General Hospital
William deVry Interview: Actor Speaks Out On His GH Contract Status, Julian's Future, Julexis, & Fan Support!
Photo Credit: ABC
It’s been a long hot summer, and one of the burning issues in soapland has been whether General Hospital and William deVry (Julian Jerome) can reach a deal that would put the popular star back under contract after negotiations were at an impasse.
After taping his last episode under his contract at the end of June, as of July, Will had not returned to the set of the ABC daytime drama series to continue the story of mobster Julian Jerome, and the rebuilding of the love story that had been known as “Julexis”.
GH and deVry fans have been very vocal on social media voicing their displeasure that he has not inked a new deal since the actor has made it publicly known he very much would like to remain with the show, and dig deeper into the next phase of Julian’s journey; which would hopefully feature some redemption, and other shades of this complex character.
Will sat down over GHFCW 2017 with On-Air On-Soaps for this in-depth, candid interview where he addresses where things stand with GH, if a return may be imminent, how he is moving on if they should not, his experiences with some of his major scene partners including: Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) and Maurice Benard (Sonny), and much more. Here’s what he shared in our conversation below.
So, take me though what happened. You taped, which was for now, your last episode of GH at the end of June, and at that point contract negotiations were still going on?
Photo Credit; JPI Studios
WILLIAM: The negotiations were sort of starting at the point. I had hoped we could wrap it up quickly. I guess, times in daytime have changed quite a bit. Things weren’t wrapped up as quickly as I would have preferred, and for all I know, maybe they did not get wrapped up as quickly as Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital) would have preferred. Everybody has mandates. In the meantime. they are telling a story that allows them the freedom of having a little bit of breathing space for when I am hopefully back. I am auditioning for other shows right now, and have a couple of things that I am close to getting. I feel bad for the fans, really.
Your fans have really gotten behind this and voiced their displeasure over you currently not being at GH, and wanting the show to work things out with you.
WILLIAM: I agree with you. They have gotten behind me, and I’m very thankful. It’s surprising to be honest with you!
In a way, it reminds me of your time as Michael Cambias on All My Children. There was so much potential to keep that dark side of the character, similar to Julian, but not turn him so bad that he was irredeemable. Ultimately, Michael was killed-off, though.
WILLIAM: Yes. I think back to when I played Michael Cambias on All My Children. When he first came on the fans loved him, and then Megan McTavish (Ex-head writer, AMC) just skewered him.
At GH, what do you think their position is in regards to wanting to work things out with you?
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
WILLIAM: At General Hospital, the good news is they want to keep me there, and I am thankful for that. I love the show … I love working on the show, and I know Frank is passionate about it. But again, mostly I feel bad for the fans, because the powers-that-be at the show know what’s going on. I know what’s going on, some of my closest friends know what is going on, but the fans don’t know what is going on, and not only do they not understand what is going on, they don’t know why, and that’s tough. It’s probably tougher for me than anybody else. The good news is we are super close to a resolution, and I hope that it is good news. I am just going to keep doing my thing. I am enjoying myself auditioning.
Is going back into the world of auditioning hard to do when you have not been doing that on an on-going basis, given that you spent the last four years at GH?
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
WILLIAM: It’s a muscle you have to use when you audition. Now when you play Julian Jerome there is a confidence, and knowledge behind the work of the character. I find I have to work four times as hard to prepare to go out for an audition. If they call me at 6pm the night before, and say I have an audition at 10am in the morning, I will try to use as much of that time and get as little sleep as I can. For instance, if I have 50 minutes to spare, I will decide to build a bio on this guy, and give him a background so I am confident when I go into the room for the audition. A lot of actors hate auditioning, but I love auditioning, because that’s the real work. The payoff is when you have fun and get paid. Our job is to get the gig. I think the playtime is when we are working.
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
I produced B&B’s 30th Anniversary tribute for this year’s 44th annual Daytime Emmy ceremonies. I remember sitting in the edit bay watching Storm’s suicide. Years later, it was still so powerful as a performance, and the way it was directed. I was so moved by it. The point I am making here is that the four years you spent playing GH’s Julian, while I understand a huge part of it is in the writing, you took what’s on the page and made the character work as you have done throughout your soap career.
WILLIAM: I appreciate you saying that. The writers have given me a lot of material to challenge me with, for sure, and I am thankful for it. I am an actor, so I agree with you. It’s up to us to bring those pages to life. You have to really think about; is there any empathy there, and finding the likability in someone even if they are doing dastardly deeds. I have had a great time over the four years at GH, and I hope it continues. Going back to your comment on The Bold and the Beautiful…
Wait! Could Storm actually be alive? (Laughs) Stranger things have happened on the soaps and B&B!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
WILLIAM: Well, possibly. We had a couple of conversations over the years, but I do remember getting notes that they kind of wanted me to lose my s**t before it all went down. I felt that there is a calm that needs to happen before the storm for it to pay off. So when you are playing it as if you are freaking out along the way, you know it’s going to happen. This way, you don’t. I felt like I didn’t want anybody to know where Storm was emotionally during that whole time. When he is looking at the pictures of the sisters, he knows it’s a possibility, but I also think when he is looking at the pictures that is when he is making that decision, and he knew it all along, but he finally allows himself to believe he is going to go there. That’s where that emotion and pain comes out right in that split second. Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, B&B) coming into the hospital room and running in from outside in the hallway with Nick (Jack Wagner) and realizing what was going, I thought was really well-shot and directed. I know Brad Bell (EP and head writer, B&B) was super happy with it. Interestingly enough, I have had this problem a few times, where if you are just looking at me from across the room, or on the monitor, or in warm-ups you might not register what I’m doing. Frank Valentini said to me one time, “When I tape you Will, I prefer to come in really close. It’s not that you’re not doing anything, but you have to come in really close to catch it.”
