General Hospital
How did James Franco fare as Oscar co-host? – Let us Know!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Last evening, General Hospital’s recurring superstar, James Franco co-hosted the 83rd Annual Academy Awards with Anne Hathaway. At the beginning of the Oscar Telecast, a very clever opening sequence imposing both Franco and Hathaway inside scenes from the nominated Best Picture nominees was to set the tone for the show. (See clip below). What followed was some straightforward announcements of the proceedings to keep it moving, and some sight gags, ala Franco in drag. The New York Magazine Vulture Column thought Franco and Hathaway did a great job. Still others in this round-up of reviews in this morning’s Hollywood Reporter felt Hathaway was on point, but Franco seemed like he was bewildered at times.
Whatever the case, we ask you, the soapers, what you thought of Franco. Let us know in the comment section below. We have also posted two clips we enjoyed of the night. The opening sequence of the Oscars with Franco and Hathaway and then presentation of the Lead Actor Oscar by Sandra Bullock, in which Franco was a nominees for 127 Hours. Watch the clip as Bullock references Franco’s appearances on General Hospital as part of her introduction of his nomination and clip. It was very cute.
Remember, James re-appears today’s episode on General Hospital!
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
This week on all-new episodes of General Hospital, the race is on! Can Lulu (Alexa Havins) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) get to Rocco (Finn Carr) and Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) in time to ensure their safety from Cullum (Andrew Hawkes)? Can Carly (Laura Wright) with the help of her brother, Lucas (Van Hansis) rescue Josslyn (Eden McCoy) from captivity at Wyndemere? These questions may be answered, plus the return of the one and only Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) are on tap!
In the just released General Hospital spoilers video for the week of June 22-26, Lulu tells her mother, Laura (Genie Francis), “Dante and I have to get to Rocco before Cullum!” Meanwhile, Rocco (Finn Carr) looks angered and emotional as Britt walks through their cabin hideout. Does Rocco know his parents are on the way to find them, or has Cullum already tracked them down to the British Virgin Islands?
Back in Port Charles, Carly is informing Lucas that his niece, “is a WSB agent.” She knows Josslyn (Eden McCoy) is being held against her will at Wyndemere, and she has to find a way to get her out. Lucas agrees with Carly’s plan of, “We go in and we don’t leave without Josslyn!” Elsewhere, Josslyn is looking worried for her future as she is stuck in captivity thanks to Cassius, Cullum and Sidwell!
Courtesy/ABC
FINOLA HUGHES RETURNS
The final moments of the teaser promo reveal Anna in a psychiatric clinic in France. We have not seen her for months after Cullum, Sidwell and Pascal fed her hallucinogenics to make her believe her arch nemesis, Cesar Faison was alive!
Now, the doctors walk towards her hospital bed, where we see the super spy calmly knitting. Is Anna back to normal and playing everyone to get out of her predicament, or does she still remain deeply traumatized … or both?
Take a look at the rest of the official GH spoilers for the week below.
MONDAY, JUNE 22
Willow gets an unwelcome surprise. Trina sticks to her guns. “Nathan” wants reassurance. Ethan advises Ava. Brook Lynn receives an update.
TUESDAY, JUNE 23
Dante cautions Liz. Laura learns a secret. Brook Lynn confides in Michael. Sonny challenges Ava. Chase makes a decision.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
Anna meets with her doctor. Carly makes a stunning confession. Britt extracts a promise. Cullum pulls a fast one. Gio and Emma hit the pool.
THURSDAY, JUNE 25
Josslyn clashes with Cassius. Lulu and Dante make a discovery. Chase receives a warning. Jordan seeks help. Alexis is summoned to the PCPD.
FRIDAY, JUNE 26
Anna takes a huge risk. Britt is in grave danger. Willow is in disbelief. Danny must act fast. Curtis jumps to the wrong conclusion.
Check out the latest General Hospital promo entitled, “Rescue Mission” below.
Now weigh-in: Do you think Anna is still mentally off-balance, or OK, and just pretending to be troubled to get out of France and get back to Port Charles? Will Josslyn finally be rescued, or will Carly and Lucas find themselves locked up with her? And, who will get to Britt and Rocco first? Cullum, or Dante and Lulu? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.
General Hospital
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
With the highly-anticipated returns of Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) on this week’s June 24 episode of General Hospital, Steve Burton’s (Jason Morgan) upcoming return on July 13, which also serves as the ABC daytime drama’s 16,000 episode, things are about to fire on all cylinders in the story, as noted today by series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).
