News
Hillary B. Smith Interview: From B&B's Dr. Stacy to the final moments of Bo & Nora on OLTL!

Courtesy/ABC
Hillary B. Smith has been one in demand actress in recent months! First, she finished up almost 20 years as Nora Hanen Gannon Buchanan on One Life to Live, and then gave a tour de force performances as the real scene stealer in season 3 of the hit web soap, Venice! And just as soap fans were saying their goodbyes to Nora on One Life, came the news that she was snatched up by The Bold and the Beautiful to play Hope Logan’s sex therapist, Dr. Stacy Barton!
We chatted with Hillary, for this “quickie interview” on the silver carpet at the recent 25th anniversary party of The Bold and the Beautiful, whose special anniversary show airs today on CBS. We got the Daytime Emmy winner’s thoughts on her whirlwind soap life, the heart-tugging final moments between Bo and Nora as One Life signed off the air, and if Dr. Stacy will be any good at her job!
Why did you decide to join The Bold and the Beautiful?
HILLARY: It was because I have always wanted to work with the Bell family. I have great respect for the Bell family and when Brad called, I went, “Yes, I would like to go and play.” It’s a half hour soap which I think is the way to do it now. I really like the business model that they function under. I think its brilliant and I had a lot of friends out in California and I said to my husband, “It is time for a new adventure.” I did not even know what the character was and I didn’t care!
They put the official press announcement out that you were coming to B&B, just as One Life was ending!
HILLARY: It was funny. They had called just before the show was ending. I got the call that Friday morning; on January 13th that the deal is done. And I was like,”OK, here we go.” It was a very sad day January 13th, and a very happy day. It was like the old adage, “when one door closes, another opens”. I don’t know though, as it all seemed so bizarre and so surreal.

Courtesy/ABC
The final scenes with you and Bob Woods (Bo) were so touching for long time viewers of One Life to Live. When after the birth of their grandson, Drew, Nora and Bo had that exchange at the doorway! We all needed hankies!
HILLARY: Oh, “I love you, Red” and “I love you Bo Buchanan”. So beautiful. I got my chance to say goodbye on screen as Nora and Bo, and to Bob Woods. Listen, I was on The Doctors when it ended. I remember looking around at Jada Rowland (Carolee) and David O’Brien (Steve), and Jim Pritchett (Matt). And Jada said, “I cannot even believe they are not dealing with us at the end of the show.” And I went, “Well, that’s what is wrong. They are not dealing with the vets … with the people that the audience wanted to watch!” And so this time with OLTL, it was interesting to be on the other end of that, and being one of the vets, and knowing, I got my goodbye with Bob. It meant so much to me.
What do you think of what is going on over at General Hospital?
HILLARY: I can only speak to the past on General Hospital, and that is nothing against the actors at all, they are wonderful. I just don’t like a story where the bad guys are the good guys. I just don’t think that is good soap. Good soap to me was you knew who to root for, and you knew who to root against, and you could love to root against, but it was always very clear. And, I always thought soap operas had a moral obligation to do that … to make it clear. When our then executive producer, Linda Gottlieb came to me at One Life to Live and said, “You are going to defend the rapists and get them off.” That is when I went to her and said, “Can you just do me a favor? Could you just make Nora find out that her clients were guilty before they got the innocent verdict, so it’s bittersweet and she does not revel in it?” And then they took off with that, and I think that made much more sense.
So your new character of Dr. Stacy Barton’s first patient that we see her treating is Hope Logan, and already the young gal is pill-popping! Is Stacy any good at her job? (Laughs)

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
HILLARY: Stacy is a good therapist. Sometimes things happen like that without doctor acknowledgement. It is very well-written in the sense that you think the story is going in one direction and then they back off, and it goes in another direction. It does take you by surprise and I appreciate it. The story is dealing with taking drugs while staying in the parameters of society and functioning, which is what people do. I love Kim Matula (Hope). She is really phenomenal. To pull off what she is doing, and how she is doing it, and knowing the person she is off camera, this is really good.
Who should Dr. Stacy have her eye on in the men department on B&B?
HILLARY: I have so marked my men! John McCook (Eric) … to die for! Winsor Harmon (Thorne) …. I am all over that one and Scott Clifton (Liam) …. I am just going to swoop in and take him. I am going to mother him to death. I love him. There are a lot of yummy yummies, like Don Diamont (Bill). Oh that’s a good one. Then Heather Tom (Katie) and I can go it. But, you know what? You put me up against Heather Tom and I would look at her and then go, “OK, you can have him!”
After reading the interview, let us know your thoughts about Hillary’s comments!
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.
Beyond the Gates
‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Mike Manning Lands Role in Indie Horror Feature ‘Deify’

While Smitty tries to hold the fort down in his marriage to congressman Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) and their two teenaged children, Samantha (Najah Jackson) and Tyrell (Jaden Lucas Miller) on Beyond the Gates, Emmy-winner Mike Manning has also landed another feature film role.
