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THE KRISTEN ALDERSON INTERVIEW – ONE LIFE TO LIVE

By Michael Fairman

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alderson_main.jpgThis week on One Life to Live, Starr is on a collision course with discovering the truth about the baby she was set to give to Marcie McBain, before the baby supposedly “died”. But as fans know, Jessica’s alter ego, Bess, switched the baby after Jessica lost the child she was carrying on one unforgettable night in Llanview that has created some of the most riveting drama in the shows history. Add into the mix, another eventful Llanview High prom, this time featuring the musical act, The Pussycat Dolls, and Starr is in a for one hell of a week.

Kristen Alderson has displayed her acting chops as Starr, from her teen pregnancy storyline and its’ aftermath, to the complicated and tumultuous relationship with Starr’s father Todd, and with her former boyfriend, the drug-addicted Cole. These moments have given Alderson all the material she needs to justify her finally being nominated and winning the Emmy for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series. She hopes to find out if she will be in contention this coming Thursday, when the nominations are announced in New York.

Watching both Kristen and Starr grow up before our eyes, made her soaps “little girl”. So much so, that fans can’t believe how both the actress and her character have matured on-screen. Daily, soap fans and soap pundits can’t wait to see Kristen’s knockout performances. The actress has also become a strong and leading advocate in speaking out on teen pregnancy and the importance of teens and their parents being able to talk about sex.

We are thrilled to bring to you this interview with Kristen!

Listen to the audio:

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MICHAEL:

Do you think Cole and Starr will end up together again? Many are rooting for them, but their lives are certainly making it complicated for these teenagers to get back to their relationship.

KRISTEN:

I think they have a lot of drama going on in their lives right now, but they are getting closer and closer. I think maybe something will develop after all the drama dies down; with him going through so much, and her going through so much, and going through so much together. They have really realized that they need each other to help one another out. They’re realizing they are working better as a team than alone. I don’t really know if it’s anything romantic, quite yet. They are putting that on hold while they have so much to deal with.

brandon.jpgMICHAEL:

This past week she helped Cole with his drug addiction. How did that go for you?

KRISTEN:

Actually, in the scene where they are in Starr’s bedroom and he is detoxing, I thought Brandon did a phenomenal job on that. I could not wait to see the air shows, because it was all the ‘buzz’ around the studio how amazing he was.
I was in the scenes with him and caught up in the moment, and kind of shocked
at how realistic it was. It scared me. You know how traumatic things happen, or you see someone that you care about going through something, and it’s so emotional for you that you forget about
it a little, and this is how I felt about this. Brandon did such a great job and was so believable. I don’t remember that much
of it and that is why I was so interested
to see how it came out.

MICHAEL:

This week, and through May Sweeps, the investigation into baby Hope’s “death” is front and center!

KRISTEN:

Yes, there is going to be a lot that is uncovered about baby Hope’s “death”, and a lot of drama. It’s amazing and it’s stuff no one can miss, and if you miss an episode you are going to miss something. I think that what’s so great about it. It’s all coming out and building up to this big explosion! It will be really interesting to see what happens, and I think the fans will freak over all of it!

kristen_baby.jpgMICHAEL:

So, does our Starr finally learn the truth that her child did not “die”?

KRISTEN:

Yes, she finds out. I think it’s going to be quite overwhelming for her. The biggest thing is, while this is so amazing, she is like, “Oh, my God! Now I have this huge decision! Do I keep her? Or, do I still give her to Marcy?”

MICHAEL:

I know! We all know that sadly, Kathy Brier (Marcy) and Chris Stack (Michael) are exiting the show shortly. So the mystery is: are they going to leave Llanview with a baby in their arms?
Or be dejected, and leave Llanview
and start a new life?

KRISTEN:

Right. You don’t know if the baby is going with them. You know, the baby could be taken off everyone’s hands, and there are a lot of possibilities, and it involves almost everyone in Llanview. It’s been amazing to tape it all. Every time I get a script, I go “Oh, my God! This happens?” It’s exciting!

