General Hospital
James Franco hopes GH doesn't get canceled before he returns with big plans for the soap!

Courtesy/ABC
James Franco is making the news again! And this time he clarifies his recent statements to Access Hollywood, about not knowing what GH is talking about surrounding his return to the ABC soap in September. James broke it down for USA Today while also discussing and promoting his new live action blockbuster, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (out Friday). It sounds like James has something very big in mind to create with General Hospital as part of his next story arc, but scheduling it is huge dilemma.
Franco revealed to USA Today, “I have a really big project planned for that show, it’s just I don’t have time to pull that part of it off yet. The actor went on to say, that the GH return would involve bringing together “three worlds” instead of two. “I’m just crossing my fingers. I just hope it doesn’t get canceled before we can pull this off because it’s going to be awesome.”
But he’s currently committed to his role as the wizard in Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful, which is shooting in Detroit through the fall. “I’m in every single scene,” he said, which is why the GH producers’ announcement that he’d be back so soon took him by surprise. “It was this huge announcement by ABC and I was like, “Ahh, all right I’ll try to get out there? Maybe they can come to Detroit?”
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Jonathan Bennett Receives 3 ‘Critics Choice Real TV Awards’ Nominations for Hallmark Series, ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’
Many things are coming up roses for Jonathan Bennett! On the heels of the news that he is set to debut this month in the role of Joe Fitzpatrick on General Hospital, who is rumored to be a new love interest for Lucas Jones (Van Hansis), comes the news that Bennett’s reality series, Finding Mr. Christmas has received 3 nomination for the Critics Choice Real TV Awards.
Bennett’s Hallmark Channel series finds itself in tough competition alongside fellow nominees: RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV), Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix), Survivor 50 (CBS), Top Chef (Bravo) and The Traitors (Peacock). In addition, Jonathan himself is nominated for Best Show Host and the series participants as the Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series.
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) revealed the nominees for the eighth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards on Thursday, which recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Winners will be announced online at CriticsChoice.com on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 9:00am PT/12:00pm ET.

Photo: Hallmark
Taking to his Instagram to celebrate the nominations, GH’s Bennett, enthused, “3 Critic Choice Nominations! I’m so proud of the FINDING MR CHRISTMAS and to be in the company of all the legends in all these categories is so surreal! Congrats to Hallmark Channel and to our nominated cast and nominated show and everyone who made this magical show possible. This is crazy! This gives FMC 6 Critics Choice nominations in 2 years. Not bad for a little show on Hallmark Channel. What are your thoughts on our show?” Jumping first into the comment thread was one of his new GH co-stars, Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) who expressed, “Yeah buddy!!!🔥🔥”
In the series, Bennett, the host and co-creator spends eight weeks guiding 10 aspiring actors through a series of “festive face-offs” and acting challenges alongside actors like soap opera notables, Hunter King (ex-Summer, Y&R) and Alison Sweeney (Sami, DAYS). Along the way, they develop their skills and a bond with one another. The show, which is available on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Plus, highlights LGBTQ+ representation with openly gay contestants vying to be the next Hallmark star.
It should be noted that Traitors received the most Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations with 6 nods, followed by Dancing with the Stars with 4.
Bennett is very familiar to daytime fans having started his career as JR Chandler on All My Children in 2000-2001, before landing the part of Aaron Samuels in the motion picture, Mean Girls in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan, which would become his breakout performance.
You can check out the full list of Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations here.
So, excited for Jonathan Bennett’s General Hospital debut this month? Have you ever watched Finding Mr. Christmas on Hallmark? Let us know via the comment section below.
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General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Kelly Thiebaud on Britt and Cassius Sibling Drama, But Who Will Ultimately Blow His Cover?
On the April 30 episode of General Hospital, Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) had some choice words and warning for her brother Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey) who has been masquerading as his twin, the very dead, Nathan West.
As the story has unfolded, viewers learned that Britt knew all along that when “Nathan” showed up in Port Charles seemingly resurrected with a missing 7 years of his life unexplained, that Cassius was taking his place.