According to Deadline, Manning has joined the cast of Deify with 6 other new cast members for the indie psychological horror film starring Neal McDonough and Skeet Ulrich, which was previously announced last week.
Joining Manning as the latest cast addition are: Dennis Haysbert, Ashley Greene, Casey Harnett, Kirk Avecdo, Anji White, anf Nicholas Chimera who’s directing the pic also has a part in the film.
WHAT’S THE STORY OF DEIFY?
Taking to his Instagram with the news of his casting, Manning shared, “A movie about a cult? What could possibly go wrong? Come for the enlightenment. Stay because they won’t let you leave. DEIFY is coming…”
The movie is currently shooting in Chicago and in story, “a cult leader is put on trial after causing his devoted followers to be burned alive. The film is inspired in part by events surrounding the 1993 Waco, Texas, standoff between members of the Branch Davidians church and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, one of the largest civilian firefights ever recorded on American soil.”
MIKE MANNING IS A DAYTIME EMMY NOMINEE
In addition, the multi-talented Manning is a producer on the feature. Previously, Mike was nominated last month in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. He previously won an Emmy for his role on The Bay and for being a producer on the digital drama.
Mike’s previous credits include the role of Charlie Dale on Days of Our Lives and the Manny on This Is Us, plus various primetime and screen credits.
So intrigued to find what role Mike will play in the upcoming horror/cult film, Deify? Enjoying him as Smitty on Beyond the Gates? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
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.
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Love Hillary B. Smith…she’s just amazing in every way. I appreciate her honesty about the whole situation with OLTL and completely agree with her point about “a story where the bad guys are the good guys. I just don’t think that is good soap.” THIS is a huge reason why I didn’t watch GH for a longtime.
Good luck to Hillary Smith and her future projects!
The last scene between Bo and Nora on OLTL was phenomenal….for me, it made the entire show (and I thought the overall show was good), but that moment was full of genuine love and affection and an absolute recognition of the awesomeness of Bo and Nora. Bravo to both Hillary and Bob. It is a moment that I will never forget.
I’m enjoying Hillary as Dr. Stacy on B&B, a soap I’ve never watched. Except…I keep thinking / hoping that Bob Woods walks in as some new character that Dr. Stacy gets involved with!! I can’t help it…..I miss seeing these two on my screen!
I miss OLTL so much. I don’t currently watch The Bold and Beautiful but I wish Hillary B Smith all the luck in the world..
I love the energy that Hilary brought to the role of Nora Buchanan. I’ll check out B&B – maybe her performance will make me a fan. Would still love to see OLTL revived someday and her be a part of that. So many of us still keep hoping…
She was the best Margo on ATWT, and I followed her to OLTL. Her statements about GH are the reason that is the one soap I will not watch. I’ve watched them all to varying degrees throughout the past 40+ years, but that one is one I simply can’t get into, and her thoughts are exactly why. It’s the reason I’ve started to drift away from Y&R as well, as they insist on promoting the Adam character who is a sociopath. HBS has renewed my interest in B&B – love her!
I just adore Hillary B. Smith. She is one classy lady who knows and appreciates her audience. Her comments are exactly why I stopped watching GH and I doubt I ever do again. I am now watching B&B after it was announced she was headed there. I loved her as fiesty Nora. It was a shame how backburned she and Bob Woods were on OLTL for the past few years. Their scenes made the ending for me. So touching.
Wow, her comments on GH are so dead on. It is the reason I stopped watch GH a longtime ago.
I must admit I started watching B&B again because of her, it will be interesting to see where they take Dr. Stacy.
I love Hillary B. Smith. She is one of my favorites actresses and a beautiful person inside and out. I’m so happy for her new role, she deserves it. I wish her all the best.
Good Luck to her on B&B. She is one of the lucky ones who found work immediately.
Although true to a degree, I don’t appreciate her putting out those comments about GH right now, when GH is fighting so hard to stay on air. Plus, those comments have been said before so she didn’t say ANYTHING different, therefore, her comments didn’t need to be said AT THIS TIME w/ GH struggling so hard. She should be a champion of the only ABC soap left on air, since ABC was her home for 20 yrs. And comments like that isn’t going to help one bit. Also, Sonny is ruthless in business, but that character was written from the beginning as the mobster with the ” Heart of Gold “. He loves his children, and is loyal to his friends. I don’t recall them ever showing Sonny as a cheater, just as a man that choices business over woman, which is hardly not practical in today’s world. The only thing wrong with Sonny is that the writer’s have over worked him, and he is always on screen. But if Sonny’s role was played in moderation (he and Jason’s) it would not have gotten suffocating to the viewers- which have said this. (key-word, moderation). With the finale ABC soap struggling on life support, I think those comments should have been reserved by Hillary. Keep in mind, politics are involved in most everything (to perhaps remind people of GH weaknesses) so as to drive fans to her show. After-all, yes she is a fine actress, but in her case, she was ALSO hired to drive her OLTL / ABC fans to B&B.
