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Hudson West Cast As General Hospital's New Jake!

Courtesy/IMDB

Courtesy/IMDB

The new Jake has finally been revealed!  Following the decision to replace James Nigbor as Jason and Elizabeth’s young son, General Hospital was busy with a casting call behind the scenes.

Now Soap Opera Digest is reporting that Hudson West is the new Jake, and will make his on-screen debut very shortly on the upcoming April 25th episode of the ABC daytime drama series.

And you may have seen Hudson’s most recent television performance in the hit FX series:  American Crime Story: The People V.  OJ Simpson.  In it, he played the son of district attorney, Marcia Clark who was prosecuting the case, played by Sarah Paulson.

So are you looking forward to seeing Hudson take on the role of little Jake?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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No I’m not looking forward to it. I Love James Nigbor as Jake.

Completely agree. James conveyed joy, sadness, contentment and an undercurrent of menace. Just what the character needed.

I liked Janes – he seemed a lot like Jason, but when he returned he just looked like he was reading lins in a school play. This Hudson is wonderful.

He is a cute kid. I saw him in the OJ TV series and he was a good little actor. GH must have plans to ramp up the part of Jake where James just didnt have the experience to handle the material. This kid probably can. I think they will dig deeper into what happened to Jake while he stayed with Helena and I think him and Franco will get closer.

Yes he is a cute kid, I will give him a chance. He seems like a good nice kid. I saw his acting, he was terrific.

Nothing against Hudson, like the kid in the other shows BUT loved James and will miss him. He was prefect for the role and played it so well 😉

I agree! He was such a cute toddler and when they killed him off, I ugly cried. When they brought him back WITH the same actor I was thrilled. So yeh I’m not happy but will give him a chance.

Too early to judge the replacement…but i liked James and how creepy he played Jake-like Damian from the Omen and those alien children from Village Of The Damn…new kid resembles Danny Cooksey from the old Different Strokes series…now dont say, ‘What you talken about, Jimh’- because its suppose to be’ Willis’-lol

Lol!! He was creepy kind like Joss #1 & #2.

I know, Ces. I assume the role called for creepy and quirky, as in, Joss, at the time.
This new kid has such a sweet , kiss-me, little face. It will be hard for me to make the transition if his disposition turs out to be just as sweet.
Could that be the reason for the recast? TPTB wanted to eradicate that ‘cold stone’ image once and for all?
One could say the same for the Max character on Y&R. The boy is such a good little actor….plays the nasty, recalcitrant brat to high heaven……So much so, the character is not very endearing.

Yeh I wasn’t a fan of children of the corn Joss. Haha!

@CeeCee….Well, at least I can celebrate the fact the GH showrunners have finally cast a new blond male actor….even if he is a few decades younger than I had in mind!!!! LOL.

I liked the eeriness of James Nigbor .. he that special something.
I dont want a Dennis the Menace on GH, I like James Nigbor/lil Jake. ..

CeeCee – yeah, maybe they want to shift Little Jake into a normal child, not that creepy little evil thing drawing horrible pictures.

LoL Michelle!! I thought GH couldn’t top Joss 1 but they came back with an even creepier Joss 2.
Where do they find these kids? Definitely not from the same playground they found Brooklyn & Nicholas from.

Exactly, jimh (I mean, “Willis!”…..LOL.) Like you, I loved James Nigbor’s eerily calm and quiet demeanor….the spookiness of the kid really worked for me, since he was supposed to be a “Cassibot” ala Helena’s handiwork . Until we see what “New Jake” is purported to be about, it would be hard to judge this recast…..yes, he is a very cute little buckaroo, but I just hope he hasn’t been brought in to create another bland child character like Joss 3.0. Her predecessor was soooo good (and bad….) which is what gave her a fun, unique personality that truly made her believable as Carly’s offspring!!!! I’m still missing that bad seed of a girl….

I liked her and miss her too…maybe tptb could r.a.s.(reverse age syndrome) and bring back Child Of The Corn Joss…also, wouldnt it be cool if Charles Grant returned to acting and came on GH as Hayden’s father???

@Jimh….I’d welcome Charles Grant back in any role, even though I cannot stand Hayden and don’t see the point of introducing her family just to further justify her existence on the GH canvas. As far as I’m concerned, she has more than served her purpose, and I’d like to see Nik send her sorry butt back to Beecher’s Corners, pronto!….LOL.

Not happy. This kid is the same age as James. Why not keep the same boy who’s played Jake from the very beginning? Because this kid is a better actor? Doesn’t sentiment mean anything on this show?

Sentiment? Previous Jake couldnt act. Hoping this one can.

