Interviews
Y&R 45 INTERVIEW: Janice Lynde and Jaime Lyn Bauer Reflect On Portraying The Brooks Sisters, Their Storylines, On-Screen Loves, & The Ups and Downs Of Being Soap-Famous!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
When The Young and the Restless make its unforgettable debut on CBS back on March 26, 1973, daytime audiences would soon be deeply entrenched in the perils, the loves, and the betrayals of two sisters from the wealthy Brooks clan – Leslie and Lorie Brooks. Played to perfection by Janice Lynde (Leslie) and Jaime Lyn Bauer (Lorie), “sibling rivalry” was given a whole new name.
Leslie was the talented concert pianist, who found it difficult to open up, while her sister Lorie was more out-going and ruthless, determined to never play second fiddle. These two were seemingly always in love with the same men, and Lorie even drove her sister to a mental breakdown, making Y&R must-see drama.
As part of Y&R’s 45 year anniversary celebration, Lynde and Bauer were asked back to the series to reprise their signature soap roles. Janice had left the soap in 1977, while Jaime had stayed with the show through 1982, with a few reprisals along the way in 1984 and 2002. In this candid, touching, and often humorous chat, the two powerhouse actress talk about what it was like being front and center on a new soap opera that took off like a rocket, shared some fond memories and backstage tidbits, reflected of their triumphs and struggles, gave us the real deal on their former leading men, including John McCook (Ex-Lance, Y&R, now Eric, B&B), plus how the late Jeanne Cooper (Katherine) impacted their lives and more.
What a treat it was to walk down memory lane with these two, who were a main part of the reason, we all fell in love with Y&R in the first place. #YR45 begins for us here with this chat with Janice and Jaime.
At the beginning of Y&R, you got cast as Leslie and Lorie Brooks. How did you land the parts in the first place? What happened that led you to Genoa City?
Photo: CBS
JANICE: I was cast in New York. John Conboy (original executive producer, Y&R) flew me out on a Saturday, and Sunday morning at 2am, we made a deal. Bob Fosse kept saying, “No, no. You can’t do this. Ask for more money!” They had already started taping with someone else in the role, but I started on a Monday and taped five shows. So it was all a whirlwind.
Were you like, “What did I get myself into?” (Laughs)
JANICE: It’s terrible to admit it, but I had never had seen a soap. I came up through classical music the opera, and theatre. I had never watched television that much. It was my first experience even seeing one, and it was thrilling.
JAIME: For me, it was kind of wild. I was coming out of a casting director’s office and it’s my third week in the business! I am walking down the hall and this other casting director says, “Would you come in here and read this? It’s not really anything.” It was for The Young and the Restless, but he would not admit it was for the show. So I read for him and I leave, and don’t think anything of it. Now, I had already been cast to play this android sidekick for Gene Rodenberry’s show. At that point, Universal had offered me one of the last player contracts, and then Y&R came about and I interviewed with John Conboy. I had been a model, previously, He wanted me to do a screen test, and then I had a choice between three years on a soap, or seven years at Universal. So I said to myself, “I will do the three years, because nobody watches the soaps so they would pay me to act and I would learn.” The first six months of the show I was a wreck. It was live to tape; you could not make it a mistake.
Courtesy/CBS
JANICE: I was so awaiting her casting, because John kept teasing me with “You are going to have a sister, and then Leslie will have a breakdown…”
JAIME: Instead, I was the one having the breakdown … (Laughs)
JANICE: When Jaime came on the show, she was so gifted and lovely, but she hadn’t done a lot. I use to take her home! She would follow me up Laurel Canyon and I would make pasta, and I would say, “I’m going to make pasta, and we are going to rehearse.” That is how we worked out our scenes the first couple of months.
Everyone hated Lorie. However, she was one of the first soap opera characters to go from ‘throw-something-at-the-TV-hated’ to a beloved heroine! And along the way, poor Leslie suffered that mental breakdown, thanks to Lorie!
JANICE: They did the story of her breakdown so well. I’m very proud of it, because I went into a locked ward in LA and I did research, and I made notes. The cast of women were extraordinary.
Photo: CBS
Both your characters seemed to have a penchant for falling in love with the same man. Let’s start with Brad Eliot, played by Tom Hallick. How was Tom to work with?
JANICE: He was heaven to work with, easy to work with, and really solid.
JAIME: He always had his lines down.
Lorie wanted Brad all to herself!
JANICE: Lorie told Leslie that Brad wanted her, which destroyed me! (Laughs)
JAIME: Well, of course, everyone wanted me! (Laughs) Don’t be ridiculous. (Laughs) Leslie was so insecure that she couldn’t believe the guy wanted her. She was a child prodigy, but socially inept! She did not know how beautiful and talented she was, and that she was the true rose. But you got to give it to Lorie, because she was the second child, and the second child always has the rough times.
Photo: CBS
After Tom Hallick, the two of you worked in romantic storylines with the Prentiss brothers, Lance (John McCook) and Lucas (Tom Ligon). How were those two to work with?
JANICE: I worked with John first, and fell in love with John.
JAIME: He was hard not to love!
