News
Hillary B. Smith chats on her new role on B&B, Prospect Park & the ending of OLTL!
Courtesy/ABC
Shortly after the finale of One Life to Live aired, it was announced by the CBS soap, The Bold and the Beautiful, that Daytime Emmy winner, Hillary B. Smith (Nora, OLTL and Guya, Venice) was joining the Brad Bell sudser in the newly created role of a sexual therapist ( or as they say,”a psychiatrist who specializes in sex therapy”), Dr. Stacy Burton!
Now TV Line has a new interview with Smith on her decision to tackle a brand new daytime role on the very successful B&B, what she thought of the ending of One Life to Live and her thoughts on the fallout from when Prospect Park bailed out at the last minute when they were supposedly moving One Life online. Here are a few excerpts below!
Hillary on what attracted her to her new role as Dr. Stacy Burton: “To be perfectly honest, what drew me to this role was the opportunity to work with Brad Bell… and that’s basically it. [Laughs] I could have gone on that show as a janitor and I would have been happy to have the experience to work with him. [Laughs] I have not seen a script yet, but Brad called and gave me a little thumbnail sketch of who I’d be working with and what I’d be doing. I’m going to be working very closely with a contract player and helping them deal with a crisis, so that works for me.”
Hillary on watching the final episode of One Life to Live: “I was in New York at [an Upper West Side sports bar] with a bunch of the cast and crew and there were times during the episode that I just started to cry, and others when I laughed out loud. At one point I had tears streaming down [my] face — especially when Woodsy [Robert S. Woods] and I say goodbye to each other [on camera]. That was really Woodsy saying goodbye to Hillary and Hillary saying goodbye to Woodsy, and that was tough. Just remembering the day we shot it all, you know, was sad. We just looked around the room and wished everyone well and hoped we’d see each other again. But lives move on. Actors are supposed to be nomadic by nature, but we found ourselves forming a family — dysfunctional albeit, but a family nonetheless — and then suddenly our family was gone.”
Hillary on how Prospect Park impacted the ending of OLTL and its stories: “I think there was unfortunately a lot of running around and fixing things. They had an ending in mind and then Prospect Park bought the rights and they changed a lot of the ending so that it could continue… So, that was very difficult and was probably really hard for [headwriter] Ron [Carlivati]. And then when the rug got pulled out again [when Prospect Park canceled their plan], they had from Thanksgiving until it aired [in January] to move things around and try to get some sort of closure. I think they did a remarkable job considering how the ending was supposed to go and how it did go. I tip my hat to them.
Hillary on if she had confidence that Prospect Park could pull off moving OLTL online, since she has been part of a successful online soap venture with Venice: “I didn’t quite understand how they were going to do it. I don’t understand how you can raise money for something that doesn’t have a proven revenue point… but you know what? It’s none of my business how they were going to do that. Just give me the script, tell me when I’m going to show up and I’ll be there to bring that character to life. I was nervous and concerned about it at first, so it took awhile for a deal to be hammered out, and then when it all went away I was so sad. I was sad for the fans, that they had it cancelled again on them — that’s the hard part. So, it was very bittersweet saying goodbye. And then when this offer [for B&B] came through, it was like, I guess we all move on.”
What do you think of Hillary’s comments on the ending of One Life? Are you looking forward to seeing her on B&B? Let us know!
The 53rd annual Daytime Emmys red carpet was filled with the leading ladies of soap opera, with an array of styles, looks and fashion trends: from bright vibrant colored gowns, plenty of sequins, pantsuits, retro looks, to fashion-forward and more.
From many an Emmy newcomer to the carpet with the stars of Beyond the Gates making their first-ever appearances on daytime’s biggest night, to veteran fan favorites, to the nominees and the guest stars, these women walked the carpet showing off their 2026 fashion sensibilities to the paparazzi.
Let’s take a look at some of the noteworthy looks starting with pictured above: Beyond the Gates star and now Emmy winner, Ambyr Michelle (Eva Thomas), Days of our Lives’ Abigail Klein (Stephanie Johnson), and Sal Stowers (Lani Price Grant), General Hospital’s Katelyn MacMullen (Willow Tait) and alum and nominee Eva LaRue (ex-Natalia Rogers Ramirez).
DRESSED TO IMPRESS
Now below, check out some of the other red carpet looks from the actresses of Beyond the Gates, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless, and then you can let us know in the comment section the answer to our question, “Who’s got the look?”
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
General Hospital’s Amanda Setton, a first-time Emmy nominee for her work as Brook Lynn Quartermaine, looked beautiful in burgundy.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
The Belle of the Ball: Beyond the Gates star Tamara Tunie wowed the red carpet, and later took home her first Lead Actress Daytime Emmy for her role as Anita Dupree.
