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Renee Elise Goldsberry Talks The Frustration, Joy & Her Eventual Decision To Leave OLTL!
Photo: The Resident/Goldsberry
Now that Renee Elise Goldsberry (Ex-Evangline Williamson, OLTL) is fast becoming a household name, the Tony Award-winning star of the Broadway smash Hamilton, and who has been cast in two exciting projects: Netflix’s, Altered Carbon and HBO films, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack, opened up about the path of her career for a feature for Cosmopolitan.
In it, Goldsberry who first shot to noteriety on ABC’s One Life to Live, related the inherant struggles of playing an African-American character on a soap opera, and then how being part of a successful soap formula triangle changed that, and why she made the decision to exit Llanview at the time in her career that she did. Here are some key excerpts below from the Cosmo piece:
Goldsberry on the original difficulties she encountered joining One Life: “At the beginning of my time on One Life to Live, I was very frustrated. This was a time in my life when I felt extremely marginalized. The formula of soap operas makes it really hard for an African-American to get any traction. There’s always a family that’s central to the story on a soap opera, and if the show loves you, you will turn into the long-lost brother or you will get married, which is easy to do for a white character. But as an ethnic person, they bring you on to be smart. You get to be the lawyer or the doctor for the family. No one sees where you live, they never bring you home. There might be one episode in February where they talk about your family because it’s Black History Month. Your character might be on once every three weeks. You walk into a room and you say something really smart and noble, and then you walk out. And you only make money when they write for your character. You couldn’t win the game as a person of color, no matter how talented or beautiful you were.”
Goldsberry on becoming front and center on One Life in story: “But after the first couple of years, they put me in a love triangle and it just blew up. The love triangle was interracial, there was drama, there was a war between fan groups — it was the best thing that had ever happened to my career. I was featured in magazines and I was being voted a fan favorite character. I was being asked to co-host, The View. At the same time, I was doing Shakespeare in the Park, being seen by the elite New York theater community and getting unbelievable reviews. I had high visibility and there were moments throughout this period where people said, “This is it.” But it doesn’t necessarily make you A-list. I was probably G-list most of my life.”
Goldsberry on her decision to not renew her contract with One Life: “In 2007, I left the soap. I wanted to evolve and do the next thing in my career. I used to joke that I wanted the Kelly Ripa deal. But I didn’t see that future for me in soap operas. Why would I give up another four years of my life for a new contract if ABC primetime’s not going to call me to do a job?”
So, what did you think of Renee’s thoughts and her experiences at One Life to Live? Share your comments below!
i have been watching soaps for over fifty years and everything she said rings so true for ethnic actors/actresses…………….
i must say she was fabulous on oltl and i was very sad when she left but i do understand her reason for leaving. – i always knew she was going places and i have so much respect her her
So very well said, both by you and by her.
What a treat it was to see her talent on display during her time on the show and how great to see her continuing success.
Great talented actress…i liked when they did introduced her family but their stay was unfortunately short-lived…Days did have the Grants in the 70s-an African American family with parents and a brother and sister-i believe they were daytimes first black family with both parents in the home…there were blacks on soaps befoe-really enjoyed them but other fans did not approve of black Valerie dating white David and the Grants soon came to an end…Tina Andrews should have been a daytime superstar like Debbie Morgan was a few years later and hated it when she left Days…Y&R for years did a fine job writing for the Winters family…B&B doing well with an African American family…what is more rare is an Asian family and Native Americans too!!!
There are no Jewish characters let alone families.
nora hanan buchanan on oltl was very much jewish – she celebrated jewish holidays with her son matthew………………
I know elm1951. Lol, who else? How many Jewish characters are on GH (or any soap…or prime time for that matter). How many characters celebrate Hanukkah instead of Christmas…Passover instead of Easter?
Kristen Alderson, Sean Kanan, Nancy Grahan, Matt Cohen, Renee Sofer (Lois and now Quinn), Stuart Damon (Alan Q.), Kin Shriner…and so many more are Jewish (Kristen, Nancy, Kin are half) but none of them play Jewish characters. Weddings and prayers take place in Church, not a Synagogue. It’s not as obvious because Jewish people are “white” for the most part but it’s a very under represented “community” on soaps…more so than black people. I’m not talking about behind the scenes writers, producers, etc. I’m talking about people being represented and their religion, holidays, existence acknowledged.
