It’s Thanksgiving time at the Quartermaines, and there is a lot to be ‘thankful’ for if you are a General Hospital fan of this bickering clan. Back in October, Daytime Emmy winner, Rena Sofer returned to her soap-famous role of Lois Cerullo, Ned’s ex-wife and the mother of his child, Brook Lynn. It has been over 27 years since Sofer was back in Port Charles bringing with it her Lois’ incomparable nails, that deep Bensonhurst/Brooklyn accent, those ‘Lois-isms’ and more.

GH fans were very excited and intrigued to see what would happen when Sofer appeared in scenes with her TV daughter, Amanda Setton. After all, Brook Lynn is all grown up now and as you can see like mother, like daughter.  And if you were to tell us that years later One Life to Live favorite, Setton, would get an opportunity to play Lois’ daughter, we would have been “Get outta here!” That’s because we knew, even on paper, Amanda was the perfect choice.

Now, as the holiday begins, there’s trouble with Turkey Day at the Q’s, and Lois’ mom, Gloria Cerullo played by beloved guest star Ellen Travolta drops in to be with her daughter and granddaughter … let the fireworks and fun begin.  Meanwhile, just recently, Ned’s (Wally Kurth) memory returned after months as “Eddie Maine”, and Lois came back to Port Charles after hearing how Tracy (Jane Elliot) messed with her daughter and blackmailed her right out of Deception. Wanting to stand up for Brook Lynn, Lois got a lot more than she bargained for when she came back to town.

Photo: ABC

Michael Fairman TV chatted with Rena and Amanda in a heartfelt and candid interview; which clearly reveals that the two would be in each other’s fan club, plus how Rena wants to be respectful to the on-screen relationship between Ned and Lois, given that Wally Kurth and Rena were previously married in real life and since then are married to other people.  Coming back to GH, some 27 years later, offers Sofer a fresh perspective to how she was back when she joined the show and how she views work and life now. Amanda teases what’s ahead for Brook Lynn where the ‘spicier’ side of the character is about to make a bit of a return, and what the future may hold for her romance with Chase, and more. Read on for Rena and Amanda’s thoughts on a myriad of Cerullo/Quartermaine topics below.

Rena, so you came back to General Hospital and you meet Amanda. What did you think of Amanda, and how she fits so perfectly as Lois’ daughter?

RENA: Oh, my God! Beyond the perfect daughter! If Lois could have picked her daughter, it would’ve been Amanda.  I love her. I know, we as actors, are like, “Oh, I love working with them.” I am not that person. I tend to be very honest about who I like to work with and who I don’t. I’ve always been. Amanda, maybe you don’t know this, but I get myself into a lot of trouble from time to time. (Laughs) But honestly, the second I met her – we met up in a restaurant and Wally joined us a little later.It was just like talking to my daughter except more of a contemporary as opposed to mother/daughter. It just made having her be my daughter on the show so easy. We have a lot in common. There was really an immediate connection between the two of us, which was great.

AMANDA: There’s like an immediate familial feeling. We’re from the same place in the world. We come from similar backgrounds. It was a very easy friendship to strike.

Courtesy/ABC

Amanda, was there any intimidation that this was thee Rena Sofer, who created the iconic role of your on-screen mom, Lois?

AMANDA: Not going to lie. She’s like the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen in your life. The fans absolutely adore her. She and Wally have such a history on the show. And so more than intimidation, I was genuinely excited. When I heard that Lois was coming back onto the canvas, I got so excited to explore that mother/daughter relationship with Brook Lynn, because her father is such a central point in all of her story. To be able to play that and then have it be Rena, who’s such a spitfire, and plays Lois so beautifully, so specifically and so clearly, has such a clear point of view, who’s also funny but grounded, I was just so excited. Genuinely!

Photo: ABC

Rena, has this lived up to what your expectation of coming back into this role and to GH, some 27 years later would be like? How has it felt playing Lois again now?

