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Rebecca Herbst Staying Put At General Hospital: Talks Negotiations, If Other Soaps Came Calling, and Enduring Fan Support!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

There’s no place like home and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth Webber) delighted millions of General Hospital fans today with the confirmation that she is indeed signing a new multi-year deal with the ABC daytime drama series!

After tense contract talks that had Herbst legions of fans in an uproar, the popular star of Port Charles will stay put in the role she has played for almost 19 years.  In addition, since Herbst contract was up this weekend, there will be no work stoppage and Liz will not have to be written out for awhile.

In an exclusive interview with TV Insider, Herbst opened up about her contract talks, if she was offered to come over to Days of our Lives, learning what her next storyline will be, and most of all her appreciation of her vocal fans who have stood by her through thick and thin.   Here are a few excerpts below!

Herbst on what the contract issues were:  “I can’t talk about the specifics, but I kind of equate it to this: When you work together with a company for this long of a period you become a family, and from that you fight like family. And we did fight! But a good thing came out of this. (Executive Producer) Frank Valentini and I had a lot of heart-to-hearts, and I have a newfound respect for him and for how much he loves the show. I walked into his office thinking nobody could love GH as much as I do, but I can see that he really, honestly, wants this show to do well. And he got to know me a little better, as well. We can now see where the other is coming from, and we had never had that opportunity.”

Herbst on if she was in talks with DAYS:  “I don’t know if I can comment on that. I will say that other shows definitely showed interest in me. They showed a lot of support for my leaving GH, if that’s what I ultimately chose to do. I just shouldn’t name any one particular show. The fact that I received interest from the other soaps only added to the speculation I was unhappy. Word got around. I guess when you’ve been on a show for nearly 19 years, other shows respect that.”

Herbst on her fans devotion: “They literally got me through the contract (talks) day by day. When I was doubting myself, and thinking that I might not be able to stay on GH, I would read their comments on the Internet and feel so secure in whatever decision I made. I knew it was going to be okay, no matter what. They sent flowers and cupcakes. Everything they did throughout the last two months has been remarkable. I wish I could hug them all.”

So, are you happy to hear it’s a done deal and there will be more Liz Webber and Becky Herbst on General Hospital? What do you think about her comments and thoughts on her contract talks, DAYS, and her legions of fans? Comment below!

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So glad Becky’s staying. To me, she is GH’s leading lady, not Kelly Monaco. It’s about time she got the respect (and salary) and storylines she deserves!

Did Becky really get respect though? Seems like Frank had no choice but to negotiate and give her a reasonable deal.

The relationship between a 19 year Vet and hugely important legacy and the EP as described is sad but not at all surprising given how Frank has run GH in four years.

The veteran actors put on a good face, especially the one’s that get screentime, but it’s obvious that many are resentful of Frank’s agenda; seeing all the new actors come on while so many Vets are discarded.

We’ve seen Steve Burton walk amid reports that Frank wasn’t willing to make concessions for his time and travel to NC, Sean Kanan given garbage story amid fat jokes and insults walking, Jason Thompson walking because doctor and legacy character Patrick Drake was not given any priority.

So they kill off AJ, they kill off Duke, Vets are used as bait and put out to pasture while more and more “stars” from other soaps are brought on and in the case of Michael Easton, laughably brought back. And in all of that, nineteen year Vet Becky is lowballed and given an ultimatum until it explodes in Frank’s face and he has to cave.

Becky is very diplomatic but no one believes Frank loves GH. He’s resentful that GH still lives as OLTL is dead. What he loves is his job, the power trip he’s been on for four years and GH only if it is filled with the likes of Howarth, Stafford, Easton, West, DeVry, Budig, Easton etc.

Love Becky, but Frank got overruled and forced into this and he doesn’t love GH.

AJQ, I hope you read her entire interview. It is illuminating. She and FV had NEVER had a conversation about her tenure or her character. That Becky has a “new found” respect for him speaks volumes. What did she think of him before this? She clearly doubted that he loved GH! With a lovely smile, Becky threw at least 50 shades of gray at Mr. Valentini!