As a further example, imagine if it was reversed. That EVERY character on a soap was Jewish, Hannukah was the holiday everyone celebrated and people went to their Rabbi to get married. Instead of the Church in the hospital where our characters go to pray…a Temple. all weddings take place in a Synogogue. Oh. And maybe one non-Jewish character (which GH doesn’t even have one Jewish character).
When One Life to Live started, in 1968, featured families included:
the Lords – the wealthy WASPs
the Siegels – Jewish Dave Siegel who was married to Irish Catholic Eileen and their children
the Woleks – the working class Polish Americans
the Greys – the African Americans – Initially only mother Sadie and her daughter Carla. As the series progressed, more black characters were added, including Police Captain Ed Hall (excellently portrayed by Emmy award winner Al Freeman, Jr.). Laurence Fishburne’s first acting job was as Ed and Carla’s adopted son, Josh.
And…Both Brandon Barash and Bruce Weitz are Jewish yet their characters aren’t. There are Jewish people in the mob, see Bugsy Siegel. But instead they went for the two Jewish characters I now recall…Bernie and Benny…the accountants. Lol…nah, that’s not stereotyping.
I love how you just took a topic that had nothing to do with you and make it all about you. I’m so tired of the “what aboutism” when black people talk about their experiences. It really shows your true colors when you do that.
What helped her break the mold is that she really is a very good actress as well as being beautiful. I thought she was great on OLTL but I thought everybody was because the show was done brilliantly.
I remember the hoopla from her character on One Life being break-out to hosting the View and give the lady huge credit for being bold enough to leave the soap…and speak up about it today in Cosmo. I heard there may have been contract things at the time, too (she wasn’t offered enough), and that wonderfully in leaving, she had time to have kids (via her Tony speech)…so I have been following because to “walk away” is of interest to me–when should we, when should we “compromise”….it’s a quintessential life question. It worked for this exciting actress, and now her resurgence, her truly big-time is here. Her talent, her choices, set a great example on many levels.
This interview kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It comes off as REG thinking she was too good for soaps (which is probably true) but there have been other soap actors who’ve found breakout fame but still manage to be gracious in acknowledging the genre as a great training ground and find some good words to find about their co-stars as. REG comes off as sounding like fame didn’t come fast enough for her so screw this. As an OLTL watcher I can say her character was front burner, paired with two of the most popular leading men and had a sister added to prop her. I’m not really sure what she’s complaining about.
Did we read the same excerpts? She clearly said that being in that JoVan/JoLIE triangle was the best thing for her career. I think she was being pretty gracious about her time on OLTL.
Did you just not like her honesty? Is that what offended you?
Well said.
I agree with you KM, she does sound stuck up and not very thankful for what she had there. I don’t remember her much on OLTL, she didn’t leave that much of an impression on me.
When she first started out she was barely featured at all. When she was originally with RJ (a black male), she had a smaller role. It wasn’t until they paired her with John (a white character), that she finally got attention. We never even saw where she lived prior to that.
Nothing she said made her sound stuck up at all. Is she not allowed to voice the way black actresses on many soaps were treated if they weren’t paired with a white main character?
She said she loved the attention she got from being in a bigger storyline. She doesn’t sound ungrateful at all. She left because they refused to negotiate with her in terms of her contract. They refused to pay her more even though she was popular at this point. It again shows the worth they placed on her. She handled it pretty graciously in my opinion. It worked out because now she is a huge Broadway star with a Tony award.
I recall with joy Ms. Goldsberry’s time on OLTL. OLTL was often at the forefront of social justice and social causes, a show with a genuine pulse on contemporary life. And it was based in New York, giving the program a feel that was exciting and alive. This is a lovely interview with a lovely woman, deserving of her post-soap success. I do hope casting agents will continue to see her beauty and talent for films, television, and stage.
Her frustrations with her character sound like most of the characters on General Hospital nowadays-many, the viewers see every few weeks and storylines are lost and never heard of again. The Kelly Ripa deal? Good Grief. I, for one, cannot watch Kelly’s show; can’t even watch her Colgate commercials.
Great interview. Her take on her stint @ OLTL and her character’s limitations and shelf life is sad, but true. Good for her for realizing it and moving on. Goldsberry was excellent and underused on The Good Wife as well. Bigger and brighter things for this beautiful and talented lady – films, stage and television!