Now in developments on today’s GH, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) is figuring out that this guy pretending to be Nathan is someone else, and Cassius learns from Britt, that Joss is not just a ditzy sorority girl as he claimed, but a WSB agent! The moment stuns Cassius. Are the walls about to close in on him and his charade?

Courtesy/ABC
Daytime Emmy winner, Kelly Thiebaud spoke to Soap Opera Digest, about the story point and getting the opportunity this time back at GH to work with Ryan Paevey, when she hadn’t had the chance to before.
BROTHERLY LOVE?
Thiebaud expressed on sharing scenes with Ryan Paevey, “It’s just been so wonderful to have him back and to actually work with him! When he first came onto the show (as Nathan at the end of 2013) I was kind of heading out — it was right towards the end of my contract, so we didn’t actually work together a ton. It’s been really refreshing and so much fun to really spend time together and get to know each other and work together. I think we have really great on-camera chemistry and banter with each other. I really enjoy working with him.”
With the stakes at an all-time, Thiebaud explained how she views her on-screen alter-ego’s involvement with her more hot-to-temper sibling and why Britt revealed the truth about Josslyn to him. “People finding out about Cassius would expose what she’s involved in and what she agreed to do,” explains Kelly “And now Josslyn is digging around, and she’s connected to Carly (Laura Wright) to Jason (Steve Burton) and that whole dynamic! It’s messy!”
BRITT’S MURKY FUTURE
Britt has currently also reached her breaking point with Jason being carted away by the WSB, Rocco (Finn Carr), the child she gave birth to, shooting Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) to protect her and Jason, Marco (Adrian Anchondo) being killed after trying to help her, and Cullum holding over her head getting her Huntington’s disease medication to control her symptoms, while blackmailing her into finishing the research on her father, Cesar Faison’s, final project. Thiebaud summed it up best for Britt right now, sharing, “It’s been a really tough time for her.”
So, who do you think will be the person to blow Cassius’ cover? Will it be Britt herself? Josslyn? Liesl? Brennan? Nina? Lulu? Rocco, Maxie, Cullum or someone else? Let us know your pick in the comment section.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Michael Reveals His Plan to Set Up Chase and Willow to Have an Affair
After the Wednesday, April 29 episode of General Hospital, it’s clear outside interference and other circumstances are set to blow Chase (Josh Swickard) and Brook Lynn’s (Amanda Setton) marriage sky high, as Michael (Rory Gibson) reveals his plans to entrap Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) and use her relationship with Chase to do it!
In story, Michael dropped by unexpectedly to Carly’s (Laura Wright). A plotting Michael reveals his plan to nudge Willow and Chase into having an affair. Michael hopes it would create both a political and personal scandal, where Willow would lose her seat in congress. In the scenario, she would be having an affair with her ex-husband, while taking care of her supposed disabled husband, Drew (Cameron Mathison), who cannot speak and is confined to a wheelchair, which in turn will look horrible for Willow’s character.
Carly asked does he really want to destroy his cousin, Brook Lynn’s life in the process? Michael goes in on Chase’s holier than thou attitude, and says he is going to set-up the circumstances that would lead Chase and Willow to betray their spouses, and hit the sheets together. Michael swears to Carly what the two of them do is up to them, but he’s going to go on the offense with this.
MICHAEL HAS BACK-UP
Later, Jacinda (Paige Herschell) is talking with Charlotte (Bluesy Burke) at Crimson and how much she dislikes Willow because of what she has done to Michael. Just then, Michael shows up and tells Jacinda privately, he’s figured out a way to fight Willow. Looks like Jacinda might work with Michael to bring down Willow and use Chase as the person to do it!
At the hospital, Lucas (Van Hansis) tells Josslyn (Eden McCoy) that Carly is cheating on Jack, but he doesn’t know with who. Josslyn suddenly flashes back to the moment she found her mother harboring a fugitive, Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart), in her attic, and as figured out that her mother is sleeping with him. She heads out.

