When the nominations were revealed for the 49th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, General Hospital mainstay, Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis), was recognized for her stunning work in the Alexis-centric standalone episode which honored her 25th anniversary with the ABC daytime drama series.
Grahn, is already a two-time Daytime Emmy winner. She won back in 1989 in a tie for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her work as Julia Wainwright on Santa Barbara along with All My Children’s Debbi Morgan, and again received the honors in that category in 2012 for her work on General Hospital.
Now. she is vying for the gold in 2022 in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category against other formidable actresses including: B&B’s Kimberlin Brown, DAYS Stacy Haiduk, Y&R’s Melissa Ordway, and her GH castmate, Kelly Thiebaud.
Michael Fairman TV caught up with Nancy to talk about her decision to enter the Emmy race this year, her powerful and moving scenes, why this nomination is significant and important to her, and her take on some very important social issues of our time.
Always candid, insightful, combined with great humor and wit, here’s what Nancy had to share below, and make sure to check out GH this week when sparks fly between Alexis and Gregory (Gregory Harrison). Will he turn out to be the new beau in Alexis’ life? Stay tuned.

Courtesy/ABC
Congratulations on the Emmy nomination. How do you feel about being in the running again, especially with the material from your 25th anniversary episode?
NANCY: You know, I don’t submit myself if I don’t think I have something, and I didn’t last year. This year, I had the one show, and the first reason I submitted myself was I had the episode that was worthy of the competition. These judges have to sit, and watch this stuff, and very often, it’s hard to watch soap opera scenes. It really is, unless you’re in it. It’s a different kind of material that most primetime people aren’t used to watching. So, it’s tricky business. I don’t want to put them through anything too awful. I don’t want to torture them and I’ve judged before. It can be a bit tedious. So, for me to submit myself, I thought, it has to be something that isn’t going to torture another human being. The second thing is, older women get marginalized the older they get, and they get diminished very often, and every time we get nominated, it means something different to me. This time, to me, I want it to somehow be symbolic, or a shoutout to women who are still producing, who have been doing their job for a long time and are still doing it good enough, and that it’s still worthy of respect and recognition.
When we were at the GH Convention back in March, I played the scene on-stage for the fans in attendance of when Alexis goes over to the corner of Kevin’s office and heals her younger self. You saw the reaction just from the fans. It’s such a beautiful moment within the story. What did you think about how the standalone episode was crafted?
NANCY: It was a different experience for me because GH co-head writers Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor, and script writer, Scott Sickles gave it the attention, but even more to that, they allowed me to participate in the creation of it. They allowed the director, Phideaux Xavier, to participate. We all sat in a room. They said, “You know what? Make it how you’re comfortable with it.” There were so many people who gave it time and effort, and Phideaux gets a lot of credit because he came up with a lot of ideas. So, the little girl in the therapy room wasn’t initially a part of it. That was Phideaux’s idea, and they let us alter things, and they allowed me to write some words that meant something to me with the character. Our producers, Michelle Henry and M.K Weir, who I both adore, were also a part of this.

Courtesy/ABC
That is great to hear that you were involved in the collaborative process of the creation of the episode.
NANCY: We read through the whole script, and we worked it like you would on primetime. We went through it like, “Does this moment work? Does that moment work? Does this make sense? Does that make sense?” We never do that in soaps. We don’t get to that. So, it was a gift to me. It really was. Chris and Dan, and Scott and Phideaux, and the two producers, generosity in gifting me that experience and making sure that it was to everybody’s liking, was really very special to me, and it meant a lot.
Did you come up with the key lines which summarized Alexis as a person and her journey: “I’m Alexis Davis, and I’m a fighter, and an idealist and an advocate?”
NANCY: No. They designed it, but we were allowed to enhance and contribute creatively to it, and, we don’t normally have the time to do that. They don’t have the time to – and you can’t allow people to do that with every episode, to be creatively participating, because it would turn into madness with everybody.
Then, when it came down to choosing the scenes from your anniversary episode to include for your Emmy submission, was that a challenging process of which moments to go with?
NANCY: I just told a little story with it with the time that I had, and so, I edited it with a friend of mine. I did a sort of pre-edit on it, I’m good at that, and handed the timeline to our editor, who nicely put it together. It took very little effort.
In my humble opinion, I think that episode featured one of your all-time best performances.
NANCY: Thank you. There was a nice effort from everybody, from the lighting to everybody else, and all the effort Phideaux put into it. He worked so hard on that! It was fun for us. It was like the old days where you really got to work something out.