On Father’s Day, the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor and mental health activist took to his Instagram and expressed in a video that he has some unbelievable upcoming senes with the aforementioned Burton and Hughes. Add to that Nazneen Contractor (Justine Turner) and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), where Benard gave credit where credit is due to the GH writing team, which is led by co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten..
In this video, Benard said, “I just want to get on here and say that I did some work with Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Rick Hearst, Nazneen Contractor, and they’re all just fantastic. Truly fantastic. But, I want to say the writing was just exceptional. It truly was. It was exceptional. So, thankful for that kind of writing. I know writers don’t get the credit a lot, but I just want to say to the General Hospital writing team, keep rolling!”
GENERAL HOSPITAL PREVIEW
So now the question becomes, with a major tease like that, what is about to go down between Sonny, Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric? Will we finally get to the end of the line for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), as previously teased by the GH co-head writers? Will we learn what happened to Jason and Anna, fully? Will Justine and Sonny becomes closer or stop their liaisons? And what of Ric? Will he be true blue to his brother or double-cross him? There is a lot at stake as we move further into the summer and one that looks like it could be one of the more exciting ones in years!
FINOLA HUGHES CONFIRMED AMAZING SCENES WITH MAURICE BENARD
As a punctuation point to his video, Benard also shared this written message in the post: “I just did some wonderful scenes with Steve Burton, Rick Hearst, Finola Hughes and Nazneen Contractor and and unbelievable writing, freaking amazing scenes that you will see in the near future on General Hospital.” In fact, Finola Hughes jumped in the post comment thread and responded, “I loved our scenes so much xxx”
Fans will most likely see all the scenes Benard referred to later in July, since GH tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.
So, are you excited to see what Maurice is talking about? Are you hyped for what’s to come on GH? Any clue on what you think will go down between the main characters on the soap with the returns of Anna Devane and Jason Morgan to the mix? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Announces Upcoming Release of His First Single, ‘If You Need Me’
In a surprise move, Daytime Emmy winner, Chad Duell (ex-Michael Corinthos, GH) is getting ready to unveil a new chapter of his career in music.
The former GH star, where he played the son of Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) for 15 years, has announced his new single, “If You Need Me” will drop on Friday, June 26. The single is now available for pre-order on Spotify and major music streaming platforms and is distributed by DistroKid.
Taking to his Instagram story over the weekend, to announce the pre-save of his new single, Chad expressed, “I’ll make a full post about what I’ve been up to and my music once it goes live next week, but you can pre-save my first single so it goes straight to your Spotify once it drops next week.”
Photo: CDuellIG
SINCE LEAVING GENERAL HOSPITAL
Previously, since his departure from the ABC soap opera. Chad starred alongside Zach Mendez in the world premiere of of Yum Yum at Annapolis, a new play written by Bruce Reisman. Duell last appeared on General Hospital on the January 21, 2025 episode.
The part was recast with Rory Gibson who debuted as the new Michael in May of 2025 during the Nurses’ Ball episodes and who has remained in the role since that time.
In an interview earlier this year on The Able Show, Duell said on his decision to exit the soap opera, “I was blessed to be part of that (show) for as long as I have, but what happens sometimes is if you’re doing the same thing, especially in a creative field for such a long time, you can get a little burnt out in a way. It can make you a little depressed, so that’s kind of what happened. On top of that, I had other things going on in my life at the time. My father passed away recently and I just needed a reset. So, I stepped away. A lot of times you have to go through some stuff to really step into that next level. I needed to kind of feel uncomfortable.”
So, what type of musical genre will Chad’s new song be? Country? Pop? Rock? Dance/Club? Something else? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below, and if you are eager to hear the new single next week via the comment section below.
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GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
‘General Hospital’s’ Controversial Luke and Laura Rape Episode: Writer Sheri Anderson Reveals Behind the Scenes Decisions and Admits ‘I Was Wrong’ to Defend It (Exclusive)
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‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL Promo: Rocco’s in a Panic as Britt’s Health Takes a Turn, Chase is Called to the Carpet
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sorry he was a little boring ….kept to script…which is fine…but for hosting a live show…you must have some spontaneity to help move the show along……..think this proves he maybe able to be a comedic actor but is NOT a comedian ….any way just an opinion folks
James Franco seemed a little bored to me like he really want to be there that’s my opinion..
I see a lot of negative press and posts. I didn’t think he was that bad. ITo be honest I never watch and he was the only reason I even tuned in.
I enjoyed the show. James Franco and Anne Hathaway did a good job. Considering that they have never hosted an event of this magnitude before, I was impressed. They kept the show moving, and it was only a few minutes over schedule. They were funny and gracious. Hathaway was joyous, and Franco’s “LIVEOSCAR” video tweets were amusing to watch during the commercial breaks. I love that he incorporated new media in hosting.
