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The Sarah Brown Interview – The Bold and the Beautiful

By Michael Fairman

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Sarah Brown

© JPI Studios

In another great casting coup for the Daytime Emmy Award winning drama, The Bold and the Beautiful, last month Sarah Brown joined the cast as the mysterious Sandy Sommers, who is the surrogate to Nick and Bridget’s baby.  Sarah, no stranger to winning awards, (she has won three Emmys herself for her role as Carly on General Hospital) is firmly planted in a top secret storyline that insiders say is beyond spectacular.  As more time plays out viewers will learn what is really going on with Sandy and her connection to others on the B&B canvas.  In this revealing TV SOAP Australia interview, the actress talks about landing the new role, the beginning of Sandy’s unraveling, and gives a glimpse to how she is crafting the physical and emotional life of her new character.

A true acting chameleon, Sarah had just finished up her second time in her soap career on General Hospital as the psychotic Claudia Zacchara.  During November on US television, one day Sarah got clubbed to death as a mafia princess, and the next day she was in a trailer park playing a seemingly down-trodden young woman on B&B.  It’s all in a day’s work for this dynamic and fearless talent.

This TV SOAP Australia feature will appear an upcoming issue of the publication.  If you want to see more TV SOAP Australia interviews click here!

MICHAEL:

How did this come to pass that you ended up on B&B?

SARAH:

My contract with General Hospital was going to be up in January 2010 but they had written my character of Claudia out.   When they told me that the character was going to be exiting, someone heard that Brad Bell was interested in contacting me!  It was literally 48 hours at the most.  I was honored and flattered.  I was like, “Yeah, I want to talk to Brad Bell!”  I think there was an initial thought, “Will she talk or think about doing another soap?” and they said, “Brad Bell wants to talk to you.”  My mom had been a Y&R fan growing up.  So I saw the show and am familiar with the Bell legacy and the family’s work and thought, “This is really cool!”  I think I was watching Y&R one day when I went, “I want to do that,” and I remember watching Heather Tom when I was very young playing Victoria Newman.   I remember thinking, “I can do what she does.  I want to do that.”

MICHAEL:

So then did you always know you wanted to become an actress?

Sandy and Whip

© JPI Studios

SARAH:

I really didn’t, but a lot of my friends in the 7th grade were getting into it, and it was until the 9th grade where I could take an elective and I thought, “Well, a lot of my other friends are taking drama,” and thought that was cool.  I was a gymnast and very sports oriented and doing that after school.  So, I thought I would give it a try.  I gravitated to it, and my teacher said, “I should look into it, and you are really good at it.”  She told me of The High School of Performing Arts. People were responding to me in that way and I could make them laugh.  I liked experiencing that, and I could remember all the lines of everyone in the cast!  This is something I did not know I could do.  It was easy for me to improv, too, and I went home to my Mom and said, “This is really cool.”

MICHAEL:

“Sandy Sommers” was an interesting choice of name for your character, but then we learn her real name is “Agnes Jones”.  What did you think of these first names for your new character?

SARAH:

It was in Brad Bell’s head that I was going to be called Sandy Sommers and he was gracious and wonderful about it and brought me into the process.  That name was not as locked down as the ideas for the character were.  He was offering me different names, “Agnes” as well.  But I really like the name Agnes.  I remember Bob Guza (head writer, GH) saying to me, “What did you think of the name Claudia?” and I said, “I love it.   It’s sexy!”  So names are important to a character.

MICHAEL:

On GH you played both Carly and Claudia… a tough as nails woman.

SARAH:

She is a broad, not a woman.  I am a broad. There is something in me that people pick up on and put me in those roles, and I am happy in those roles. Whenever I am given the opportunity to play the girl next door they don’t come to me for that.  They come to me for, “Yes, I have a problem when I come to the door, and even if I look like the girl next door there is something else going on.”  I don’t know what this is about. Maybe it’s because I was a gymnast and played football when I was a kid, and there was fighting spirit that comes through in me. Sandy is not a fighter.