Have the GH contract talks and your current status with the show, and the last few months, been an extremely frustrating time for you?
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
WILLIAM: Not as a professional actor, because being out in my element, I am a super confident guy, and I will continue to work. The frustration lies that I honestly feel that it just shouldn’t be this hard. Again, everyone has a mandate, and I do feel like people have my back, but they only have so much power. I have told the powers-that-be that daytime is in this weird era of telling multiple stories instead of focusing on consistency and that’s frustrating to me. I meet so many fans, and they are so passionate, and they have differences of opinion. Some are Julian fans, and some are not. But the one thing that they can all agree on is they want the core characters, and they want to see the core every day. We are in the salary cap era, and it’s all scientific. They are going to devote, and I am probably going to get myself in trouble for saying this, but they are going to devote this pot of money to all the recurring character stories, and this pot of money to all the contract players and stories, and they are not going to deviate from those. That is the way it is. It’s scientific. It’s about we know we can pay our bills at the end of the year, and that’s just what it is going to be. That’s all we can do. It doesn’t matter if one of these contract guys runs off the charts in popularity, it doesn’t matter, and it should. I know we are all being reasonable, and I know we were all challenged. We all are in the same boat. I want to be a part of the solution. I don’t want to be a part of the problem, and I don’t think I am part of the problem. I feel like I love the show, I feel like I promote the show. I go on Twitter and promote the show. It’s natural for me to do things like that, because I am so passionate about it. I want to do it. Of course, being an actor you don’t have that power, and that is the frustrating part. I think that is where a lot of actors get into trouble, but then a lot of us wouldn’t be so good if we weren’t so damn passionate.
Let’s talk Julexis. There was this whole controversy of how could Julian be redeemed after everything he did to Alexis.
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
WILLIAM: I was really concerned about that, but I have to give props to the writers. They somehow knew they would fix it in the end. I feel like there are some fans that things will never be fixed for, but I don’t feel like they were really true fans anyway. I think of the ones who love Julexis, there is maybe 10% who go “that bridge is burned”, but there is still that 90% that are still raging for it. Everyone else has been given vindication on the GH canvas. Everyone else has been fixed and is still surviving, and they think Julexis should be able to that as well. That is yet another frustrating thing for the fans. I don’t like to compare other characters to mine, but somehow Julian keeps getting s**t on, but that is part of the story. That is part of the excitement, and what gets people rooting for characters, or throwing bricks at the TV at other ones. It’s part of the whole genre, and I get it. That’s the cool thing about it. And again, I want to be a part of the solution, and I don’t want to rock the boat.
What did the fans say to you at your event and during GHFCW?
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
WILLIAM: They don’t understand. They just don’t get it. They don’t know why it’s taking so long to get it done. For them, it’s a no-brainer: “We want Will back. What’s the problem?” They are kind of embodying me (laughs) and they are kind of taking that on.
When you left and taped your last episode at General Hospital at the end of June, obviously you left feeling there was much unresolved for Julian.
WILLIAM: Oh, yeah. I feel like there is more story to tell, and I don’t feel it’s been exhausted by any stretch of the imagination, and that’s the sad thing; that there is so much left to explore. I feel like we have told a lot of good stories, but I feel like there are so many stories that we haven’t told. I also feel there are a lot of people in the cast I haven’t worked with that I would love to have the chance to be in scenes with. There is a lot of stuff Julian hasn’t explored about himself. There are also relationships that need to be explored further between his children: Lucas (Ryan Carnes) and Sam (Kelly Monaco). In addition, his relationship with Olivia (Lisa LoCicero), who is the mother of his other child, would be great to explore as well.
On your last tape day, did everyone know on the set?
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
WILLIAM: No, nobody knew. It was right before a three-week summer break and everyone wanted to finish up and leave, and start their vacations. So, you shoot your last scene and it was like, “BAM … everybody’s gone!” I am not the first one to go through it in daytime.
If things do not pan out with GH, would you go to another soap if there was a great role that popped up?
WILLIAM: I am focused on primetime right now. I could never say never to going back to the soaps. In a lot of ways, it’s a home. If somebody were to say, “I’m done”, there is a lot of emotional work behind saying that. A lot of actors have said, “I’m done” but they don’t know how to prepare for the truth of that. There is a truth of being really done. You now have to go out and get work, and that is not easy to do. You have to disconnect emotionally from daytime. You can’t think you can always just pick up the phone. Having that crutch of being able to pick-up the phone means you won’t be concentrating on getting other work, because you are constantly seeing the soft landing. There is no ledge, and you have to jump off the ledge.
What show on primetime would you like to appear on?
Courtesy/SingleMomAGoGo
WILLIAM: I just auditioned for a significant role on Taken. I love that show. It’s funny, in the breakdown it said, “Must be able to stand their ground with Jennifer Beals. And I’m like, “That’s me!” Actually, Michelle Stafford (Nina, GH) helped me put some material down on videotape for Taken. It was funny. I felt like I was having virtual sex from across the room! (Laughs) Michelle was so flattering. She would say, “Oh, my God! That was so good!” I would go, “God, Michelle! I feel like you are sitting in my lap right now.” (Laughs) She talked with the cameraman and goes, “Wasn’t he great?” The cameraman goes, “OK, yeah.” (Laughs). This all happened because it was a request from Toronto that I put myself on tape for the role. Being Canadian, they know me up there. Now, I just want to say how much I love Michelle, and also to thank her for helping me with this.
Looking back at your time as GH’s Julian; was there a point in the story that you loved the most, or in his journey?
