General Hospital
Michelle Stafford Talks The Stafford Project Season 2, Nina "Cray-Cray" Clay, and Roger Howarth!

Photo Credit: Duffmages.com
Michelle Stafford (Nina Clay) has been giving powerhouse performances (as per usual ) over the last several weeks on General Hospital in the disturbing but-can’t-take-your-eyes of storyline, where Nina literally takes Ava’s (Maura West) baby right out of her and whisks the baby girl away with the help of her mother Madeline (Donna Mills). Of course, Nina seems to live in some altered reality … the woman is certifiable!
Meanwhile, while Stafford has been playing the part of Nina “cray-cray” Clay for all she is worth and then some, Michelle is also gearing up for season 2 of her hit web series, The Stafford Project. And to kick things off, the DVD release of season 1 of The Stafford Project will be available on Black Friday (November 28th) with some very special never-before-seen footage/video extras!
Huffington Post Canada caught up with the Daytime Emmy winner to get some insight into what fans can expect from the second round of The Stafford Project, her thoughts on Nina Clay, and working with her current scene partner, Roger Howarth (Franco) on General Hospital. Here are a few excerpts below!
Michelle on what to expect on The Stafford Project in Season 2, and what guest stars will be appearing: “Confirmed right now are James Scott, Catherine Bell, and Nadia Bjorlin, but many Season 1 guest stars are expected to come back, too. I just need confirmations because they’re so busy. Oh, Corbin Bernsen is joining. We’ve written outlines for the entire season. We’re going edgier, as if we could be any edgier, right? We’re putting a microscope on Michelle’s life in the soap world. “
Michelle on what fans can see on the DVD compilation: “I’m really excited about it. I worked my ass off editing all the behind-the-scenes stuff. I did it myself, because I know what fans expect. I’m such a nerd in that respect. People want to see the guest stars and actors screw up the shots.”
Michelle on if she clicked right away working with Roger Howarth (Franco) on GH: “Yes. He’s really good; if he throws you a ball, he expects you to catch it. And if you drop it, he’ll throw you another one … and expect you to catch it again! We did some scenes the other day that’ll air in December that made me go, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t even have to act!’ I just had to be there. I hope they turn out great. What happened between us in that particular scene, I have never experienced before as an actress with another actor. Ever.”
Michelle on how Nina missing 20 years of her life has impacted her character: “They (GH) love making reference to what she’s missed. What I love, personally, is that her emotional state is like a 20-year-old. She still believes in love — and she’s not jaded. It’s cool.”
Watch a teaser of some of the best moments from The Stafford Project season one below that will be part of the DVD! Then let us know, what do you think of Michelle and Roger Howarth’s scenes on General Hospital this week? Will you check out the new season of The Stafford Project? What do you think will happen next to GH’s Nina Clay? Comment below!
Michelle Stafford (Nina Clay) and Roger Howarth (Franco)
WOW!
How to describe their chemistry..
Apart they are a firecracker – together they are TNT Dynomite!!
They are the best ”thrilling” ”mysterious” ”spellbinding” couple ever..
It is a very different love story.. truly intriguing as it develops..
I can’t get enough of Maura West (Ava) and Nina and Franco..!!
the acting is overwhelmingly great..
ALL the GH cast.. again- ALL the actors are way above the fold and only greatness would describe them ALL..
I have not enjoyed a soap more than I do GH..
There is never a dull moment..
GH offers a variety of stories, there is always a story of awesome intrigue among the stories..
…………………… The GH cast is ”magic” ………………………..
Looking forward to once again seeing Michelle online in her series, The Stafford Project . it is very entertaining and always fun to watch.. BRAVO Michelle..
i am glad she came to GH, Michelle is so much more powerful an actress with GH as Nina than she ever was as Phyllis with Y&R..
Ron and team are writing her to highlight her great acting skills..
LOL
GREAT post : Yikes
Thursdays ep : Michelle Stafford bowled me over… were we not “ALL” waiting for her to enilven… and get out of that wheel chair… (no disrespect intended) but
Nina and Franco…. per your post : “… truly intriguing as it develops ”
add in Maura West… and GH rocks
it truly is standing O for the greatness, and heavyweight their presence unspool tended
i’m present when they reel
Everything you said, Su.