Courtesy/ABC
BRENNAN IS ABOUT TO LEARN ABOUT CARLY
Next thing you know, Josslyn has showed up inside Jack’s (Chris McKenna) hotel room at the Metro Court and when he enters his room, he is shocked to find her there. He lays into her for not keeping his distance and that Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) will have no problem killing her if he knows she’s WSB. Josslyn fires back that he is only concerned about that because his relationship with her mother depends on her being safe. But then, she lays the boom, and tells Jack, Well, you’re too late. You already lost her.”
LULU GETS A GLIMPSE OF CASSIUS’ TEMPER
In addition, Lulu (Alexa Havins) sees a different side of “Nathan.” Since she is unaware that the man before her is his twin, Cassius Fasion (Ryan Paevey), he tells her that Rocco (Finn Carr) blabbed that he shot Cullum to Britt (Kelly Thiebaud), and now he thinks they should send him away to stop him from talking to everyone else. This concerns Lulu, who rails at Nathan for telling her what to do with her son and that she isn’t going to abandon him. With “Nathan’s” outburst at her on the matter, will she finally get a clue this is not the man she thinks it is?
So, what do you think of Michael’s plan to push Willow and Chase into an affair? Will it work or backfire? Do you think Joss will reveal that Valentin is the man sleeping with Carly to Brennan, which will send him in a rage? Will Lulu continue to be clueless about “Nathan?” Weigh-in via the comment section below. But first, take a look at the GH video tease for today’s April 30 episode.
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hahaha, he’s afraid the show’ll get cancelled. bernard dared abc to do it talk to him.
He should just stick to movies.
You know, I love Franco for the spotlight he is willing to shine on soaps! Real soap fans should ask themselves when the last time was that GH was mentioned in the same sentence with a major film, and by the star of the movie! Sure, the writing during his last stint may have been less than stellar, but I thank Franco for sharing the love with my favorite soap once again! I truly appreciate his efforts!
I agree 100% with you, Bella.
Thanks, James Franco. You give GH publicity. That’s always good. I make a point to watch when I know your going to be on too:)
Don’t listen to the haters. You are appreciated.
Mr. Franco in case you have not heard Guza is out and hopefully so are you! So GH can get back to storytelling that we care about instead of Daytimes version of the Sopranos!!!
Franco, an oscar nominated actor, is awesome!!! Brings prime time drama to daytime! GO FRANCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry, I find his GH character to be over the top, over acted and cartoonish at best. . I would much rather have Helena Cassidine, Stavros Cassidine or Jerry Jax back they are far more interesting.
TRUE!
i have nothing against james franco but the character he plays on gh is just not needed!
HE has plans for the show? This guy is such a conceited, pompous asshole! He thinks he’s the creative force behind the soap himself, which is a huge insult to the talented actors on it. Guess what Franco – the fans DON’T want you back. You’re a pretentious, narcissistic, GO AWAY.
I’m so sorry for my hateful outburst on James Franco. I’m sure there are many wonderful sides to him and its unfair and immature of me to call him degrading names. It just really upsets me to think of the GH people slogging away all year round to give their fans some joy in this dying medium and then this ‘big-shot movie star’ (or whatever he’s supposed to be) thinks he can come in as he pleases and have the show can work around him, changing storylines to fit his own agenda! It’s so profoundly unfair on the other actors, James. The creativity of the new headwriter is what matters for this show, not Franco’s. If Franco is so fascinated with the medium, surely he can pool his own resources to create his OWN soap opera… maybe even online? He needs to stop being a parasite on the show and, if he’s truly invested in GH, he needs to figure out a way of helping the ensemble of talented actors and writers turn in the best show they possibly can… because in daytime, there are no stars. The show is the star.
Wow….Some of you people are such losers. You hate James Franco, when all he has done is give GH positive buzz and nothing but positive publicity.
Has it occurred to any of you (in the delusional little world that you live in), that James Franco is probably the reason why GH didn’t get cancelled recently along with AMC and OLTL??? (And don’t kid yourselves, because if GH makes it past September 2012, it will be because despite the fact that Katie Couric has been around forever—and ever and ever and ever—James Franco, right now, has more clout than she does.) So, please, keep your psychotic and irrational hatred to yourselves and stop your obnoxious whining. James Franco is the best thing to happen to GH since Luke, Laura, and Gloria Monty.