Table of contents for August 13, 2018 in ABC Soaps In Depth

The In Depth Story: Expecting her first child, a daughter, any day now with beau John Rogers, the actress requested additional time off following B&B’s month-long July hiatus to coincide with her August 10 due date and the weeks thereafter to bond with her newborn. But as Mosley tells Soaps In Depth, her maternity leave may not be as long as some might imagine! “It’s hard for me to sit still,” confesses the actress, who thinks she may be ready to get back in the game as needed, especially given how accommodating the show tends to be for parents. “The thing that’s wonderful about this job is that everyone is so family-friendly. So it may be possible for me to go in for just a couple of hours and then…

IN In the best news of the summer, Leslie Charleson is back on her feet and back to playing GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Monica. As Soaps In Depth went to press, the actress was due on the set on July 23 when the soap’s production resumed following its summer hiatus — which means we should see Monica back on the canvas in the next few weeks. The GH vet, you’ll recall, had been out since April, when she injured her leg after tripping over her beloved dog. Adding to the good news: Charleson isn’t the only GH star who’s returning to the canvas. With several stories coming to a head in Port Charles, look for Tristan Rogers to bring WSB agent Robert Scorpio into the action this week. And Brytni Sarpy —…

Neil is large and in charge on Monday, July 30, while Mariah is on the receiving end of some unexpected news that same day. Abby has some questions for Arturo which might shed a bit of light on her beau’s past on Tuesday, July 31. Things could get ugly when tempers flare and words are exchanged between Jack and Billy on Wednesday, August 1. Victor has a surprise for Nikki on Thursday, August 2. (Of course, this being Victor, who knows if it’ll be a good or bad one!) And while Devon makes a bold statement on Friday, August 3, Nick tries his best to resist temptation! But will his efforts be entirely successful?…

After all these years of shrugging that his kids just aren’t interested in show business, Benard reveals that his only son, Joshua, has been bitten by the acting bug — and the 13-year-old’s talent has blown him away. “He’s amazing,” Dad brags. One day at home, “he did this monologue… and it was so trippy!” The dark, emotional piece left the Emmy winner floored, because, he says, “It’s scary to realize that’s the kind of actor he’s going to be. He’s nothing like he seemed in the [scene he performed for me]. Plus, he has a way about him. Once he gets his agent, it’s over. If he brings this kind of intensity to the big directors, they’ll hire him. He’s going to be big, and I don’t say this…

GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Hayley Erin feels awkward calling Kiki’s recent sexual-harassment drama “fun” to play, but she can’t deny she’s loving every second of this important and challenging story. In particular, she’s enjoyed working with so many of the soap’s other leading ladies. “Usually, we’re all in our own worlds on the show, dealing with our own storylines, problems and issues,” she notes. “To bring some favorite female characters to the forefront and have them working together for womankind is really exciting — for me especially. I’m thrilled to get to work with Becky Herbst (Elizabeth), Emme Rylan (Lulu) and Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis)!” Even with her dream team behind her, Kiki almost threw in the towel last week, but once again, the ladies stepped up. “These women all came together…

Q: What celebrity would you “geek out” over getting the opportunity to meet? Chloe Lanier (Nelle, GH) “I’m a huge Leonardo DiCaprio fan. I want to work with him so badly. He’s fantastic, and I’ve learned so much just by watching him and movies like The Aviator, The Wolf Of Wall Street and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. He’d be up there.” William deVry (Julian, GH) “A lot of them are dead. Robert Mitchum, Alec Guinness, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake — I’d love to meet any of them. I’m a little overwhelmed by all the content these days, so I just stick to Turner Classic Movies. I’m probably more in the director stream of things than actors — like Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Clint Eastwood. It would be…

Try to imagine GENERAL HOSPITAL without Sonny Corinthos and his Emmy-winning portrayer, Maurice Benard. You can’t do it, can you? It’s like trying to imagine ice cream without the cold or a beach without sand. That’s how profound an impact the iconic actor has made on the ABC soap. All he had to do was flash those irresistible dimples, and not only was every woman in Port Charles a goner, so was the audience! Of course, Benard is much more than just another handsome face. Time and again, he’s proven that he’s a performer of unparalleled depth and versatility. In one scene, he might make us shudder with the severity of Sonny’s threats against babymama Ava, and in the next, leave us laughing over the mobster’s adorable interaction with daughter…

Ian Buchanan (ex-Duke) “Maurice! You are the best! You’ve proven it time and time again. I have one of your Emmys to prove it! I love you, my friend!” Chad Duell (Michael) “I consider myself lucky to have been able to spend these last eight years sharing the screen with Maurice.” Donnell Turner (Curtis) “I love Maurice’s sense of humor in real life, so I’m always even more impressed when I watch him play Sonny. I love his respect for the craft.” Bryan Craig (ex-Morgan, GH) “Maurice has had my back and supported me through many things when I was at GH. He stood up for a lot of my ideas, and is just an amazingly talented, kind and giving person with a lovely family. His wife, Paula, is just…