JANICE: At one point, I was in discussions about doing TV specials, and what the format would be like, and then John came on the show. I did several scenes with him where Lance was running around the world following Leslie at every concert. John is a great musician and so funny, so we were thinking about doing these specials together.
Courtesy/CBS
JAIME: I loved both Tom and John and they were so different as people. I remember a funny scene with Tom. I am pregnant, and they are taping pencils on the floor because my belly is so big, and I can’t see my mark. Tom is supposed to pull me in his arms and kiss me passionately. I said to him, “You need to feel my stomach,” and he pulls me to him with this big embrace, and bounces off me, and screams! (Laughs) We had to do the scene over again, obviously. (Laughs)
When you think back to your time on Y&R, what were some of your favorite scenes?
JAIME: One of the dramatic ones for me was a scene that I did with the actor who played our father, Robert Colbert (Stuart Brooks). He had started putting Lorie down, and Lorie started responding back. It got really ugly between us. I sat down afterwards and people came up to me and went, “Oh, my Gosh. That was brilliant.” I was sitting on a bench, and I was shaking uncontrollably, and I am like, “Where did that come from? “ One of the funnier scenes, because we were doing live tape, was with John McCook (Ex-Lance, B&B, now Eric B&B). We were jumping on this bed together, but we had no idea that it was actually two beds, and they separated, and the two of us went down right in the middle of it, and we just had to go with it. The two of us just started laughing and joking.
Photo: CBS
JANICE: I would say … I did love the story of Leslie being in the mental institution. I thought it would bring awareness, help some people, and not be such a stigma anymore. There were so many interesting things within that.
JAIME: Even though it’s nice doing comedic stuff, and John McCook was very funny, truly for actresses that are more serious, the best parts are playing the complex characters. You have to do the research, you have to think, and you have to study people all of the time. John McCook took me into the control room one day and he ran a tape of something I just had done, and he said, “See that! That was really sexy!” I said, “What?” He said, “What were you thinking when you did that?” Of course, I didn’t know.
Wait … but, Lorie was the sexy one!
JAIME: But you know what I used to do? I used to go to Hugh Hefner’s on Friday night’s because he had free meals there. I was watching people on the stairs, and that is how I learned how to play Lorie. I also knew watched this woman I knew just turn it on a dime with this sexual energy toward either a young man, or a very old man. So between her, and Hefner’s, that is how I developed Lorie.
Can you recall some of the fans reactions you received, or were on the other end of, if people would see you at personal appearances, or, out and about, or, via fan mail? Back then, there was no such thing as social media for everyone to let out their opinions and feelings.
Photo: CBS
JAIME: I remember driving down Sunset Blvd one night and we were in a convertible, and another convertible is next to us, and they start shouting at me, “Oh, my God! It’s Lorie! It’s Lorie. We hate you!” Then they go, “No, no, no. We love hating you!” There was another time where I was shooting a movie of the week with Leslie Nielsen, and he saved me. I was sitting in the lobby in a building in Century City waiting to be called to set. This woman comes up to me in the lobby and she literally puts her hand around my throat. She must have just watched me on TV in her room upstairs. Leslie helped me get her off of me. People hated me, but it was a compliment. What was so amazing for me as a human being is that I never knew what sexy was?
JANICE: I don’t buy that for one second! (Laughs) For me, I had amazing reactions. I was at a dinner one night and Dean Martin came up to me and said, “You are my favorite actress and singer.” He then asked me to open for him in his nightclub act, and we became very close friends. Then, in either second or third year of Y&R, because we were all seen internationally there was this incident. I was in the Sistine Chapel and trying to get away from it all, and needed a vacation. All of a sudden I this place where you take a vow of silence before you enter it, someone yells, “Leslie!” Then everyone was crowding around me, and then the Vatican guard grabbed me and helped me out of the chapel. But then I was told the Pope wanted to meet me, and we did! The scariest one was at the Farmer’s Market near CBS and these three women came up to me and said, “What are you doing out? What can we do for you? You need care!” I swear, if they knew where to take me they would have taken me to some mental institution!”
In the mid 70’s, the most compelling story on the soaps was centered around Leslie and Lorie, and the other two Brooks sisters, Chris (Trish Stewart) and Peggy (Pam Peters). But Jaime, what I want to know is … what did you think of K.T. Stevens (Vanessa) when Vanessa was always wearing that veil over half of her face? (Laughs) I always wanted to just yank it off of her! I know Vanessa’s face was supposedly disfigured from a fire, but I didn’t understand why she was always wearing it! (Laughs)
Photo: CBS
JAIME: Vanessa was really evil, but K.T. Stevens on her own was so sweet, loving, and supporting. Vanessa killed herself and blamed it on Lorie! Sometimes, I wanted to rip her veil off so bad, too! (Laughs)
Y&R always had the most beautiful cast, along with the exceptional writing, the singing, and the production values that set the bar high after it debuted in 1973.
JAIME: We were one of the first soaps to also do important topics for the times. We did storylines on: breast cancer, rape, and mental illness.
Janice, at one point did you decide to leave Y&R?
JANICE: There was never time to have a vacation, and I was working so hard without a break. If not for that, I would have stayed a long, long time. Bill Bell (Y&R co-creator, and head writer) and John Conboy were great to work with, and were great about letting us out to do other projects, but the show was garnering a lot of ratings so the hours just became insane for me.