MICHAEL:

Kristen, you have been front and center all year long, and last year, too. If you don’t get the Emmy this year, I am going to throw a fit! You should have won it many times over, already. What did you submit? The nominations will be announced on Thursday… our fingers are crossed!

KRISTEN:

I submitted the episode when Starr first found out that the baby had died. She was in the hospital and she was talking to Blair and Marcy, wondering why the baby had not come back yet, and she is all excited. Dr. Joplin comes in with the horrible news, and we all figure it out right then and there. I think what was so great about the scenes was that everyone did such a great job. It was so realistic! I tend to get caught up in the scenes, as well. So, I watched my tape, and I am really happy with it. The other years that I have submitted my stuff, they would go, “Oh, you deserve it!” But, I never felt worthy of it. But now, I really feel confident with what I submitted.

oltl_prom.jpgMICHAEL:

Prom is this week, too! Oh, boy, drama! And top pop recording act, The Pussycat Dolls, performs for the kids of Llanview High! How was having them on the show?

KRISTEN:

I love them! They are one of my favorite bands, and I was freaking out. I was so excited that they were at One Life. What’s kind of fun about the prom scenes is that Starr and Cole have been going through so much drama; they haven’t had the chance to be their age and relax about stuff. They kind of go there to take their minds off everything. By the end of the night, they realize they can’t take their minds off of it, because their daughter is being exhumed that night. It’s hard to think, “Oh, Yay! The Pussycat Dolls!” As soon as they stop performing, when you are going through such a tough thing like that, it’s hard to not think about the reality.

pussycatdolls.jpgMICHAEL:

Did you get to meet and talk with Nicole Scherzinger, lead singer of the Dolls?

KRISTEN:

I did. I got to meet all the girls and they were all so sweet. Nicole was actually sick that day and you could not really tell because she was so professional, and she still went out and gave it her all. I said to her, “How are you feeling? I hear you are feeling sick?” And she went, “I am deadly sick.” But they were sweet, and it was great to have them on our show.

MICHAEL:

Trevor St John (Todd) and you are so terrific to watch as father/daughter… and so is Kassie DePaiva, as your mom, Blair. Do you have a close bond on and off the set?

trevor_kristen.jpgKRISTEN:

We all really do. I actually think what makes that bond stronger is that we are all really goofy people. We just laugh constantly. Even when we have serious scenes, there are times where Trevor says one thing and he knows it will crack me up in a scene that is not so traumatic. We all know how to crack each other up. We have a blast, and whenever we are rehearsing our lines, we at least run through it a couple of time in funny voices before doing it normally.

MICHAEL:

What did you think of the duct tape scenes where Starr was held hostage by former Marty gang rapist, Zack Rosen?

KRISTEN:

I thought they were so fun! I was on set going, “I get to be duct taped? How cool!” I know it may sound sick that I thought that was cool, but obviously, it was not real duct tape. So it was not sticky, nor did it hurt. I think it’s exiting to do stunts like that and to do daring things on the show. Zack was saying a lot of creepy things about Starr, and it was all very different. I have never performed material like that where I had a creepy guy coming on to me. I mean it was gross, but kind of funny. It was interesting.

MICHAEL:

Ron Carlivati (Head writer, “OLTL”) and you have an amazing collaboration in bringing Starr’s story to life Starr now seems she is way beyond her years in age, and that she does not enjoy certain aspects of being a teenager anymore. Is that how you are playing her?

duct_tape.jpgKRISTEN:

I realized it after watching the show of her giving birth. Also, after Starr went in to confront Todd and make him admit what he did. I just walked in and I had this different demeanor. I went, “Wow! Starr’s changed so much.” I think the storyline matured me, in a way. I did a lot of interviews about teen pregnancy, and really got the issue out there. I felt like I went through it myself, and learned a lot from it. It’s kind of matured me along with my character, and it’s had an affect on both of us.

