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Power Performance of the Week: OLTL's Melissa Archer & Michael Easton!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Now hold on a minute. Before anyone says One Life to Live’s Bree Williamson (Jessica) and Mark Lawson (Brody) were equally as good and deserved this acknowledgment as much as Melissa Archer and Michael Easton, this was an extremely hard one to choose. But On-Air On-Soaps believes that Williamson and Lawson’s even more powerful moments are coming next week, so stay tuned. So therefore, and in the end, we have decided to give this week’s Power Performance of the Week to Melissa Archer and Michael Easton, who as Natalie and John had the showdown of all couple showdowns, and right before Valentine’s Day, too!
“Heartbreaking” is the word we would use describe the performances of Archer and Easton, as after Natalie and John’s and Brody and Jessica’ s double wedding is busted up, thanks to Vimal and Clint, the couple retreat to air their dirty laundry in a private room in the church. John wants answers, and a trapped Natalie has no where to go with it, but to spill the beans. That indeed, she slept with Brody. With tears streaming down her face, and anguishing that the truth she never wanted her fiancee to hear finally out, McBain, ever the detective, knew that there was more to this story – thanks Marty!
Then, John welling up with tears screams at Natalie,” Say it! Just Say it!” And with that Natalie lets out, “You’re not the father of my baby, Brody is!” It was those next moments of devastation, played to the hilt and with such deep pain and such subtlety, by Michael Easton that made many watching at home grab for their hankies! And as for Archer, the saddest and most riveting moment of her performance came when Natalie realizing her life with John is now torn to pieces, begs him to listen and says, “I love you I wanted to give you this. John, he is your son.” John, whose belief in Natalie is shattered snaps back, “I don’t have a son, Natalie.”
The writing team of OLTL did an admirable job of juxtaposing Natalie and John’s pain and Brody and Jessica’s angst as these two couples lives are completely shattered by betrayal, lies, and DNA tests! Archer was perfection as a woman trying to hold on to her man, even trying to believe that if she continued to tell the lies she had been keeping, perhaps she could be happy and fool everyone! But as we know in soaps, you can’t fool everyone all of the time…most of the time perhaps, until they get a clue, and John did this time!
We can’t wait till Monday when Jessica and Natalie have a showdown, Tess comes out, Brody and Ford to go at it, and to see what will happen to the the friendship bond between John and Brody.
Watch the Power Performance of the Week below!
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Award nominations kicked-off on Monday with the announcements of four major categories including, Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series — Actor, and among the nominees is General Hospital’s Steve Burton (Jason Morgan).
Burton is already a two-time Daytime Emmy winner in the Supporting Actor category for his roles as GH’s Jason and his turn as Dylan McAvoy on Y&R. However, Steve is yet to win in the Lead Actor category and he has received 11 nominations along the way in his daytime career.
Following the reveal that he is a 2026 Daytime Emmy nominee, he and his GH co-star, podcast co-host and comedy show partner, Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) taped a special edition of their That’s Awesome podcast just featuring Burton’s reaction to the news.
Photo: JPI
FOR LESLIE CHARLESON
Steve expressed, “I know it’s such a cliche to say, ‘I’m just so honored to be nominated.’ But truly, I’m so grateful to be nominated, so grateful to just be on the show off and on for 30 plus years and to be nominated with the guys in my category. Just to get the opportunity. Frank (Valentini, executive producer, GH) texted me right away. I was just like, ‘Thank you for the opportunity to get to do what I do.'”
Taking in the moment, Burton thanked those who helped him select the material for his nominated reel. “Unless you win, you don’t get to say things. So. I’m going just say a few things: Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) helped me a lot with the material, (as did) Michelle Henry, who’s a producer on the show, Laura Wright (Carly, GH), and then my wife Michelle (Lundstrom). I believe it was Jill Phelps who told me that when A Martinez felt like he had a great show or great scenes, he would mark it down. So, when Emmy time comes, you have all the show numbers written down, and you don’t have to think about it, because that’s half the battle (finding the material).
Burton explained how meaningful this nomination is for him, because of playing the scenes of Jason losing Monica, and his closeness with the late, great Leslie Charleson.
“The nomination’s an amazing thing, and it’s beautiful, but really it’s to honor Leslie Charleson. A lot of my material was because of her, and how I started on the show as a Quartermaine, it just means a ton,” shared Burton. “Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) has obviously has been instrumental, and I’ve said it from day one and I’ll shout it from the rooftops. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here, and to be working with the people that we work with is incredible.”
Photo: JPI
SHOULD JOHN OLIVER BE NAMED HOST OF THE DAYTIME EMMYS?