JAIME: And remember in those days, daytime shows paid for primetime. So we were so important to the network that we were not given a break. I walked illegally, because I thought I just have to escape. I got on a plane to Hawaii and I stayed at a girlfriend’s house there for two weeks. I came back to Y&R and had a meeting. I said in my negotiations that I do want all the women to have their own dressing rooms, and this is before AFTRA had any strength at all as a union.
Jaime, what happened when you decided to exit Y&R?
Photo: CBS
JAIME: I couldn’t take it anymore. I am nine years in, and the only reason anyone replaced me was when I was on maternity leave and having babies. When I came back I was working five or six days a week, and had kids at home. At one point, I could not even think of my own name, and I got scared. I went to them and said, “I need you to put a ceiling on the number of episodes I work a week, unless it’s a big storyline.” We were just so successful at the time that they couldn’t do it, and so I left. Then, Bill Bell, God bless him, because I had said to him and John (in tears), “please don’t make me feel guilty’:, did something so unbelievably touching. What Bill didn’t tell me was that he fired everyone to do with the Brooks’, and in our entire storyline, because I was his favorite character. I think that was because I was named after his daughter, Lauralee, and he couldn’t envision the show without the character, so he had to change it and make it a whole new show. I will thank him forever for that, because if I had known I would have stayed. I loved Bill and John, and I would have done anything that I could for them.
There was another tremendous actress when you started at Y&R, the incomparable and iconic, Jeanne Cooper (Katherine). What was your relationship like with Jeanne?
JAIME: Jeanne was a second mom to me. The first play I did was Plaza Suite, and we were in the same play together, and it was a touring company. I went to the director before we opened on opening night and I said, “I think you made a mistake. I don’t think I can do this. I don’t think I’m funny.” He goes, “Nope. I haven’t made a mistake. You will be just fine.” Well, I cried for two hours the day of opening night, because I was terrified. But it was Jeanne Cooper who stood there, and had her arms around me saying, “You’re going to be fine. You will see.” My cue came and she is standing there, and she literally shoved me onto the stage. Jeanne was an amazing, sweet, incredible woman and at a time I was dating her son, so I was over at ber house a lot of the time, so we were tight.
Courtesy/CBS
JANICE: Jeanne was the cast mom. It was such a joy, because we were all very collaborative. There were times I was given a script late on one day and had to do a big song and dance the next; like this one in Lance’s apartment, where he dares Leslie to come out of her shell so she can perform at this party. (Laughs) I said to Jeanne, “How am I going to do this? There is not even the staircase, or full set to work with up yet.” She said, “I have an event, but I will meet you at midnight.” We got Bob Fosse on speaker phone, because the number was “If You Could See Me Now” from Sweet Charity, and between Jeanne and Bob, and me, running up the stairs and landing on top of the piano, we got it figured out. But Jeanne would do things like that. She would do anything for the work. She was a great friend, and a brilliant talent, and had some demons, but she conquered them.
How did it come about that you are returning to Y&R on-air this week as part of their 45th anniversary episodes?
Photo: CBS
JAIME: I was laying on the beach in Cancun, and I get a call. I go, “What? Who? The Young and the Restless? You want me to return for their anniversary? Sure … just let me know. “
JANICE: I got a call while I was in a ballet class in New York. I was at the ballet bar, and I get a call from my agent. So, I thought I should go out in the hall and take this. I ran out and I said, “Really?” My agent said, “How do you feel about that?” I said, “Absolutely, would love to do it. It’s a reunion!” But honestly, I didn’t believe it was going to happen, because I had gotten a lot of calls over the past years and decades and we could not work it out, for one reason or the other. This time we did, and I was so excited to be back.
Did you think Y&R would have lasted this long, from when it began?
JAIME: I am not surprised at that at all. It has been number-one overall for a reason. The writing has been quite good. They still have that great look and that great lightning.
What would you want to say to Y&R as it celebrates its 45th anniversary?
Courtesy/CBS
JANICE: “You are the tops! And 45 more …”
JAIME: “45 more that would be brilliant … than we can actually show up at 90!” (Laughs)
So, what were your favorite memories and storylines of The Brooks sisters? Are you glad Y&R asked Janice and Jaime back for the anniversary episodes? What did you think about Janice and Jaime recalling the beginning years of Y&R? Share your thoughts via the comment section below!
That was 1973 — the Brook Sisters..
I wasn’t yet born.
But– I’m looking forward to seeing them it will be interesting and even fun to go that far back..
Same here, SuzieQ…But, I am very familiar with all these characters….my Gran is a great storyteller—I feel as if I had been there 45 years ago watching with her…..looking forward “seeing” them again. LOL.
Aside: through all this, I must give praise to Marla, again….WOW!!!!…. gets better and better.
Dina’s disdain with Ashley is soooo pungent but a revelation at the same time. She resents her daughter because she’s a constant reminder, subconsciously, of what she did to John…..
It would be the greatest twist and sweet irony if Jack were the Pro’s son. HaHa….
