work and her interaction with fans like the true pro that she is and she is very generous by donating all the proceeds from her GHFCW fan gatherings to charity every time she has a gathering. Kudos to her for being such a class act!

I’d love to congratulate Finola Hughes on this awesome accomplishment. Kudos to her for always keeping the doors to GH open and Kudos for GH for knowing which character and actress they would need to bring back to help meld legendary and beloved with “let’s try some new stuff”. FYI, I still pick legendary and beloved!

I remember Anna’s very first episode, as well as the hideous fake scar being worn as “penance.” Always thought Anna was Gloria Monty’s best female creation and the actress remains the gold standard at GH. Now, can we please get a storyline for Anna worthy of Finola Hughes’s great talent? That would be the most fitting celebration of 30 years of Anna Devane and Finola Hughes!!!!

Ditto!. Have loved Anna at first sight. Let’s give her a storyline and a romance–and not that creepy Sloan.

Such a talented, beautiful and classy actress! Congratulations and best wishes. Thank you for always delivering your best.

Let’s get real for a moment: Finola’s “30 years” were far from continuous, so it’s not the major milestone promoted here. I think she’s been off the show almost as long as she’s been on the show. Same thing goes for Tony Geary, and with him, he seems to be gone one-half of every year.

I did some research and found out that Finola has been playing Anna(on GH) for roughly 15 years in total.

Thanks, Tim. You’ve proved my point.

Is it not true that Finola premiered as Anna thirty years ago? I believe the celebration by fans is an acknowledgement of the 30th anniversary of Anna’s arrival in Port Charles.

Thanks for the heads-up, Tristan, but reread the headline to this story and you’ll see what I mean.

It was the anniversary of Finola’s 1st appearance on GH as Anna Devane. I don’t think anyone assumed she had actually been on the show for 30 years but she did also play Anna Devane on AMC.

In addition to Finola 3 of her cast mates will be celebrating their 10 year anniversaries in 2015,Jason Thompson,Kelly Monaco and Laura Wright all started on GH in 2005.

General Hospital

Nancy Lee Grahn’s Star-Studded ALS Fundraiser Reveals “I’ll Be There” Video Featuring Soap Opera Notables

Talk about your impressive line-up! It’s a soap fans dream and for a great cause. General Hospital’s Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) is prepping her one-night only ALS fundraiser which will feature many of her friends and co-stars.

The benefit is set for May 4th in Glendale, California. Slated to participate are Genie Francis, Jane Elliot, Peter Bergman, Maurice Benard, Eileen Davidson, Thorsten Kaye, Michelle Stafford, Stephen Nichols, Rena Sofer, Jason Thompson, Kelly Monaco, Melissa Claire Egan, Maura West, Kristina Wagner, Gregory Harrison, Trevor St. John, Kate Mansi, Kirsten Storms, Cynthia Watros, and many others.

On Wednesday, Grahn took to her social media and released an “I’ll be there” video shout-out featuring, Monaco, Elliot, Bergman, Bernard, West, Harrison, St. John and more. In a touching and important moment in the new video, Michelle Strogny, who is battling ALS, is featured.

Photo: ABC

Previously, in speaking with Soap Opera Digest on the impetus of the event, Grahn recalled, “I was actually doing Zoom events during Covid and I met this woman that I just fell in love with, Michelle Strojny. At the time, Michelle had been living with ALS for four years. Now, it’s five years. She is a mom of a teenage son, she has the most wonderful husband, and she has been dealing with this [disease] for quite a while. And obviously, there isn’t a cure yet. It’s not survivable yet. But as she says, it’s not incurable. Nothing is; it’s underfunded. But anyway, I just really dug this woman. She is so grounded and filled with grace, and she spends all of her time working to raise money for the cause. We did a fundraiser for her last year and then I thought, ‘You know what? The soaps don’t ever get together to do something for charity.’ Collectively, we have this amazing community and we don’t collectively use it for a good cause, and I think it’s such an easy thing for us to do and we could potentially really make a difference.”

As GH viewers know, Gregory Harrison is playing the character of Gregory Chase, who is also battling ALS in a touching storyline that is currently playing out shedding a light on this disease.

For information on Nancy’s event, including the stars who are s scheduled to participate click here. To purchase tickets to the event click here.

Check out the video featuring Nancy’s friends and co-stars below.  Now let us know, your thought son the line-up for the benefit and helping raise awareness and funds for ALS research via the comment section.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Writer Shannon Peace Let Go, and Shares on Sprina: “One of My Only Regrets is to Not Have the Opportunity to Develop That ‘Ship’ Further”

As General Hospital’s new head writing team of Elizabeth Korte and Patrick Mulcahy gets off the ground and running, there are still changes a foot on the writing team.

Now comes word via breakdown writer Shannon Peace that she is no longer on contract with the long-running ABC soap heading into its 61st season. Peace shared a heartfelt message on her Instagram, thanking the fans, and the show for the opportunity and the importance of diversity in the writers room.