WILLIAM: On a personal level working with Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) was great, honestly.
Do you think Nancy upped your acting game being in scenes with her?
Photo Credit: JPI Studops
WILLIAM: That is an interesting question. I am a Taurus. I’m not easy. Nancy is a pain in the ass (laughs), but we have had so much fun and that made for some great scenes. As far as the story goes and character-wise, I love the challenge that they gave me where he has to go to the edge and then pull it back in trying to redeem himself. I think the only person I drove nuts a little bit was Maurice Benard (Laughs). He has been doing the show for 24 years. He knows his character well enough that he can learn his lines the night before, and run it during the rehearsal. He has decades of confidence that he will remember his dialog. Will comes into work wanting to work and run his lines, so Maurice would be like, “Yeah, we will run it,” but then he would add, “Dude, you have to have the confidence.” He was in essence saying to me, “Don’t worry about it. It will be there when you need it to be.” I am more like, “I need to know and have the confidence that it will be there. I can’t just wish it.” Maurice would laugh at me and it wasn’t a bad thing, and he has always had my back on the show. That is another whole storyline still left to explore. I was brought on, and my screen-test was with the character of Sonny. I feel like there is a lot more adversarial stuff to still play, or now even the allied stuff; like the prison material, which is great. I thought that gave a good example of what Sonny and Julian could do.
Many felt you deserved a Daytime Emmy nomination this past season for your work. You had several meaty scenes and some Emmy-worthy material. Some thought you could nab a Supporting Actor nod.
Photo Credit; JPI Studios
WILLIAM: I went for “Lead Actor”, and I still think I should have been nominated. You have to value yourself. I would rather not get nominated, than not submitting myself where I feel I belong, or to just try to get a nomination. Honestly, it’s not that important to me. I just think if I can’t go in with the “Lead Actors” than I’m not interested in it. I’m not saying anything other than that is where I want to be. Everybody else is there to judge whether I deserve to be there or, not. That is not my job. My job is to give myself value.
In closing, what would you like to say to your ardent fans?
WILLIAM: For all the fans who want to know if they are just whistling Dixie here and wondering if there is any hope? Yeah, there is always hope.
So, what did you think about the comments made by William and his status with GH? Do you hope a deal can be struck that would bring him back under contract at the ABC daytime drama series? What should happen then to Julexis? Comment below!
I wish bro Julian and Sis Ava were more like GLs Alan and his sis Alexandra…two great soap vilians who werent killers and wickedly fun to watch with their plotting and scheming…had GH lost him he would had been a good Peter Blake at Days!!!
Even though I’m sure he won’t have any trouble lining up new roles, I suppose this actor could always teach a class on “soap operas” at deVry University!
There we go! “Weren’t killers . . . wickedly fun to watch.” That’s what we need.
Enough killers!
And what’s this about Laura and Kevin–Genie and Jon–going to Paris and off-screen? Wow, TPTB are really blind. Don’t know the cardinal rule: “Give ’em what they want.” Boo! Hiss!
Nancy
Both Genie Francis and Finola Hughes have extended summer vacations written into their contracts. At least the writers were able to stagger them by a few weeks. If only Maurice would bless the audience with the same!
On OLTL, Erika Slezak was known for having her August vacation in her contract. They either pre-taped some scenes, or Viki was off camera in September.
Not sure but I think Genie takes time off this time of year for family.
@jimh…Per your “Diane comment” below: I’ll say this much for Attorney Miller…at least she was properly mortified at the thought of her beloved Max taking over Sonny’s place at the helm of his criminal enterprise…were that Alexis, it would have inspired a gush of unabated sexual euphoria! Hence not only does the superb legal eagle Diane possess common sense in spades, but she has exquisite style and a shoe collection to kill for to boot! (No pun intended….)
“I think it was one of those situations where people come back and people go out.”
So is he referring to Steve Burton? So let’s get this straight, Steve is responsible for all the money that is needed for DeVry as well as the reason Budig is gone right?
Meanwhile they aren’t paying Tyler Christopher’s salary anymore because God knows keeping a 20 year Vet who just won an Emmy isn’t important. Jane Elliott’s money is freed up. Geary’s big salary has been gone two years, but I see on a bunch of sites that Burton coming back is responsible for so much. Yet Frank figures out a way to keep paying Howarth and Easton. Easton on his 95th character and Howarth after staging a walkout and only showing how his absence has no impact on the show.
I cannot believe Steve would be so expensive. After all, he is no Tom Cruise! I would rather have Will and Rebecca stay and dump Howarth and Easton any day!
Their is a blood bath coming and they need it but Howarth and Easton will not be a part of it. I have said it a million times their is nobody in this business who makes or breaks a show no matter how big their ego is! Yet to see a actor that is that great personally I think Maura west should go else where she has the old Hollywood glamour she could make it!
I hope they work out a deal. I really love Julian. He’s compelling, and I think it benefits two of my favorite characters especially, Sam and Ava, to have him on the canvas. I was concerned last year after he tried to kill Alexis, but now that we know he had a plan to get her out of that, I can forgive that. And make no mistake I am aware of the suspension of disbelief that requires, but I’m used to that after watching many soaps. Alexis and Julian are great together, and I hope their story will be allowed to continue.
Completely agree, Lucky! I said almost the same thing on various posts.