Photo: NATAS
Y&R star, Hayley Erin (Claire) look stylish and in the popular burgundy dress color trend on the carpet.
Photo: NATAS
General Hospital’s Kelly Kruger (Serena Baldwin) dressed in black and brought elegance to the carpet.
Photo: NATAS
Y&R star, Christel Khalil (Lily Winters) looked stunning in this olive green dress and matching handbag and earrings.
Photo: NATAS
General Hospital’s Alexa Havins (Lulu Spencer) also dressed in sophisticated black with embroidered top and sarong dress.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Days of our Lives’ Cherie Jimenez (Gabi Hernandez), who always wows on the carpet, did so again this year in a pearl white gown.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Beyond the Gates’ Rhonni Rose Mantilla’s (Chelsea Hamilton) in a cobalt blue dress making her first appearance on a Daytime Emmys red carpet.
Photo: NATAS
General Hospital’s Kristen Vaganos (Molly Lansing-Davis) in a pale peach dress took to the Emmys red carpet.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
General Hospital’s Braedyn Bruner (Emma Drake), a first-time Daytime Emmy nominee, showed youth with elegance.
Photo: NATAS
General Hospital’s Maura West (Ava Jerome) and Cynthia Watros (Nina Reeves), both past Lead Actress Daytime Emmy winners, were on-hand to root on this year’s nominee in the category and for their show, which ultimately won Outstanding Drama Series.
Photo: JPI
Three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers) of The Young and the Restless definitely had people turning heads during the red carpet arrivals.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Y&R’s Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea Lawson) took to the red carpet also in a black dress with her latest hairstyle!
Photo: Hutchins Photo
The one and only Finola Hughes (Anna Devane, General Hospital) opted for a sleek, yet comfortable style for the 2026 Daytime Emmys.
So, who do you think wore it best from the women on this year’s Daytime Emmys Red Carpet? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section below.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Jeff Kober Accepts His Daytime Emmy Award After Being Unable to Attend the Ceremony
Last night at the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards, Jeff Kober’s name was called as the winner of the Outstanding Guest Performer in a Daytime Drama Series for his role as murderer and all around misunderstood bad guy, Cyrus Renault on General Hospital.
Kober added a second Daytime Emmy to his collection for playing Laura Collins’ Genie Francis) half-brother. He previously won in the Best Supporting Actor category in 2022. He was also nominated the year prior.
Due to appearing in a “theater gig,” the actor revealed in a videotaped acceptance speech why he couldn’t be at the Hollywood Palladium on October 30 for the livestreamed ceremony.
Photo: ABC
In his acceptance speech, Kober shared, “I want to say thank you to all of the actors who made this happen, and thank you especially to GH and my GH family. What a treat it has been to be with them. Sorry I wasn’t there last night. I had a prior commitment with a theater gig.”
He added, “I’m really sorry I didn’t get to see Genie (Francis) and the recognition by the Emmys she so richly deserves. Love you guys. Oh, also, congratulations to my pal, Roger Howarth (Matt, Y&R, and ex-Franco, GH). Maybe now GH will bring our characters back from the dead. Who knows? I see a storyline. Love to all. Thanks.”‘
Photo: JPI
Last night, Genie Francis received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Academy of Television of Arts and Sciences for her body of work since she joined GH initially in 1977 as a young teenaged Laura Vining.
Meanwhile, Howarth made history for the longest gap between Emmy wins for actors. It had been 32 years since he won Outstanding Younger Actor for his performance as Todd Manning in One Life to Live back in 1994.
You can check out Jeff Kober’s video acceptance speech below. Then let us know, what you think about the idea of Cyrus Renault returning from the dead, via the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s Wil Traval Revealed to Be Jude Jacks; the Son of the Nefarious Jerry Jacks
On the October 29 episode of General Hospital, viewers learned that Jude is actually Jude Jacks, the son of Jerry Jacks (last played by Sebastian Roché) ending all the theories of just who his new mystery man played by Australian-born actor Wil Traval.
The reveal came when Jude came a calling to the Quartermaines. Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton), Jason (Steve Burton) and Tracy (Jane Elliot) were in for a shock when he introduced himself as Jude Jacks, the son of Jerry, cousin of Josslyn (Eden McCoy) and father of baby Phoebe!
In the story, Jude explained that he’d been searching for Delilah Wilson for many months and tracked her down to Port Charles. Sadly, he leaned she died, and he never signed his parental rights away so he wants his daughter. Later, Jude showed up at Miller & Davis law office to speak to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) about an urgent legal matter and she was floored to learn he was Jerry Jacks’ son too.
