News
Justin Hartley On His THIS IS US Success: "I Didn’t Know I Was Known As The ‘Daytime Guy’. But This Show Has Certainly Changed The Trajectory Of Things."

Photo: IMDB
With only two more emotional episodes left of season one of the hit NBC series, This Is Us, Justin Hartley (Kevin Pearson) has certainly become a household name – with interviews and appearances on many top-notch entertainment outlets and talk shows. Justin has shown just what soap opera fans have known for decades, that this guy is not only mighty-fine looking, but he can act, too!
Y&R fans were disappointed when Hartley departed the number-one soap where he played Adam Newman to the hilt to play one of the leading roles in the Dan Fogelman drama, but were thrilled for his primetime success. The fact that he can still be seen each week on their TV screens is fantastic for his longtime and new fans.
Hartley recently told ET: “I didn’t know I was known as the ‘daytime guy. But this show certainly has changed the trajectory of things.” In fact, he related that recently a fan approached him who knew of his work on the now defunct Passions as Fox Crane and asked, “So, what happened after that? Did you quit?” Far from it! Hartley kept busy appearing on many primetime dramas, and going back to daytime, before nabbing the role on This Is Us.
As to just how good the scripts are each week on This Is Us, Justin could not be more happy and motivated: “There’s also something very daunting about reading a script and being like, ‘Oh my God, I hope I’m good enough to make this work,’ which is where I’m at right now.”

Courtesy/Variety
His role and that of the other leading male characters on This Is Us, played by Sterling K. Brown and Milo Ventimiglia, has given Justin a new view on fatherhood ( he is the dad to 12-year-old daughter Isabella) and masculinity: “It’s reinforced a lot of things I thought before. One of the things I constantly do is try to show my daughter what that is, what that means, what a man does. I try to show her that by example. I want her to find somebody that obviously measures up — she’s wonderful — and that deserves her. And there obviously isn’t anyone that does, but we’ll get close, hopefully.” Justin added, “There’s a time and a place where (being) a father is important, or a brother, or a relationship with a buddy,” he says of what it is to be a man as it is portrayed on This Is Us.
On Monday, Hartley was over the moon, and rightfully so, after the Hollywood new-source that is an institution, Variety featured him and the cast of This Is Us on the cover. Justin tweeted: “Thanks @Variety for the time and the space of your much coveted cover. Honored! I’m gonna get a copy, or 10, or 10 hundred.”
So, are you looking forward to the final episodes of the season on This Is Us? What do you think of Justin’s success? What do you think will happen to Kevin Pearson come the season finale next week? Comment below!
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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I have followed JH throughout his career with the exception of Passions. When he came to Y&R I was thrilled but I knew it was but another pause before going either back to prime time or on to the big screen. This ensemble cast of TIU is fantastic. Each actor has made their character come to life. I am looking forward to tonight’s episode and the season finale next week. I am ecstatic the show will be on a second season.
There has not been a primetime show since “Empire” that has had the buzz this show has received. I love reading and sharing stories on how the characters makes people feel certain ways about life…and death.
I am picky in choosing which shows I am going to invest time in watching week after week. I read the positive reviews the show was receiving before its premiere. Since then, I have never felt disappointed. It has been years since an ensemble of actors click on every level. Sterling, Mandy, Milo, Chrissy and Justin are simply amazing.
I watched “The Talk” yesterday and loved how humble Justin seemed with all of the praise. I am sure he has as many insecurities as anyone else, but it appears he doesn’t understand the appreciation fans have for Adam Newman and now, Kevin.
Keep up in good work!
I don’t watch the show. Justin is very talented and deserves his success. Still miss him on Y&R.
Not caught up on This is Us but I LOVE the show and I am so happy for Justin.
I did not watch any of his daytime programs but I love him on this show. He is such a competent actor, his work is so natural. The ensemble casting seems perfect. Sorry to hear only two more episodes. They should rerun the entire season so newbies can catch up.
Didn’t see him when he was the “daytime guy,” but he is really good on my favorite show–“This Is Us.”
Cool show..It is a feel good show with lots of emotions..Well written and the acting is top notched!! I always knew that Justin had the “it” factor and would succeed in other avenues..He was a scene stealer over @ ABC Mistress and did a solid job over at Y&R when the show was not very good! I see him making strides in becoming a big star in films!!
I used to be a Daytime viewer, more Classic 80s GH than any of Justin’s shows, and tried out This is Us early on. It’s widely known as weekly free therapy on Twitter and is one of my favorite shows along with Queen Sugar and Emerald City so let’s just say that I’ll need to find alternate forms of therapy to replace it once the last 2 eps are over with. It sort of reminds me of Eight is Enough and definitely has a 70s-80s dramedy vibe with an extra dose of tears. Not to say that it’s a downer at all. I feel like an improved, happier self after those tears are all dried with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.I grew up in a time when there was more fluidity between DT, PT and movies for actors so Justin being a “daytime guy” doesn’t mean a lot to me. The role seems to fit him well, and I love every single story and character on that show. I’m curious to see how his play is doing since he ran out on the opening of it to take care of his bro (LOL) and to see where they are taking his rocky love life. He’s the only relationship hopper on the show and it’d be kinda nice to see him tied down and having a steady relationship.
Hilarious! After Revenge, Mistresses and his stint as Green Arrow on Smallville, I always thought he lowered himself taking Y&R since he was a prime time guy.
I love Justin Hartley and This Is Us is such a wonderful show,I loved Justin in his cute little hat last night wish that is all he had on lol Hey what can I say the guy is hot.I am glad to see that his new show is doing so good,IT is a feel good show and I wish well I could give him a hug,maybe more lol Justin is number one in my book…Justin you are the best
I didn’t know about him until he started on Y&R. I checked out This is Us because he was on it and I’m so glad I did. It is one of my favorite shows and I only have two.
I was ticked off when he started playing “Adam” on Y&R because “Adam” is one of my all time fav’s on the show, makes it exciting and I KNEW Justin would NOT stick around as Primetime is his goal and rightfully so he nails his role on “This is Us” it’s a great show! Still no Adam though and YR is becoming a snooze fest! Did not even have a February sweeps! Starting to think Sussman coming back was a huge mistake