During the end of his conversation with Anderson, Steve suggested that the host of the Daytime Emmy should be Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver, who recently guest starred as the head of the WSB named Z on General Hospital, and is soon to show up on Days of Our Lives in a mystery role in August.
Thus far, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has not revealed their host for the upcoming ceremony to be held on October 30 in a venue to be named in Hollywood, California.
You can watch Steve sharing his reaction to receiving his 2026 Lead Actor Daytime Emmy nomination below on a special segment on the That’s Awesome podcast.
Now let us know, are you glad that Steve chose scenes surrounding Jason mourning the loss of the woman that raised him, Monica Quartermaine for his Emmy reel? What do you think of John Oliver as a suggestion to host the Daytime Emmys? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
Monday on Entertainment Tonight, the second set of nominations for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced which included the highly-coveted Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actress and Outstanding Daytime Talk Series.
ET followed suit after Extra announced the nominees, as previously reported, in the Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actor and Outstanding Daytime Talk Host.
Now, five leading ladies of the soaps are vying for the gold for Lead Actress and the category marked the first-ever nominations for CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates when two actresses made the final cut. Only General Hospital is not represented among the actresses this year after Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) took home the trophy last year.
Photo: NATAS
THE FIVE LEADING LADIES OF THE SOAPS ARE …
The 2026 Lead Actress nominees are: Stacy Haiduk (Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives, Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless, Heather Tom (Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful, and Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree), Beyond the Gates.
This marks the first Daytime Emmy nominations for Karla Mosley and Tamara Tunie. In addition, this marks the first-time in her career that Stacy Haiduk had received a Lead Actress nod after two Supporting Actress nominations.
Meanwhile, Michelle Stafford had previously won 3 Emmys – 2 for Lead Actress and 1 for Supporting, but this recognition makes it her 11th overall nomination.
Heather Tom currently is tied for the most all-time Daytime Emmy wins with One Life to Live alum and General Hospital guest star, Erika Slezak. The B&B star has 19 nominations throughout her career.
Photo: ABC
DAYTIME TALK SERIES
In the Outstanding Daytime Talk Series category, the nominees are: 3rd Hour of Today, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Live with Kelly and Mark, Today with Jenna and Friends and The View.
“We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television,” NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement on the nominations. “As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
The rest of the nominations will be revealed tomorrow on Tuesday July 14 starting on The View and then the full list of nominees in both the main and creative arts will be released by NATAS. The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are slated for October 30th in Hollywood, California.
So, what do you think about the women who are vying for the Lead Actress Daytime Emmy? Happy with who got in? Who do you feel got snubbed? What do you think of the nominees for Daytime Talk Series? Weigh-in via the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Marks Unprecedented 16,000th Episode Milestone with New Cast Photo
Today’s Monday, July 13 episode of General Hospital marks it 16,000 episode to air on the ABC television network. It is a remarkable milestone. The previous television record was held by Guiding Light which clocked in at 15,762 episodes before it went off the air on CBS in 2009.
To mark the occasion, the cast, crew and creative team of General Hospital celebrated with a cake-cutting ceremony on the Prospect Studios lot in Los Angeles back on Monday, June 1, 2026.
In addition, GH has released a new cast photo taken the day of the on set celebration. Pictured in the photo are front row: Rory Gibson, Finn Carr, Kayden Brenna Tokarski, Asher Antonyzyn, Giovanni Mazza, Braedyn Bruner, Dean Geyer and Nathan Dean.
Featured in the back row are: Tabyana Ali, Eden McCoy, Josh Swickard, Kristen Vaganos, Rebecca Herbst, Dominic Zamprogna, Alexa Havins, Cameron Mathison, Brooke Kerr, Cynthia Watros, Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Jane Elliot, Maurice Benard, Laura Wright, Maura West, Donnell Turner, Nancy Lee Grahn, Tanisha Harper, Kelly Thiebaud, Kristina Wagner, Lynn Herring, Chris McKenna, Katelyn MacMullen and Sawandi Wilson.
In addition, the official GH social media handles shared these sentiments along with some other photos from the cake cutting: “Today’s episode of General Hospital is the 16,000th produced since the show’s inception in 1963. It’s a milestone we couldn’t let pass by without taking some time to celebrate as a family (and, of course… eating some cake). 🍰 We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we did making it.”
WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE 16,000th Episode?
The 16,000th episode will feature Jason Morgan returning to the town of Port Charles, Anna and Valentin (James Patrick Stewart) reuniting, and a new surgeon, Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) joining the staff of ‘General Hospital.’
GENERAL HOSPITAL HOLDS SEVERAL RECORDS
Now in its 64th year, Emmy Award-winning daytime drama General Hospital is currently both the longest-running scripted American drama and the longest-running American soap opera currently in production.