MICHAEL:

Now, let’s turn to Starr’s relationship with Mr. “J”. Does she still have feelings for her former teacher, or is that over?

KRISTEN:

I think she was on the rebound and missed Cole. He was her best friend, and she wanted to be with him so bad. Langston is her best friend, but at the same time, Cole was going through terrible times like Starr was. She really related to Cole, because she was at the same maturity level as him. She lost Cole to drugs and she could not get him back, and she felt, “I am too messed up on my own. I can’t be helping him or I will go off the deep end.” So she went off and found this other person to replace her feelings for Cole, not only as a friend, but in another way. I think most of it was not sexual, but more out of desperation.

MICHAEL:

What do you think of Scott Clifton, who plays Schuyler Joplin?

KRISTEN:

He is amazing! I have known him for five years, ever since General Hospital. We used to do fan events together. He actually thought our age difference was so much more than it was. We are still 6 or 7 years apart. We were out to lunch one day and he says to me, “So you are 14, or whatever, right?” I go, “No, my 18th birthday is coming up,” and he goes, “You are going to be 18?” And I go, “Well you are like 27 or 28!” And he goes, “No, I’m 24.” And we were shocked, because he was always like my older friend, Scott and my buddy. And I was like “little Kristen” to him. So, to find out that we were then playing opposite one another was fun and crazy. When Scott auditioned for the role, I was ecstatic because we were really good friends. He is super sweet and fun to hang out with. Scott said to me, “I was so excited when I found out I would be working with you!”

scott_clifton.jpgMICHAEL:

Do you think their feelings for one another will be revisited, or is this romantic “thing” permanently squelched?

KRISTEN:

I don’t think that it’s going to come up later on. Starr and Schuler talked about everything that went on
and they realized what happened. Starr apologized and let him know that is not really how she felt. So, I think Schuyler had feelings for Starr because he missed Stacy, and she had feelings for him because she missed Cole. So they both understand what happened.

MICHAEL:

Over the next few weeks, are we going to need “hankies” when the bombshell drops about the baby-switch?

KRISTEN:

I know that Starr, and Marcie, and Jessica, and everyone are going to need “hankies”, and so I think the audience will, too! This will happen during the next few weeks and beyond. What’s so great about this storyline is that it is written so that it never ends. It’s written in a way that has explored everything, and has not been cut short, and nothing has been left out, or any important moments or decisions that characters have to make. It’s an actors dream to be on a show where you can develop the character in its entirety.

MICHAEL:

You have been so active in speaking on the subject of teen pregnancy, since Starr’s situation with that began well over a year and half ago. You spoke at seminars and symposiums, did PSA’s, and have really taken the issue and the responsibility of your television role to heart. Why was this so important for you to be speaking out on this very important social issue?

starr_cole.jpgKRISTEN:

It was really important for me to connect with my fans about the storyline I was doing, because I have been on the show for 11 years now. The audience sees me as their “little girl”. I really wanted to let them know how I felt about doing the storyline, and that I wasn’t forced to do it. I felt it was an important issue to get out there. I really wanted to connect with the audience and get this message out there that this does happen to people’s little girls. It’s not just, “Oh, that won’t happen to her,” because everyone thought, “Oh, that would not happen to Starr,” and it did. It happens to children of parents all the time. So, I think it was a really important issue to get out there, and also to kind of express my feelings about people being able to discuss things with each other. I think talking it alderson_dressup.jpgout with someone is the most important thing in someone’s life. If you cannot talk about things with someone… your parents, friends or family… if you can’t talk it out, there are going to be problems, and that is sometimes what happens with teenagers. They feel like they don’t have someone to talk to about sexual issues. So I really wanted to get out there and say, “Please, parents talk to your teens. It’s a really awkward issue but I’m telling you, you are going to feel better about it after, because it can prevent stuff from happening.” That was so great about doing my blog, “Start talking with Kristen”. I thought it was going to be a really big deal to do this storyline, but I had no idea how big it was going to be, and how much a success it would be, and how much I would personally learn from it. Once I was exploring it more and more and more, and learning the statistics of how many teenagers get pregnant, I thought. “We should really do more about this,” and it was great that we could!