According to Daytime Confidential’s Jamey Giddens, his sources told him that “brass at ABC” had NO CHOICE but to recognize the fan campaign for Becky. Key phrase, “brass at ABC,” NOT brass at GH. The network intervened and went over FV’s head. Clearly FV no longer has control, and I wonder how long he will remain. This is an absolutely major PR disaster for GH, no matter how cheerily FV and NV welcome Becky back to this show, after attempting to force her out with a insulting low-ball offer, destroying her character, even symbolically blowing up her belief that GH was her home — which she clearly loves — by blowing up Liz’s house. And doing this while offering a four-year deal to Rebecca Budig, a new character and deal to Michael Easton. Michelle Stafford was even quoted, upon being hired, that GH made her an offer she could not refuse to play Nina. And yet, Steve Hardy’s granddaughter can be shown the door? I cannot imagine that the new head of ABC Daytime will not be going over all of FV’s decisions with a fine tooth comb, because clearly he doesn’t understand the show, or have its best interests in mind.

FV’s and NV’s days may well be numbered because they proved themselves to be willfully tone deaf to the viewers, essentially giving them the finger.

I am thrilled for Becky, and mightily impressed that she was willing to come back and negotiate with the network, after walking when receiving the “don’t let the door knob hit you in the back” offer from GH. Especially when it is clear that all the other soaps expressed interest in her! She also said that she has been loyal to GH, maybe to a fault. This time, at least, the network intervened and repaid that loyalty.

Hi Tristan:

I just thought it was so appalling… how Liz life just took a turn… that fast… for the worst, if you will

1. her house exploding
2. Jake in the car accident…
3.. jake having to leave… I thought we weren’t going to see Liz for a certain amount of time…. off screen in the Childrens hospital
4. Jason falling in love so fast with Sam… Sam can keep him.. Liz deserves better

I realize that negotiations were upwards of 2 months … and this site posted on February 8, 2015 that a contract had stalled.

I truly was worried… and dumbfounded that GH would take this long…

thanks for the insight … and sharing details

hopefully the writers have an APB to full steam ahead for one of GH finest

whew!

someone posted.. that perhaps Liz new house ought to be Robin ??? Anna has an amazing new place !!!! NICE .

as a Hardy… Liz deserves to keep her own home on that studio lot

Cheers to Rebecca Herbst… i’m ecstatic

Well said…i agree with all but technically ME is part of the GH family having played on the spinoff Port Charles…i do have mixed feelings about his return yet again as another character…i liked him as the brooding and somewhat mysterious John McBain but all the other characters he has played has failed…as for BECKY…didnt this happen before under a different regime?-fans protested when she was written off and she returned?…many soap fans turn out for various reasons….one is too many cast changes and too many newbies…for example i watched Another World-started at the beginning when it was mainly about The Mathews family…all stories revolved around them…then when the newbie Gregory family were introduced they failed because they had very little to do with the beloved Mathews family…over the years the Frames, Cory/Carringtons, Perini’s families were introduced but The Mathews stayed front and center and the new families and other newbies were always somehow involved with the Mathews or their friends…AW became highly rated and mostly in second place…by the 1980s that all changed…the Mathews and most of those other families were written offf…many newbies introduced constantly then dropped throughout the 1980s to the 1990s…AWs ratings eroded and was no longer a top favorite and cancelled in 1999…the show was a mess and barely recognizable…had the show stayed focused on The Mathews and other families i had mentioned and continued with the next generation it might still be on today….most soaps also had poor writing near the end as well…when GL,ATWT, SFT, LOL.The Doctors, and AW plus several others ended their runs most were barely recognizable to me-vets were sacrificed in favor of too many newbies that long time fans did not take to and tuned out…many fans lost interest in soaps all together because of too many changes…sure, there are more channels today and other things why people lost interest in soaps but still the number one reason i feel is the lost focus of the vets…look at Y&R-its numbers may not be the big numbers it had 20 to 30 years ago but they are at a healthy place to keep it at number one and thats because it keeps most of its vets front and center!