PS…or, Jack is the issue of another affair. OOOOUUU-LALA!!!! Are any of Dina’s children John’s, su??
I am the one and only (both sides of family) that ever watched a soap..
ahaa I’m virgin soap family ..
Looks like Traci is going to be the only genuine article Abbott to spring from John’s loins and Dina’s womb, CeeCeeGirl! How ironic is that? From the beginning, this girl was always the awkward, odd child out, constantly paling in comparison to her handsome older brother Jack and glamorous big sis Ashley, and now both are apparently not even real Abbotts…what an identity crisis, eh???
What a wonderful interview, Michael. So happy to see original veterans, such as Janice Lynde and Jaime Lyn Bauer back in Genoa City. What a beautiful way to celebrate The Young and the Restless‘ 45th anniversary! I’m hoping this might lead to more appearances, though, I don’t know if these two are the ones who might be making further appearances past the anniversary. Hearing them speak about their time on the soap, and even Bauer’s words about her asking to leave, were powerful. They helped change the face of daytime during a time when daytime was most powerful.
OMG: I feel for Jaime Lyn Bauer… she had two predicaments… CLOSE TO HER HEART. maintain her STAR reign… or go home to her children.
this is why I feel for women… who make the sacrifice.
for the heck of it…. I wonder how long she coulda woulda shoulda stayed … past her original 9 years. she committed to 6 more years past her 3 year contract.
“… We were just so successful at the time that they couldn’t do it, and so I left. ”
that’s a lot of tears … heart mind and soul ripped torn and tattered. The love of a mother…. hats off and salute.
I LOVE THIS WOMAN… only know … her work @DAYS of OUR LIVES. ALL the proof you need… she came back… conquered.. persevered.. and is loved that much more.
TAKEN from Wiki : “The one time Miss Phoenix beauty contest winner is best known for her two long-running soap roles: Lorie Brooks on The Young and the Restless, which she played from 1973 to 1982 with reprises in 1984 and 2002, and Dr. Laura Spencer Horton on Days of Our Lives.[1] The character of Laura, previously played by Susan Flannery and Rosemary Forsyth (among others), had not been seen in 13 years. She played Laura from 1993 to 1999 with reprises in 2003, 2010 and 2013.”
@DAYS NEEDS to bring Laura back… seeing as how her granddaughter ABS is using grandma Laura as one of 3 identities. HELP my Abs. Jaime Lyn as Laura always brought a warm familial vibe to all her foundlings…. when she had to… rear itself… she rose and culled from whatever it took…. and knowing her “fragile” state even then… made us , the audience cheer her on that much more… we cared about Laura.
it’s nice to salute you Ms. Bauer.
Jaime Lyn was one of daytime’s most quintessential soap goddesses! So sleek, slim, statuesque and drop-dead gorgeous in all of her designer finery! Her character was of a time and place when women each had their own highly-distinct looks, not the cookie-cutter botoxed features that we see today….how I miss those golden days when the soaps were an endless parade of exquisitely original beauties decked out in the latest and greatest fashions! What a feast for the eyes they were! Welcome back, Lorie Brooks!
I have yet to read the interview but I am so excited to have them back and wish they were back permanently for I loved Y&R from the beginning till 2006…I started watching again when Sally and Kay returned as headwriter and story consultant…I started to stop watching once Sally and Kay left but decided to stick with it through the 45th anniversary and I haven’t been impressed Mals writing until this past week and not I am interested in where it goes from here…
I failed to mention that I have the conversation on a cassette tape of when Leslie was asking Lorie to help her unlock the key to her past for Leslie didn’t know what happened to her for losing her memory….such a wonderful and very well acted storyline and oh how I miss those days…
I just finished reading the interview, LOVED IT and again how I miss these two beautiful ladies on this show…I loved all the storylines with Lorie and Leslie, they were all great…but the two that really come to mind is of course the sister rivalry and the Lorie and Vanessa storyline with Vanessa staging her own death and setting the stage to make it look like Lorie pushing Vanessa over the balcony, CRAZY WONDERFUL storyline…I remember Vanessa yelling, STOP LORIE, STOP and Vanessa KEPT on saying this LOUDLY and Lorie was wondering what on earth was going on with Vanessa and trying to calm her down and then Vanessa jumps off the balcony and Lorie is so distraught, it was SHOCKING and LOVED the DRAMA and then the trial and then Lucas blaming Lorie at Vanessa’s funeral…Lucas looking and screaming at Lorie, saying to Lorie, look Lorie, LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY MOTHER…with the dramatic and beautiful background music going, SO GUT WRENCHING and so miss these days of GREAT SOAP WRITING where you didn’t want to miss a DAY…
I was 11 when the show started and I would watch it at my sisters house when I was out of school, which was a lot!! I will always remember the Brooks family and Jill’s family. They are Y&R to me.
The show was such a gem in the 70’s and so forward-thinking. I note the ladies mention the lighting – it was so flattering compared to other shows of the time. And the cast was already an attractive group! And Leslie-Lorie-Lance-Lucas – the Alliterative Quadrangle! Easy to poke fun at – but a riveting story, thanks to the actors. Looking forward to seeing this week’s reunion!
Didn’t watch then. I have seen Jamie on Days so I’m familiar with her, but not on Y&R.