The person who was the most shocked to learn that Soaps In Depth had created a special collector’s-edition coffee- table book in honor of Maurice Benard’s 25th anniversary as GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Sonny Corinthos was… the legendary actor himself! For months, we’d been gathering quotes from the Emmy winner’s friends and colleagues, and even speaking with Benard himself. But he had no idea that we were compiling a full-sized book dedicated entirely to him; he thought it was all for upcoming articles (like the Cover Story, page 20). Little did he know… The Moment Of Truth The day that Benard’s friend, photographer Jim Warren, presented him with the book at the GH studio, the leading man’s parents, Humberto and Martha Morales, just happened to be visiting him at work, and they…

“I believe I have taken Jordan as far as I can.” The In Depth Story: As the star of DIGGSTOWN, a Canadian series set to debut this winter, Antoine will play the titular character, Marcie Diggs, a corporate attorney who shifts gears and joins the legal-aid office in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, after a personal tragedy inspires her to protect the innocent. The role is a historymaking one, as Antoine will be the first Black Canadian actress to lead a primetime drama on a public television network, according to broadcaster CBC. “We’re very fortunate to have Vinessa give life to the tenacious and complex character of Marcie,” raves creator and showrunner Floyd Kane. With production beginning in August, Antoine and GH mutually agreed to part ways. “My job is to create…

Soap-hopper Jordi Vilasuso (Tony, GUIDING LIGHT; Griffin, ALL MY CHILDREN; ex-Dario, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) has been tapped to play a new role on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS. The Emmy winner will debut on Friday, August 17, as Rey, a mysterious stranger who quickly finds himself tangled up in some Genoa City drama. When In Depth caught up with the actor just last month, he shared that he was open to making another return to daytime. “I’ll work on any of them — tomorrow,” he confessed. “I love what I do. But what I want is a great storyline.” Sounds like he got his wish!…

PSST! With Stella blowing up Chandra’s phone lately, it seems like it’s just a matter of time before Curtis’ ex shows up in Port Charles. And the casting call GH recently issued for “Jessica” — a beautiful, dynamic, smart African-American woman in her 30s who plays both sides of the law — only added fuel to that fire. But now that we know Vinessa Antoine is exiting as Jordan (see News, page 4, for details), another possibility has arisen: The casting call for “Jessica” might be the show searching for a new Jordan. The Twitterverse already has a recast in mind: Socialmedia posters suggest that Antoine’s pal, Mishael Morgan, should claim the role now that she’s done as THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ scheme queen, Hilary. As for “Jessica,” that…

Even as John and Marlena prepare for their wedding, the bride realizes on Tuesday, July 31, that an important guest has not yet RSVP’d! Meanwhile, Ben’s time with Ciara is interrupted in the worst possible way when not only does her mom burst in, but she and Rafe do so with guns drawn! Gabi overhears a secret conversation between Stefan and Kate on Wednesday, August 1! And on Friday, August 3, John, eager to make Marlena his wife, asks Paul for a little bit of help.…

… or have GH’s Mike and Stella become your favorite noncouple? The two of them give off more sparks than some of their younger counterparts… without even trying! It’s also nice to see Sonny’s father being written as something more than simply a man struggling with a debilitating disease. By expanding the scope of Mike’s story, he becomes more than just a character on which to hang a plot point. At the same time, Mike and Stella are clearly good influences on one another. Here’s hoping that their flirtation grows into something more before it’s too late! As he said, “Life goes by in a blink of an eye. Any two people who find love should grab it!”…

On the heels of confessing that Morgan’s death had sent her into overprotective overdrive and landed her in Ferncliff, GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Carly was ready to do battle again for Michael’s sake. And, in taking her character from a place of introspection to one of calculation and desperation, Laura Wright handily earned this week’s Gold Star. Sonny Delivers Bad News Shuffling cards for a game with Kevin, Carly opened up to the psychiatrist, allowing Wright to play on her character’s lingering grief over Morgan’s death. But she also added a levelheaded introspection to the scene that made it appear that Carly was actually getting somewhere. Then Sonny interrupted to tell her that Michael was getting married the next day… and instead of blowing her top, Carly calmly leaned into the pain.…

As a diehard fan of the Killon pairing, Erin is quick to make excuses for Dillon. “I like to think he lied about cheating on Kiki to break her heart, so she’d get over him, and he could pursue his career,” she postulates. “It was just so out of character. That’s what I tell myself, anyway! That way, the ending doesn’t change the sweet, innocent romance that came before. And Robert Palmer Watkins and I are best friends forever. No matter what Dillon does to Kiki, I couldn’t love him more.”…