To me it is irrelevant whether or not Frank loves GH. From virtually every business and casting decision the man has made in his four year tenure with the show he is nothing short of completely inept. In what other business or corporate environment could someone make the disastrous decisions this man has made and still be in their job four years’ hence?

Amen!!!……

Maddiehayes, I so agree with you! Enough with Kelly Monaco, already! Rebecca’s character has a long history with the show. I remember when she was just a kid, living with Audrey. When she was raped in the park and Lucky rescued her. Am I the only one who remembers how horrible Kelly Monaco’s character (Sam) treated Elizabeth? Remember when Sam stood by and watched little Jake being kidnapped? She didn’t tell anyone because she hoped with little Jake out of the way, she could have Jason all for herself. How about when she came to town to get even with Alexis? Yes, I am so over Kelly Monaco and her character. Enough with the black leather jackets!

Judith, of course I remember when Becky first came on the show! Liz&Lucky were such a sweet, innocent romance. Too bad it was ruined so BADLY. I loved Liz&Jason as well. Sam was such a tramp when she showed up in PC, honestly! Bouncing from Jax to Sonny to Jason. I’m sure Kelly Monaco is a very nice person, but her character, Sam, has no class! I have not forgotten her history. Nor have I forgotten that Elizabeth would have married Jason if it weren’t for his “career choices”. And Jason pushed Liz out of his life to protect her from those choices. Funny how he didn’t seem to care about protecting Sam. With Jake, GH had the perfect opportunity to reinvent Jason, help him get out of that mob lifestyle and change his life. Perhaps be with the one we all saw him falling head over heels for, Elizabeth. But no, gotta keep that Jasam thing going. Even if it makes no sense. Fine, just give Elizabeth a good storyline. And if Jason’s gonna just end up with Sam, please get Liz out of this storyline hell. She deserves a storyline (and man) of her own.

Thanks for that back story, Judith. I am not into Sam, at all…..but, many are….have these fans forgiven her trespasses, or completely forgotten or ignoring them?….Miss goody-two-shoes. And Liz is the villain?
I am so glad TPTP took Liz off that path of self-destruction and the destruction of others. I love the actress and the new redeemed character.
It now seems that Sam is as sainted as Julian, Carly and Sonny. I suppose the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I wonder how Jason will feel about Sam, once he reclaims his ‘Quartermaine’ memories. Jason Morgan knows Sam as she used to be; but, does JQ?

Agree, though I put these ladies in a collective leading lady category: Liz, Anna, Laura, Tracy. These are the heavy hitters who interest me. And Carly, when she is not gushing over Sonny.

I don’t dislike Kelly Monaco, but she is not a particularly strong actress, and whatever strength Sam has as a character is diluted the second she sees Jason.

GH has the best female cast in daytime. Male cast is really lacking. Best male cast on daytime is probably Y&R, with heavy hitters in every age group.

It was all turned into a big stink (mainly by the fans, themselves) ..
Rebeca was never on the verge of leaving GH.. it was contract negotiations, that is the way the are making deals..
Soap fans are by far, at times, their own worst enemy LOL with crazy rumors, exaggerations and so on of bunk to start a chain of panics (gotta love ’em all 🙂

I had no doubt Rebeca would stay on..
( she most likely will grow out with GH, like Jane/Tracy <– lots of luv..

It was transparent she would stay…lol

No it was not Jimh. You should read the articles on Daytime Confidential about leaking her contract information, and what insiders revealed — not BH or anyone associated with her — was “an insultingly low-ball offer,” after which receiving she told them she was out the door. It was Nathan Varni PMing her contract negotiations info to anonymous fans — who outed him — that probably got ABC involved, because of it sparked major fan backlash. According to Jamey Giddens at DC, network sources told him that the network itself could not ignore the fan backlash, hence they began renegotiations.