I hope not….Lucky …
@Lucky….Whilst you are obviously not alone in your great desire for this outcome, I do not join you in that hope. This vomit-inducing couple needs to be dunzo….’tis a shame that may involve the necessary exit of deVry’s Julian, who on his own could have been a real keeper had the storylines gone in a completely different direction, but inexorably attached to that wanton ball-and-chain also known as the neurotic Alexis, his (dramatic) stock—along with future possibilities–dipped precipitously, then sank faster than those associated with the dotcom bubble when it eventually burst. Too bad, since it really shouldn’t have ended this way for such a talented actor. (I really hope the same fate doesn’t befall James Patrick Stuart since his most promising character of Valentin has been likewise tethered to the wrong female on the GH canvas.)
Cry me a river…not my idea of THE couple for whom to root. Used and abused. What a loving, shiny, comfy relationship. No thanks.
Great interview, Michael, You are the best !
I hope William/Julian stays on, I really like Julian.
ABC has to wake up and respect the value of the soap actors and stop treating them as second citizens!
it’s time for the show to move on. I’ve been sick of Alexis for decades now and Julian never quite landed with me. use contract money somewhere else
Thank you, Allen Saint James! It’s nice to know that there are others out there who are as unimpressed with Alexis and her monotonously ridiculous antics as I am!!! As much as I wish Mr. deVry well, I think it’s time for his Julian to go and if he could only take his estranged spouse with him, that would be most gratifying…Let’s put the money where the legacy characters are and get this soap back on track…there are plenty of other actors we are begging to see returned to the GH canvas! (It also would not go amiss to rid it of a few other notable newbie players and soap vet gets who have not jelled in Port Charles, as well, to fund this effort!)
GREAT INTERVIEW. REALLY GOT TO LIKE THE JULIAN STORYLINE BUT SO SICK OF ALEXIS EVER SINCE I STARTED WATCHING THE SOAP. WRITE HER AND HER WHOLE FAMILY OUT-OF-TOWN!!!!!!
Right on!!
Alexis was a great character in past 8 years..
The character has greatly failed, rolled in the mud, under Jean and Shelly..
I don’t see a way back for Alexis .
Jean and Shelly have left more than a few once great characters in ruins.
Totally agree! I could care less if I saw Julian again
I rather watch Dianne full time…wish they had paired her with Ned!
I totally agree, Shay. Well said.
And this, why would Hayden be so worried about her past when Finn has a worse record. STUPID story AND we finally see her dad and POOF, he is gone. What a waste!
Today’s Mickey Mouse theatrical court was neither entertaining, nor impressive lawyering. As it were.
Really? Oh, my gosh!!!! What was that? Was Alexis’ testimony supposedly meant to bring us to our knees? To tears? When she started reading the letter, I FFed. Good thing it’s a soap, otherwise everyone….the whole kit and caboodle would have been thrown out of court.
They wrote Julian into a corner long ago. Julexis was fun, at first, but now Alexis just looks pathetic pining for him. Goodbye, Julian, and good luck to William.
About being painted into a corner….. Sonny literally murdered Michael’s father and everyone is cool with it. Obviously there’s two sets of rules for painting a character into a corner. The Sonny option is to never ever speak of it and have every character say how awesome Sonny is as if it were an echo chamber.
Two standards. I love the actor. But enough with the mob stuff. Let Ava and Julian move on and out of that go nowhere story arc.
“Wrote Julian into a corner long ago”—-yes, yes, and yes.
And agree that “Alexis just looks pathetic pining for him.”
Too bad; she used to be an intelligent, complicated character. Then she lost that standing. “Over the line”–another character bites the dust.
Instead of allowing the character of Julian to “find his footing,” he was immediately forced into the preposterous Julexis pairing without any forethought for the future. It was inevitable that such a contrived, specious union would never last, what with its highly-juvenile backstory and too-convenient “instant family” plotline. Added to that mix was Alexis—ever the walking cliche’ of a woman of a certain age clad in a plunging neckline—desperately seeking to capture a second chance to re-do her grossly-misspent youth with a mega-sexually-charged do-over that inspired far more laughter than passion. Shipping these two characters was an epic disaster waiting to happen and when one tossed in the mafia element to this ill-advised recipe, well, what you see now is exactly what you get….a dead end with no way out!
People fall in love, Nancy Dilligan. In REAL life maybe the most exalted would look like a fool /naive if they took back someone who held a knife to his/her throat. But, in real life that person would be behind bars, as would Sonny, Jason, Max, Ava, Sam, Carly and a host of other Port Charles residents.
In soapland, there are many fans who still love Julian and Alexis and, as is done in many a soap story, a character, no matter how far he/she has strayed, is somehow redeemed. Unless there’s no attempt to do so and they just have the person as the continuous villian ala Helena, Stavros, Faison, et al.
For many of us (much more than appear on this site) we ARE willing to buy “my sister made me do it”. It would be a lot more difficult if he had actually murdered Alexis (obviously) or even thrown her around/physically harmed her. Scaring her out of her mind is not innocuous, but it did leave the door open for many of us to believe it was all an act. And as I did point out on another post, you could see the regret from the minute Julian was captured. His visions of her, his constant questions as to her welfare, his repeated affirmations that somehow they’d get back together. It’s credible that he thought he could explain it to her down the line. His story was still further backed up when Olivia got to Danny as a warning.
So, as usual we viewers see characters much differently. I in no way see Alexis as pathetic or pining. Rather a woman very much in love who is having a battle with herself between believing his version and that he was trying to protect her and the family…vs the woman that was traumatized and convinced her husband was trying to kill her. Makes for an interesting soapy story about love gone awry and what people (in the soap world) will do when faced with conflict. And, since Sonny, Jason, Sam, Carly even Diane…who we assume in all her lectures to Alexis is still going to date the supposed new mob boss Max (which probably won’t happen)…it seems that Alexis and Julian should be able to turn their story back in time…or at least turn the page with a deeper understanding…than just writing them/him off, literally and figuratively.
correction: Leo, not Danny.