Soaps In Depth: Nikki has become a lot stronger lately. She not only stood up to Victor, she even dumped him for a time! What do you think of the “new” Nikki? Melody Thomas Scott: Yes, Nikki certainly has become much stronger — not just with Victor but with everyone. I think people notice her aggressive behavior with Victor more than others because it is not what any of us ever would have expected in a million years! At first, I actually had difficulty playing it! Thirty-nine-year-old habits die hard! After a while, it became exciting to finally “give it right back” to Victor! She had been so patient with him over the years that once I found that internal geyser, the eruption just shot out of Nikki’s being! Actually,…

Anthony Geary (ex-Luke) “After working with Mo for a year with him playing little more than Luke’s sidekick, I knew he was being wasted and deserved more. I told him he needed a life beyond that of Luke’s buddy and encouraged him to meet with the GH producer and writers to request they develop his character through a story of his own. He did. They did. The rest is history. You’re welcome.” Tamara Braun (Kim; ex-Carly) “I think Maurice has meant a tremendous amount to the daytime community. He is loved by the fans, respected by his peers as an actor and is an advocate for mentalhealth awareness. For GH, he created a complex, layered character that, in someone else’s hands, could have been written off the canvas in a…

We daresay she looks too young to qualify as one, but nevertheless, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke) is officially a grandmother. A few days before Mother’s Day this year, her daughter, Zoe, gave birth to a daughter of her own! “Life is such a miracle, and when you see your daughter have her own baby, that’s priceless,” says the actress. “I’m so happy for her, and I’m so happy to have this new little baby in the family.” The baby was named Zuma, which means “peace” in Arabic. (Coincidentally, it’s also the name of the Malibu locale where Brooke wed Ridge on several occasions on B&B.) “I never even thought of that!” Lang says with a laugh. “I definitely used to take my kids to Zuma…

My favorite days at work are the ones when I get to… “Play opposite my favorite actors and have great material — and I’m living that right now! It changes all the time, because I get to work with the entire cast, and I have a different chemistry and relationship with each actor.” My first day, I thought: “‘Go in, give 200 percent and go home!’ It was a two-day job, but any job I do — whether it’s one year, one day, series regular, a lead role — it’s always a 200 percent commitment. I leave it all on the table.” At the start of my workday… “We get a new call sheet, which tells us when our scenes will be up, and I make sure everything matches up.…

Suiting Up For Summer GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Kin Shriner (Scotty) isn’t afraid of color, but our informal voters thought red worked best as an accent to this light gray suit, in which he looks quite handsome! What Were They Thinking? Less Is More Emma Samms (ex-Holly, GH) keeps her look much more streamlined in this sequined gown, whereas the look on the right seems to hide her gorgeous figure. Tulle Time Whether showing just a glimpse or a whole gown’s worth, tulle is a fun and flouncy way to make a statement!…

Hillary B. Smith juggled duties as ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Nora on the East Coast while co-starring as Gene Wilder’s wife, Annie, in the primetime series SOMETHING WILDER on the West Coast. For a brief time, Emma Samms was seen on ABC as GH’s Holly during the day and DYNASTY’s Fallon at night, before eventually leaving Port Charles for all of the Carrington chaos in Denver. “All My Paychecks” is how Dorothy Lyman jokingly refers to the year that she spent commuting cross-country to play both Opal on ALL MY CHILDREN in New York City and Naomi on MAMA’S FAMILY in Los Angeles. Since joining GH, Billy Miller has held recurring roles on both RAY DONOVAN and SUITS, and he had a prominent part opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar on THE…

PSST! Now that Peter has been rescued from Obrecht’s clutches, many are wondering how long the villainess has before the WSB carts her off the canvas. But like a bad penny, Liesl has a knack for turning up again and again, so don’t count out portrayer Kathleen Gati just yet! “The only time I’ve had more fun was the Nurses Ball four years ago,” she raves. “I’ll play Obrecht as long as they want me and need me. Even if I’m doing other stuff, there’s hopefully always a route for Obrecht.” As for that “other stuff,” Gati hopes to reprise her ARROW role of nanny Raisa this season. “It’s a predominantly female staff of writers, so we’ll see what’s in their hearts,” she winks.…

Steffy breaks her father’s heart when on Monday, July 30, she informs him that she plans to marry Bill, of all people. Ridge fires up Liam’s jealousy on Tuesday, July 31, before urging the young man to stop Steffy before it’s too late. When put on the spot by Bill regarding her intentions on Wednesday, August 1, Steffy makes a stunning declaration about who she wants her future to be with. And on Thursday, August 2, Steffy shocks her family when she makes a major announcement regarding the future of Forrester Creations!…