Looking forward to seeing them and what brings them to town.
I was 9 when Y&R started and I remember it vividly still. I was so bummed when the Brooks family was gone that I stopped watching. I started again for a bit when Lily and Daniel were together and Cassie died. Still a great show though not one I regularly watch. What a blast from the past though. Great interview1
GREATNESS @Y/R….LESLIE,LORIE,CHRIS&AMY BROOKS…ALSO MR.&MRS.BROOKS;along with the FOSTER’S and PRENTICE BROTHERS LANCE&LUCAS…mother Vanessa.Brad,Sally and Robert.And the DUCHESS MRS.C…JEANNE COOPER.#@Y&RHAPPY45.
I was about 15 when they went on the air and was so impressed by the production values. It was the first Hollywood daytime drama I watched. I loved the Brooks family and now I know why they were written out. Thanks for the interview, Michael. I was thrilled when Janice Lynde showed up on my favorite soap One Life To Live. One other thing that I enjoyed on early Y&R was the use of music and songs. If I recall, Leslie’s song was “If A Picture Paints A Thousand Words”, loved when they used the song “Bless The Beasts And The Children” I think it was played for the character of Chris. So many good memories of the first 20 years of this show.
Hey Max, you are right on with the music and the song that Leslie sing, a Bread song, IF…and I loved when the played Bless the Beast and the Children…and like you said such good/great memories of the first 20 years of Y&R…
It’s so great to have the Brooks sisters back again! I remember their rivalry over men and when Dennis Cole played Lance. Vanessa hated Laurie and I remember when she jumped off the balcony to her death and made it look like Laurie pushed her. A definite jaw dropping moment for that show. I also loved the episodes featuring Leslie’s concerts. Incredible moments. It would be nice to have Y and R revisit some of the history with these old characters again including the Fosters. Its great to have them back and I hope to see more of them in the near future! Happy 45th Y and R!
THANK YOU FOR THE INTERVIEW! It was great to read what a couple of the original cast members thought of the show, their characters, and the trend they set for daytime programming.
My favorite Brookes family storyline was Jennifer Brookes’ breat cancer– the reaction of Stuart, how each daughter struggled with it, and the beautiful and agonizing depiction given by the actress who played their mother… as Kevin and Max noted in earlier posts, THE MUSIC brought the great acting and the great dialogue together.
Also, loved the courtroom scenes regarding Lorie being accused of Vanessa’s death– great drama, especially when she was found innocent– her lawyer was great and she played the role to perfection… again, the MUSIC made it all pop!
Hope the new writing regime respects the efforts of those original cast members and pays homage to them throughout the year! Would love to see others return for a brief stay.
They should bring Lorie back permanently and give us a new generation of Brooks characters. Surely Lorie has kids?
I didn’t think much of Janice’s acting yesterday. A little blah. Maybe she has been out of practice.
I didn’t know all the history with the Brooks and Jill so it was nice to get to find out. I thought, Jill sure likes wealthy older men and then Billy said it! Yes!
I was watching back then, loved the Brooks family and the Fosters. Jill, her mom and brothers. Been watching it throuout the years And it is still my favorite.
I miss the Brooks family.
I am not familiar with the past storyline; and although I found the scene to be funny, I also found it to be awkward. I’m not a “Jill” fan, so I wasn’t too keen on this, but it was funny and “catish.”
I thought it was a bit awkward too. The two sisters sitting at the bar and then Jill. It looked weird.
I was hoping they would share more of the 45 year old history through flashbacks this week!! I was also hoping to see the Brooks sisters for more then 2 whole minutes!!! The other storylines can wait till next week!
I don’t remember this Leslie. I remember the one with the dark hair and the porcelain complexion. That said, this was a great interview.
Jess Walton still drives me up the wall. I’ve always thought she was a terrible Jill – she’s always so miserable. Being a villain should be fun! At least the other Jill thought it was.
That was Victoria Mallory, Marie. She took over the role when Janice Lynde left and played it for four or five years. I liked her a lot; probably one of Y&R’s best recasts.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Amanda Setton Talks Her Reaction, Scenes, and Co-Stars After Becoming a Daytime Emmy Nominee for the First Time (Exclusive)
When the nominations were announced for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards earlier this week, General Hospital fans were thrilled to see Amanda Setton’s name as one of this year’s Outstanding Supporting Actress nominees.
It marks the first time in her career that she has ever been nominated. Setton has played Brook Lynn Quartermaine since 2019. Soap viewers first saw her in the role of Kimberly Andrews on One Life to Live during her run from 2009-2011.
Amanda received her Daytime Emmy nomination for her emotional turn as Brook Lynn learned she had been lied to by her mother, Lois Cerullo (Rena Sofer) for years, after giving up her baby for adoption as a teen. Little did she know she had a secret son living with her this whole time at the Quartermaine mansion in Gio Palmieri (Giovanni Mazza).
Photo: ABC
During an exclusive conversation live on Tuesday night, July 14, during the Michael Fairman Channel’s annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Special, she discussed her reaction to the news, her nominated reel and her GH co-stars.