It’s opinions like these and constant tuning out that will send all of you to remember when websites instead of actual soaps that are still airing websites like this one because no soaps will be airing in daytime. DAYS latest numbers are plunging not rising and that’s just woefully sad. So keep complaining keep tuning out and then be left with nothing. Mission accomplished.
I for one will NOT tune out but I have a right to bitch about what is going on as a fan of these shows! Its passion and desire to want a good product, not a cancellation.
LOL… I don’t know about that, dav. It’s not the comments which will do GH in—we are asked to give opinions. I hope you’re not suggesting we ‘lie’ about our feelings and say everything is a bed of roses, raibows and love-birdies tweeting away, do you?
It’s the writers, who sometimes write these insipid stories that achingly bounce in my poor head.
Today was a most enjoyable episode. Got a kick out of Felicia and Mac making love ” al fresco”; aptly put by Maxie.
Whatever sexual “mischief” Mac and Felicia were up to, was behind the scenes. Appropriately done; not some gross show of barf-worthy display, as others. Loved it….especially for the fact that they acted so unabashedly in the aftermath of discovery. LOL.
More, such levity, would be greatly appreciated.
Really great interview! Thank u Michael and Wil!
Very awesome read! I too believe that a deal will be reach soon. Thank u so much!
I’m not as optimistic as you–and I think he should go elsewhere.
The character of Julian is a slow building fire. In the beginning you almost snuff it out because Will DeVry’s portrayal is so restrained and subtle. But you watch him for awhile and he draws you in. That man is sex on a stick. Which, as a gay man, I enjoy completely. I hope he is able to get a deal with GH but he would do well anywhere. Like I said, his style is restrained but it grows on you and he draws you in. He has staying power. Now I have to go pour a glass of lemonade and cool down because ….well because it’s Will DeVry!!!!! Holy cow — smoulder much?
I’m with you, Mateo. Mr. DeVry is smolder central and we need to keep him. Ditch the dullards like Burton and Easton if they have to.
Great article! Thank you to both Michael & Wil for doing this interview. Wil has so many fans, including myself, who love him and want him to stay on as Julian. He has amazing chemistry with Nancy. Julexis are ratings gold. I don’t understand why the network threw it all away. They need all the help they can get as ratings are continuing to fall. Why not invest in an actor like a Wil & a couple like Julexis that will bring up ratings? Fans love the couple & want him to stay. They need to pay attention to what fans want instead of focusing on what fans don’t like as reflected in low ratings. If he doesn’t come back to GH, ratings will continue to fall further. His fans will leave with him. They are stupid to let him go.
Wasn’t ratings gold for me.
For me either. I did not see love, I saw sex between them. There is a difference. I would fast forward thru the live scenes between the 2.
Makes Alexis look weak andJulian like a wimp
Also, who states in an interview they should have been nominated?
If you read between what WdV is saying, it appears Varni is holding the line on salary negotiations. This could also be his way of keeping his loyal fan base wherever he winds up.
His comments on the Emmy category reveals more about where he stands in contract negotiations. Julian is a true supporting character. He submitted himself in the wrong category and likely wants to be paid as a lead.
I agree as far as in my opinions Lead Actor on a Soap is a “Seasoned Character”!
You got it, Steve! Interview gave off some negative vibes.
I couldn’t agree more, Steve. He’s strictly supporting IMO. Even in the Liv story he was more her cowardly tool than the actual lead of the story. WdV needs to crank his ego down a few notches on that one.
PLEASE CALL THE GH HOTLINE & PASS THE NUMBER TO OTHER WILLIAM FANS: 1-323-671-4583 AWESOME TALENT!
OR its 1-800 ABC DOESN’T GIVE A SHIT!
I’m really conflicted about what he had to say. I really like him as an actor; the way he plays Julian. But his answers came across as more cocky than self-confident. IDK. I’d like to see him stay on GH if they don’t white-wash all the crap Julian did to Alexis and if that means I’m not a “true fan”, tough. I don’t like that Sonny gets away with all his crap either. That being said, I think he’s a very talented actor and wish him well…hopefully back on GH.
Agree–did sound a bit cocky. He won’t go for an Emmy unless it lead actor?? What’s that all about? Get that ego in check. Shades of someone else (TG) that turned a lot of long-time fans off. One of them is me.
His comment about only “non fans” have issues with Julian’s redemption pisses me off. You can be a Julexis fan & Alexis fan & believe Julian crossed an unforgivable line.
Julian man handled her, fantasized drowning her, set her up to take the fall for his crimes & tried to slit her throat. If GH had given him a medical cause like DID then I could eventually get over it. Saying his chubby middle age sister made him do it is BS to me.
His comments about Mo not wanting to rehearse are LOL. Mo stammers & pauses so much. He definitely needs to rehearse. It even looks like he has to depend on cue cards.
That’s what I’ve been saying. What a pitiful excuse….unhealthy relationship. As you point out, Scoma….that was raw sex,carnal gratification ( which is great when shared with love) but their ‘coming together’ had nothing to do with love.
What was the first thing they did ( Alexis could not control her urge) when he finally came out of his “hoodie”? They went to some sleazy motel and did it….that was not love.
Where were the caresses? They joy of seeing each other? Where was her anger? The minimal anger Alexis showed turned into hungry lust. What’s the word I’m looking for? Oh, yeah—-rutting.
And where was a plausible backstory upon which to build this farce of a so-called “relationship?” There were so many options available to give this couple a respectable beginning and reunion, but instead we were treated to a tawdry tale of anonymous sex with an unnamed stranger in the back seat of a car which resulted in an unwed teen pregnancy…lovely, just lovely. And they say romance is dead….well, if this pair who is portrayed as a purely fornicating freakshow is any indication, it certainly is1
@Shay.