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hey this is amy willard i have been a fan of one llife to live for a long time now i watch it every week day it comes on i really like the starr and cole storylines kristen alderson is my rolemodel for soaps tv i really love her i wish i could meet her i am 26 years old and i also think brandon buddy is cute and hot to i like him to and i think that kristen and him should be together in real life and i like how kristen talks about pregnany that is good

Interviews

‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Heather Tom Talks Daytime Emmy-Nominated Scenes and What’s Behind Katie’s Deep-Seated Issues with Dylan (Exclusive)

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Heather Tom

The Bold and the Beautiful’s Heather Tom (Katie Logan) is heading into the 53rd annual Daytime Emmys next month with a chance to win not one, but two gold statuettes to add to her collection of six!

Heather is once again a nominee for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series, and for the first time a nominee as part of B&B’s writing team in the Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Drama Series category.

Currently, Heather is tied with One Life to Live icon, Erika Slezak (Ex-Viki) as the actresses with the most wins in Daytime Emmy history. An acting victory by Tom would break the tie, although Slezak’s wins have all been for Lead Actress, while Tom literally grew up before our eyes over 35 years in daytime, and has won in all three actress categories: Younger, Supporting and Lead.

Photo: JPI

Whether Tom wins the gold this year, next year is looking even like stronger lock with Heather delivering some of the best work of her career, over the last several months. Who can forget Katie’s showdown with her sister Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) over the creation of her own fashion house named Logan, that slap from Brooke, and eventually being disowned from the Logan family by Brooke and their sister, Donna (Jennifer Gareis). 

This fall, Katie is in full momma bear-mode and being overprotective of her son Will Spencer’s (Crew Morrow) heart and pocketbook. In story, Katie has a massive distrust of Melissa Dylan, who has made her move on her son, while Will is still trying to deal with the break-up with the love of his life Electra Forrester.

During a live chat this week on the Michael Fairman Channel, Heather opened up on a myriad of subjects, including why Dylan gets under Katie’s skin in such a major way, and what scenes earned her a shot at Lead Actress gold at the October 30th Daytime Emmy ceremony.

Photo: JPI

HEATHER TOM’S DAYTIME EMMY SUBMISSION

In daytime, Heather Tom does it all, she acts, directs and writes for The Bold and the Beautiful. When deciding what material to submit for Emmy competition with its eligibility rules of episodes from 2025, it relayed heavily on scenes with her longtime B&B scene partner, Don Diamont (Bill Spencer).

“I submitted material having to do with the Luna (Lisa Yamada) storyline and having to do with Katie and Bill. I love that Katie and Bill have been really trying to find their way back to each other for, honestly, five years. He’s been trying to woo her back. Katie’s been like, ‘No.’ However, they come together, especially over their son, Will (Crew Morrow) and they have a very real relationship-type of discussion. It wasn’t an argument. It was more about, ‘I know you. Don’t do this.’ That’s always kind of been Katie’s relationship with Bill. The scenes with Don Diamont were about Katie and Bill’s history, the pain, and the drama, and especially about their son, seemed very familiar to me.”

Heather added, “There’s also a couple scenes with Will and Luna, when Katie finds out that Luna is pregnant. Katie was like, ‘Nope! Our son is having a baby with somebody, and we’re going to figure this out. We’ve got means and the ability to do this. I don’t care if we have to take this baby away from Luna because she’s crazy, we’ll figure it out.’ They were some really good scenes that I felt very proud of. I thought to myself, “OK, this is Katie really taking a stand for her son, and having these conversations with Bill where I just felt they were real and honest.”

In conclusion to standing by her choices of scenes, Heather explained, “It was nice to see Bill and Katie operating as a parental unit and have her be like, “Yep, we’re not doing this. You know, you can’t force Luna to do anything, so let’s just figure out how we’re dealing with this.” Katie was kind of the adult in the room. Then, the scenes where Bill says to Katie, “You have to come back to me and I need you,” while Katie shed a few tears, she still didn’t take him back, not yet.”

