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James Franco to appear in multi-episode arc & reteam with Jill Farren Phelps on Nick at Nite’s new soap, Hollywood Heights!

By Michael Fairman

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Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

Motion picture star James Franco, who has made no bones about how he admirers and loves working with former General Hospital executive producer, Jill Farren Phelps has signed on to appear in a multi-episode arc on Nick at Nite’s upcoming primetime soap, Hollywood Heights!

The shocking announcement to some, came today at the cable network’s upfront presentations.  Heights premieres in June and will air five nights a week, telenovela style, but it’s not clear yet when Franco’s arc starts or what his role entails.   Vulture.com made a suggestion for the new soapy role for Franco stating, “If there’s a God in TV heaven, though, it’s someone incredibly sage and hilarious.”

So, how do you feel about Franco going to another soap after his recurring guest-stints on General Hospital as “killer” Franco?  What do you think would be a good role for James in this new soap about a shy girl who becomes a pop star after winning a songwriting competition, and who along the way,  befriends a mega-rock-star — who is of course her celebrity crush? Do let us know!

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i think he has no idea what to do so he does anything, this is just silly of him now, if he only knew what damage phelps had on GH. but oh well, who cares, good for the show i guess? we won’t really know till it airs.

I am happy as long as his tenure on GH is over.

As long as he is a distant memory of GH, I don’t care what he does.

when I first read this my first thought was, Noooooooooooooooooooo please dont come back to general hospital,well I still feel that way,no more finger painting ever in port charles.I forgot her real name but stay away from starrs best friend lanston she going to be in that new soap to.I dont know what kind of character he should be because I hated franco and really didnt see him acting I thought he sucked ,right from the beginning when they showed his so called painting the story never interested me I think abc soaps in depth asked what the fans thought and I said I could care less but I was already so tired of the direction the writers took general hospital as far as Im concerned abc/disney, jill farren phelps ,with the help of on and off james franco helped to destroy general hospital but thanks to ron and frank our soap could be saved,and they are already off to a good start.

Oh sounds like a great show, love Brittany and James!!! I hope that I get a chance to see it. JF, well since she is a singer on the show and not actor.. I was going to suggest acting teacher. But then again she might need a coach. So I say and acting coach.. who is sort of creepy!

Nick at Night is doing a soap opera?? don’t they know it should be OLTL?? hey why have to think of a whole new show when there is a great one waiting for a new station! arg!

I don’t really care about James Franco unless he’s brought back to life on Spiderman!

I had no idea of the dislike of him. And so we move on.

He can stay on her new show forever, as long as he is not available to return to GH…

I feel the same way,he helped hurt general hospital and bring the ratings down,Did you ever see him act?I didnt.

I just don’t know what happened to James Franco. He had so much promise when he had the lead in SONNY. Then he made some poor choices such as PINEAPPLE EXPRESS. He was good in FREAKS AND GEEKS and I have always liked him. I just don’t understand him. And apparently his and Anne Hathaway’s hosting last year’s Oscars will go down in history as one of the worst. Something is not right.

I know this does not answer the question. When he was on GH it was when I was not watching. I think I just missed him when Brenda came back the last time (the last time I watched until now) and then I did not watch again until the last month of OLTL to support both shows and, to hopefully save GH. I know, still not answering the question. I guess I don’t know what to think. I no longer have cable so I won’t be watching regardless. I suppose if it is the greatest thing since sliced bread I will buy a season pass to it through Amazon or something, but I doubt it. I have never heard anything good about Jill Farren Phelps. It is interesting that he sings her praises. Just joking so please do not flame me, but maybe she has some dirt on him and that is why he keeps working for her. 🙂

Franco’s haircut above reminds me of GH’s Jason Morgan. Maybe Franco’s obsession for Jason was more real than we knew.

Just keep him off of GH.

agree,there is nothing special about that guy other then he helped abc/disney kill general hospital.

General Hospital

Troy Lennon Appel on Auditioning Six Times for ‘General Hospital’ Before Being Cast in the Role of Hudson Parker

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Troy Lennon Appel

General Hospital introduced the character of Hudson Parker back on July 30, 2026 marking the first appearance of Troy Lennon Appel in the role.