Hiyahh, Shay, ma belle,
I do not normally go back to past sites, but , there was your post in my inbox. Niw, you tell me….how could I ignore you, my friend??
I came back to the ridiculous, incredible, and unrealistic courtroom sideshow. Nothing or no one for whom to root….unemotional drivel, Shay.
Alexis’ tears are a joke. Is it just me? I was not moved. All I could concentrate upon was her hand-gesticulations….never realized how big Alexis’ hands were for a girl.
I am flabbergasted. This is a farce. I truly believe the writers are doing Alexis a disservice. I do like her, but not like this….not for the crumbs that snake leaves behind. As I said, this relationship is the dark side of lust. She is well past her prime, compared to him. Sick, sick, sick.
This couple has now become a caricature for me. I never took these two seriously in this relationship….now? They do not exist, at all. It will be FF-ing. I can feel my bloodpressure rising if I even think of them together. LOL.
I think what he meant, Scoma60, although I agree he could have worded it differently because it came off as insulting (but somehow I don’t think he meant it to be) I think he meant that in the world of soaps, fans of a couple usually stick by them and want to see them get back together. So, many will go with the flow when a character or couple is redeemed…or some will like a couple (like Sonny and Carly) even’when they’re not. So “real” fans of a couple…well, they allow themselves to believe or rationalize where the story has turned to redeem a character. (ESPECIALLY in this story where they really veered off course.) Personally, I have more problems with Michael forgiving Sonny for killing AJ and to make it worse once again have such loyalty, refer to him as Dad and never once is AJ discussed…not with Jason, Monica or even Nell. Or, Carly marrying Sonny after he threatened to kill her for shooting Olivia (even though she wasn’t the target.) He could have been incredibly worried about Olivia when he wasn’t sure if she was going to make it (but he didn’t have to threaten to kill Carly if she didn’t.) No excuse; no matter how distraught. But, she married him.
Many, like myself, AGREE that there is no going back if Julian’s intentions were to kill Alexis and now he’s just “sorry.” But many, again, like myself, like them together so are willing to accept that he staged everything because he had to, that there was no way his sister could even suspect that he wasn’t going to kill Alexis and that she had far reach/eyes everywhere. Even at AA. The fact that he imagined killing her…I don’t even remember that!…but if you and others say he did I guess that scene took place. Not sure how to get around that other than to forget it (LOL, like I did unintentionally.)
We have no idea moving forward if they’ll unite them or not. I guess they’ll gauge whether more fans are willing to accept and forgive what we believe was not an intention to kill her but merely a ruse to protect her and the family, or if it’s BS.
If fans could buy Luke and Laura back in the day…
It’s really just a matter of whether you buy it or not. I do; I love their rapport. I love the way Julian loves her (LOL..minus the “slight” detour). I know others won’t accept it and feel she should move on. I think “Alexis” has the same dilemma…should she or shouldn’t she.
Hope your character will be back! Alexis is best with you!! Good luck in where you land, but do not forget get us at GH!!
Hope you find your way back to GH at some point! Good luck on prime time endeavors, but don’t forget us. Alexis is best with you in her life…you two are so great together!
Will seems like a nice enough guy who is good to his fans, but I feel like he’s over-playing his hand here. He’s been on the show less than 5 years and is negotiating with GH like he’s Tony Geary. GH has always been a show with great actors and many fan favorites, so 1 person isn’t going to make or break the show. I also think that really passionate fans can skew reality and make you think you’re one step away from being the next Hollywood movie star…when really, you’re blessed with the job you have. Further, I think GH has to be careful letting actors play these long, drawn-out contract negotiation games. It can disrupt storytelling, and sets up fans to be really negative, demanding and contentious toward the show. I mean, it’s a soap, our favorite actors come and (unfortunately) go all the time. It happens. Sucks in the moment, but life goes on.
Very well put, Elle! The bottom line is that soap operas are a business and when the numbers simply don’t add up, then changes must be made.
absolutely true, Shay…. everything comes fown to dollars and crnts. It is what it is.
We carp and complain, mis bella, but, I am sooo very grateful, we still have the luxury of watching the remaining few.
I asked my twin (Elle, who is not too taken by Julian—similar style of writing) if she had posted a comment on MF’s GH site….different Elle. LOL.
i will miss you. sad to see go. GH should listen to what the fans want
if they keep messing up. letting led actors go. The Fans will soon follow. i have been watching GH since i was a kid. my mom watched.
i learned the characters then. i was around 6 now 49 . thats along time fan . they need to listen us. love you and you will be missed.i will watch for you on taken.
I’ve been watching GH since 1983, back when I was on active duty in Germany. I remember Julian as played by Jason Culp. I always liked Julian, the guy with conscience in a mob family. I also liked Mr. Culp in the role, so was skeptical when Mr. DeVry took over the part years late. Now I can’t imagine anyone as Julian (sorry, Jason). I agree with others that there’s much more to Julian than meets the eye; he’s multi-faceted. If the PTB let Mr. DeVry go, it will be a great loss to GH. What do “The Suits” know about good soap opera? I hate The Suits.
William deVry is a good actor, but I’ll never be able to view Julian as redeemed. I like Alexis, but don’t like her with Julian. Julian held a knife to her throat. Relationships end over MUCH less than that. Sorry, I can’t suspend disbelief enough to be able to root for Julian and Alexis. If Julian is gone, I’m fine with that. How about Alexis & Finn.