RENA: It’s interesting, because I think that the gift of time for me is a very important thing. I’ve done a lot of things in my career. I’ve had a lot of success. I’ve had a lot of standstills and also disappointments. I think where I come from now is from a place of gratitude. I feel incredibly humbled and grateful to be able to play Lois again in the way that I am, and that I’m able to play her. I just feel like it’s everything I expected it to be, but it’s so much more than I expected it to be because I didn’t know what I was walking into. I didn’t know if people would want me to be there, if people would be excited for me to be there, if people would be offended that I came back after 27 years, you know? I really walked in trying to have no ego and an understanding this is not my home, that I’m a visitor, and that I just want to have the fun of playing Lois the way I played her when I first created the character. And that did not disappoint. … every single day walking on to that set with those nails and her hair and her wardrobe, and the accent … every single thing I say, even if it’s so difficult to learn, is such a joy.

Photo: ABC

I had talked with Lisa LoCicero (Olivia) and Wally Kurth for a livestream conversation on my You Tube Channel and she was saying how amazing you were, Rena. You’re so specific in your characters choices that we were also talking about the nails and the hair, and the outfits, and everything that goes into playing Lois, and it works. There’s a lot of thought you put into playing Lois. Wouldn’t you say?

RENA: Yes. I like to put a lot of thought into every character that I play. Not every production allows me to put that much thought in. It helps me to create the character. I’m really lucky that Lois was created already because it allowed me to kind of say, ‘This is now who Lois is’, as opposed to somebody saying, “Well, this is who we want this character to be.”

AMANDA: I just want to add that Rena was welcomed with open arms. Everybody was so excited that she was coming, so thrilled that the character was going to be back in the fold, and that Rena was coming back to play her. It was just a very excited, joyful energy surrounding the storyline.

RENA: Yes, to what Amanda was saying.  I just felt that so much.

Photo: ABC

I can tell you from just my perspective and having a pulse on the reactions and wants of the audience and the fans on social media, they were so excited to have Rena back. And, they were like, “Oh, my God! This is perfect casting! Amanda and Rena!”

AMANDA:  Josh Swickard (Chase) and I just did a fan event recently, and everybody at the event was echoing that. Just how, Rena and I were perfect casting as mother and daughter.

RENA: It’s so fun. I was on set the other day and I had to say a line and thank God for Amanda. She was trying to help me say “cab’ properly in how Lois would say it with her accent.

AMANDA: Rena’s accent is so good and she had a big line to say.  It was like, “I gotta take a cab.”  So, she said, “take “perfectly. And then “cab” was very California. I’m like Rena, its “cab” with a more Brooklyn accent.

Photo: ABC

Now. another part of the story that’s kind of charming is that Brook Lynn is getting some pointers from her mom on the music business. She’s listening to mom’s advice, and they’re working on Blaze’s music career. Do you think Brooklyn looks up to her mother since Lois has all of this experience with a record label and music management?

AMANDA: Hundred percent! I’m pretty sure a bunch of those scenes aired. Brook Lynn goes directly to her mom, and says, “You need to help me.” She gives me a whole list of things. Brook Lynn is like, “My mother’s amazing. She’s perfect. She can do no wrong, and I love my mommy.”

How is it working with Jacqueline Grace Lopez as Blaze?

AMANDA: She’s such a great actress. She’s got such a great attitude. Jacqueline is so grateful and positive to be there. She’s always prepared and just a real professional and she’s become a friend. She’s an absolute doll and she’s like an amazing singer. She has such a good voice. She has such a presence on stage.

Rena, we recently saw on-air that “Eddie” turned back into Ned, when Ned regains his memory. You had some really great scenes leading up to him turning into Ned again. After all, it was Lois who told ‘Eddie’ to “take a leap of faith.”  So, he goes and jumps in the water. What do you think Lois’ relationship is with Ned at this point? How does she feel about him?