MICHAEL:

Sandy seems, at this point, almost afraid of her own shadow.

SARAH:

She is very timid to me, and even has food delivered to her trailer where the grass does not grow.  She is not trying to get anywhere with her life and that is what is really sad.

Sandy with stuffed animals

© JPI Studios

MICHAEL:

You went from mafia princess to a trailer park?

SARAH:

Hey, I am an actress, I live for this.  I like to change.  I cannot be the mafia princess for many, many years.  I know that. I know the fans of mine know me better than to think I would do something beyond the point where I got stale.

MICHAEL:

Sandy
had this array of stuffed animals all over her trailer when you first started on the show.  What was that about?

SARAH:

I don’t know why there were so many stuffed animals in the trailer.  I remember on my first day that the character has to evolve, and so if you don’t have the luxury of rehearsal time to go over things with your director or your producers it’s all by the seat of your pants.  So, it’s not something that was not addressed, but by the time we arrived on set there was a lot to do. I felt that it wasn’t something that I had any information about so I let it be.  For all I knew it’s going to come up in further stories.   Brad wrote it and planned it.  I stepped in and was the actor with the words, and so I did not see the need for that many stuffed animals, I will be honest.  I think it was overlooked, to be honest.  (She laughs)   I would say, “Can we remove this? This is destroying my mojo!”  I mean there were canned foods placed in certain areas of the trailer that just did not seem realistic to me. (Laughs)

MICHAEL:

Agnes/Sandy’s story involves being the surrogate for Nick and Bridget’s baby.  Did you do research for the role surrounding surrogacy?

SARAH:

I always do research, and there is a good book on the subject.  I have met people who have gone through this and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, “Y&R”) is expecting a baby via surrogacy this month.

Christmas group

© JPI Studios

MICHAEL:

How is working with Nick and Bridget, Jack Wagner and Ashley Jones?

SARAH:

These two are great!  I have got to say, it’s a wonderful group of actors to work with, and it’s different.  It’s not a mafia or Sopranos-type of show, and it’s not a crime show.  There is not a lot of crime, but there is a lot of heartbreak and dealing with families who have very complicated relationships with each other. That is fascinating and interesting. I know that Bridget and Nick have been together on again and off again a really long time, and I have a great time with them.  I feel that the plot thickens and I think we make a good group, the four of us, which includes Rick Hearst (Whip) too.  I think the current story is fun for me, and when I watch actors who are challenged and pulled in different directions, the audience likes that.  They think, “My actor is being challenged. Let’s see if they can do it.  Can they pull it off?  “

MICHAEL:

So much was made of two daytime dynamos, Susan Flannery (Stephanie) and Sarah Brown on the same show.  Will there be a Stephanie/Sandy smackdown anytime soon?

SARAH:

There will be no smackdown in the immediate future, but they definitely put us in proximity, and you will see that. You will be so excited and happy.  I work with her and I see her daily.  Susan is the Queen Bee and I am floored by her.  My first day of working with her was awesome!  She is revered and a wonderful actress.  I love Alley Mills (Pam) too.  I have been a fan of hers since “Wonder Years”.  It did not dawn on me till I had the best night with Alley.  I was hanging out with her at the International Women’s Courage and Journalism Awards, and we yapped and I loved her.  I come to work the next day, and I say, “Alley, why do I feel like you are my mom?  I feel like I know you forever!” Then it occurred to me, “Were you the mom on Wonder Years?  OMG!”

MICHAEL:

So will the audience want to root for Sandy?

SARAH:

She is an enigma.  I totally think people are going to root for her. And, it’s not like root for her like she is this victim.  She is definitely coming forward with some things in short order that are potentially very jarring for all parties involved.  It’s been a great month playing that material.

Nick and Bridget and Sandy

© JPI Studios

MICHAEL:

Sandy is at a photo shoot of Owen and Jackie’s and when flashbulbs go off and just by being there, something happens to her….