Funny you mention Finn with Alexis as I saw pictures of NLG & ME appearing together at ABC’s TCA event. Easton is definitely staying so his choices for romantic pairings are limited. Alexis could finally try a relationship with a non-bad boy. They could try him with Anna, but she really needs someone more dynamic.
Finn may not be a cold-blooded gangster, but as a (former?) drug addict, he still qualifies as at least a semi-bad boy! Plus, the man has already been through enough trauma in tis lifetime…taking on Alexis and her endless neediness would hardly be the uplifting experience this character requires at this time. I don’t know that I necessarily would care to see Finn paired with Anna, but she would be a far better choice of romantic partner….and they would make a striking-looking couple given they both possess that timeless quality.
Personally, I think Finn would be better off with Roxy the Lizard!
Yeahhhh!! Hurrahhh!!! My sentiments, exactly!! They are fine without each other.
Quite frankly, the only man with whom Alexis needs a date at present is Andre….and I mean that in a purely professional sense! The woman is an adrenaline-junkie who gets off on bedding dangerous dudes, the more sinister and law-breaking, the better! That is so NOT normal! As for finding yet another in her long line of psychopathic twisted misters, I would suggest a personal ad: Soon-to-be-single, sexually-obsessed alcoholic white female attorney seeks playmate, preferably younger, since extreme stamina and readiness for whatever, whenever is essential! Criminal background not a problem, in fact, it is considered a plus—not to mention a huge turn-on! The lengthier the rap sheet, the better! Please leave a message for Alexis at 1-800-DESPRTE and I’ll get back to you as soon as the mood strikes, which should be in a moment or two.
I love him and Alexis together. ❤️ They need to keep him and continue their story.
Sounds like he’s done.
And he says “they took the character to the edge and now he’s doing the work to be redeemed.
UH-HUH! They took him OVER the edge. Can’t redeem him now.
So, TPTP once again went for desperate sensationalism–THEN tried for redemption.
Doesn’t work that way with this fan; unfortunately, you can’t have it both ways.
So–he’s done for me. Has been since they took him over the brink. Can’t identify nor empathize, no become invested in that one-dimensional character.
That, in a nutshell, is what’s wrong with GH. The writers need to write complex characters with shades of gray–not predictable thugs. No payoff for the viewer at all in a thug.
Yes, Will and Nancy have fantastic chemistry, but i don’t want Alexis back with Julian, after he tried to kill her. My sister made me do it, doesn’t cut it for me, because his sister did not make Julian fantasize about killing Alexis. So according to Will, I am not a true fan.
Let him go to primetime TV and recast the role. I never liked or disliked the actor so it wouldnt matter to me. Either that or pay him for one more story arc where he goes to prison and Alexis, Sam and Lucas move on. Alexis still has feelings for him but she needs to be stronger than his sex appeal and dump the bastard!
I liked the character did he cross the vine did Sonny? Good luck to him he was a smoldering actor but the writers ruined them ! Good lluck god bless and his not acacholenhebiscavtuallybavgery nice Guy! Do I think stevebburton had anything tomdimwithnthisbi don’t care
God I apologize , a good actor let him alone and could he be anymore arrogant then the others! They have put all their eggs in Steve burtons basket good luck
Lordy I spelled everything wrong Devryngood luck you are gone but I did enjoy you !
I’m always surprised at how blunt actors are when discussing negotiations. They aren’t specific, but there’s always some underlying tug-of-war that is revealed. So, on the one hand he sounds pretty confident they’ll keep him on and on the other he’s auditioning and thinks he may have landed another role. Confusing; unless he plans on doing both if both should come through.
Hope he stays. Love Julian, still love Julian and Alexis together though Julian’s great ouside the relationship, as well. Speaking of Alexis aka Nancy….she’s lost a lot of weight! She’s almost as thin as Finola in some pictures I’ve seen of her recently. She looks great!
I hate Julian!! But it’s in a “love to hate” kind of way. LOL.
Seriously, I genuinely think the character is a total weasel who puts his own hide before anyone else’s so no wonder he’s always being s**t on. He deserves every bit of it:)
Still, I’d rather see that than the usual ridiculously OTT cartoon villain who’s nothing more than a short term plot point.
I’d happily strangle Julian most of the time so I do enjoy other characters giving him exactly what he deserves. It makes them rootable to me which is something I don’t see enough of on GH.
I find it sad that Tony Geary who was old and grumpy got his ass chewed out because of his exit comments but here devry does the same thing and since his is younger and handsome, people will dismiss this arrogant attitude.
I find deVry’s comments to be more calculated, but still polite. Geary basically dissed Carlivati’s (aka The Writer) storytelling in his exit interview.
Hmmm….Good point, Timm. I never thought of it that way.
I really appreciated the honesty of Geary’s exit comments. What peeved me was his bitterness towards the Luke and Laura history and by extension, the resentment he seemed to harbor for the fans of that history.
His swan song was not graceful, it was angry and embittered. So much so, it was more of a black swan song.
Hey–again!–Harry–my sentiments exactly! 🙂
Agreed, T.
Timmm….The big difference between Geary’s and deVry’s comments is that Anthony was not only quite befittingly dismissive of the GH management, but undeservedly so to his fans, as well. That is what really angered and offended so many long-time viewers who grew up watching the Luke and Laura phenomenon…he never acknowledged our fond feelings for the duo and the support we gave to his iconic character which enabled his own mega-successful soap career. His less-than-gracious attitude toward Genie Francis and her Laura was also a major factor in his most un-well-received exit from the GH canvas. William reserved his wrath solely for the people in charge of the show, and apparently, it didn’t hurt him one iota, since he’s not going anywhere, and it looks as though we are going to be force-fed more nauseating OTT sexual acrobatics between his Julian and the hyper-wanton Alexis.