Photo: JPI

DYLAN BROKE THE ‘GIRLFRIEND CODE’

There are specific reasons why Katie has it out for Melissa Dylan. In fact, Dylan went so far as to get her mother Darcy Dylan to town to shut down Katie’s suspicions of her, but it still isn’t swaying Katie away from her stance on the matter. Heather revealed how she is playing the scenes.

“So, here’s the deal. It’s multifaceted,” began Tom. “This girl pushes Katie’s buttons. She reminds her of her sister, Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang), and what Katie’s going through with her sister right now is very unpleasant. I think she looks at this girl and says, “This girl is going to crawl over anyone to get what she wants. And right now, she wants my son, and she’s willing to throw her best friend (Electra) under the bus.”

Heather also said, “Honestly, there’s something known as the ‘girlfriend code.’ Would you like to know what the girlfriend code is? ‘The girlfriend code’ is if your girlfriend, who is also your best friend, dates a guy and is especially in love with him, it doesn’t matter if you break up, that guy is off limits. You need to find yourself another guy.”

KATIE’S TROUBLES WITH BROOKE AND DYLAN MAKE HER TAKE A STAND

Katie clearly draws a similarity to her sister Brooke and Melissa Dylan which is also driving her attitude, which Heather confirmed. “So to Katie, it’s like Dylan broke that code. She is someone who follows her heart just like Brooke and leaves carnage in her wake,” said Tom.

She continued, “I think Katie looks at her and goes ‘Okay, one, you were living in your car. You didn’t call your mother who clearly loves you and ask her for help, but you were more than willing to take help from this, lovely rich guy.’ I think Katie feels like the fact that Dylan has been so expressive of how in love she is with Will, I think she finds that a little weird.  She’s telling him that she’s e in love with him, and he doesn’t say it back to you. So, clearly he’s in not in love with you.”

In story, Katie can’t trust a young woman, who knows her son doesn’t feel the same way about her and yet is still hanging around. Heather shared Katie’s viewpoint to Dylan: “He’s clearly in love with your best friend. So, isn’t it a little unsettling that she kind of keeps saying she’s in love with him? So that’s my multifaceted reason why Katie doesn’t like her. It really has nothing to do with the fact that she came from humble beginnings because Katie did too. That being said, the Spencers are billionaires, so she would have to also look out for that. However, I don’t think that’s the main reason why she doesn’t like this girl or doesn’t trust her. I really don’t.”

You can check out the full conversation from our livestream conversation on the Michael Fairman Channel below.

Now let us know, are you rooting for Heather Tom to win the Lead Actress Daytime Emmy? What did you think of the scenes she submitted? Will Katie be proven right about Melissa Dylan, or will her distrust blow up in her face and she will wind up respecting Dylan when all is said and done? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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Interviews

‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Kelly Sullivan Talks Becoming Darcy Dylan, Who’s Melissa’s Dad, and Future Love Interest (Exclusive)

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Kelly Sullivan

Kelly Sullivan made her triumphant return to daytime on recent episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful in her new role as Darcy Dylan, the mother of Melissa Dylan (Sydney Bullock).

In story, Melissa, better known as just “Dylan,” phoned home to her mother to come to Los Angeles, in an effort to calm the waters with Will Spencer’s (Crew Morrow) nosy mother, Katie Logan (Heather Tom), who doesn’t trust Dylan one iota.

Soap fans remember Sullivan from her previous Daytime Emmy-nominated role sas Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri on General Hospital and as Sage Warner on The Young and the Restless. During a livestream conversation exclusively on the Michael Fairman Channel, Kelly spoke about her time on GH and Y&R, and the wonderful co-stars she shared the screen with, and her excitement on her brand new role on B&B.