I don’t really understand all the criticisms. Then again, I enjoyed the show when Letterman and Gervais hosted the Oscars too, and both of them were critically panned. Billy Crystal receives a lot of praise, and he did have his good points, but I got tired of the continuous jokes aimed at creepy Jack Nicholson in the front row. They were certainly better than the time Ellen hosted when the awards were handed out in the aisles to save time, but the show was severely over schedule.
It was nice to see the people in my generation host this time around.
He look bored and then he look high! Poor Anne Hathaway, she tried to compensate but it was a hard job.
Twp thumbs down for Franco!
He looked and acted stoned. He was horrible. The show was a huge bore. I hope I never see this guy again. I thought Anne tried but she should stick to acting. Next time let someone who knows what they are doing host the show.
I thought he did a good job. They really tried to make it light and enjoyable. I loved her dresses but not his. He may be over exposing himself too much but he is handsome and talented.
did not enjoy him or the show at all – they should have selected someone more interesting……………jmo
I think he was exhausted from the coast-to-coast travel. And tired or not, that smile gets me every time.
Thought that it was one of the worst hosted Oscars in my lifetime of watching. When Billy Crystal came on stage, I thought he should have just taken over the rest of the show. Anne at least showed more personality than James Franco! Not surprised the ratings dropped.
I agree. Im a movie fan before a soap fan and watch the oscars every year and watch nearly all the movies that come out. This years hosts were not clicking and I agree that James looked bored and when Billy Crystal came out on stage- that was the first time I heard the audience actually laugh. Bad choice of hosts that had no experience. Congrats to Colin Firth and Natalie Portman though who were awesome in their roles!
He looked spaced out, bored…couldn’t look directly at the camera. He kept looking up and away somewhere. Total BOMB and I like JF, what a shame.
Terrible. He is so handsome and a talented actor. Hosting is better suited for a comedian.
I love him and thought he did a fine job. Would like to see all of you critics pull off a similar hosting gig of this magnitude in front of the same number of people. He is not a comedian and neither is Ann H so lighten up folks.
I’m sorry, I respectfully disagree. Hugh Jackman isn’t a showman, nor is he a comedian, but he was one of the best host the show has had in the last few years. Sunday being no exception. I love James Franco as an actor, always have, always will, but I’m sorry, IMHO, he was not a very good host that night. He was better hosting SNL, which was FILLED with comedy skits. Anne on the other hand, I felt did the best she could with what she was given. But when a number of the viewing audience is still asking if one of the host was on some sort of substance that night, there’s a problem.
To counter my previous post, for the record, they say he wasn’t on anything, but heavily exhausted. I still love James, like I said, always have, always will, but it was clear from his hosting that it was all coming down hard, seeing the heavy load on his back as of late, between GH, school, movies, and hosting gigs.
He looked bewildered! But in fairness Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, & Billy Crystal are hard acts to follow it takes a special gift to host the Oscars!
I thought they both did great, especially considering it was their first time. I really think they were trying to keep on point, not let the proceedings run too long, and they did so admirably. I, for one, appreciated that the usual banter was kept to a minimum. I enjoyed the whole show greatly, and normally I find the Oscars to be a colossal bore.
Loved him –He was a breath of fresh air and adorable! Loved his Marilynn Monroe outfit –saggy boobs and all. Hope to see more of this actor in future films –He’s a keeper!
TERRIBLE IN OSCARS,,,,,WORSE THAN THAT ON GH….I cant say on movies because I havent seen any BUT in these things Ive seen…BEYOND TERRIBLE!!!:(
I thought James Franco looked bored and he was boring. He hardly ever looked at Ann Hathaway. She was trying to keep it interesting and lively, but he just kept dragging the energy down. I don’t understand why he was selected to cohost.
I thought that the acadamy awards show was suppose to be classy, and first rate. In my opinion,having two,not so great actor’s to begin with, who obviously had very little experience in front of a live audience, was a giant mistake. Know matter how many dresses that Anne Hathaway changed into, it did not do anything to change the fact that she was not funny, not all that attractive, and seemed to be nervous and uncomfortable on the stage. I think that” Mr. Class”, Alec Baldwin, who is a great actor, very handsome and funny, as well as extremely intelligent would be a great host.
I thought he was: a, full of himself and smirky, b. over his head and outclassed not only by Ms. Hathaway but Billy Crystal, c. boring, d. done. I’ve had it with his self-centered smirk, his mediocrre acting, and did I say, ego?
LOL right on target
The only thing that is on target is the poster’s need to use Spell-Check.