Couldn’t act, huh? He won the 2016 Young Entertainer Award for best performance in daytime. Beating out every other kid on every soap. You may think he can’t act, but don’t speak for everybody.

must have been a weak year! LOL! chill …

I agree. He wasn’t a good actor and frankly, most children are not good actors. His timing was terrible. I can’t imagine he won an award unless the rest of the children in the category were just as bad. I am not slamming him but its very unusual to find a child actor who is actually good. Kimberly M as Robin was sensational, the actors who play Emma and Spencer are also amazing (especially Spencer) but most children are very wooden and hard to interact with like the child who plays Cameron on GH or the children who play Lily’s twins on Y&R. Sorry, but I find it surprising that anyone thought James was a good actor.

Well said Tatiana. Very few child actors can act but GH has had some amazing kids as you mentioned. Kimberly was an adorable little actress when she first arrived on GH and so is little Brooklyn. Some kids just have IT from the get go! 🙂

@maddiehayes…..Thanks for bringing to our attention the fact that young Mr. Nigbor won acting accolades for his portrayal as “Little Jake.” I thoroughly enjoyed the character as he was presented by this junior gent, and given the immense trauma that Jake supposedly endured at the hands of Helena, it made perfect sense that he would be mostly subdued and withdrawn with occasional bouts of terrifying behavior, so James seemed just right for the role in my mind. I’ll reserve judgment on the recast until we see what is in store for the character, but I’m still disappointed that young Mr. Nigbor is no longer with GH….same as the previous Joss, even though I know it was her decision to leave for greener pastures!

I agree, Shay. I was certain little Jake was going to be aged; but, the revelation that the recast is about the same age, leaves many of us in a quandary. Why?
I liked the way James played the role, as well. That Damian-like quality lent a spooky aura to him, for which I thought, the character called.
So many strings left untied. Is this when we find out what really went on with Jake in Helena’s hands?
And, speaking of loose strings, what’s happening with the portrait? What say you, Shay? Is it possible that hidden within that portrait of Helena rests a hidden treasure. It’s just a matter of Nik ususing his brains…..perhaps Helena left him mountains of money…..he just needs to look for it in the portrait.
From the beginning, I found the portrait intriguing. The writers would not just throw that in for good measure. That picture houses either the eye of the tiger or Midas. Lol.

Well, CeeCee, I suppose until the new “Little Jake” debuts, we’ll only be able to speculate about his character’s future developments. I do so hope we at least get some answers as to what that poor child endured in Helena’s care…talk about loose strings!!! As for that tantalizing portrait of the “Ice Queen,” I’m all for getting back to the mysterious clues that it so obviously holds. Perhaps now that Laura is back on track in deciphering the “Helena Code” she’ll revisit that spooky painting for further elucidation of the “Dragon Lady’s” message from “the grave,” or hopefully, otherwise “undisclosed location!” LOL.

Very cute, but James is Jake…….. 🙁

Agree, James was fine – but at least GH didn’t age him 5 years like Jocelyn. Still don’t see how GH writers will have her interact with kids who used to be her age. Dumb.

yeah, makes no sense why Jocelyn was aged. Hoping she goes back to Australia and stays there No real point for a character that age that we want to watch on TV.

The original Jake was stone cold like his original dad. This new Jason is not stone cold (as far as the look that Steve Burton portrayed) so I guess they want this new Jake to reflect this new Jason, scary but not as stone cold.

Why the need another kid which no one wanted back anyway!Its time Liason(the ones you are trying to pimp)move on!We want to kno who the hell is this dead kid?How did helena get him and when?Who did Liz bury and who organ do Joss have?GH will not survive you people pimping BH!

I thought bringing Jake back from the dead was such a preposterous plot. And led to oh so many unanswered questions that was completely frustrating for the viewer.

He is cute abd looks more like Billy. I saw him in OJ also, was not really paying attention.
Did not care for James as all, he was stiff. Welcome Hudson, I think you will be fine

Cute kid, hopefully he can act, unlike the other one.

I half expected Jake would be aged… I guess not! interesting that they hired a kid around the same age to replace James. Did they not have faith that James could pull off a storyline? Interesting!!!

At least he wasn’t sorad like joslyn was.!

To me it looks like a case of reverse SORASing. The kid looks about 7 at the oldest.

You have a good point, Elizabeth…..which makes the reasoning of ‘de-aging’ Jake even more weird.

The kid is a cutie. I can’t wait to see him in action.

Why are they changing old jake for a new 1? Whats wrong with the other 1?

Well, some in charge did not like him and fired his lil butt .. 🙁

I don’t think that the original Jake was doing a good job.