@Tristan.
Lol, Tristan…in Jimh’s defende; he was being sarcastic. Su is wont to use that word quite often.
Most of the time she is right. Jimmy was only parroting her, not necessarily agreeing.
Hey, a Jimmy, I knew what you meant, lickety split.

Defense

Sorry Jim. I get the joke, now!!!! It should have been readily transparent!

LOL

but…. it took one month and 3 days to alert her fandom

if only… GH or DAYS coulda woulda shoulda hire Michael Muhney

I GASP agree with this comment 100% su0000..own worst foot in mouth enemies

And she started the whole stink by her out of the blue “message to fans” on social media to begin with.

You are extremely uniformed! But ignorance can sometimes be bliss.

I agree su. its just like in sports, these guys threaten to leave and may even have other offers but never intended to leave, just looking for a bigger paycheck. Thats life.

Happy to hear she is staying!

She needs a good storyline. The perpetual victim is old, old, old.

Its ok she stays…better than getting a newbie…lol

Oh Jim, can you imagine how many people would be complaining that the new actress was NOT Rebecca!

Depends on the actress if it was me…sometimes recast work better than the original in some rare cases….i always believed Susan Seaforth Hays was the best recast ever when she began on Days as Julie 5 decades ago.

How true, Timmm….how true!

Wonderful, wonderful news!

I am so happy she’s staying in. She’s a great actress and I’m not surprised other soaps we’re interested. Bet ya one was Y & R.

If you read the whole interview, she makes it clear it wasn’t just one soap; in fact , it sounds like all three contacted her. Yay Becky!!!!!!

i have been a fan of her’s since she came on gh – i am elated that she is staying – she has tremendous acting abilities…………….

That is nice to hear.

Glad she’s staying. I like all sides of her GH character (schemer, victim, loser, sweet, motherly, etc.). A really believable actress.

“…she is indeed signing a new multi-year deal ”

Bam ! ’nuff said

Multi-year … is all I need

2015 will forever be the year Liz catapulted

I can’t – wait – to see all the potential pairings… with Griffin Munro and Franco

More Please !

Agree! Looking forward to more Liz and Franco, and anticipating Liz and Griffin! We are on the same page.

Tristain…in my comment to su about it being transparent-that was a little inside joke between me and su who used the word under a different post.

Yes, Griffin and Liz…I think that could work. We shall see, unless Brad gets his hands on him first. Was my imagination working overtime, or does Dr. Brad have the itchy hots for Dr. Munro?

Hey Jim. I finally got the joke.

Hi Ceec:

“itchy HOTs” just went in to the annuls of infamy

I would imagine… that Brad… considering his playboy “past” was probably reprimanding himself … aghast… but imagination stirred

LOL… oh to be emboldened… and “come hither”

Griffin Munro leads the pack of lust incarnate

oy! GH is certainly taking us with; first w/ Carly next it’s Maxie
is it only a matter of time… till Griffin and Liz dance

this is dream come true… imagination feast

KUDOS to Brad.. evenso… he was chutzpa libidinous appetite

GH… I mean really… does every man have to go thru Carly… first.. right oughta the gate… THIS SPOILS the audience pleasure… she stains and ruins

So so so thrilled!!!!!

Happy for her obnoxious fans, maybe they will be less annoying now but more than likely they will just find something else to complain about.

I’m so relieved. Now let’s get her into more scenes with newbie griffin , ASAP !

What I don’t understand is why anyone would be fool enough to even want to risk losing Rebecca. She has always given 110%. There’s never been a time I can even point to where she wasn’t fully present and acting her heart out. Never mind that she is one of the few actors out there that has chemistry with literally anyone and everyone. How many men has Elizabeth been linked to and not one of them felt like a dud pairing – Lucky (all three different versions), Nikolas (both versions), Rick, Jason (both versions), Zander, Patrick (even though they weren’t really together), AJ – i mean, any one! It’s just a shame that she has never been lead actress on this show. It seems like she always gets the B stories, rarely the A stories that tend to go to any actress playing Carly (not that they haven’t been good, but come on – almost 20 years on GH and still finds herself way too often in the supporting role).