Photo: ABC
Wil Traval spoke to TV Insider about finding out he would be playing another member of the Jacks family who has quite the storied history in Port Charles.
“When they told me about the role, they said, ‘Audiences won’t see what’s coming with this guy. Just think of a James Bond villain and James Bond mixed.’ And then they told me the storylines and how I was connected to the entire world, and the history of my family. I was given a run-through of who the Jackses were, and I was like, ‘I must be one of the luckiest people, right?’ It’s such a gift to be so well entrenched and connected to the Port Charles universe and the GH universe that it feels like I’ve been there for 100 years. It’s so good.”
However, Traval knows there are no fans like soap fans and that speculation was running high he might be Jerry Jacks with a new face or some other incarnation.
FAN THEORIES IMP
Wil expressed, “I have a little thing about reading things before I’m on the air. I didn’t want to read too much in case it affected anything I was doing before we got into the swing of things, but I vaguely saw little snippets here and there of people going, ‘Oh, he’s gotta be part of the Jacks family.’ The GH audience isn’t stupid. They know what’s up, and I think they’re pretty clever, and they can read between the lines, which is good.”
As for how far the apple falls from the tree, Jerry’s son, Jude may not be too far behind his father in skullduggery, but time will tell. Traval said of Jude, “He knows how to get things done. And if he doesn’t get it done, then he knows that there are other routes, probably not so legal or ethical.”
Traval noted, “When you’re thinking about who his father is, think about the kind of man Jude might have been brought up to be. Always keep that in your back pocket.”
So, what do you think about Jude turning about to the the son of Jerry Jacks? Do you like the story twist? Who is Hudson Parker to Jude Jacks, since Hudson went and tracked down Ethan Lovett before Jude even showed up in town Weigh-in via the comment section below. But first, check out the scenes where Jude reveals himself to the Quartermaines.
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I now watch bb and I look forward to seeing Hillary again
I am so looking forward to Hillary. I hope her humor and her gaiety follow her. I loved her to pieces.
Yes, I have never watched B&B, Never…But I will watch when she comes on……
I look forward to seeing all of them return somewhere!
Amazing !!
That’s how I felt after reading this article.
The best summary of all that has happened, with no hint or tone of anger in her commemts.
I am also very happy that she is going to be on B&B. Her character sounds perfect and while reading, she was already bring the role to life.
I have never watched B&B but I will be when she starts. Lucky I have some co-workers who watch so them can fill in some background.
So happy that work has come her way, and hope it does too for all the other people who worked and made a living from “One Life To Life”
I wont just watch anything cause theses guys go there.
She needed a job…they all do now.
The character she will be working with is Hope I think she is finally going to get her destiny Liam and be frigid in the bedroom. Just guessing!
“I think they did a remarkable job considering how the ending was supposed to go and how it did go.” She’s right. They should win an Emmy for best editing. Under the circumstances, we got the best ending possible. We can be thankful for that. Hillary going to B&B is enough of an incentive to check it out, but Nora will live on in our hearts forever.
What she said is true, life does go on.We can’t sit and cry over spilt milk and we can’t sit waiting for our bowl to be filled again. You as actors pick it up and carry on. Tomorrow is a new day and new adventures.We fondly remember our soaps with much love and memories. Hopefully with the few thats coming to GH in Febuary the ratings will blow sky high and the show will remain for the fans that love it. Maybe somewhere down the road OLTL will spark a new start and those that played will return. We can only hope and pray. 🙂 Goodluck to all who gave us 43 years of happiness. God Bless
I have watched B&B for the last 5-6 years, when I got sick of AMC & decided to switch. So I’ll be glad to see HBS but with a 30 minute show with a large cast-I don’t expect her to have a ton of story or airtime-just the way that show goes. Brad Bell is just not good at balancing story & character time.
I love, Love, LOVE Hillary. I just hope Brad Bell does her justice. He’s not a very good writer, and he doesn’t do very well with a broad canvas of actors, at least in my humble opinion. Also, I’ve never quite gotten into B&B, as it seems so incestuous and sleazy.
I’m wondering who she will be working with.
We Love You In Northwest Illinois, Hillary–Yay! 😀
After yesterday’s ep, I think Hope will be her patient.
It isn’t the same!!!!!!!!! I’m glad hyilliary found a job already………… Bout I was hoping she would join Gh w/ other OLTL actors… I miss Bo & Nora!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They make a good team!!!!!!!!!!! OLTL was like a family…. They had that special closeness !!!!! And you saw it when you watched OLTL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ABC messed up daytime programming BIG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really hate the bold & beautiful, I used to watch but not now, so I won’t see Hillary on it. I wish her well. I loved her as Margo on ATWT and Nora on OLTL. She is great.