RENA: It’s interesting, because something comes up soon enough that I will say that’s very honest. She loves Ned. He’s the father of her child. The thing about Lois is; she made the decision to leave Ned. She was brokenhearted by what happened, but she made the choice to not step into that world of the Quartermaines. It was not the place she wanted to live. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Ned, she didn’t want what he came with. She took her daughter and raised her daughter in Brooklyn. Thank God for that. She loves her ex-husband. She never stopped loving him. She’s just not in love with him anymore. She doesn’t want him anymore. She wants the best for him.

Photo: ABC

Amanda, do you think Brooklyn wants her parents together, or is she fine with Olivia and Ned?

AMANDA: I think she’s totally fine with it.  It’s been so long that they’ve been apart. I will also say, I do think that every child of divorce has a secret hope that their parents will be at least friends or on good terms, or that they’ll have times together with both their parents in the same room. I do think coming up, you get to see some of those moments, which is really nice.

RENA: My daughter Rosabel is obsessed with watching GH now. Obsessed! It’s so great for her because for her it’s like, “It’s not that I want my parents to get back together. I know they don’t belong together at all in any way, shape or form,” but she gets to see us together in a way that is friendly and kind, and not affectionate in like a physical sense. But affectionate in a caring sense. She’s like, “Mom, I’m 27-years-old. This is the first time that as an adult I get to see this.” And it’s true. She loves it!

Rena, I was telling Wally, there was that OG montage of Lois and Ned that was contained in an episode. I loved it. It reminded me of back in the day when we first knew each other. Those scenes were great and they hold up today!

RENA: Those scenes were so great. I said to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital) you took three minutes and you told the entire story. Basically, from beginning to end minus Brenda, and all the other stuff that happened. Our whole story was told in such a perfect and beautiful way. It was really honored. I felt really honored by it and loved watching it.

Photo: ABC

After Ned tells Brook Lynn, he’s no longer “Eddie” but he is Ned, she’s so happy to have her father back. However, how do you see the relationship moving forward? Will she be supportive of all his ELQ shenanigans?

AMANDA: That’s a really good question. That remains to be seen, to be fair. I do think that historically what we have seen from the Brook Lynn and Ned dynamic is she can give it, she can really tell ’em like it is. But at the end of the day, she really is a daddy’s girl. They have they this very close bond and there’s a real love for one another. I think you’ll just see that as we move forward.

Photo: ABC

Now, how has it been for both of you working with Jane Elliot in this storyline? Rena, you’re actually working with Jane again years late and of course, Lois and Tracy have a contentious relationship. Tracy has never been welcoming to Lois into the Quartermaines.

RENA: That’s true. I have to say, when I came on the show as Lois in the first place, to be fully transparent, I think I took it personally. As I said, I came back with no ego or tried to come back with no ego. This time coming back, I cannot tell you how much I’m enjoying spending time with Jane and working with her and just watching her and not feeling like I have to prove myself.  I wish I could go back in time and smack myself across the face and say, “What are you doing?” I feel like that’s the truth for all of us as youth, to some extent. I wish I could just go back and just say, “All of that isn’t important. This woman is a wealth of knowledge. Just listen to her, have fun with her.” I think that when I was younger, I was a wealth of missteps in my life. Now, I hopefully am entering this phase of my life in a way where I’m more enjoying and receiving than anything. I’m having the time of my life with Jane. She’s just lovely.

AMANDA: Well, you already know! I’m obsessed with Jane. I love her to death. We’re very close. We go out outside of work. I just adore her. Jane is a really deep, deep person who, as Rena said, has a wealth of experience, and she’s willing to share it. I have had nothing but a wonderful time with her. Genuinely, I’ve learned so much from her. And to boot, she’s an incredible actor who makes such specific subtle choices that even in the room, you don’t even feel as much as when it’s on camera. She’s so good at playing to camera. It’s unbelievable. You watch it back, and you’re just floored, and plus, they write really well for her character.