“RIGHT ON”

???? Frank Valentini…. seriously !?1? it took a month and 3 days.. plus; to renegotiate with your best

“…Never mind that she is one of the few actors out there that has chemistry with literally anyone and everyone. ”

Frank, there would have been a major uproar, had you not did the RIGHT thing

period

Patrick, there WAS a major uproar. It wasn’t FV, but the network that did the right thing. That is how dicey this was.

Thanks, Patrick. But, my phrases pale in comparison to your turn of poetic words.
Yes, Brad has a wandering eye. So sad for Lucas.

I agree. She has chemistry with everyone and always gives 110%. I’ve never seen her phone it in, even if it’s a convoluted storyline. Thrilled she has a multi year contract! Looking forward to seeing her interact with Michael Easton.

So happy – I am a big fan of Becky. She just acts her ass off.

As far as I’m concerned , Becky is the MVP of the show! Now they can give her a house as nice as Carly’s and a good story! I kind of like the friendship between her and Franco. Team Becky!!!

Happy Dance…

like this read and most

MVP ! MVP ! my dear Ms. Herbst

I love whats going on with Liz and Franco !

Part of me thinks: oh that lady is high maintenance; but then I think: girl, squeeze those corporate producers to get more out of the deal..Why not?! Glad Becky’s staying. Now if only they could plug in Rachel Ames once a month in scenes with Becky, it would soften the character and make her more relatable. GH is always on the verge of making Liz as cookoo as Sharon on YR. And that doesn’t have to be this character’s trajectory: she can achieve some integrity. Not with Jason, though. Drive a stake through it. They missed putting Liz and Patrick together after Robin.

Glad she’s staying! And I hope there is more Liz/Franco in my future.

No sir I’m not happy she is staying. General Hospital is being held hostage by four actors who get everything they want. She is not respected at all. She should have went to Young and the Restless where everyone is someone and not just the had picked pets. If she got what she wanted, good.

Great, great news. Now let’s give Elizabeth a new home, a new man, and — heck — even a new promotion at GH!

She should move into Robin and Patrick’s old home.

Yeah, I had that thought too!

LOL. It’s probably on the market, right, Timmm? …..Lizzie’s for the taking. Perfect idea you have there, Timmmy. Housing problem for Liz and boys solved.

I agree. Liz (Becky) is essential to the show’s identity, heart and soul. I’m not holding my breath, but it would be great if they did bring back Audrey (at least every now and then), but also Liz’s sister or brother. And it would be good to bring back Lucky, too. I think the Liz and Lucky pairing centers the show, as well.

I would LOVE to see Rachel Ames (Audrey) at least once a month. I adore that woman!!!!!

I am absolutely thrilled! It was a very wised decision.

Maybe they will do a 360 with this florence nightingale has multiple children with different men. when are they going to put her and Nicholas out to pasture at Windemere.

AHHH, Nellie. Isn’t that the motif; the going theme at GH? Most of these women have multiple children with different men….and vice versa. We cannot cast stones on any particular one.
They have yet to put Alexis to pasture; so why Liz? Alexis has twenty years on Lizzie….she’s still hoppin’.
I like Liz more than not, but, I’d rather listen to her speak intelligibly than some others. Her speech pattern is quite decipherable.

Sometimes it has to be about the fans, and when it happens that the character is such a long-term favourite and the actress consistently stellar then the show should thrive.

Wise words, Patricia. I agree.

Okay, I’m assuming she got a pay raise? Now lets trim the fat and cut that weird black guy from Jordan’s past, Jordan, Morgan, Nina, Franco, Sabrina, Nathan and Dante. Sign Ned, Robert, Scotty, Mac, and Dr. Mayes to contracts!