GOING FOR EMMY GOLD
Setton explained how she found out she was a Emmy nominee! “Frank Valentini called me, our boss. It was such a beautiful moving moment. I’ve known Frank for 20 years and to share this with him, I’m indebted to him on a lot of levels. I was in the car with my husband. We were going for a hike. We got away for just a couple days, just the two of us. It was early in the morning and to share that moment with Frank, to share that moment with my husband, it was the best. We cried and I’m just so grateful.”
The Supporting Actress nominee shared what scenes she submitted: “My reel was obviously about the Gio storyline. It started with the scenes with Lulu (Alexa Havins) and shout out to Alexa! She’s the best. It’s when I first find out that she knows and that I had boy. Then, begging her not to tell Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) and just to leave it alone, then into the scenes with Rena Sofer, shout out to her! She is the best. I love her. I spoke to her today. She deserved to also be nominated. They are the scenes right after I find out at the Nurses’ Ball, and right after Brooklyn finds out that Gio is her son, not her cousin. Then my reel ended with the scene with Gio in the kitchen when Brook Lynn’s first sees him after the Nurses’ Ball and she says, ‘We can work this out,’ and he’s like, ‘No, we can’t,” and he walks away. It was an amazing story and kudos to the writers.”
Photo: ABC
CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCENES
It is always important in the Emmy game to put together a submission, so that someone who doesn’t watch the show day to day, can grasp the story of what’s happening to your character. Setton explained how she went about assembling the choices for her scenes. “Between Michelle Henry (producer, GH) and Frank, they said, ‘You need to tell the story. Find the scenes that tell the story.” Once I did it was clear to all of us, the story has been told,” shared Amanda.
“Anyone who’s watching this reel can get a feel for the intensity of the story. I think after even the first scene where you’re just like, ‘Wait a minute! This girl had a baby? She didn’t know if it was a boy or girl?’ Now this nemesis of her wants to … ‘What’s happening? What’s going on? And then the mom knew the story? ‘ So by the end, your heart’s just broken for this girl.”
Initially, Amanda like the viewers were trying to figure out how GH would make sense of the story, where suddenly years later we find out Brook Lynn got pregnant at summer camp by Dante! Setton said, “Once they (the writers) started building it out and you saw all the different relationships playing out between her and her mother, her and Dante, her and Lulu, her and Gio, her and her husband Chase (Josh Swickard), even Tracy (Jane Elliot), and then the fallout of all of it, it just touched so many characters on the canvas. I think it was like a huge juicy burger for the fans to just take a big bite.”
Photo: ABC
AMANDA SETTON TALKS ON HER TV SON GIOVANNI MAZZA
In addition to Amanda, both Giovanni Mazza and Braedyn Bruner (Emma) landed their first ever nominations in the Emerging Talent category. Setton shared how she and Mazza have developed such a close bond.
“Gio and I are super close. Right from the start, we just hit it off. He is such a delight. He’s so hardworking. He’s such an eager learner. He’s always looking to be better. He always wants to grow. That’s a huge testament to his work ethic,” explains Amanda. “He’s an amazing person, and over the last couple of years, we’ve had many deep conversations about work, about life, perspective, gratitude, values, a lot of different deep things. I could not be more thrilled for Gio and this moment for him. It is well deserved. He has worked so hard for it. I really hope he wins. Although, I also love Braedyn!”
One of the most unforgettable moments of 2025 in the soaps is when Gio takes to the Nurses’ Ball stage after overhearing Lulu and Lois talk that he is the biological son of Brook Lynn and Dante. Ready to begin to play his violin, he smashes it pieces and storms off. Setton was in the scene and recalls, “That was wild. He did such a great job with that. That is not an easy moment to hit, pun intended. He nailed it.”
Photo: ABC
THE CONNECTION WITH JANE ELLIOT
On General Hospital, Brook Lynn is close with her ‘Granny,” the one and only Tracy Quartermaine, and in real life Amanda is very close with Jane Elliot, with whom she was able to share the news of her nomination. “First of all, this woman has become one of my closest friends.”
Amanda adds, I’m not exaggerating. I am confident to say she would say the same. We’ve become really close friends outside of work. We speak, almost every day. We just went out to lunch last week. She’s become such a close person in my life over these last few years. She’s such a leader. Jane’s a really special person in my life after my family. I wanted to share the news of this nomination with her and she was over the moon.”
HARD WORK PAID OFF
Getting a pat on the back from her peers is one of the more touching moments in Amanda’s career, as she explains: “I have to say we’re in the daytime world, so for us it feels so wonderful and so rich. But in the landscape of the entertainment industry, in daytime, we’re in the trenches. We work really hard. We have a ton of pages. We have a ton of really high stakes, dramatic work to try to do in a grounded, authentic way, continuously every day on television. Not that it’s thankless, because thank God we are employed actors on a network TV show, and we are also grateful. But, I’m not going to lie, and say it doesn’t feel good to just get a little ‘thank you’ or like a little, ‘I see your work.’ It feels fulfilling.”