SARAH:

She has a panic attack and storms out of the room, and potentially losing Nick and Bridget’s confidence because it’s such a shocker, because she is pregnant with their child. They rush out of the shoot wanting to talk about maternity wear, and lets hangout, and have lunch, and Bridget wants to get to know her, the way that a woman would want to know somebody that is carrying their child.  It’s got to be so nerve-wracking!  In this situation you are carrying someone else’s child and the other woman has complete lack of control.

MICHAEL:

I see a triangle coming between Nick, Bridget and Sandy.

SARAH:

With a pregnant woman?  Let’s see…. maybe.

MICHAEL:

You won three Daytime Emmys as Carly Corinthos on General Hospital.  Where do you keep those?

Sarah and Jordan

© JPI Studios

SARAH:

My Emmys – I have a grand piano in the middle of my living room and there is a big book shelf there, and funny enough it’s the same book shelf that is in Susan Flannery’s office.  I have them where I can see them from the piano.  I like to look at them, but at the same time, you know I won these for Carly and that was such a long time ago that it might be good for my own psyche just to put them in my own bookcase.  Keep them out but out of the way, so I can aspire to new heights all the time.

MICHAEL:

Of all your victory nights, was there one that was most memorable?

SARAH:

Yes.  I thought I was going to deliver my daughter right on stage.  I thought my water broke right on stage.  I was 8 months pregnant so flying from LA to NY was a big deal and I walked the red carpet, and it was extensively long and it was hot and humid.  I remember thinking, “Oh my God. I am going to pass out right here on stage.”

MICHAEL:

On GH, when you came back as Claudia and worked opposite of Laura Wright, the new Carly was that strange?

SARAH:

Yes for sure. There were funny moments when I first met Carly on camera and I go, “You look really familiar?” (Laughs)  I have to say when I came in Laura Wright had already been there for four years and she knows her Carly.  And I am so far away from Carly now.  People say, “I would love to see Sarah Brown come back to play Carly,” but they wouldn’t see the same Carly.  I am a completing different woman now than Carly. I have no regrets giving up the role.

MICHAEL:

You went from dark hair when you started on B&B, then went to your blonde hair again. What is the story behind the color change?

Sarah Brown

© JPI Studios

SARAH:

I came to B&B with dark hair because I was shooting both shows at the same time.  So there was an overlap, and so Brad figured out a tricky way to do this.  So I changed my hair color after I was done with GH.  Brad wanted her to have this Sandy blonde color.   I went to my hair stylist/artist and he did it up for me.  I love the color now.

MICHAEL:

Have you ever ventured to Australia?

SARAH:

Yes.  I have been to Sydney for two weeks, when I was pregnant with my daughter Jordan.  I went on a month vacation from GH and I went there in 1997 and stayed at a beautiful hotel right on the Sydney Harbor directly across from the Opera House.  I went to the zoo in Sydney, and I went to the Blue Mountains.  I took a helicopter ride where you touch down in the mountains.  You see all in these woods and this gorgeous territory and land everywhere.  I saw different animals and wild life. There was a moment when I was sure we were going down because helicopters and heights are not my favorite thing.  It was an incredible trip to Australia.  It’s so much like LA but backwards on the time. When you first arrive you are knocked out from the long travel distance.  I saw Kool and the Gang in Australia. They were playing in the hotel, and it was awesome.  Coolest thing ever!  I would go back.  It’s fabulous and a great place to visit.