Varni who ever he is needs to be gone to discuss a actors contract on Twitter and no she is not a Diva you absolutely do not know what a sweetheart she is I do! If JFP had stolen her to play Mac I would have been thrilled!

Hey, Kay,
Do you mean Mac, as in Catherine’s granddaughter? (Y&R). Wow! I would have loved that! Never thought about it, but, Rebecca would have made an ideal Mac.
I wish TPTB would bring Mac back as the sole heiress, instead of ‘Dumbon’.

Congrats to Becky for standing her ground and negotiating the contract SHE wanted. When will GH realize the value of this woman ! I’ve waited what seems like forever for them to give her a real meaty storyline. Yes she acted her butt off the last year + and practically carried this dreaded Jason return story, but it never really was about her winning in the end, and that’s what her fans are STILL waiting to see happen. The character of Liz is way over due for a Win, let’s hope that will be in the writing for her soon To be honest, I was kind of hoping she would leave just so that TPTB would see just how many viewers would drop GH in a blink of an eye. I was curious to see the rating spike for whatever show she would have gone over too. Guess we’ll never know. But I do know this, if they write better for Liz or more true to character, I’m sure many of her fans who had given up hope would return in a heart beat!

HONESTLY

I was truly ready to bolt… take that Frank Valentini

LOL.. much to no ones chagrin… I’d have nested back in Genoa City

ps: I don’t even know.. just who… that character was… he was a blond curly haired doctor… in Port Charles

I thought… at last… fans should be celebrating this.. Liz has found her own man.. but that didn’t last long.. HE was perfect.. I was smitten

he turned out to be a bad guy…

so… now… we can only hope.. and insist

that Griffin Munro.. or Franco… sweep BEAUTIFUL Liz Hardy off her feet

and her heart can leap … onward and upward.. with NEW

no more going backward…

Jason isn’t good enough
let Jason and Sam.. languish and bore themselves

let Jason shudder at his stupefy and quicksand with Carly and Sonny

Liz leaps with her heart full

ps: the blond curly haired doctor:

Ewan Keenan… as played by Nathin Butler

he was PERFECT

so all the naysayers would stifle… this was Liz first man who wasn’t attached to someone else…. REALLY

Liz will get her OWN … Griffin or Franco

dag! it’s so easy to let go of Jason

Thanks to ABC we get to keep a true CORE family member on the show-NOW just get her a story AWAY from Sam and everyone will be happy and maybe allow Liz to just stay friends with Franco and also Nina and MAYBE allow her to develop a NEW relationship w Griffin or Michael Easton’s DR character.

it seems that fans are reading in to… the last part of promo

their is Michael Easton… w/ Sam and Lulu

Great news.

Rebecca Herbst made the right decision in staying with GH and a lot of promising stuff looks to be on the way.

This friendship with Liz and Franco really works and it would be a great storyline if he helps her rediscover her passion for painting/art. There is a potential fresh new pairing in the works with the hottest man on the show in the soulful likeable Griffin. I kinda like the idea of Nurse Webber and Dr. Munro being GH’s version of Derek and Meredith from Grey’s. I reallly think they are about to SORAS both Jake and Cam based on some recent casting news so Liz will have more story there as well with two teenage boys. I also beleive they’ve done a good job of redeeming Liz so it’s time to move on from the past year of story and into a new direction. The other added bonus in staying with the show for Rebecca is that Christopher Whitesell and Janet Iacobuzio are back on the GH writing team. They were there back in 1997 when the Liz character was introduced to the viewers so they can add a noteworthy prespective that others on the staff can’t.

I’m THRILLED by this news! I was so sad and ready to leave GH even though I’ve watched it for 20 years. Becky IS Elizabeth Webber and Elizabeth Webber is GH. All that’s left is to make her a lead and give her all the front burner stories she can handle. That’s how you make GH a top soap!