Duly noted Shay dVrey!
Haha, Timmbo! I just call it like I see it…you know I’m no great supporter of deVry, or rather, his character, Julian, but at least he respects his rabid fanbase…whoever they may be!
He is a great actor I hope he can do movies and GH. He is an asset to GH! I wish him well in whatever happens.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric
General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).
On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.
Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”
Courtesy/ABC
HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT
Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”
Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”
Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”
Photo: ABC
DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES
In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”
Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”
You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.
Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.
General Hospital
GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)
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.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)
Chad Duell, the Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who stepped away from the pivotal role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, opened up about: his previous decision to leave the series after nearly 15 years, where’s he’s at now after time away from the demands of a daytime soap opera, and took a stroll down memory lane with some of Michael’s most-acclaimed storyline during his run, during a livestream chat on August 19 on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.
Viewers last saw Duell on-screen as Michael in January of 2025, and with his successor in the role, Rory Gibson making his debut at the GH Nurses’ Ball in episodes that aired later in May. It was clear that during the conversation, Chad was a bit surprised that the GH brass decided to recast him when he thought he was just taking some much needed time off.
Burn-out of the daily grind of being on a soap was definitely a part of Chad’s decision to take a break. Duell explained “People know when you’re doing something for so long or your character is kind of in the same place for so long or doing the same stuff over and over again, you do get a a little burnt out, you get a little stiff, stale, a little stiff at times. I didn’t want that to be any sort of lasting impression. I have 15 years of a body of work of I’ve done on that show, which is fantastic.”
Photo: ABC
WHILE CHAD WAS AWAY GH RECAST MICHAEL CORINTHOS WITH RORY GIBSON
Chad shared, his mindset when leaving GH was, “I’m taking some time away, we’ll see what happens.” Then he added, “Obviously, they decided to go in a different direction with Michael when I was gone. I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”
Duell also shared he has not watched a single episode of General Hospital since he left the series, but now feels he reenergized following the loss of his father and stepping away from the GH, “I’m in a place now mentally, where I’m ready to sink my teeth into it again.”
Courtesy/ABC
Even though he is no longer Michael on GH, Chad was very happy with his final storyline where Michael was set on fire when a bomb exploded at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. “It was fun to put him in a dangerous situation, because I was wanting Michael to be in something scary instead of trying to be a hero character or just things happening around him, but to be the center point of tragedy happening to him. (I always saw) Michael as the heart of the (Corinthos) family.”
When Michael was badly burned the show chose not burn his face, which normally a soap does when they are recasting role and switching actors. Chad weighed-in, “They didn’t burn my face because I told Frank Valentini (EP, GH) I’m willing to come back. It was just a little bit of a break. So, I assumed that if they would have burned my face, they could have brought somebody back looking different than me… if that’s what their plan was.”
Courtesy/ABC
MEMORABLE MICHAEL STORYLINES
One of Chad’s most memorable performances was the in the storyline of Michael’s rape while he was sentenced to prison in 2010 and the confession of it in 2011. “It was so well-written and I was very nervous,” recalled Chad. “When I get really nervous about something, it ends up being really good when I do it, because it just means I care a lot about it”
“I have to put a lot of effort and work into it, and I really want it to be good. I was working with Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) and Steve Burton (Jason) a lot during those scenes, and Laura Wright (Carly). It was great working with Steve and Dominic, especially, during that storyline.
A NEW SOAP ROLE FOR CHAD?
As to a future soap opera role, Chad is open to the idea and would love to jump back in to a juicy role, “I know people over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless. They know that if they’re interested, I would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”
Meanwhile, Chad has been busy putting out new music under the moniker Duelly and during the interview he explains how he creates his EDM tracks and much more. You can stream his latest single, Static in the Quiet Room on Spotify, Apple Music and You Tube Music.
You can check out the full conversation with Chad Duell below.
Now let us know: what show would you like to see Chad cast on down the line? BTG, DAYS, B&B, Y&R, or a new role on GH? What did you think of his thoughts on the casting switch while he was away in the role of Michael? What was your favorite Michael storyline during Chad’s 15-year run on the ABC soap opera? Let us know via the comment section.
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Preview: Kelly Sullivan Debuts as Dylan’s Mom; Suspicion is Raised About Carter and Steffy
‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Mike Manning Lands Role in Indie Horror Feature ‘Deify’
GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)
‘Guiding Light’s’ Grant Aleksander Shares Heartfelt Remembrance of TV Daughter, Hayden Panettiere On What Would Have Been Her 37th Birthday
‘General Hospital’s’ Maurice Benard Talks: New ‘Sonny’ Storyline, His Contract, and Three Characters He Would Want to See Back in Port Charles
How John Oliver’s ‘Days of Our Lives’ Guest Star Turn as ‘Devlin St. John’ Came to an End
‘Veronica & Julian’ Feature Starring ‘Days of Our Lives’ Alums Nadia Bjorlin and Kyler Pettis Releases Key Art and More (Exclusive)
John Oliver Recaps His ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘General Hospital’ Soap Opera Experience on ‘Last Week Tonight’
‘General Hospital’ Alum Bryan Craig Cast in ‘The Weapon’
‘Guiding Light’s’ Grant Aleksander Shares Heartfelt Remembrance of TV Daughter, Hayden Panettiere On What Would Have Been Her 37th Birthday
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ric’s History of Jealousy Where Elizabeth is Concerned Has Come Back Around
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy and Carter Get Lame Excuses From Their Spouses, and Try to Shake Off Their Night Together
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News1 week agoB&B’s Don Diamont Recalls His Soap Start on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and Confrontation with Exec Prod Al Rabin (Exclusive ‘Soapy’ Preview)