You can check out the full live interview with Amanda Setton at the 2:24:26 mark during the Daytime Emmy Nominations Special Live below, which featured 13 newly-nominated actors sharing their reactions and what they submitted for their reels the landed them a nomination at the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
So, are you happy for Amanda that she finally secured her first ever Daytime Emmy nomination? Do you think she is one of the frontrunners for the gold for Outstanding Supporting Actress based on the emotional tale of Brook Lynn’s journey to learning she had a son and it was Gio Palmieri? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Andrew Hawkes Shares Cullum’s Secret Backstory He Never Told Anyone (Exclusive)
WSB Director Ross Cullum’s (Andrew Hawkes) reign of terror came to an end last week on the July 2 episode of ABC’s General Hospital, after WSB agent Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) shot him dead. That ended the run of Andrew Hawkes who will go down for his portrayal of one of the ruthless, bad guys in the soaps in a very long time.
Just look at a partial laundry list of his crimes: stabbing Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo) brutally to his death, gaslighting Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) to where he was held captive and then was sent to mental institution in France, attempting to kill WSB Bureau Chief, Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna), by tying him to his hospital bed at Turning Woods, putting a gas mask on it and making him breathe a full tank of carbon monoxide.
How about being the person responsible for the penthouse fire targeting Sonny (Maurice Benard) that instead got Michael (then Chad Duell, now Rory Gibson) burned so badly he had to be sent away to a clinic in Germany, and then there is the matter of lying to Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) for years, that she never had Huntington’s disease, instead she was injecting herself with saline, until near the end of his life, he had put poison in the vials of her medication, and let’s not forget taking a weaponized baton and attempting to beat the life out of Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) and kill him, till Cullum was stopped by shots to his back fired by Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr).
Photo: ABC
HOW CULLUM TURNED INTO A RUTHLESS MASTERMIND AND KILLER REVEALED
This week, Andrew Hawkes participated in a livestream chat on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where he touched on many subjects of his six-month run as Cullum. One of the more intriguing moments came when Hawkes explained in-depth for the first time what drove Cullum to become a double agent, and to become this heinous of a man. While it was never given to him by the soap opera, as an actor it is always helpful to fill in the blanks for yourself to help with your performance and the “why” a character is behaving the way they are.
Andrew explained, “This has nothing to do with the writers, or anything that anybody ever said, because we don’t get that backstory on Cullum, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. The reason why Cullum is so single-minded and ruthless is because he was on a job, did his job, which was taking out a high ranking government official in a foreign country. Then, he was turned out by the WSB, locked out of getting back to the United States, and therefore missed holding his daughter who died of leukemia because they froze everything.”
Photo: ABC
“Cullum had no health insurance, Cullum had no money, Cullum had no anything”, continued Hawkes. “What I’ve done with Cullum is he’s coming back to rip everything to shreds from the inside out. So, that was my secret. It’s much more detailed than that. Being a parent is so personal, and Cullum could not get to his child in her time of greatest need, and he couldn’t do anything because the WSB turned on him. They wouldn’t bring him from out of the cold.”
HEROES AND VILLAINS
Hawkes added, “I played it as I played it, and I am not trying to make it about these mitigating circumstances. It’s just an example of why this guy is so full of rage and violence and that was what I was trying to do as that character is as I said, destroy everything from the inside out.”
On TV, in the movies or on the stage there are usually heroes and villains to every story. Hawkes explains more on what caused Cullum’s vendetta with the world, “It’s a gasket being blown in your brain plus trauma. I heard somebody talking about what’s the difference between a hero and a villain. A hero says, ‘the world hurt me, and I don’t want to hurt anybody else.’ A villain says, ‘the world hurts me and I’m going to hurt the world.’ So, it’s a very fine distinction.”
Photo: ABC
MEETING JOHN OLIVER AND HIS PERFORMANCE AS Z
In addition, Andrew spoke on his last day of shooting and getting to meet guest star, John Oliver and how impressed he was with his performances, even though he, personally, didn’t get to share any spoken screen-time with the late night Emmy-nominated talk show host.
“I did meet him and talk to him, and when I was down on the ground (after Cullum was shot) I was going, ‘Wow, I’m done.’ I don’t have to sweat anything more today. But he came through, and I’ve been a fan of his for a long time and he was so cool and so prepared. I think he’s amazing. I was like, if you never knew this actor and watched him on GH, he’s just fascination to watch. He’s just so committed. I get the biggest kick out of it, and I hope they keep bringing him back.”
Photo ABC
FINDING OUT CASSIUS HAD LIVED
Hawkes admitted, “I thought Z was only in for one episode/day, but then I found out all the other stuff from watching the show that he had scenes with Carly (Laura Wright) and and then Cassius (Ryan Paevey). I didn’t even know that Cassius wasn’t dead. Of course, Ryan and I had talked a lot and it was the end of his contract and he was leaving the show, but I didn’t know that Cassius had lived through it.”
“As for John Oliver, it’s not easy walking in there with all these incredible professionals being like, “we’ve done it for a long time.” I mean, luckily he has his own show and it’s him talking for 30 minutes. He put in the work. The first behavior, you really see of him is him walking. And then, the way he just pulls out his gun and casually caps the guy on the ground who’s going try to shoot him was just the coolest. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with him, but he was gracious and kind and cool, and you couldn’t ask for a better scene partner.
In case you missed our conversation with Andrew Hawkes on the Michael Fairman Channel, you can check it out below.