Love love love this actress! Love her on GH & The Stafford Project!
On Howarth, ‘We did some scenes the other day that’ll air in December that made me go, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t even have to act!’ I just had to be there.’
Well that says a lot and not in a good way. Not having to act and just having to be there. That’s what I see often in Howarth’s scenes. His schtick is about him. Having other actors as bystanders in a scene is only interesting if you just tune in to see him do stuff.
Actors often refer kindly to other actors when they use the term “generous.” That an actor is giving to another actor and allows them space to do what they need to do. Howarth does his thing, which often is just short of lighting his hair on fire. It is distracting, often inconsistent with the character and makes Franco just unwatchable for me.
Great actors don’t do schtick that steps on other actors and is interchangeable between roles that they play. Great actors develop unique characters and elevate the actors around them.
I took that statement completely another way.
She was bragging on RH in that paragraph. She said they did some scenes the other day that made her go ‘Oh my God, I didn’t even have to act.’ I just had to be there. Then she added: I hope they turn out great. What happened between us in that particular scene I’ve never experienced before as an actress with another actor. Ever.
That’s a compliment to RH, IMO. The beginning of that paragraph was also her complimenting him.
She said those scenes will air in December, so I’ll be watching for them.
In the full interview she speaks of how the GH cast is “drama-free” & they just do their job and go home. Her and Billy Miller were discussing it and they were going “Where’s the drama?” (Now that is a TELLING statement!) She also discussed how Billy came over to GH ego-free and says he doesn’t have that ego thing going on.
She also spoke of her love of working with Maura West and explains that Maura always wants the other person in the scene to shine as well. MS explained she’s worked with actors didn’t want her to shine. Once again, a very telling statement!
Last thing: She actually watches GH (true, because she’s always live tweeting during the show). She praised the Dante, Morgan, Michael & Sonny scene a few wks back, describing it as f**king awesome & such good tv. Love that, love her!
Yes Laurie, it’s obvious that she was complimenting RH. I didn’t say she wasn’t. I said that the example she used was telling. What she thinks would be cause for praise, other actors may not.
You’re absolutely 110% correct! The other commenter is totally wrong about Franco! His character is one of the best on a soap ever! I believe that is what MS was insinuating.
Yeah, Michelle is a big time TV star, she didnt have to single out those four actors but it goes to show you she doesnt have a huge ego and it seems as though she views her fellow cast mates as if she was a fan. Good inside work Michael.
“Howarth does his thing, which often is just short of lighting his hair on fire.”
Hilarious statement and so true. It’s called upstaging although I think both Roger Howarth and Michelle Stafford have met their match in each other in that regard.
That’s the problem I have with GH these days. The cartoon villains and upstaging are relentless while other characters/actors are reduced to little more than dull straight men/women/props to their antics. There’s not much in between. Certainly not in the sense of any relatable story to take these characters beyond one dimensional caricatures.
I can’t not disagree with you
Roger Howarth : “generous” scene stealer, upstaging
I think… he’s realizing that he’s going with MS… along for the ride… and he’s giving back… and we’ll reap the reward of what we’ve long known…. that these two persons catapulted , with their own character drive… and have now collided…. I like Timmm… prose : “Funny how the stars aligned for these two stars to end up working on GH together.”
RH i gather, has always had that comedic flair for tops with…. I think his deliver will now be in the subtelty to share …. he’s finally : as another post : met his match : equal : deliver with
i’m just happy that these two actors have , it seems, found their niche to circumvent and elevate
hasn’t Maura West been carrying driving and standing forward …
here comes Billy Miller
notwithstanding… equal measure to the whole cast… who collectively steer
DAYS and GH are pulling : Misses Nielsen says so
Nina and Franco are hands down the best couple on the soap..I love every scene…you can’t take your eyes off of them..I want more NICO
Funny how the stars aligned for these two stars to end up working on GH together.
I had the entire interview e mailed to me today I am glad that she is happy everybody should be happy in their job. I am also very happy that GT is making the role of Phyllis her own. Memo to Ms Stafford never burn bridges sometime you might need those people for whatever in your life. I find over the years in my life people tend to make their own drama! Good Luck!
Loved her acting on YnR even with worthless story lines.
