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GH’s Mark Teschner Tells Casting Stories of Johnny Wactor, Giovanni Mazza, Rebecca Herbst & Nicholas Chavez

By Michael Fairman

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Photos: IMDb and ABC

This week during a very informative and insightful conversation, General Hospital’s 11-time Emmy-winning casting director and now a Daytime Emmy Silver Circle honoree, Mark Teschner spoke on finding the talent for specific roles on the ABC daytime drama series throughout his near three and half decades with the show.

During a livestream chat on the Michael Fairman Channel, Teschner recalled some of the behind the scenes casting stories that brought many beloved favorites to the GH family including the late Johnny Wactor (ex-Brando), the newly-arrived, Giovanni Mazza (Gio), longtime fan favorite, Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), and rising star, Nicholas Chavez (ex-Spencer) to name but a few.

When speaking with sadness over the loss of Wactor, who was shot and killed back on May 25th, and what he brought to the character of Brando, Teschner recalled, “With Johnny, what you see is what you get. You see the most kind decent, standup guy, and that’s innately who he is. So, that quality comes through in his work and with the character.”

Photo: HutchinsPhoto

Mark explained, “Brando was a raw kind of hothead, troubled kind of character, and Johnny was able to go there. He had a real intensity that he was able to bring to the role, but at the same time, the character of Brando had to have this depth and this giant heart that he doesn’t necessarily reveal when you first see him. Well, Johnny had the biggest heart of anyone you’ll ever meet. So that essence was already there, and then his acting and his skill played the character. Johnny brought so much of who he was to the character, and there was something so authentic about him.”

Photo: ABC

Giovanni Mazza recently debuted on GH as “Gio”, so what was his road to landing in Port Charles? Teschner shared, “I was casting a recurring role for a 15-year-old on the show, but when I’m doing the audition, sometimes I’ll open it up because we try to cast true to age, really within a year or so.  If you think about it, all the kids in our show are the exact age of the characters that they’re playing. Because if you have somebody that’s older playing younger, it sticks out because they’re not going to blend age-wise. But I did read a number of actors that were older just because they looked interesting. Gio’s audition came in. I was viewing this through self tapes, and there was just something about him. It wasn’t just that he was a great-looking kid, it was just there’s something very soulful about him and something very compelling, and he draws you in. ”

Photo: ABC

Mark continued, “So with the group of the 15-year-olds that I sent to Frank Valeintini (EP, GH), I said, ‘Hey, I’m including this kid, Giovanni Mazza. I’m well aware he’s too old, but I just want you to see him.’

After having him come into audition, two weeks later, Frank called Mark and told him they were putting Gio under contract. Teschner added, “So, that was an example where it was his first week in LA, it was his first and ever audition. So we got  before anybody else.  I think he’s really gonna develop into, you know, quite a young actor.”

Becky Herbst has been beloved as Elizabeth for decades, and Teschner recounted her audition process and how she came to the role of Elizabeth. “She (originally) auditioned for the role of Sarah Webber. But the role of Elizabeth was created for Becky. While the character of Sarah did not last long, here we are with Becky 30 years later.”

Teschner cited Becky’s casting as a great example. “I always tell actors when they come into audition, you lay it out, you put it all out there, you bring everything you have to that role. You may not get the role, but if you do good work, you get remembered. And it’s so true.”

Photo: ABC

Nicholas Chavez popped in the role of Spencer Cassadine before exiting the series. Teschner tells how Chavez came onto the GH casting radar. “Nicholas sent his self tape in from Florida and the rest is history. He had a meteoric impact on the show.” Mark added, “You always have an expectation and the hope that they’re (the actor) going to nail it and run with it. But sure, there are actors, you think, ‘They’re gonna be awesome,’ and then all of a sudden it goes to another level. With Nicholas Chavez, we knew he’d be amazing, but you know, who knew? Well, we did.”

Watch the full conversation with Mark Teschner below where he talks about even more of the casting stories behind some of your GH favorites, then and now.

What you think of the Teschner’s eye for talent casting the characters of General Hospital? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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Yes, these are all good actors. I wonder what could have been done to keep Chavez on the show. Wish someone could work their magic on him to get him back. I also wondered what ever happened to Wactor on GH. He was a great actor. Why was he let go? He must not have left for some major life changing role somewhere else or I doubt he would have been bartending when his life was so tragically taken.

There was nothing that could have been done to keep Chavez. He’s at a point in his life where opportunities can explode for actor with his talents and looks. Disney/ABC has a healthy relationship with Ryan Murphy, so they let Chavez go do the Menendez series.