Photo: JPI

As to her thoughts on if Darcy will ultimately prove to be a gold-digger, opportunist, but still has a heart of gold (as we saw in recent scenes with her daughter, seemingly), Sullivan explained, “Characters like Darcy can be dangerous. I think Darcy is a survivor and she can charm. She’s a flirt. She knows what she wants. Darcy is self-made, according to her, and she made it.”

THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN DARCY AND HER DAUGHTER, MELISSA DYLAN

However, Melissa plays a big role in what’s next for Darcy! Kelly explained, “She’s got this beautiful daughter and that was her entire life who is now making her way. Let me tell you, I don’t know what Darcy’s retirement plan is, but one would assume she doesn’t have much savings. This is a great opportunity for her to connect with her daughter and get the lay of the land.”

Finding out that Melissa has been dating Will Spencer from the rich and powerful Spencer family in Los Angeles, while initially a shock, could prove interesting if the mother/daughter were to work together for a common cause, their survival.

Sullivan explained, “Darcy’s all about the tabloids and all about this life of illusion and the haves and have-nots, essentially. She would never shy away from an opportunity to see what’s around the corner. I think the interesting thing for me, that I’m excited about is to explore the dynamic between Darcy and Melissa and what is that going to become?”

From all accounts, Darcy is here to stay in Los Angeles, and fans will see much more of Sullivan on their-screens. “Darcy’s not going anywhere”, confirmed Kelly. “I always said to Sydney Bullock, Darcy didn’t buy a round trip ticket. If you think about it, Melissa could be her ticket. She might be Darcy’s only hope. There are serious stakes here if Darcy has been waiting for this moment.”

Photo: JPI

SHARING SCENES WITH HEATHER TOM

Last week, Sullivan had her first on-screen confrontation with Heather Tom. In the scenes, Katie was disapproving of Dylan and let Darcy know it. Eventually, Darcy takes Dylan with her to leave Will’s beach house apartment, but Will stops Dylan.

Recalling the taping of the scenes, Kelly said, “Heather Tom is a real special artist. In the story between Katie and Darcy, you’ve got momma bear and you’ve got momma bear. You can’t fault either of these women for how they feel, and how protective they are of their children.”

There are many things viewers and perhaps the writers have not totally fleshed out about the Dylans. Are their Dylan sisters coming, or to be revealed to rival the Logan sisters? Who is Melissa’s biological father? Plus, some more nuggets as Kelly revealed.

“I think there is a juicy, juicy story there of the Dylans,” previewed Sullivan. “It would also be interesting if they decide who Melissa’s dad is. Who is that? I mean, that’s interesting. You know, when I auditioned for this role, it said on the page that the character was charming, from the Midwest, and dance skills a plus. and I was a Broadway dancer. So, I hope this means there might be an opportunity to dance on the show at some point.”

Photo: JPI

DARCY DYLAN AND WYATT SPENCER PAIRING?

As for the men on the canvas, Kelly was asked what she thought of a potential Darcy and Wyatt Spencer (Darin Brooks) pairing? To which she responded, “That would be so much fun. I’m such a fan of Darin’s work. Oh, I would have a ball working with him. One of the things that really excited me about Darcy when I was coming into audition for her was that they said that they wanted her to have a  comedic sensibility, comedic chops as they said it.”

Sullivan concluded, “To work with Darin, I would be so lucky. He’s such a great actor and he’s got great comedic timing and he’s just really present and phenomenally talented. He’s a great actor, so I would love that. I mean, anyone on the show would be really fun.  You throw it at the wall (in daytime) and say, ‘Is there a thing? Is there something here?’ Chemistry is chemistry.”

Now below, and in case you missed it, you can check out our full video livestream chat with Kelly Sullivan below.

So, what have you thought of Kelly’s performances thus far as Darcy? Do you think Darcy will turn out to be an opportunistic woman, but who deeply cares and loves her daughter, or will it turn out to be a ruse? Would you like to see Kelly paired with Darin Brooks on-screen as a love interest, and who do you think truly is Melissa Dylan’s biological father? Weigh-in 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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