1loveabcsoaps, forever until the Fat Lady Sings.
* No ABC soap has been my ‘absolute ‘ favorite. EACH show has been at one time or another depending on storyline. That’s why my views are objective when I defend the shows and character’s opposite one another. I am 1loveABCsoaps!
1loveabcsoaps,Im with you on this one.
I am tired of Sonny’s mob/gangster stories… That’s why I stopped watching GH for a while….I liked Gh In the wsb days with Robert & Anna…And wwhen Ruby & Bobby were on…………….The Webber brothers .. Lesley , Felicia………OLTL ia still my favorite soap & lived watching Nora & Bo, ETC……….Enough already with sonny and his revenge stuff………He’s a good actor and all but, time to change his storyline…..I think this is turning a lot of fans off.. And they don’t want to watch…Time to turn the page on the mob stories……..I hope John McBain can whip Sonny into place…For killing his sister.. Didn’t know John had one. I thought it was his gilfriend he was once engage to that was killed…OLTL never mentioned John having a sister.. Again I hope John takes Sonny down & pay for what he did to John…I hope John whips Sonny into shape…
It’s loved watching Nora & Bo…
Im sick of the mob stories to, John and sonny have a history together,john told anna that sonny is reason his sister is dead,well john isnt going to let that go.and LIke you I dont remember a sister I thought his girlfriend was killed ,It will be interesting to find out what will happen ,One life to live was my favorite and it still is wish we could all go back to landview.
Actually what she said about GH is true. It’s not as if GH hadn’t received chances to clean up its act.
Clean up these mob/gangster stories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Heather, read my comment above. I didn’t say she wasn’t being truthul, in fact I said agreed. What I said was she could have reserved her comments (since she wasn’t saying anything new) and especially…… with GH on life support, the only ABC soap left, which is struggling to stay afloat. I think it was a political statement, (true or not) to drive her OLTL fans to her show.
I agree with her on the G.H comments. I couldn’t stand the sonny ,jason Garbage. Same thing ,over and over, Same Looks, same facial expressions, Same theme. “Sonny Loves his Children, But he’s not safe to be around , He’s head of the mob…etc etc etc..” YUK!.Glorification of Mob leaders, and making women Stupid, falling for him, having Babies, w/him…then trying to keep him away from his kids.. (he’s too dangerous crap)..over and over.. ALEXIS for example. Stopped watching it way back then…when She had a Baby w/ sonny………..Sooooooooooo Stupid. Then… He’s a Mob Leader w/ Honor!!LOL Loves his kids…Ridiculous!! Sooo freakin stupid. I can’t wait for Ron C to Change it all up…Bring back some good storyLines back, Fun…Less Mob Crap. And it is Crap. ..IMO.
You have a good point.. Which I agree with.. Comment on 4/2 at 5:41am
Yes fun, less mob stories… That’s my biggest complaint about GH… Just this one!!!!!!!!!!
What was funny with her character on B&B is when she handed Hope the pills that she had ready for her without even knowing her history and then told her she could not renew them without seeing her first when she prescribed them without even meeting her. This show drives me crazy and when I watched her it just made me miss sensible Nora! I am afraid once this Hope show storyline is over if it ever is that will be it for the character. Maybe she will pick up a sitcom she is really quite good at comedy!
These mob stories have too many vendetta’s that seem to go on and on.. They are never ending.. Don’t remember seeing so much of these mob stories a few years ago.. Gh was better in the 90’s…………More pleasnt stories instead of all these violent m,ob stories…I agree with Hilliary..Soaps should be fun & trying to solve the mystery…Of some particular story…And making the bad guy out to be a good guy….GH really needs to get away from these mob/gangster stories. Has been going on TOOOOO long……OLTL was fun..It made you laugh, cry,that emotional connection….The charcters were fun and loving..Roxy was FUN…………………Viki held the hold show together, with all her wonderful & caring advice to whoever needed it……..OLTL was a very special soap..And I miss it terribily…………I want to go back to Landview TOO… I miss Landfair….I could go on & on…………Again GH needs to have more pleasant stories..There are some but, they need more………….Getting tired of Maxie lately.. With her saying I killed Robin & we all know it was an acident… And Robin is alive, HURRAY… This story is interesting to see how it will come out..Solving the mystery about who has Robin captive………..That’s what I like….
Correction and not making the bad guy out to be a good guy…….
Nora, She is tooo cool, I loved her on OLTL and now I have to find out when Bold & Beautiful is-haha I have no clue (sorry) but here I come Stacy! You go girl, I love her personality, it’s like mine, haha, well kinda.,