It’s true, it seemed like in her last year on Y&R she didn’t have really awesome material worthy of her talents. That must have been one of the reasons she jumped to GH to play Nina – look at the material she’s been given. I mean, within the first few weeks she was already screaming and kicking over wheelchairs, and now she’s stealing babies. Talk about utilizing Michelle’s talents.
I love Michelle Stafford, she is so talented and a wonderful actress. I love love Nina Clay so much. I hope Michelle, stays on General Hospital for many years. The woman can act and she is a pretty woman.
Love Michelle Stafford. Before she joined GH I always wondered what all the hype was about (had never seen her), but man does she ever deliver with her performances.
GH has such a strong cast (and great direction that brings out their best), but more than anyone I’d like to see Michelle get an emmy for her work – she just rocks her material so incredibly well.
She was phenomenal on Y&R as Phyllis, but she was definitely more controlled than she is on GH. Here, she can spread her wings as far as they can go because Nina is truly crazy; it allows Michelle to play the happiness, sadness, anger, seething hatred, deep hurt… all the extremes and everything in between. And she’s been rocking it. She definitely deserves an Emmy for her work, and that says something since she’s only been on for 6 months.
Agreed – it really is an accomplishment
Michelle is a powerhouse and she’s been rocking it on GH. Nina isn’t just another villain, because she has a soft and sympathetic side that fights internally with her demons and hatred for those who have wronged her. That’s why I love Nina so much. Yes, she does heinous things, and yes, she probably deserves to be locked up in Miscavige. But underneath all the evil, there’s a broken person who has lost a husband, a baby and 20 years of her life. I’m not justifying her actions; but people don’t just come back from that unscathed. Regardless, I want Nina around as long as possible because Michelle absolutely rocks the role and her chemistry with Roger Howarth is phenomenal.
I like Michelle…but it seems to me in the video interview she did with Michael a few weeks ago, as well as this snippet from her web series…that her real life personality is rather similar to Nina’s! I don’t mean that she’s a loon or psychologically out there like Nina…but her gestures, animation, seemingly aggressive or strong nature…her expressions, demeanor…I just see Nina when I see or hear Michelle. Never saw her series…looks fun!
GH is her only work I’ve seen to date and imo it’s stand-out and amazing. She’s a talent they need to hold on to. I’d like to see the writers challenge themselves to develop a serious storyline about coming to grips/dealing with mental illness. For whatever reason they don’t seem to be able to tackle it with Heather (and Robin M would SO bat that storyline out of the park given the chance), so maybe Michelle’s Nina…?
Nina has help..
Franco will save her, wake her up to herself, and Nina will be well..
It is a soap!!
Heather needs to be as she is= Heather.. don’t mess with Heather..
RC and team will not bore up with cures for mental illness, that is not GH, that would be Y&R stuff..
GH is totally not like Y&R, thanky god..
however; GH gave us Kate and Connie for a year, a mental case but with drama tons of drama.. she got cured by being shot and killed LOL ..
gotta luv GH for what is .. out of the traditional soap box!! 🙂
I would LOVE to see Nina and Franco join Heather for Thanksgiving dinner!
Michelle is a phenomenal actress. Even when you hate her character, you can’t stop watching her.
I hated Nina until she started having scenes with Franco.
I hated Franco until his scenes with Nina.
Together they have exploded!
you nailed it with :
having the right partner… co-star : is a dream team…. of finesse and reap the reward of job well done
“Together they have exploded!”
finally
it’s a feast to behold… when the cast can orbit with…. the bigwigs, if you will. MS feeds off of/with in equal equanimity… give and take and implode
ditto for Roger Howarth . He is the one, that I’ve been rooting for… at last, I can rest, that he’s in good company to further his character.
Unbelievable performance. I cannot get enough of GH or her. The whole cast deserves the emmy for best performances. Then I heard Roger is leaving. The deal with Michelle and Roger is just too good to go away. Everyone stay.
Roger is NOT leaving 🙂
He will be playing a part in the TV series The Flash..
Roger will still be with GH, also ..
According to Frank Valenti Roger’s staying put on GH.
Michelle thank you so much for coming to GH and giving us Nina Clay… Wow Does it get any better than Nina, Madeline, Liesel and Franco!!