Photo: JPI

So, is Brook Lynn not upset with her grandmother for what she did to her with Deception?

AMANDA: So, with Jane it’s pure love. With Tracy, it gets a little more complicated. You’ll come to see in the next couple months some scenes that are going to air of how she really loves her grandma at the end of the day. She has a lot of love and respect for her. I think that’s why the whole blackmail storyline was so hurtful, because she does look up to her in a lot of ways. There’s always going to be that push and pull between the two of them. But at the end of the day, there’s a lot of love there.

My thought is … Lois and Brooklyn will work together to ensure Tracy doesn’t pull any machinations again.

AMANDA: Well, you’ll just have to watch and see.

RENA: Exactly! And by the way, how are we supposed to control the weather? I mean, come on! It’s so true. We can do our best, but Tracy’s going to do what she’s going to do, and she does it well.  It’s who she is, and you know, we can only try to fix the damage. We can’t control the hurricane.

AMANDA: I will say, there’s some stuff coming down the pike with Brook Lynn “Spice” coming back into the fold, which has been really fun to play. I’m excited to have more of that stuff because post-Bailey and falling in love with Chase, she’s really softened a lot, which is great. I think we’ve seen her humanity and her nurturing side as a mother figure, and now as a serious girlfriend figure. But, It’ll be fun to play some of that Brook Lynn nastiness.

Photo: ABC

Rena, what was your first impression of Josh Swickard?

RENA: He is adorable.  We were sitting there when I really first met Josh and he sang.  He sang the song that’s already aired. He looks at me and he goes, “I’m so embarrassed. You know, because I don’t wanna be one of those guys who sings and is like. ‘I’m so great of a singer.”’ Josh is like, “I’m really worried that people are going to think that I’m arrogant, or, or something like that.” I said to him, “Do you watch RuPaul’s Drag Race? And he just looked at me like I was literally from a different planet. And he’s like, “no.” I’m like, “Well, I do. I watch it all the time. I’ve seen almost every episode. And here’s what RuPaul, the brilliant RuPaul says, “It’s none of your business whatever people think about you. That is not your business at all.” If you think about it and you take that in, it kind of saves you from ever worrying about that. That was one of our first interactions. I remember that. Thank you, RuPaul. Josh is just adorable.

Amanda, do you see Brook Lynn and Chase having longevity as a couple on GH?

AMANDA:  I hope so. I see it, but we’ll see what the writers cook up.

Photo: ABC

Ellen Travolta’s going to be back on air for Thanksgiving as Lois’ mother, Gloria Cerullo. Rena, you’ve been friends with her this whole time, correct? Did you have a hand in her return?

RENA:  Yes, yes, yes.  It was me!  I went, “I’d love to come back to General Hospital. Here’s the thing: If I come back, you need to bring back Gloria.” Let me just tell you, everybody loved Ellen. Everybody loves Ellen. Ellen is like the dream mom of everybody in America, in the world. She was Chachi’s mom. She was my mom. She’s the best mom. Emma, who works at at the front guard desk at GH, checks you in and tells you where your room is.  I’ve been there for two months. I still walk up to her sometimes and she goes, “What’s your name?  “Do you have your pass?” I say, “ I do. I do. Hold on.” I show her my pass. She goes, “OK, and she looks down the list and she’s like, “You’re in this room.”  It took Ellen the second day she was there to get settled in. She was like, “Ellen! I want the best room for you. I’ll make sure you’re right near me. If you need anything, don’t you worry, ” and she is giving her hugs.  I’m behind her, right?  I walk up and I’m like, “Hi!” And she goes, “Name?” “Pass?” (Laughs) Ellen Travolta is a dream, and to work with her is a dream. I’m completely responsible because I almost bullied Frank Valentini into bringing her back. But what a gift it was to have her back, because she’s amazing.