Photo: ABC
It truly harkened back to everything we knew up to that point about Alexis and her past as well, and included a montage of scenes over the years.
NANCY: I think it was M.K. who put that together, but when you’re working at the pace we’re working now, to have to sit and put together a montage of twenty-five years, that’s not an easy feat. Nobody has time for that anymore, but they did it, and like I said, it was really, really appreciated. My only thought with it is that I wanted it to be relatable to other people. I didn’t want it to just be some, you know, self-indulgent Alexis episode. I knew that by bringing in the little girl and talking about people being hurt in their childhood and how that makes somebody feel that it was probably relatable to many people, and so it became meaningful to other people and not just me.
Do you think you’ll attend the Daytime Emmys? I know the last time you won you were not present.
NANCY: Yeah, I’m planning on it. I mean, barring anything happening! (Laughs)
Does it feel nice to be recognized by your peers?
NANCY: Of course, it does. It always does, and way too often, women who are still producing well in their jobs, don’t get the respect and the acknowledgment for it. So, that’s why I’m saying, this is no small thing, and that I want other women to know that I know that, and that I wish for them the same thing.
What was the reaction of your daughter, Kate and your fiancé, Richard, when you told them you were Emmy-nominated?
NANCY: Richie goes, “What is this? Your 18th nomination?” (Laughs). You know what I mean? It was just kind of like, “Yeah, sure, why wouldn’t you be?” It wasn’t like, “Oh, my God!” It was like they kind of expected that. That was nice! I’m glad they feel that way. I’m glad they weren’t surprised. They were like, “Sure! Of course, you would be. Why wouldn’t you be?” I said, “You know, it doesn’t always work like that!”

Photo: JPI
Now comes the part of having to find a dress and all that goes with it for the red carpet. Do you enjoy that part?
NANCY: No, I hate that part. That is my… oh ‘boohoo’, you know? I mean, I have to find something to wear. Also, the older you get, that becomes so much less important, and the more makeup, and the more hair, and the more foofy, the more ridiculous I look. I start looking like Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. You’ve just got to keep it simple.
You were talking about women and ageism. Do you not feel that also exists for men?
NANCY: It exists for men, but it’s not at all on the same par as women. I mean, men still get paid more than women, and men still are valued more than women. I mean, there are exceptions, but if you look in any place of employment, even the soaps, you will typically find the men making more money than the women, and the older the women get, the less they get. Life’s not fair right now. It’s fairer than it was, but still the equality game is not won yet.