I love Renee. And as someone who has been a soap fan for most of my life, she’s absolutely right. I like McBain and Evangeline, I loved Todd and Evangeline, but if she wasn’t getting where she needed to go career wise, I don’t blame her one bit for moving on.
Love her and always loved her. So glad she spoke out about how she felt at the time. Such a good actress on OLTL, she had amazing chemistry with both Trevor St. John and Michael Easton. Was such a fan of Evangeline and Todd and very disappointed when they cast her aside for Todd and Blair. Was so pissed the way they killed her character off too… was it a coma or a catatonic state? Anyway, it was ridiculous! I’m glad she spoke out about it and thrilled she’s seeing the success she has earned!
So glad she “evolved” and seems to be happy and *really* so glad she made the decision to leave.
Very dissapointed that she plays the race card when does it stop ? She has had a very successful career I don’t get it somebody enlightened me! The same thing with Victoria Rowell I don’t get it we are so in this country wound tight like a dorm about every word that is uttered out of our mouth every gesture we might do every movement we are drowning in political correctness and we are lost.
How was she playing “the race card” when what she said was TRUE???
Are you saying that black people on soaps aren’t typically “the doctor,” “the lawyer,” “the judge,” etc.? Or are you saying that because she got do to more than just be “the lawyer,” she shouldn’t speak out about how black characters aren’t typically developed on soaps?
What exactly is your issue? Would you have preferred that she lie?
Do you always feel the need to control? You must do that at home and in every day life.
Trophy Lady, it’s a soap. EVERYONE is playing a relatively stock role. To your list I’d also add “the cop”, “the born wealthy”, “the scrappy or screwed up long lost kid deprived of their birth right by their wealthy family” and so on. They’re all stereotypes.
REG’s talents are obviously theater and musical theater in particular and good for her in that respect. She’s done well for herself but to make it sound like she was held back on soaps because of racism when she was actually pushed forward (her character, besides being cast as the brilliant lawyer, also got to sing now and then) comes off as a little bitter.
So she didn’t get “the Kelly Ripa deal” but what did she REALLY want? To be a talking head on The View? A “gimme” role on an ABC primetime show? What?
That’s show biz. Not everyone gets to the star of the show. But she has been in Hamilton so I’m not why she’s even mentioning her soap roots if she can’t say something nice about how she got her start.
KM — c’mon! Are you kidding me??? When was the last time a black person on a soap was part of the “wealthy family”? When was the last time the black family was “the wealth family” so that when a black person comes on the show they can actually be “tied” to said wealthy family? Seriously, now, you MUST understand that, by default, since these types of black families don’t exist on soaps, Renee was absolutely telling the truth.
And, I think you missed the point of what Renee actually said. She said that, initially, Evangeline was portrayed as the stereotypical black female attorney — no home, no family, just on air three times a month to say something noble, only to vanish until needed again. She then said that she got put into a love triangle (with John and Natalie) and that’s what got her exposure. By being in that love triangle with Michael Easton — that’s what made Evangeline a “main” character, because she was now FRONT AND CENTER in a HOT romance with the show’s heartthrob. That made all the difference in the world. She was with John McBain, Todd Manning, and Cristian Vega. Three HOT guys, and none of them black. When have you seen that on daytime before? Have you seen it since Evangeline on OLTL? The answer is NO. NEVER.
Her point was that, typically, that doesn’t happen for black actresses on daytime. If you disagree with her personal assessment, PLEASE give me examples of where black women have been front and center in daytime with white men who are the centerpiece of the show? And I’m talking REAL DEAL ROMANCES — not a kiss here and there, and then the storyline gets dropped or they are NEVER on screen together. I’m talking leads that are portrayed as such. And please, don’t mention Maya and Rick Forrester on B&B. That entire story is BEYOND ridiculous.
Not the same as VR at all.
And as for “playing the race card”, I guess you’re saying you’d rather she not speak honestly about the reality of being a woman of color in the entertainment industry. Too bad. Why the truth offends you, I don’t know….but you probably do.
k/Kay…I there are PC topics that I should be addressed, but I get tired of them being overused for what seems as anything and everything as well. But when you look at the demos of soaps compared to % of US demos there is certainly a big case to be said for under-representation in a meaningful way with all racial groups in soaps. Actually “real life” does a better job than soaps…just look at the President. 🙂
I agree k/kay, it’s never ending. even after you win a tony award. Stop playing the victim and make changes.