Will we be touched by the scenes, or is it fun and campy during the Thanksgiving episodes? What can you preview?

RENA: I think the audience, as much as they enjoyed seeing Lois and Brook Lynn, the three of us together is a whole other world. You will be touched in many different places. However, you want to take that.

Photo: ABC

Amanda, what was it like meeting Ellen Travolta and then working with her?

AMANDA: Oh, my gosh. We fell in love immediately. What’s crazy Michael is, my maternal grandmother was Grandma Gloria. I had her till I was 30 and we were so close. She was really like a second mom to me. So, when I got this script and I’m reading “Grandma Gloria”, it was so bizarre. And then in meeting Ellen, she looks like my grandma – same haircut, same high cheekbones. It really did feel like I had a few days with my grandma. It was very, very special for me. Ellen is sweet, prepared, professional, talented and funny to boot. So, it was one of the best weeks I’ve had at work. I hope she comes back. My fingers are crossed.

RENA: Ellen told me when she was on General Hospital the first time she was my age. She was almost 55 years old when she started in the role, and now I’ll be 55 in a couple weeks. It was just very apropos. I loved it.

Olivia’s ready to throw in the towel for Thanksgiving, but Lois will hear none of it.  I’m assuming perhaps Lois saves the day?

RENA: Lois always saves the day.

Photo: ABC

Is there any jealousy between Lois and Olivia? Do you play any of that in your scenes?

RENA: Oh, no. Listen, here’s the deal. I’m not giving the audience any sort of hinting or preconceived notion that there is going to be a triangle or a love story between Ned, Lois and Olivia. Let’s be really clear. Wally and I were married.  We are now remarried. It is not fair to either of our spouses to even play that kind of a story. It’s not. It is not respectful. We will not cross that line. It doesn’t matter. It’s not about not respecting the audience. It’s not about how fun that storyline could be, but we have relationships with people that really, it would be difficult for them because we were married and had a child. We have two children together – Megan being my stepdaughter. So, that is not something I’m willing to play. I’m not going to play. I don’t want the audience thinking, “Oh!”  I don’t want them asking for it. It’s not acceptable.

I think a lot of viewers were thinking Lois and Olivia might get into it over Ned.

AMANDA. You know soap writers, Michael.

RENA: True. But I will say this, the one thing that I don’t want to play as I get older and if I have any control over anything, and I’m not saying I have any control over the script at all, is I don’t like playing women hating women. I do not enjoy that. Most of the people who watch our show are women. I don’t want to be a role model to then say, “Hey, guys can never do any wrong, but you should always be wary of your girlfriend.” I don’t like that. I don’t think it’s correct. And in this world, it’s a choice I make not to send that message.

AMANDA: Just bringing it back to the Lois/Brooklyn/Gloria scenes. It’s really fun to see three really strong New Yorker comedic women in the same room together. And then of course, you add in Lisa LoCicero and Jane Elliot, of course. Having all of these really strong female characters together, representing the Quartermaines on Thanksgiving is pretty awesome.

Photo: ABC

As our conversation comes to a close, what would you want to say to the fans and/or your wish for them as the holidays approach?

AMANDA: Happy holidays to all the fans. Thank you so much for watching. You know, we only get to do this because of you guys, and we’re so grateful for your support over the years and your genuine love of these characters and these storylines. We just hope that we can continue to fulfill all of your storyline wants and desires.

RENA: I wish everybody out there a happy and peaceful holiday season where they could be surrounded by friends and family, and remember what’s important and hold onto what is dear to them. And, just pray for peace everywhere. Everywhere. Pray for peace.

What do you think of Rena Sofer and Amanda Setton as the mother/daughter duo of Lois Cerullo and Brook Lynn Quartermaine on ? Are you looking forward to seeing how Thanksgiving plays out at the Q’s? What are your hopes moving forward for Lois while she is in Port Charles and for Brook Lynn in love and in her professional life? Share your comments below.