Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto/Sue Coflin Max Photo

If you missed Thursday night’s live broadcast of the monthly Internet Radio series Soap Nation Live with Michael Fairman Daytime Emmy Nominations Special, you can listen to the archive of the broadcast streaming right here!

Plus we offer up below some highlights of what was said during the live episode by some of our nominated special guests vying for the gold for the upcoming 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards that will be handed out on June 22nd.

During the two hour nomination celebration, Michael welcomed Outstanding Lead Actor nominee Jason Thompson (Patrick) from General Hospital, Outstanding Supporting Actor nominee, Steve Burton (Dylan) from The Young and the Restless, Outstanding Lead Actress Nominees, Eileen Davidson (Kristen) of Days of our Lives and Heather Tom (Katie) of The Bold and the Beautiful.  Plus Younger Actress and Actor nominees, Kelly Missal (Dani) of One Life to Live and Max Ehrich (Fen) of The Young and the Restless!

In addition, Soap Opera Digest’s Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Sloane along with Access Hollywood’s Sharon Spaeth (also Daytime Emmy nominated) were part of a live roundtable discussion with Michael on who got in and who got snubbed in the nominations where the biggest shockers amongst the roundtable seemed to be the omission of Days of our Lives, Blake Berris (Nick), General Hospital’s Finola Hughes (Anna), and GH being shut out in all major show categories; Drama Series, Writing and Directing.  Closing out the broadcast was NATAS’ Senior Executive Director Daytime Emmy Awards David Michaels who offered his perspective on the nominations, the academy’s attempts to lock down a televised home for this year’s ceremonies, and what the plans are for the event if the ceremonies are streamed online and more.

Y&R’s Steve Burton was the first special guest who offered up this on his nomination and pick for his Emmy submission that earned him the Supporting Actor nod:  “It was with Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea), and it was with Dylan finding out from Chelsea that the baby is not his  I actually had four people at Y&R watch the episodes and give me their opinion.  I pretty much went with the majority of opinion, and I didn’t leave it to myself to choose.  It was interesting watching everybody’s tape and its interesting talking to people about what they should choose what they choose, and then you see them in someone else’s scene and you go, “Why didn’t they use that?”  I don’t think as an actor you can be objective about your own work, because you can be emotionally attached to it.  Christian LeBlanc (Michael, Y&R) really helped me out.  I trusted his opinion. I think he is a fantastic actor, and a consummate professional.

Burton also revealed what it has been like to be away from his original soap home of General Hospital where he made his mark as Jason Morgan, and to receive another Daytime Emmy nomination:  “It’s been bittersweet.  GH was my family and sometimes you’ve got to go and give other things a shot.  I think it’s going to take everyone a long time.  I am very proud of the character that I played there. It will always be a very important part of my life.  I am so happy for Jason Thompson (Patrick, GH), Dominic Zamprogna (Dante), and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), that they got nominated.  They were one of the first people I texted. To see them get recognized for what I knew they were capable of all these years was just so exciting for me. And the fact that I am going to get to go to the Emmys with all my buddies is awesome.”

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

Days of our Lives Eileen Davidson shared why she thinks soap fans were enamored by the return of Kristen DiMera last year which garnered a Daytime Emmy nod:  “I think Kristen is a person you love to hate and some people just hate her. I knew there was a lot of love coming at me, but also she is a crazy character, who is not real warm and fuzzy.  And she is not Ashley, and that is what has been fun for me to go back to Y&R for awhile and play a character that looks so much different and to play a different animal. It’s been a fun couple of years for me.”

Eileen also shared her excitement on her DAYS co-star Eric Martsolf (Brady) landing his first Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor:  “I was so incredibly thrilled for him, because he was my rock though this whole thing.  I really relied on him. I think together we created this vortex of energy with both of our characters that allowed us to just go for it.  It affected my performance and it affected h is. So for him to be acknowledged … is fantastic!”

General Hospital’s Jason Thompson filled listeners in on what episode of his work he submitted that landed him the nomination in the Lead Actor category a second year running:  “I selected the scene where Patrick tells Sabrina (Teresa Castillo) that he is going to go back to Robin (Kimberly McCullough) and then where he comes home to Robin and tell hers that he is home and it’s where he should be.  Once I looked at the episode, everything was nice about it – the lighting was great, Teresa was great, Kimberly was great and I liked the dialog and the writing.  It was a really nice show.  I felt comfortable letting it represent me personally, but also I felt really good about it representing the show in the way it did.  It was a long year with a lot of up and downs character-wise, but a great year for me personally, where I was given the opportunity to have some chunky stuff.  I always look forward to that, and so it was one of those things when it came down to it … those scenes told a story. ”

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

Jason also reflected on what fans have been noticing  … that Patrick has not been on the canvas as much over the last few months…  and what he thought of the current story where Sabrina and Patrick’s baby boy is in peril: “It’s been a funny couple of months. We had several dark weeks.  I have not been in heavy rotation for awhile, so it’s kind of been in and out and here and there for me. So it kind of feels a little bit distant, but as far as the baby stuff, it’s really hard.  It’s the material you always hope you get it, but it’s not easy.  I care for Teresa, and she is obviously pregnant in real life, and she is going to have her baby within the month or so, if I have that correctly.   I am proud of her of being a trouper and going for it.  It’s been a process of handling that with the utmost care and still telling a story.  To be honest, I was shocked to find out Michelle Stafford (Nina) was on our show!  I had no idea and I love Michelle.  I get along with her very well, but saying that, I really don’t know what is going to happen next.”

The Bold and the Beautiful’sHeather Tom, who has won the Outstanding Lead Actress prize two years in

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

a row, explained to the Soap Nation Live listeners what reel she chose and why:  “I went with the episode after Taylor (Hunter Tylo) tells Katie about Bill (Don Diamont) and Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) where she has a meltdown and realizes her strength and deals with the situation.  I thought it was a beautifully written episode.  It’s a turning point in Katie’s character, like in our own lives there are things that happen to us that change the way we view the world, and change the way we see ourselves and other people. T his is one of those moments for Katie.  This changes the way she trusts and changes the way she loves.  Those scenes were also so sad, not only was it the demise of a marriage and her relationship, but also kind of the demise of the sibling relationship that had been a cornerstone of Katie’s for so long.  They were beautiful and painful scenes.”

Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Studios

One Life to Live’s Kelley Missal reflected on the hardship the reboot of the soap and what the cast and production endured as it tried to resurrect itself online via Prospect Park, which made her nomination all the more special for her:  “One Life to Live was a labor of love. It would not have happened without every person involved being so important, and so vital, and putting so much into it.  I feel every nomination that One Life got was just an indication of how much everyone cared.  I am proud to have been a part of it.  It’s been a tough road for One Life to Live over the past couple of years.  Our executive producer Jennifer Pepperman did a terrific job.  There was so much chaos and the drama that ensured with Prospect Park and ABC, and the show was still a success.  It really was for the fans.  I am so happy that it is receiving this acknowledgement for what we accomplished, because it really was this crazy thrown together chaotic thing, but it ended up being so awesome. ”

Kelley also commented on the fact that she got the opportunity to work with her two Llanview TV dads, Roger Howarth  and Trevor St. John during the One Life revival:  “I have been so blessed, and working with those two is so much fun, and they are so similar.   Roger and Trevor are both very sarcastic and mysterious.   I did not think either one of them was coming back!”

Listen to the broadcast of the Daytime Emmy Nominations Special of Soap Nation Live in its entirety below. Then let us know. who was your favorite guest and favorite moment of the show?