MICHAEL:

You are huge on Twitter!  Are you addicted to tweeting? (Laughs)

Sarah and Maurice

Courtesy/ABC

SARAH:

Yes, I love Twitter.  I think it’s really fun.  I see the benefits in Twitter and I like the idea of everyone being connected. Twitter is like the matrix and the fact that you can reach out with a typed sentence. You can reach out to people all over the world and they get back to you. It’s information traveling that freely and quickly.  I went one by one to my cast members at GH and said, “People like this. They want to hear from you.   They want to be in touch with you.”  In a way, it’s funny how the paparazzi have harassed the celebrities and this is a way that celebrities take the fun out of that, because they are the ones dropping their own gossip about their own lives instead of letting someone take them away from their private moments. They can put their private moments out there, and create their own image, which is with personal and private moments with the fans.  You can share bits and pieces with them and share your own pictures.  So maybe now they won’t be stalked by their “Stalkerazzi’s.”  It would not be such an issue in the future.     It desensitizes celebrity life a bit.   I am a really digital person and have been working in digital editing for 9 or 10 years.  I like being able to snap my finger and have an immediate connection.

MICHAEL:

When you were leaving GH to come to B&B, what did your cast mates say?

SARAH:

Everybody was wonderful and gracious going, “You are going over to a rival show! What are you doing?” (Laughs) No, everyone was congratulating me and happy I had a place to go.

MICHAEL:

Will you miss working with former GH leading man, Maurice Benard (Sonny)?

Sarah Brown

© JPI Studios

SARAH:

I will miss Maurice, but I have other projects and endeavors that I look forward to bringing him into in the future that I have talked to him about, outside of GH and into eternity.

MICHAEL:

In closing, if we could tease the viewers what can we say? Sandy is going to be….

SARAH:

She is going to be up a creek very soon.  She is going to have her back-up against the wall in a scene that comes up really quickly here.  She already does with Whip, and she is going through a lot chaos and the audience is going to get a very quick Agnes/Sandy 101 in the coming weeks!

14 Comments

14 Comments
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I just love her I think she is so great at everything she does
Great interveiw I still love her best as Carly

love her I still think shes the best Carly too!!! Love the interveiw wonder what project shes talking to Maurice about??

love her/ will miss her but she will be great at anything she does
love the interveiw

Sarah Brown really gave a great interview. Michael, you always have such great rapport with your actors. She alwys gives and gives in her performances. That’s why she is always in demand. I believe she should be on a night time series. I have seen her guest starring a couple of times. Michael, your new site is exciting and very attractive. Carry on…..

I’m excited about Sarah’s new character and love seeing her do something different.

Loved Sarah as Claudia she really did one awesome job with such a complicated character. Sandy looks like she could be just as complicated… Sweet.. Sandy just needs more airtime.

I don’t understand for the life of me why interviewers have such difficulty remembering to ask Sarah about RICK HEARST! I mean COME ON! That to me was the greatest link/surprise for me when I found out that she was coming to B&B, the chance to get back into that fantastic working relationship she has with Rick. I’m glad that she so graciously remembered to add his name in herself.

Too bad that Sarah/Rick are portraying cousins, because I would have loved to see that relationship explored.

Ah well, the rest of the interview was good, and I’m really loving Sandy’s mysteriousness. Rock on Sarah!

I love Sarah Joy Brown she is an awesome actress and she really inspires me to do better in my life. I pray that I get the chance to meet her someday! I miss my girl Claudia but I will be her #1 fan rooting her on at all she does. Love ya SJB!!! 🙂

I would have really liked to see Rick Heart and Sarah Joy Brown’s charcters on B&B be love interest. I think that GH missed the boat big time when they decided not to make their characters really love interests. Iam however excited to see these two back onscreen together. I think they have such great chemistry together as actors. Iam looking forward to watching Whip and Agnes relationship devolope even if its not a romantic one.

Sarah is amazing!!! Enjoying her s/l better on B&B!!! I think it’s a much more enjoyable show in general.

Good interview Michael 🙂 She’s doing great on B&B, her and Rick have a great dynamic.

Sarah is so awesome! She seems soo nice and she can take on any challenge anyone give her! love her! Miss Claudia always will haha

I adore sarah but her character on the show is lack luster 🙁

I will miss DOOL’s Madison, played by her, when the character leaves the show. Brady is her soulmate!

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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