General Hospital holds the record for the most Outstanding Daytime Drama award wins, taking home the prestigious Daytime Emmy Award a record 18 times. Will they do it again and make it 19 in 2026? Stay tuned for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations tomorrow on Tuesday, July 14 to find out if GH will be going for gold in the category, once again.
The ABC daytime drama series was created by Frank and Doris Hursley and premiered back on April 1, 1963. Frank Valentini is the current executive producer with Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten are the show’s co-head writers.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC and streams on Hulu.
What do you think of the new cast photo marking General Hospital’s 16000th episode? What do you think of the accomplishment to have that many episodes of a television show and its still thriving and kicking? Share your thoughts and congrats for everyone in front of the camera and behind the scenes on this milestone airing.
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actress Drama Series
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actor Drama Series
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thanks for this its true they are the power performers of the week!!!
I agree, both were spectacular in their scenes, especially Michael.
Melissa Archer and Michael Easton are both such subtle, natural actors. They can show so much emotion, without any dialog. With the dialog in those scenes though, they knocked it out of the park. You knew what was coming and you could feel the pain; but you couldn’t look away. Wonderful scenes and wonderful actors!!
Michael, I’m glad you posted that scene from OLTL. I missed that episode. This really is powerful stuff and Michael and Melissa were outstanding. I really felt for them and their agony. It was very upsettng. Now we have to go all over it again with Jessica and Brody. I hope I have the stomach for it! I say well done to all the actors.
Michael and Melissa were hands down the right choice this week. Thank you for how beautifully written this article is and for posting the perfect video to go with it. 😀
I agree they were the perfect choice, Melissa Archer and Michael Easton bought the house down! I could barely concentrate during other’s scenes because I was so eager to get back to there’s. They were riveting. Nat (MA) had me in tears as she was trying to explain herself, especially that moment when she told John her baby was Brody’s. WOW! It was the broken way in which she said that, that started the flood and John (ME) when he stroked her face and said he had no son? Boy that was heartbreaking. Michael and Melissa did what they do best, engage the audience and draw you into their world and make it seem like you are intruding on something very intimate and real. Both threw down and deserve those Emmy’s after those performances. MA has been killing it for months now and yesterday proved that she definitely should be a front runner. Her and Easton.
You are so right. Michael Easton and Melissa Archer were phenomenal this week. Melissa has been shining in this whole storyline and in my opinion should be the front runner for an emmy nomination this year. It was fantastic to see Michael get his chance to shine. He really let us see all of John’s emotions as his life as he knew it collapsed around it. Thank you for acknowledging these two phenomenal performances.
Incredible performances by both of them. I could feel their pain and was riveted to the TV. This is where their chemistry lies. They are so real together and their connection cannot be denied. ME showed so much depth in his portrayal. I thrilled he was given these moment to shine!
I didn’t know Michael Easton had a performance like that in him. Give the guy the Emmy now.
Thank you for giving these two the power performance for the week. I have never seen those two better than they were on Thursday. Melissa Archer has been shining in this story, and she absolutely broke my heart as she desperately tried to hang onto that lie. She knew when she spoke it out loud that it would be real. Michael Easton floored me. The way he yelled at her to “Say it”, and then his reaction after hearing the words. He was broken and I felt his pain. I agree with the person who said that it felt like we were interrupting a private moment between the two. These two always “bring it” in their scenes but thursday was just phenomenal. You could see the pain and devastation, but you could still see the love. If those two don’t get Emmy’s for these performances then something is seriously wrong!
I have followed this couple since 2004 – and I am in total agreement with you. Although both are good actors, I had never seen this caliber of performance from either one of them. Their true acting ability came shining through with this material. Being a big fan, it hurt me to the core to watch it , but the writers did an excellent job telling this story. SO EMOTIONAL I hope to see these two characters back together soon…maybe May Sweeps?? Thanks for the article!
It was nice to finally see Michael Easton play some emotional stuff instead of the same old, brooding, cliched performance we normally get from him. John McBain was actually interesting to me for once. Out of the four actors in this storyline, Michael’s performance was the only one that resonated with me emotionally. Kudos to Michael Easton.
Easton was great. I guess Archer was too, I hate the way she cries but I guess thats just me. Williamson was sooo good this week and last.
The break-up scenes with the couples were so intense, they were heartbreaking to watch!
I still feel Michael Easton’s best acting was with Renee Elise Goldsberry.
Now that was the real deal. The were so believable.
They made you believe they were a real couple! That why people love John and Evangeline to this day. It’s kinda sad that the only real emotion that gets shown between John and Natalie is when they are yelling or argueing. When John was with Van he didn’t have to do that their relationship felt like a real one.