Quickly, we learned there was some connection to Ethan Lovett, after Hudson tracked him down and beat up the guy, the potential that Hudson is the biological father to Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase’s (Josh Swickard) adopted daughter, Phoebe, and that he is now Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) right hand man at JJE.

On Sunday, October 25 in a brand new episode of the That’s Awesome Podcast with Steve Burton (Jason) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), the Stone Cold and the Jackal duo welcomed Troy Lennon Appel to the show to delve into his background, landing the role of Hudson, and what may come next in a teaser for upcoming episodes of GH.

Jonathan Bennett

Photo: ABC

A NEW CHARACTER CREATED JUST FOR TROY WAS THE TICKET TO PORT CHARLES

As it turned out, Troy revealed that he had actually auditioned for General Hospital on six different occasions before being cast as Hudson, the last audition being for the role of Joe Fitzpatrick that went to Jonathan Bennett.

Appel explained, “Every time I showed up (to audition), I was like, ‘All right, I gotta nail this because it’s General Hospital.‘ It was my sixth one where I auditioned for Joe Fitzpatrick, Jonathan Bennett’s character. That was last November. Then, it was February of this year when I came in for an in-person callback. My wife and I were just like, ‘You gotta nail this.’  I didn’t get that character. Obviously, Jonathan got that, but then, they created Hudson Parker for me. I’m shocked I’m even on this show right now!'”

The General Hospital newcomer was even more stoked when he realized that not only did the producers and writers create a role just for him, but that he was going on contract as a series regular.

Appel recalled, “All at once, they were like, ‘We’re going to offer you a three-year contract and we’re creating a character for you.’ It was just something you never expect to hear. I was on the phone and I just fell down to the ground. I went through the range of emotions you could have. I know I cried. I hyperventilated. I’ve never hyperventilated in my life. But now, I get to essentially live the dream I have.”

Photo: ABC

HUDSON AND JOSSLYN

Eden McCoy shares many a scene with Troy, and he gave her major kudos for getting him through the beginning weeks of his run as Hudson. “We did a chemistry test, together and I give her so much credit because obviously, she’s a pro. She’s been doing it for so long. I’ll do scenes with her where I’m like, ‘I got to just try to meet her where she’s at because she’s just so talented.'”

Troy added, “Eden took me under her wing, and just helped me out so much with understanding the process of all of this and even just knowing where to go, when, when to be where I need to be. I don’t know how I would be feeling if I didn’t have her always working with her and just helping me out the entire time.”

The mystery of just who this guy is will become clear in the weeks ahead as Appel revealed, “We actually just shot what Parker’s background is. Right now, I am the Vice President of Operations for JJE. I manager the company’s financials, essentially. But, there’s more to Hudson which we will eventually find out.” Getting the chance to mix it up with the cast, Troy added of Hudson, “He’s up to some stuff.”

Check out the full conversation with Troy Lennon Appel with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson below.

Now weigh-in: what do you think about Troy having a role specifically creating for him after 6 auditions for GH? What do you think will be revealed of Hudson’s background in the weeks to come? Do you want to see a Josslyn and Hudson pairing? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

 

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General Hospital

GH Alums Kelly Monaco and Greg Vaughan to Reunite for Special Fan Event

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Greg Vaughan and Kelly Monaco

General Hospital fan favorite Kelly Monaco (ex-Sam McCall) will be making a rare public appearance teaming up with her longtime friend and former leading man, Greg Vaughan (ex-Lucky Spencer), at a special fan event.

The announcement came from the stars on their social media accounts, but you can circle, Sunday, December 13, at Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey as the spot to see Kelly and Greg at this meet and greet.

As General Hospital viewers know, Monaco spent 21 years as Sam McCall before being killed-off on the October 30, 2024 episode. Before that, she had become soap-famous for her dual roles as Livvie and Tess on the GH spinoff, Port Charles.

Kelly Monaco and Greg Vaughan

Photo: UncleVinnie’s

Vaughan is currently appearing on daytime’s newest soap opera in the recurring role of Dr. Kial Rollins, a role which he debuted back on December 8, 2025. Throughout his daytime career, Greg has appeared on The Young and the Restless (ex-Diego), Days of our Lives (ex-Eric) and as GH’s Lucky.