Photo: JPI
I know how much all of this means to you in terms of equality for women, and people being run out of their jobs because of their age.
NANCY: It’s just a reality. It’s not something that I’m hopeless about, but I have a story to tell. I’ll tell it when the time is right. It’s life! It happens in every field everywhere. When my mom was 70, she was still producing the exact same way she was producing when she was 30, and she got run out, and was replaced by a man who was 40 or something, and there was no particular reason for it. It was just, “You’re done. We decided you’re done,” but like I said, it happens everywhere, in every line of work, and that’s why I just wanted to give a shout-out, when you still, after 36 years, can be recognized or shown respect or acknowledgment for what your do. It’s a very big deal that I am appreciative of and grateful for.
So, rooting for Nancy to win the Outstanding Supporting Actress prize? Happy she was nominated for her work in the the milestone episode devoted to Alexis? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, and to tune-in to the 49th annual Daytime Emmy Awards on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ on Friday night, June 24th.
I WISH HER ALL THE BEST ALWAYS LOVED THE KID,
What is there that needs to be explained?
KiKi was one of the most annoying characters in recent memory and Alderson’s acting is the kind of bad acting you only see in horror and B-movies like “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” from the 1980’s.
KA HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL A ACTRESS SINCE SHE WAS ON BROADWAY ,AND ALL THE YEARS SHE WAS ON OLTL.
Sharice, I have to agree with you; though, I do wish the actress the best.
Agree, Sharice. I’m just sittin on the edge of my seat waiting on her explanation. Goodbye, Felisha!
Will she be the new Hope on B&B?
I was thinking that…she could be Hope and play opposite Scott Clifton-Liam again…he played her high school teacher on OLTL and now can play his lover???
I really hope not. I can finally enjoy B&B now that Hope is gone.
Im very curious to hear what she had to say and really hope this is her own decision and one not prompted by the powers that be at GH. Altho I can’t say I blame her. Kiki’s storyline as of late has been diminished to almost nothing so no wonder she wants to leave. I wish her all the best! I had the pleasure of meeting her Chad and her mom and the fan event last year in LA and she’s the nicest person. Actually they all were!! Hope they leave it open in case she decides to come back.… Read more »
Yes very much! I
Have loved her on both OLTL and GH and am sorry to
See her leave daytime TV. I
Hope they leave her storyline open so she can return if she changes her mind.
Omg this is so sad i watch her for years and years i want to kno y shes leaving us she is my favorite actress im going to cry
Will miss her so much — from One Life to Live to General Hospital — she has always been a class act!! Best Wishes — hope you come back to GH soon — bring your mom and Natalie with you!! Have a wonderful 2015 ours will be a little less “Starr”y — ……
Recast!!!!!!!!!!!
I have watched you on one life to live when you started and you have grown into a very nice young lady, Best wishes. God bless. Hope to see you in some other shows.
She’s a lovely person and fine actor who deserves for 2015 to deliver only the best of everything. I do hope she’ll stick around daytime, which is her home, where her heart truly is and forever will be. Just as they say about the South in Southern boys like me who have moved on to other pastures, so too can it be said of this soap opera favorite: You can take the girl out of daytime but not the daytime out of the girl. She’s still young, obviously restless and bold, beautiful inside and out, with many days of her… Read more »
sad to hear she leaveing I been watch her since she was little
This young lady has made some awesome strides in her young life. To say I will miss her is putting it mildly, but I wish her well in whatever the future holds for her.
I have mixed feelings here…was hoping Ava named the baby Tiki so she could introduce her daughters as Kiki and Tiki who laer date brothers Micky and Nicky…lol…you need a video to explain everything?…Guess its sooo 21st century…lol…didnt care for Kiki so the character wont be missed…watched K.A. grow up on OLTL…maybe 6 months from now she’ll return as Starr or yet another character if not LAUREN…maybe she moves in with Delia or runs away in horror when she learns she is nutty Ninas offspring…id run away too…lol…K.A. probably wants to try her luck in primetime or simply take a… Read more »
Yes, I am interested in everything she has to say, such as, what direction her life is taking. I miss her already. I was ten when I first started watching OLTL, with Gran. My grandmother actually introduced me to all my soaps, except GH. She did not watch. She still does not….she has her own reservations about the show.
Harry mentioned that Kirsten should take over the ‘Summer’ character at Y&R. That is a great trade-off….if not, I wish the soap gods would deliver us from Abby, by recasting.
Luv-ya, Kristen…best to you, always……my boy loves you, too.
I think she’s making the wrong decision but wish her well!!! ANDY after these each given last night that 95% of actors aren’t working and showing their skills….WELLLL I wish her luck out there
Whatever! Good Luck to her!
Strangely, I was hoping she and Morgan would get back together and raise Ava’s baby. They have more spark than Kiki and Michael.
So much buzz about why she’s leaving, it will be good to hear directly from her.
Very welcome news.
Hope she’s branching out to try nighttime or film. Though its not her fault I loved Starr, hated Kiki.
Me too. I will always have a soft spot for Starr, but Kiki was very ill-conceived. Hope KA has great things in her future.
Have watched her grow before our very eyes on OLTL and now GH. I had the pleasure of meeting her and Chad at GHFCW this past summer and wish her well in her future endeavors. They were both so sweet and kind to all the fans. As I told her when we talked about the demise of OLTL – the pain was like losing family and speaking for myself still miss my one life family very much.
I still so shocked over this but i cant wait to see the vid.. I had been wondering why she hasn’t been posting anything about it..esp. when Chad did…I adore her so much..i started watching OLTL as a teen because of her and was so excited when she went to my fav soap..but i cant blame her at all for leaving since they have yet to really ever give Kiki a S/L..the aftermath of Michael& the baby is the most in a very long time..i’m so excited to see where her career goes tho..she is a beautiful kind amazing actress..my… Read more »
While I wish the actress all the best; unfortunately, the character of Lauren Kiki Jerome just did not “take off” so to speak, IMO. Kristen always seemed to be used as “filler” in many storylines, to help try to push the storyline or give the actress some airtime. Maybe she will continue on with her singing career.
This makes me feel actual sadness
She seems like a very sweet person. I liked her on OLTL until Starr had a baby. Then I thought that the actress looked and acted too childlike to handle the storyline or maybe it was just bad writing. She has been working since she was 6 years old! I hope she takes some time off for herself – maybe travel or go to college. She must have missed out on a lot while she was working all of those years. I have trouble understanding how a parent could facilitate a child working full time since the child was 6.… Read more »
Gonna miss you a lot. Been watching you since you started on OLTL. It’s been a long journey and I am glad I got to watch you grow into a beautiful woman and great person. Wish you well on your new journey.
Even though I’m not the biggest Kiki fan around, I am slightly disappointed to see Kristen leave. I believe the character was under used and just never clicked well with the audience. The Kiki character never really had a storyline of her own and always seemed to be involved in everyone else’s business. I strongly believe that if Prospect Park hadn’t made the decision to reboot OLTL, Starr would have blended in well with the rest of the GH characters and probably would have been more accepted then Kiki. With that said, I wish Kristen all the best in the… Read more »
I didn’t watch OLTL, so her coming to GH as Starr was my first time to see Kristen on a regular basis. She’s a good actress, and I liked her as Starr. The character of Kiki never seemed to take off. Wish ABC and Prospect Park could put on their big boy pants and work out their issues, so Todd, John and Starr could return to the roles that people know them as. Especially since PP doesn’t seem to have any intention on doing anything with OLTL anytime soon. But I have a better chance of getting elected president than… Read more »
I will miss you I am 56 and always love to watch one life to live it was the only time I enjoyed TV to watch my soap . Ryan hope ,all my children, one life to live & general hospital. And it being all takenaway. Sad and upset and I watch you as a child i have been since I was 4 . and you are an amazing person and actress I wish you the best and will miss yiuand will miss you. God bless you.
I feel like you have been a kid sister, as i am sure many fans do, we have all watched you grow up before are eyes. All the best and so hope to see you continue acting in some new show soon.
that,s too bad that Kristen is leaving GH,but I have no doubt that she will go very far in her future,I videotaped almost every episode that she did on OLTl and this kid could really act ,so I hope to see her in another great show,really soon,good luck ,Kristen Alderson in whatever you do ,in life