So Roger is staying right? I can’t imagine GH without Franco and Nina! They’re a force to be reckoned with and I adore Franco for how he deals with Nina! Best soap ever!
GH fans, we are so lucky. When Michelle left Y&R I got my Michelle Stafford fix watching The Stafford Project. Go out and buy the DVD it is SO entertaining! Now she is on GH and Billy Miller has joined her. These two actors are so talented and we are so lucky to have them. Michelle states how much fun it is to work on GH. She raves about Frank V. Michelle has a good friend over at Y&R that is leaving the show. Dollars to donuts Michelle has talked to this actor and has told him how much fun it is to work on GH and how talented every one is with none of the ego BS! That actor is Christian LeBlanc. Mark my words, he will join GH in 2015. He will be connected to Michelle somehow and those two along with Roger will blow up the screen! How much better can this get?
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Brennan is Found Dead in the Water as Suspects Mount and Cover-Ups Begin

The Tuesday, September 1 episode of General Hospital confirmed that the body floating in the Metro Court pool was indeed WSB Port Charles bureau chief, Jack Brennan, thus ending the run of Chris McKenna, who debuted on GH back in February of 2025.
In story, Charlotte (Bluesy Burke) screamed and Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) had a major freak out, when they were the ones to find Brennan’s body lifeless in the pool. Being in fear that Drew (Cameron Mathison) would use this against him, Danny told Charlotte they need to flee the scene.
Elsewhere in Jack’s hotel room, a panic-stricken Ava (Maura West) was trying to convince Drew to get out of Brennan’s room asap since she thinks the sleeping pill she spiked his drink with only made him head back to his room. Eventually, Ava was able to convince Drew to leave, and the two headed to the pool deck and were in for the shock of their lives when they saw Jack’s body floating face up in the pool!

Courtesy/ABC
THIS DOESN’T FLOAT AVA AND DREW’S BOAT
Ava went into cover-up mode in fear Jack’s death would be traced back to her since Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) saw her with Brennan at the Gardens. Next, Ava threatens to take down Drew with her if she goes down for a crime he put her up to in the first place.
Then, the pair decide to move Brennan’s body out of the pool and place him in a laundry cart. They are going to use the service elevator to bring the body down to the garage and dump Brennan somewhere.
At the Quartermaine boathouse, Charlotte and Danny arrive and Danny realizes he put a dent into Chase’s (Josh Swickard) truck that he “borrowed” without Chase’s permission. Suddenly, Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) and Rocco (Finn Carr) were on the scene and four got into heated words when Danny insulted Drew which brought Scout to tears that she doesn’t want to have to choose sides between her brother and her father.
SECURITY BREACH
After Rocco and Scout left, Charlotte had a new freak out when she realized the bracelet she had on is missing. Cut to: Jack’s wrist and sleeve in the laundry cart with Charlotte’s bracelet around it.
Jason (Steve Burton) helped Carly (Laura Wright) with figuring out how the hotel’s security system was disabled and the alarm was deactivated. Suspecting foul play to a VIP guest, Carly and Jason go up to to Jack’s room. However, once they were inside, Brennan was nowhere to be found. Just then, Jason looked around and realized someone was in the room doing a search.
So, it looks like plenty of people will need to cover their actions including: Danny, Charlotte, Ava and Drew. But if none of them caused the direct death of Brennan, who did? Chief among the suspects would have to be Willow Cain, then we had Nina leveling a threat against Jack overheard by Carly and others, or are they only red-herrings and the real killer is someone you wouldn’t expect? Also, what will Jack’s autopsy report reveal? Stay tuned, and share your theories via the comment section.
General Hospital
Chris McKenna Speaks Out on His Exit from ‘General Hospital’ and Thanks Fans for ‘The Support You’ve Shown Me and Jack’

On the Tuesday, September 1 episode of General Hospital, the body shown floating in the Metro Court pool was identified as Jack Brennan, ending the run of daytime veteran, Chris McKenna, in the role of the WSB Port Charles bureau chief.
McKenna began his time on the ABC soap opera back in February 2025, after replacing Charles Mesure who decided to leave the show. As it turned out, McKenna actually wrapped almost three months ago in June and has been keeping mum, even though reports surfaced that he was exiting the show come fall and Brennan would be killed-off.