Wow, Blake — You must LOVE me because you’ve commented everywhere that I have.
Are you starting to agree with me? It’s okay. You can admit it. And if you just want to comment on my post to say “hello,” you can do that, too! I’m not trying to control you, dear; I just want to “encourage” you to see the light. See the truth! 🙂
I remember being very disappointed when she left, and disappointed with her as well. OLTL knew what they had, that is why they put the character into a coma. If anyone could have broken through Elise was the girl. Who knows, maybe OLTL would still be, had she not bailed. Glad she’s doing good, but she lost me as a fan a long time ago. The same way Oprah lost me as a fan 6 years later. OLTL should have recast the character.
I will reply ! I think the actress is awesome she is a great singer etc! Just worn out that Hollywood and Washington, D.C. Have the answers they are no where in the realm of what is going down in this country ! We are in deep trouble our answer is a criminal HC and a blow heart! Our family has decided we back off we slide into the wood work and hope we can live our final days at oeace
Peace ! Never intended to insult her she is phenomenal but she has no idea what is going on in the AA community
So if I insulted her in anyway I apologize just worn out we are drowning and I wish someone anyone would throw a life jacket
Wow, I don’t think she sounds very appreciative of OLTL. They gave her a start to her career. It kind of ticks me off that she so down on daytime soaps.
Same here, it is annoying.
If you have not, please read the whole Cosmopolitan article for a better perspective.
Agree. I wrote that as well further down the page. Perhaps she says more positive things in the full interview.
Smart girl. I respect REG on her decision to leave OLTL. I am so looking forward to The Henrietta Lacks movie. The book is fantastic. I highy recommend it.
Wow she sounds like a big narcissist. Her Tony win was a big upset. The Tony’s just caved into the PC crap.
I’m sorry — EVERYONE EXPECTED that she’d win that Tony. Were you not aware that she was on everyone’s talk show/couch because of her role in Hamilton?
She won her Tony because she deserved it. What “PC Crap” are you talking about? If she shouldn’t have won, then who should have?
Well said
do you have to comment on everyone’s post that you don’t agree with? people have the right to voice their opinion. You must always control people in life, huh?
And it’s not true that everyone expected her to win. every award show is now caving in to the Oscars protest of nominations. it’s why the Emmys went crazy with nominations in the same way. throw a dog a bone.
Must be hard to see your prejudices take a knock.
LOTS to love about Renee Goldsberry. At the top of the list is that we GH fans can breathe a sigh of relief she will not be the next friend of FV’s to join the cast! Seriously, I also loved seeing her as one of the three backup singers on Ally McBeal.
If she has won a Tony in Hamilton, she won’t ever be around a daytime soap again. Kudos to her!
she also “won” a grammy for “Hamilton”… as a cast member
she’s an emmy nominated actress
I don’t know… for me… I think winning a Tony award is the crème de la crème
with the Oscar that close
she’s certainly known in the inner circles of her peers
Kudos to her… I can certainly understand how she felt … about being a supporting player… ie: OLTL
that’s a lot of patience and time .. to get to where she is currently
plus she has a bachelors and a masters degree
wow and woah
she’s got her two children… and a loving husband
moment of silence
peace
I just LOVE Renee’s honesty! Her frustrations were not only felt by her, but by her fans as well. We all knew she was better than what they were giving her. I was a tried and true JoVan fan, and I loved every minute of it. What I didn’t love was how they eventually acted like JoVan NEVER existed! Anyone with good eyes could see that John and Evangeline were great together — that they made total sense. To belittle their storyline and their connection was a slap in the face to viewers.
I still hate that we never got to fully see all that JoVan could’ve been. But I must say that I’m glad we got have John and Evangeline for the short time we did. Evangeline Williamson was a groundbreaking black character for daytime. She wasn’t pigeonholed. She wasn’t just a lawyer; she was a woman with a full life, family, friends, and romance!
What other black woman on daytime gets that???? She dated John McBain, Todd Manning, and Cristian Vega! What other black female on daytime gets that kind of diversity and exposure to white A-List love interests? NONE!!! We hadn’t seen anything like Evangeline Williamson before, and sadly, we haven’t seen anyone like her since. That really needs to change ASAP!