LONG LIVE QUEEN ELIZABETH!

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

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General Hospital

GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

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Patrick J. Gibbons

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.

However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.

Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC

FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG

Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!

Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”

MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).

Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI

PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY

Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”

It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”

A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons

IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”

He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”

Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.

So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.

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‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)

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Chad Duell, the Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who stepped away from the pivotal role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, opened up about: his previous decision to leave the series after nearly 15 years, where’s he’s at now after time away from the demands of a daytime soap opera, and took a stroll down memory lane with some of Michael’s most-acclaimed storyline during his run, during a livestream chat on August 19 on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Viewers last saw Duell on-screen as Michael in January of 2025, and with his successor in the role, Rory Gibson making his debut at the GH Nurses’ Ball in episodes that aired later in May. It was clear that during the conversation, Chad was a bit surprised that the GH brass decided to recast him when he thought he was just taking some much needed time off.

Burn-out of the daily grind of being on a soap was definitely a part of Chad’s decision to take a break. Duell explained “People know when you’re doing something for so long or your character is kind of in the same place for so long or doing the same stuff over and over again, you do get a a little burnt out, you get a little stiff, stale, a little stiff at times. I didn’t want that to be any sort of lasting impression. I have 15 years of a body of work of I’ve done on that show, which is fantastic.”

Chad Duell

Photo: ABC

WHILE CHAD WAS AWAY GH RECAST MICHAEL CORINTHOS WITH RORY GIBSON

Chad shared, his mindset when leaving GH was, “I’m taking some time away, we’ll see what happens.” Then he added, “Obviously, they decided to go in a different direction with Michael when I was gone. I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”

Duell also shared he has not watched a single episode of General Hospital since he left the series, but now feels he reenergized following the loss of his father and stepping away from the GH, “I’m in a place now mentally, where I’m ready to sink my teeth into it again.”

Courtesy/ABC

Even though he is no longer Michael on GH, Chad was very happy with his final storyline where Michael was set on fire when a bomb exploded at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. “It was fun to put him in a dangerous situation, because I was wanting Michael to be in something scary instead of trying to be a hero character or just things happening around him, but to be the center point of tragedy happening to him. (I always saw) Michael as the heart of the (Corinthos) family.”

When Michael was badly burned the show chose not burn his face, which normally a soap does when they are recasting role and switching actors. Chad weighed-in, “They didn’t burn my face because I told Frank Valentini (EP, GH) I’m willing to come back. It was just a little bit of a break. So, I assumed that if they would have burned my face, they could have brought somebody back looking different than me… if that’s what their plan was.”

Courtesy/ABC

MEMORABLE MICHAEL STORYLINES

One of Chad’s most memorable performances was the in the storyline of Michael’s rape while he was sentenced to prison in 2010 and the confession of it in 2011. “It was so well-written and I was very nervous,” recalled Chad. “When I get really nervous about something, it ends up being really good when I do it, because it just means I care a lot about it”

“I have to put a lot of effort and work into it, and I really want it to be good.  I was working with Dominic  Zamprogna (Dante) and Steve Burton (Jason) a lot during those scenes, and Laura Wright (Carly). It was great working with Steve and Dominic, especially, during that storyline.

A NEW SOAP ROLE FOR CHAD?

As to a future soap opera role, Chad is open to the idea and would love to jump back in to a juicy role, “I know people over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless. They know that if they’re interested, I would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”

Meanwhile, Chad has been busy putting out new music under the moniker Duelly and during the interview he explains how he creates his EDM tracks and much more. You can stream his latest single, Static in the Quiet Room on Spotify, Apple Music and You Tube Music.

You can check out the full conversation with Chad Duell below.

Now let us know: what show would you like to see Chad cast on down the line? BTG, DAYS, B&B, Y&R, or a new role on GH? What did you think of his thoughts on the casting switch while he was away in the role of Michael? What was your favorite Michael storyline during Chad’s 15-year run on the ABC soap opera? Let us know via the comment section.

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