Now, let us know, what did you think of the incredible backstory that Andrew creating for himself to rationalize and play all the scenes and nefarious activities of WSB Director, Ross Cullum? What did you think of his final moments on GH in the shootout with Josslyn and Cassius shortly before Z arrived? Let us know via the comment section below.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
On General Hospital, the current PCPD commissioner Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) has been lied to, and kept in the dark, by those he thought he could trust which includes his ex-wife Lulu (Alexa Havins), his own son, Rocco (Finn Carr) and a man he considers a good friend and police partner, “Nathan” West, only Dante doesn’t know that “Nathan” is a fraud, and really his twin brother, Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey)!
The only person, who seems to be a good friend and reliable is ‘General Hospital’ head nurse Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst). For months, GH viewers are witnessing key moments when Dante and Elizabeth are there for each other. In fact, she helped Dante realize it was Rocco who shot Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) and was willing to help him cover up the crime so his son does not go to prison. Problem is, Rocco took off with Britt Westbourne (Kelly Theibaud) and as of now Dante has no idea where they are.
In a new and exclusive interview out this weekend on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, Dominic Zamprogna chats about the potential pairing of Dante and Elizabeth and the opportunity to work with beloved longtime GH favorite, Rebecca Herbst, and if he thinks when all is said and done, Dante will wind up back with Lulu. Here’s some excerpts from the conversation below.
Courtesy/ABC
ELIZABETH HAS PROVEN HERSELF TRUSTWORTHY TO DANTE
Speaking on how Dante feels currently about Elizabeth, Zamprogna explained, “At this point, Elizabeth is the only person, he can trust. She’s the only one who’s essentially told Dante what’s what. But. there’s also this connection for sure beyond that, right? That’s something that we’ve tried to play. We don’t know what the end game is, honestly, as actors, I don’t know what the end game is. You have to assume that every time you’re in a scene with anybody, you’re chemistry testing, and you want to do right by the characters.”
Although Dante’s primary romances have been with Lulu and the late Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco), a paring of Dante and Liz has never been approached by the series until now.
“To me, it’s interesting because they’ve never really explored anything between Dante and Elizabeth before. So, it’s all kind of new,” shared Dominic. “That’s the most exciting part of any relationship, the new stuff, before you jump into the domesticated stuff. That’s maybe where Ric (Rick Hearst) and Elizabeth are. They’re kind of more in this domesticated thing, or experiencing that, whereas Dante and Elizabeth truly are kind of needing each other at this moment.”
As Dominic explains it, Dante has found himself needing Elizabeth as his sounding board, since everyone else betrayed him. “Dante definitely needs Elizabeth and has reached out to her. She’s been honest, and provided him with things that he needed (to help cover up that his son, Rocco shot Cullum), explains the five-time Daytime Emmy nominee. “There’s also the other stuff that he’s finding out about her that he didn’t know. Like when she’s in the office with him and she’s talking about her past and the trauma that she’s been through (referring to Elizabeth’s rape).”
Courtesy/ABC
COULD THERE BE A DANTE/ELIZABETH/RIC TRIANGLE AHEAD?
Dominic continued with high praise for his co-star, “It’s interesting for me to play, because I don’t know that story of Elizabeth as an actor, because it was before I got to the show. So, it’s two characters finding out more about each other who’ve been in each other’s orbit for 17 years. (As to the potential pairing), I’m happy to hear people are digging it because I dig it. Rebecca is phenomenal, and she plays a legacy character, and to me, one of the best actors on the show.”
With Lulu seemingly falling for “Nathan” and then currently breaking it off, Zamprogna and GH fans are awaiting to see what happens when Lulu finds out that “Nathan” is Cassius, while also finding out if Ric Lansing could be the true spoiler in any potential Liz and Dante budding romance.
“I don’t know what the long game is. I literally have no clue,” shared Zamprogna. “I currently don’t believe that there’s a Dante/Lulu happening. It feels like if they did go down the road of Dante and Ric fighting for Elizabeth, I think that would be interesting to have two guys fighting over her as opposed to two women fighting over Ric and Dante.”
Courtesy/ABC
PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR DANTE/ELIZABETH ROMANCE
GH fans will recall the recent scenes where Elizabeth was dressed for her date with Ric, but stopped by Dante’s office at the PCPD first. Dante remarked, in so many words, how beautiful she looked.
Zamprogna hoped that viewers caught it, explaining, “Those are real little moments that I’m always happy or captured. It’s two people who don’t have a romantic relationship, but, planting those little seeds of her coming in and him seeing her out of her scrubs for the first time and being like, ‘Oh my, God You look amazing.” And then as the scene ends, they’re kind of wrapped up in things, and then he is like, ‘I could keep talking to you forever,’ but she has a date to get to with Ric.”
You can check out the full conversation with Dominic Zamprogna now on the Michael Fairman Channel below.
Now, let us know, after checking out Dominic’s thoughts on a potential Dante and Elizabeth pairing? Are you hoping the GH writers put them together, or do you want Liz with Ric? And, do you think the end game will still be Dante and Lulu as the exes still have to come together to find their son, Rocco, who is on the run with Britt? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
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