I like Renee. I’ve mentioned this before but I met her on my lunch break in Manhattan; we were shopping in the same organic market. Spoke to her just for seconds but she was very nice and seemed down to earth. I loved her character Evangeline; one of my favorites and I actually preferred her over Natalie. Liked her with Michael Easton and Trevor St John.
With that said I have mixed feelings about the excerpted interview above. What I took away from it was that even though she broke through in the soap, had a great storyline and a huge fan following, she left because, “why would I give up anothe four years of my life if ABC wasn’t going to offer me prime time?” (Computer’s freezing on and off as I’m typing so that’s as close to verbatim as I can get without scrolling up. Point is there was a way to phrase that that wouldn’t come off like she didn’t want to “waste her time” which can make the viewer feel like an idiot for “wasting his or her time watching if soaps are so inconsequential. As for the race card that a few have mentioned, I’m not sure if Renee was implying they didn’t offer her prime time because she was black. ninety-nine percent of soap actors are white an how many of them are on heading their own time time shows? Not everything is about race. On the other hand, maybe she wasn’t attributing that part to race and I misinterpreted.
Selective excerpts can be a disservice. I read the whole Cosmopolitan article and came away with a better perspective of her viewpoint.
Hi Lillian…yes, I acknowledged that might be the case. It’s sort of like being taken out of context in many instances if it’s just a fragment of what someone said. Still, I think it could have been worded differently other than “why give four more years of my life if I’m not going to be offered prime time…” An actor can want to leave the genre or get into others but the way she said it puts a negative, insulting spin on soaps, which I think actors and fans are trying to get away from. As for the race thing, again, I don’t know, (as we both said) maybe that’s not what she meant in terms of being offered a prime time show. Again, not many white soaps actors are heading those spots either.
Does no one remember that when OLTL began on the late 60s it centered on three diverse families? The Lords rich Wasp family, the Woleks, a working class Polish family and the Greys, an African American family. This went on for about 10-15 years before the focus moved to the rich and powerful Lords.
I don’t think OLTL ever left its multicultural roots and in its last years made a real effort to bring Destiny and Matthew together to begin a future together In fact that was one of the beautiful last stories when Destiny gave birth the Bo’s grandson.
I think Ms Goldsberry knows what she is talking about, but a hat should be tipped to this Soap!
I agree, and it is not unusual for soap actors to feel like they are in a box.
There should never be a ‘black’ storyline just for the sake of diversity, because that would be pandering…
What OLTL was great at doing was showing all sorts of people, living and reacting to a diverse world.. And most of the stories grew out of decades long attachements to their characters and situations (just like life).
While there is no denying she is a fabulous and brilliant actor, Miss Goldsberry might have seen more stories about the black culture in American society had she stuck around a bit longer. and maybe we would have discovered that she was actually one of Victor Lords long lost child, or Asa Buchanon’s? The possibilities were endless.
I liked your well thought out response . You are obviously a big fan! Still miss our days in Llanview.
I am a big fan. But I do find this story ironic in that one of the main stories that drew me to OLTL and blew my five-year-old mind was the story of the Gray family. OLTL was a soap known for its diversity. I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective.
Always wishing her well and continued success!
Lol, maybe abc wrote the story and paid her to say it, to tarnish our memories of OLTL.
OLTL made strides and had many epic stories, talented cast, and memorable characters. As a 30+yr fan, I agree – she broke an invisible ceiling – not too many people of color in Llanview… first there was Hank, Rachel, then a really boring Sheila, maybe a few others…. and then came Evangeline – she had hot romances with John and then Cristian,even though she had came to town as just the smart lawyer, but we fell in love with her – and were heartbroken when her character ended up in a permanent coma. She and her sister (Tika Sumpter, another talented actress who could sing) were on for just a week together before Renee left the show. She paved the way and I’m so happy to hear of her deserved success.
I love Renee..She is a star, a good actress, and wonderful singer. She is right about black people on soaps. On OLTL they brought on Tika Sumpter and BARLEY used her in any story-lines until her last year on the show, and now Tika is doing hit shows and movies. #BlackGirlMagic
Well said Renee. The fact is, day time soap was not ready at that time to have a black women in a leading role. Renee was smart, beautiful and sexy. She was paired with a lot of the leading male characters, therefore she soon became a fan favorite. Thankfully they have learned, by having Kerry Washington the leading lady of colour in Scandal.
I think she is a very talented actress. But by the time she left I think they finished her role by having her involved with almost all of leading men on the show. just took away from the character
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.
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