SAM AND LUCKY

It was back in 2007 that in story, Sam started pursuing Lucky (then played by Greg Vaughan) as a form of revenge against Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst). Sam was furious after learning that Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) had a child with Elizabeth while Sam and Jason were broken up. That child was Jake. Eventually, Sam and Lucky became a hit with viewers and would continue to cross each other’s paths.

Uncle Vinnie’s comedy club took to their Instagram and shared, “The fans asked and we always deliver!!” Tickets going fast! Order on our website.”

In addition, Shanna Moakler, who is in a relationship with Vaughan, took to the comment thread and exclaimed, “My two favorite people.” Moakler and Monaco had previously announced in March of 2025 the start-up of their podcast called Bad Bunnies. It was expected to cover pop culture, personal stories, and Hollywood secrets.

Then, in July 2025, it was confirmed that Kelly Monaco would no longer be participating. At the time, she stepped away due to personal family matters, focusing on maintaining a private life, and new work commitments.

So, would you love to see Kelly and Greg together again? Happy to see that Kelly is making a public appearance for her fans? Let us know via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Brook Lynn and Chase Hesitate to Sign Divorce Papers, Elizabeth Reveals Aiden’s Leaving For Paris, Willow Flashes Back to Her Crimes

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Brook Lynn and Chase

As the week came to a conclusion on the Friday, October 23 episode of General Hospital, Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) wrestled with becoming an empty-nester, while Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) and Monet (Blythe Howard) conspired to keep Lulu (Alexa Havins) and Ric (Rick Hearst) at legal bay, and Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase’s (Josh Swickard) frozen relationship thawed, but how much?

Let’s take a look! First, in a moment that was written to bring Liz and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) closer, the GH head nurse is wistful over the fact that she just learned that her talented bakery chef son, Aiden, secretly earned his GED and got into a prestigious pastry school in France and to top it off received a scholarship to attend the school.

Liz is concerned that allowing him to go wasn’t the smartest move because of his young age. Dante suggested that maybe it’s her fear of being alone that is causing her to feel hesitant for Aiden to go abroad. He shared a story about the support her received from Olivia when he moved away from home for the first time; that he understood mothers and sons are close, but she needed to let him go build his own life.

Elizabeth

Courtesy/ABC

After coming to terms with it, she revealed that Aiden is leaving in four days and had to make cupcakes for the Halloween party, Dante offered to help her do the baking. They smile. So, what this means to GH fans? All of Liz sons: Cameron, Jake, Aiden are all now officially off the canvas!

WILLOW VS. LULU

At Miller & Davis, Willow strolls in to meet Monet to go over their strategy in their meeting with Ric and Lulu. While discussing their next move, Willow flashes back to the night she shot Drew (Cameron Mathison) twice in the back, and then later, how she first stuck a needle in his neck to use the paralytic drug that kept him in a locked-in state for months.

Willow

Courtesy/ABC

When Ric and Lulu arrive, the four end up in a stalemate. Willow refused to drop the lawsuit, and Lulu refused to retract the story on her. Willow’s stance is that Lulu had been manipulated by the Quartermaines, who wanted to take her children away, so Michael can have sole custody of them. Lulu fired back that she was doing her job as an investigative reporter to expose crimes perpetrated by a congresswoman.

Now at an impasse, Ric and Lulu tell Monet and Willow they will see them in court as now a judge will hear the case. Not what Ric wanted that to happen, but now he tells Lulu, they will figure out a way to bring Willow down.

DIVORCE BLUES?

Finally, Chase and Brook Lynn head to the Dominican Republic to get a quickie divorce after how their lawyers dredged up awful things about both of them in Port Charles. While on the plane, the two discuss that they still want each other to be happy.

Once in front of the judge in the Dominican Republic, he asked if the two were mutually consenting to this divorce, but instead, the two sang each others praises.

This left the judge to ask if the two wanted to go through with ending their marriage and he left the room. Later, when he returned with the divorce documents to sign, Chase and Brook Lynn stared at each other hesitating to sign on the dotted line.

So, what do you think will happen next? Will Brook Lynn and Chase end their marriage, or decide to try to make it a go? Is it upsetting to you that all of Elizabeth’s sons are off the canvas? Should the soap recast them all, like they did with Alexis’ daughters and restart the story of these young men? Do you think now will be the time that Willow’s crimes will be publicly exposed, and she will lose her kids and her seat in a congress? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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