Now as a murder mystery begins, McKenna took to his X account on Tuesday, and shared these heartfelt words and clarification, starting with, “Hey, everyone. Just want to say how moved I’ve been by the support you’ve shown me and Jack. As you now know, I left the show months ago, wrapped in June. I’ll say more once my exit interview runs. Until then, from the bottom of my heart- Thank You.”

Courtesy/ABC
THERE MUST BE SOMETHING IN THE WATER
Then, in said “exit interview” with TV Insider, Chris confirmed, I did my last episode in June, so I’ve had a few months to adjust.” He also added how bittersweet it was when he found out it was the end of the line for Jack.
“It’s disappointing how it’s ending right now, but this was a gift,” expressed McKenna. “Between my son being born and having this place to go to work for the past couple of years, this has been just a fantastic time, and it’s been so much fun. I got to be introduced to an entire new legion of soap fans who weren’t familiar with me, got back into the daytime world and did some powerful work I’m really proud of, so it’s been a great experience. I have no complaints.”
Previously, Chris played a young Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live where he got his first big break from 1990-1993. Decades later, he took on the role of Mark Harding on The Young and the Restless from 2014-2015.

Photo: CMcKennaIG
CHRIS MCKENNA AND PAIGE HERSCHELL LEARNED THE SAME DAY THEY WERE BEING WRITTEN OFF
While Chris did not get a major exit scene with lots of emotion or dialog, he still appreciated a departure by water! “I would have loved to have had a big, heroic martyrdom or a big grand speech. Unfortunately, I just played my dead body floating in a pool for two days,” joked Chris.
As it turned out, Chris wasn’t alone in finding out he was being pink-slipped from the soap. He learned the news the same day as Paige Herschell found out they were writing Jacinda out as well.
McKenna had one hope for the story in the months to come adding, “Though it’s not the end I woulda chosen for Jack, I hope this generates months of riveting television around ‘Who killed Brennan?’ And I hope that Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) killed him. It’s time she graduates to full-on murder.”
So, what do you think of the events that transpired of when and how Chris McKenna learned he was exiting General Hospital as Brennan? Who do you think murdered Jack? Are you sad to know that today marked his final episode (unless there may be flashbacks?) of Chris’s GH run? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
General Hospital
Genie Francis Exits ‘General Hospital’ For Her Annual Summer Hiatus

Monday’s, August 31 episode of General Hospital brought with it the the final appearance, for now, of the iconic Genie Francis as Mayor Laura Collins.
In story, it has been revealed that Laura is taking a leave of absence from her mayorship to go abroad and visit her husband, Kevin (Jon Lindstrom), and her grandson Ace in Ireland.
The timing of the story-dictated moved had to do with Genie’s annual summer hiatus from the long-running ABC soap opera. As per usual, GH fans can look forward to Laura’s return on-screen to come with an impact later this fall.

Courtesy/ABC
General Hospital fans have loved the legendary star since her debut back in 1977, when Francis was in her teens, and was later paired with the late Anthony Geary as soap opera super couple Luke and Laura.
Back in 2007, Genie won her first and only Daytime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series category. She has been nominated four times as a solo performer in either the Lead (1997, 2021) or Supporting Actress categories (2007, 2012). In addition, in 2002, Genie along with Tony Geary were nominated for America’s Favorite Couple.
LEAVING PORT CHARLES
Before Laura left town, she had a meeting with her friend Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and his arch enemy, Drew Cain (Cameron Marthison) while at the Metro Court Hotel. It was there, Laura announced to the rivals that she was leaving town soon and wanted them to call a ceasefire while she was gone.
Laura asked Drew to first bow out of the Pier 55 auction so Sonny could regain his property. However, that didn’t go over so well with Drew, who said nothing Sonny does is ever legitimate. However, Sonny informed Drew that he was also a legit businessman (and seemingly out of the mob).
So, will you miss Genie during her summer break? What do you hope Laura’s story will be when she returns? Do you think the series will pair Laura with Ezra Boyle (Daniel Cosgrove) or keep the Laura and Kevin relationship going long distance, since Jon Lindstrom is primarily a cast member on CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates? Let us know via the comment section below.
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