Sadly, despite his Johnny’s talents, Brando was cut for storyline purposes.

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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ethan is Rocked at News of Delilah; Is Baby Phoebe His Child?

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The return story of Ethan Lovett (Nathan Dean began to unpeel itself on all new episodes of General Hospital, when on Tuesday May 5, he is seen on the pier talking on his phone and clearly calling a woman named “Delilah,” and in what seems like concern for her, tells her on voicemail, “you need to show up.”

As viewers know, Delilah (played by Lily Cardone) was the pregnant woman that Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) found on the side of a road and managed to get her to the hospital. Once at GH, Delilah died, but her baby was born. Brook Lynn and Chase then went to efforts to become the little one’s foster parents, since no other family ties for the baby girl have been found.

Their happiness at finally having a child, may be very short-lived. First, Brook Lynn is a key suspect as the other driver that may have caused the accident that burned and put disfiguring lacerations on Jordan’s (Tanisha Harper) face. At that time, Brook Lynn had a bit of wine with Tracy (Jane Elliot), and had rushed out of the Quartermaine mansion to try to get to Gio’s (Giovanni Mazza) performance with Trina (Tabyana Ali) at the reopening of Charlie’s.

Courtesy/ABC

Fast forward to now. Ethan turns up at the Quartermaines and runs into Brook Lynn and Chase along with baby Phoebe. Brook Lynn introduces Ethan to her husband and then they explain they are foster parents to Phoebe.

Brook Lynn then tells Ethan, that sadly, Phoebe’s mother had died, and all they knew about her was her name: Delilah Wilson. As soon as Brook Lynn mentions Delilah’s name, it’s clear Ethan is stunned, although he tries not to let on anything to Brook Lynn and Chase. Previously, Brook Lynn told Chase that it was recommended to her that they try to search on their own for Phoebe’s family. Well, is this her dad starring her in the face?

All this begging the questions: What is Ethan’s relationship to the deceased Delilah? Were they working on some kind of con together? Were they in love? Is Ethan the biological baby-daddy to Phoebe, which would really throw a wrench into Brook Lynn and Chase’s dreams of starting their own family? And, will all of this dovetail into Michael’s plan to get Chase and Willow to hit the sheets? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Brennan’s Eyes Are Opened About Carly and Valentin, Josslyn Finds Herself Locked Up Like Anna

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In a pivotal episode of General Hospital, Monday, May 4 finally blew the lid off of Brennan/Carly/Valentin and showed off Josslyn’s super spy prowess, and Cassius dark side all in one fell swoop!

Here’s what went down: Brennan (Chris McKenna) went ballistic after catching Carly (Laura Wright) after hitting the sheets, only he didn’t know (yet) with whom. The Port Charles WSB Bureau Chief goes in on Carly wanting to know who is it that she is sleeping with.  After his angry demand, Carly tells Jack to “turn around.” Thus, revealing Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) as the other man, who is holding a gun pointed straight at Jack.

Initially, Jack thinks Valentin played Carly due to their vendetta, but au contraire! Jack gets an earful about how Carly flew to Steinmauer posing as his attorney. When Jack tried to understand why Carly would betray him in such a way, Carly spelled it out for him.

Coutesy/ABC

Next, Carly let Jack have it for his lies and duplicity about her daughter, Josslyn (Eden McCoy). She knows that Jack recruited Josslyn into the WSB, preying on her grief over Dex’s death to get her to murder Cyrus Renault. Carly adds, you tuned my daughter, “into a lying, murdering spy, like you!” In tears, Carly told Jack that Josslyn will never be the same, because of what he did to her.

SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY AND LIVING TO TELL ABOUT IT

Jack realized, Carly was the one behind getting Valentin’s transfer from Steinmauser. Now on the attack, Jack told Carly she will wind up in prison for aiding and abetting a fugitive. He tells her that Valentin will grab his daughter, Charlotte and disappear, and when that happens he won’t lift a finger to save her, in fact, (he throws in for good measure) that she might get lucky and thrown into a pit with Jason.

Valentin told Jack that if he didn’t help them, he will turn him over to Cullum, who he knows is a double agent and would like nothing better than to make Jack the fall guy for all of his own crimes. Jack apologized to Carly for lying to her, said he still loves her, but that he wonders how long it will be before Valentin betrays her too.

After the scenes aired, Chris McKenna took to X and shared, “And after we finished the last scene I ran over to Laura Wright and hugged her, and then pulled in James Patrick Stuart too. Thrilled to have that material with those legends. Hope you dig it.”