Peace began, “After almost 3 years on staff and 106 episodes penned, I am no longer on contract with General Hospital. Writing for this country’s longest running television serial drama has been an education of epic proportions; I will forever be grateful that I earned my WGA card on a daytime fixture that holds memories for so many.” (Peace pictured below with GH EP Frank Valentini and script writer, Charlotte Gibson from about ten months ago).

Photo: SPeaceIG

Shannon added “Even more importantly, as the sole Black breakdown writer (and only POC in the writers room) during my tenure, I pushed for vital interactions and discussions that prioritized inclusion, visibility, and representation”

The writer pointed to the example of vital interaction when in story, “Stella and Portia’s frank July 2022 conversation about the role race played in Esme’s framing of Trina is just one example of the impact I’m gratified to have had.”

Acknowledging former GH co-head writers was also part of Peace’s farewell expressing, “Appreciation to my former bosses, Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor – not only taking a chance on me, but for valuing my opinion and championing my voice.”

Courtesy/ABC

Many GH fans know that Peace was key to the development of the love story between Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine as played by Tabyana Ali and Nicholas Chavez. Shannon gave a special shout-out to ‘Sprina’ fans, “I also want to thank fans who were supportive of my work, especially the recognition of my love for ‘Sprina’. One of my only regrets is not having to develop that ‘ship’ further.”

She concludes her statement with,”In the aftermath of a historic writer’s strike that shed new light on the troubling ways writers are regarded in daytime, my sincere hope is that General Hospital recommits to valuing staff writer efforts and input, with a more intentional focus on diverse viewpoints — and thrives for another 60 years.”

Accompanying her post, Shannon added, “Thank you all for the love and support these last few years. I hope GH fans get all they hope for and more!”

So, what do you think about GH not renewing Shannon’s contract? Will there be more continued changes afoot? What do you think is the future of ‘Sprina’ anyway at this point as viewers wait to see if Nicholas Chavez officially returns to the show?  Comment below.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Learns Britt Died and Tells Anna He Has Been Working For Cates Since November 2021

On the Tuesday, March 26th of General Hospital, Anna (Finola Hughes) and the viewers learn about where Jason (Steve Burton) has been for over two and half years. However, Jason gets some news of his own.

Anna is visiting Jason at the PCPD interrogation room. She asks him if he shot Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), which he flatly denies. Anna believes him, but she tells Jason it doesn’t matter, because video footage shows him on the roof at the time of the shooting

When talk turns to Jason not willing to speak without his lawyer present, Anna can’t grasp why Jason would instead spend an hour alone talking with John Cates (Adam J. Harrington).

Photo: ABC

It is then that Anna brings up that John went by “Jagger” and that the two of them knew each other in high school. Jason doesn’t recall much of his time in high school following his brain injury, but then he gets furious realizing John knew about “Jason’s” past. That is when Jason slams the table and tells Anna, “I’ve been working for John Cates since November 2021.”

Next, Jason explains further that he has been working as an informant for the FBI. Anna wants to know how this came about and he tells her that after the tunnel collapsed, and he couldn’t make it to Britt (Kelly Thiebaud)… all of a sudden he sees Anna’s face drop.  Anna is the first person to tell him that Britt died and was murdered. She tells Jason the killer is in custody, but he continues to be shocked, overwhelmed with tears welling up in his eyes. Realizing he has to pivot to save his life, Jason continues telling Anna how he wound up working with John.

Jason explains that after the tunnel collapse in Greece, FBI agents grabbed him and placed him under arrest and took him to Quantico where he met John. At Quantico, John played a recording of RICO violations and offered Jason a deal if he agreed to be an informant against Pikeman, the illegal arms dealer.

Anna hears from Jason that he thinks Pikeman is selling illegal arms to anyone flagged by the NSA but has ties to the WSB which they needed a civilian to infiltrate their organization as a military soldier, a mercenary.

Jason tells Anna he was a part of the team brought into eliminate Sonny (Maurice Benard). Every time an attempt was made on Sonny’s life over the last two years, a different team was sent to do the job. Anna gets furious when she learns that John told Jason his job was to kill Sonny and she was with John at the warehouse that night. Jason ensured the sniper missed Sonny and left the rifle behind. However, they were supposed to meet an extraction team. Before he was shot, Dante saw it was Jason on the roof and when he turned around with his hands over his head, Dante was shot by the other guy. Jason says if Dante dies, he’ll be charged with capital murder and then will be useless to the FBI.

Photo: ABC

Meanwhile, John visits Bobbie’s and runs into Carly (Laura Wright). She learns Jason is in custody and is going to head to the PCPD. Before she does, Carly has some words with Cates when she learns not only does John have a vendetta against Sonny, but Jason too.  Carly tells John he should recuse himself from the case.

So, what did you think about the moment when Jason learned Britt died? What do you think of Jason’s return storyline thus far and what we learned about Jagger/Jason and more? Comment below. But first, check out a moment from today’s GH with Jason and Anna.

 

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