While playing Opposite Steve Burton, James was the perfect “mini me.”
I honestly thought they may age Jake’s character, hence needing another
actor to play the part, however that isn’t the case…………

I’ve never seen this kid and will give him a chance.

I am still not thrilled with Jake’s story. The heartbreak of the fatal accident that claimed him and the fallout… only to have it be some scifi silliness by a Cassadine!?!?!?!? Sigh. A GH low point.

I always give a recast a chance even if, as I believe to be the case here, it isn’t necessary.

I will miss James Nigbor playing Jake, but I will certainly support a new actor. I’m glad there will be more story about Jake and what happened to the character while he was gone.

Can’t say I’m looking forward to a new Jake. Todays show was interesting though.
I really thought Sonny was going to be shot and Anna was going to jail.

I will miss James as Jake too. He was perfect for that role. I really don’t understand the decision makers over there at GH. They seem to do everything opposite of what we, the viewer, wants. The value of bringing back the child that originated the role was brilliant, why back peddle now!

James’ parents should have invested in an acting coach for their son. Being cute in Hollywood will only take you so far.

Is this young actor the son of Maura West? (Ava Jerome) I know her other son Joe West was in the NBC LIVE VERSION OF ” The Sound of Music”

Is it me or does Hudson actually look younger than James? That would be a first in soap opera land, but much more believable since I always thought that James looked much older than the character should be. I was actually surprised when I first saw Hudson in a scene with Jason at the hospital, I thought he was playing Danny. James was a great actor, the only up side I’ve seen in the short term is that Hudson physically looks more like Jason and Elizabeth. Good luck to both young actors, they are both great!

Whether he is a great actor or not he is way too young for the part.

I thought that James looked older than the part, but then since they usually age the kids so quickly (like Jocelyn which is ridiculous, before too long she’ll be older than her brothers), it didn’t surprise me. Perhaps its due to the new story line. However, I do think he looks more like the actors playing the parents. Wonder what they’ve done to Danny since we rarely see him anymore. Now that Jason is back, I wonder if they’ll age the heck out of him too.

NO this kid looks younger than Aiden.

This kid is great. A little professional and adorable. Just saw him sing at the nurses ball. And anyone else see a young Ryan Gosling in him?

Hudson West is not only adorable but he is a gooood little actor. I hope he has a very success acting career–looking forward to seeing him ALOT more on the screen.

General Hospital

Is FBI Agent John “Jagger” Cates on the Level? GH’s Finola Hughes, Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson Weigh-in

When John “Jagger” Cates resurfaced on General Hospital in recent months in the form of Adam J. Harrington taking over the role originally played Antonio Sabato Jr,. know one knew quite sure just what side of the law is Cates really on? And, is he back in Port Charles to settle old scores with Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Jason (Steve Burton)?

What viewers have learned is that when Jason was taken captive two and half years ago, back in November of 2021, he was taken to Quantico, where Agent Cates had multiple RICO violations on Jason and was going to send him to prison for years, unless he worked for Cates and his team, in which Jason has been an informant working on the inside on the Pikeman arms deal case, or so it appears.

Now on the latest episode of Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson’s Daily Drama podcast, Finola Hughes (Anna) stopped by to chat with her GH co-stars and all three weighed-in on just what they think maybe going on with John Cates.

Photo: ABC

Bradford Anderson brought up that maybe Agent Cates isn’t working on the level. Hughes responded, “I don’t know, I’m not sure.” Burton added, “Yeah, we’re not sure. There’s some unknowns coming, so we’ll figure that out. But, it’s been a fun story to play for sure. I really like it. A lot of layers to it. I’s been excellent stuff to be back with for sure.”

Finola added, “I think we’re gonna be going through finding out who certain people are that are coming on canvas, like John Cates and Brennan (Charles Mesure) and where do they all fit in?”

Courtesy/ABC

Steve added, “You’ve got Pikeman and what their real motives are. “Jagger” obviously. And then, Pikeman is not facing on-screen.” The question of if Pikeman is a person also got brought by Anderson, to which his co-stars added, they believe it’s a company.

Courtesy/ABC

Explaining more about Brennan and what he was up to was answered by Hughes,”That’s a sort of throwback, perhaps back in the day at WSB. He just came on the canvas briefly. Nobody knows if he’s goo (or bad). I (Anna) got him put in prison, so he’s off, and out of the way right now.”

You can check out the latest edition of the Daily Drama podcast below.

Now let us know, who do you think John “Jagger” Cates is working for? FBI, Pikeman, himself, or some other unknown entity or enemy? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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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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