General Hospital In Depth asked... Do you think Franco and Elizabeth will make it down the aisle? The ayes have it! But then, regular readers of this poll probably aren’t all that surprised at the fans’ abundance of faith! This issue’s question... Will Kiki’s fling with Griffin destroy her relationship with Ava? Reader Reaction: 89% HECK YEAH! 11% NO WAY! TOP 5 GH COUPLES 1 Liz Webber & Franco Baldwin 2 Sam McCall & Drew Cain 3 Laura & Kevin Collins 4 Alexis Davis & Julian Jerome 5 Carly & Sonny Corinthos TOP 5 ACTORS (as voted by Soaps In Depth readers) 1 Issue Last : 1 Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) 2 Issue Last : 2 Steve Burton (Jason, GH) 3 Issue Last : 5 Roger Howarth (Franco, GH) 4…

It’s a really good time to be Cameron Mathison. Not only is ALL MY CHILDREN’s former Ryan in hot demand as a television host, but he’s also become Hallmark’s go-to guy for making people smile this summer. Recently, he co-hosted several more episodes of the network’s popular talkfest, HOME & FAMILY. “The show is so spontaneous, interesting and heartfelt,” he says enthusiastically. “If offered the gig permanently, I would do it.” The Summer He’ll Never Forget The male lead from the Murder, She Baked series now has a new film debuting on Hallmark, A Summer To Remember (airing Saturday, August 4, at 9 p.m. EST). In it, he plays a laid-back surfer who welcomes guests to his Fijian resort (think FANTASY ISLAND’s Mr. Roarke, but in board shorts!). “He has…

When viewers were first introduced to Sonny, he wasn’t quite the mobster with the heart of gold: He was a low-level hood running a strip club and seducing Scotty’s teenage daughter, Karen (who became his star attraction). After Karen dumped Sonny to reunite with true love Jagger, the mobster began a tempestuous relationship with her high-school classmate, Brenda, that would change both of their lives forever. In 1995, Sonny was caught off guard when Luke hired to work at their blues club… the smooth criminal’s estranged dad, Mike (then Ron Hale). To this day, Sonny remains haunted by the loss to AIDS of his young ward, Jagger’s kid brother and Robin’s then-boyfriend, Stone. Word to the wise: Don’t wear a wire on Sonny. He was so pissed when Brenda did…

Marc Anthony Samuel (Felix) “Watching Maurice work is a master class. Love you, Maurice!” Drew Cheetwood (Milo) “Some of my first hangouts with Mo were his epic boxing parties! He treated everyone as if they were kings and queens at those things. We shadow- sparred for an hour once at one of these events around his property. I love sparring with Mo, both off and on screen. Great partner!” Drew Garrett (ex-Michael) “Maurice Benard is the LeBron James of daytime television, and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to play on the same team. Cheers to 25 years and counting! Keep breaking ankles, man.” Chloe Lanier (Nelle) “I love Maurice. I think he’s hilarious. I enjoy talking reality TV with him, because it’s always a good time. We love…

When her longtime on-screen “rival,” Hunter Tylo (Taylor), returned to the show earlier this year, Lang was hoping that their characters would get to do more than just exchange pleasantries — she wanted to see them go to the mat! “I was hoping there’d be major fireworks, but they kept it kind of tame,” says Lang of their confrontation. “According to the script, we had to try to be civil, even though I was hoping for a crazy fight right off the bat. I guess maybe we can build up to that!” The ladies may have maintained their dignity, but Lang reports that her colleague kept her in stitches when the cameras weren’t rolling. “Hunter is so funny; she always has some interesting wisecracks on set,” says Lang. “It felt…

When Chandler Massey rejoined DAYS OF OUR LIVES last fall, it wasn’t like slipping on a comfortable shoe. Rather, his legacy character, Will Horton, was literally a new man after having been resurrected from the dead with his memories erased. Of being able to approach the role with fresh eyes, the actor reflects, “I really enjoyed playing him [like that], but I didn’t really start with a completely blank slate, because his core personality traits were still intact.” Remembering Sonny At first, Will was reluctant to assimilate into his former life and even divorced Sonny, the husband who was essentially a stranger. However, Will “grew to realize that he’s not really a full person yet,” explains Massey, adding, “He wants to take his rightful place in Salem back, and to…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL Bill showed Steffy an incriminating photo of Liam and Hope that he’d staged, then proposed to her. Steffy ran off to confront Liam, only to find him in a compromising position with Hope! Furious, she headed back to Bill’s, ready to make a deal she felt would give her power in her personal life. Liam began to panic when he returned home and saw that Steffy wasn’t there. By the time Bill brought her home, Liam was aghast to discover the new arrangement Steffy had made with his dad! Hope was forced to tell Ridge about what Steffy witnessed, making him fly off the handle and prompting Brooke to demand he apologize to her daughter! A father tries convincing his daughter not to do something…