Courtesy/ABC

JOSSLYN LANDS IN A SLEEPER HOLD

In addition, Josslyn and Cassius (Ryan Paevey) had literally, a knock down drag out fight. First, after Cassius grabbed her arm as she was set to leave her apartment, he told her he knew she was WSB! Joss suggested that “Nathan” must be traumatized from years of being presumed dead. She grabs a candlestick and the two go at it complete with kicks, shoves, throws and all; leading to Cassius putting Joss in a version of the sleeper hold and making her pass out.

Later, Cassius calls for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), but speaks to Pascal (Marc Forget), that there is an issue that needs to be dealt with. At the end of the episode, Josslyn wakes up in the same room that Anna was driven crazy in which must be somewhere at Wyndemere, Cassius is seen looking through the one-sided window and we fade to black.

So, what did you think of the Carly and Valentin reveal to Brennan? Did Carly come out the victor in her payback to Brennan? Then, who do you think will figure out Josslyn is kidnapped? Will it be Brennan? Will he help her or use it as leverage against Valentin and Carly? Share your theories in the comment section.

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How ‘General Hospital’s’ Ned and Lois Love Story Moved Rosabel Kurth, Daughter of Wally Kurth and Rena Sofer, to Tears and Served as Inspiration

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In a case of life imitating art, literally, Rosabel Rosalind Kurth, the daughter of Wally Kurth (Ned, GH and Justin, DAYS) and Rena Sofer (Lois, GH) took to her Instagram over the weekend to share her emotional reaction to watching her now divorced parents real life love story play out on General Hospital; beginning in the early 90s when on-screen Ned and Lois were one of the “It’ couples of the show.

As Rosalind explained, it was the Lois and Ned’s love story that impacted her so much that it fueled one of her latest art projects. Here’s the backstory: Rena Sofer and Wally Kurth were married in 1995 after being in story on GH. They had Rosabel in 1996, before divorcing in 1997. The two had gone their separate ways for many years, and in 2023 resumed working together on-screen as exes Lois Cerullo and Ned Quartermaine on General Hospital.

Here’s what Rosabel shared in her post, “In 1993 Rena, my mom, was cast on General Hospital to play Lois Cerulo, a spunky band manager and romantic opposite to Eddie Maine (aka Ned Ashton) played by Wally, my dad. As Ned and Lois fell in love, so did Wally and Rena, following relationship milestones close behind the work of the script-writers. Until Wally and Rena got pregnant with Rosie, me, and the scriptwriters had to write in a new pregnancy and eventually a new character.”

Photo: WKurthIG

Rosabel continued the real-life back story, “My mom left the show to have me, and shortly after the love story stopped writing itself my parents divorced. For 27 years my mom and my dad had minimal contact at best, tense contact at worst… until 2023 when Rena was recast to return as Lois on General Hospital to help Eddie (Ned) with identity recall after a bout of amnesia.”

Next, Rosabel revealed the key scene between Lois and Eddie (Ned) in which she noticed it also seemed like a breakthrough moments for her parents, “Two years ago, at 27 years old, I turned on General Hospital to watch Lois and Eddie rehash the past, but what I really watched was Rena and Wally having a conversation, making eye contact and even smiling at each other in the same room at the same time. When I turned on this episode of GH I didn’t know that I’d get to see a flashback sequence encapsulating Lois and Ned’s entire love story in under 2 minutes and I certainly didn’t know it would move me to tears the way it did.”

The art project the talented Rosabel is working on she shared is called, “The Honeymoon Period.” It is the first part of what she imagines to be a years-long investigation of love and fantasy through the lens of my parents’ scripted romance.  Kurth added, “I’m still gathering the courage and figuring out what this body of work will look like, how it will affect my relationships, and how I will share it with you all in the end and in the meantime.”

Photo: JPI

As a proud mama, Rena Sofer jumped into the comment thread and expressed, “Awwwww my love!!! I love this journey for you both as an artist and a daughter!! You are so lucky to have all of this on tape to watch and experience for yourself!! And equally as lucky to have your mother and father here to guide you through any questions that may come up!! I am immensely proud of you!”  As soap fans know, Rena is also an artist having been making ceramics, pottery and the like.

You can watch the montage of Ned and Lois scenes below in Rosabel’s touching post below.

Now let us know, was Lois and Ned’s love story one of your all-time favorites on General Hospital? Are you glad that Rena and Wally got some closure from their 2023 reunion on-screen? What do you think of the artistic talents of Rosabel Rosalind? Let us know via the comment section below.

 

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