Table of contents for June 18, 2018 in ABC Soaps In Depth

The In Depth Story: While Carly is furious that she let herself get played by Nelle, portrayer Laura Wright is loving this story’s parallels to the past. “It’s great, because Carly and Bobbie both lost children falling down the stairs — which is a classic soap opera move,” she grins. “Some people go, ‘Why are we doing that again?’ Because it works!” The actress gives props to the soap for not following the same path as the past, either. “GH shook it up,” she raves. “In this case, Nelle did not lose the baby and Carly did not push her. She even jumped to try and grab her!” In spite of Carly’s innocence, the evidence is stacked against her. Not only was she forced to plead guilty by reason of…

“A Bill/Steffy child would be one badass kid!” The In Depth Story: The way things stand right now, Steffy would rather extract all of her own teeth than ever consider a future with her former father-in-law, Bill, the man responsible for destroying her marriage. But what if a shocking twist were to reveal that Bill was her daughter’s father after all? Diamont says he has no reason to believe that’s the direction this storyline is heading, but then again, he agrees that anything’s possible! “That would be a hell of a twist,” confesses the actor, who argues that Bill could have originally interfered in the test results, given that he was present at the hospital when the test was being conducted. “Steffy was so devastated at the time, and I…

STATUS Kirsten Storms (Maxie) found herself once again at the center of false rumors that she is exiting the soap. And while there was a grain of truth to the buzz, it certainly wasn’t as serious as Web trolls made it out to be. “I’m not leaving GH,” the actress clarified on social media. “I had to take two sick days due to the flu, and that is all. I also recently re-signed with the show, and I’m very happy to be continuing with Maxie’s journey. Thanks to [executive producer] Frank Valentini for being so great while I was sick.” For the two episodes that Storms was too ill to work, GH once again called on DAYS OF OUR LIVES grad Molly Burnett (ex-Melanie) to temporarily take over. Burnett —…

IN As Leo’s sexual-harassment case against Sonny heats up on DAYS, Gilles Marini makes his debut this week as the hustler’s smarmy lawyer, Ted. According to Entertainment Weekly, which first reported the news when Marini was cast at the beginning of the year, Ted will also find himself rather smitten by Kate. Last summer, the French-Canadian actor put in a few appearances on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL as a doctor who treated Rick and Maya’s daughter, Lizzy, during the show’s Monaco storyline. The alum of DEVIOUS MAIDS and SWITCHED AT BIRTH is expected to stick around Salem for a few months.…

Things are about to get interesting in the Kiriakis household, because on Monday, June 4, Theresa’s ready to pull out all the stops in order to win back Brady! That same day, Hope spreads the news that Ben is about to be released! Wonder who will be put in charge of rolling out the unwelcome mat! Tuesday, June 5, finds Brady ripping into Victor for having encouraged Theresa to keep Chloe’s whereabouts under wraps. How will Will react when he and Ben come face to face on Wednesday, June 6?…

1 The punch. Let’s face it… Valentin had that coming! 2 Ava’s song choice. Could the lyrics of “You Don’t Own Me” have been more appropriate… or performed more amazingly than by Maura West? 3 Mike’s vision. In his mind, Sonny’s dad was performing with a big band… and we wanted tickets to that show! 4 The spat. Bobbie refused to let Scotty sit at her table after he loudly applauded Ava’s routine 5 The proposal. Curtis took a big risk, doing it in public like that! But then, who could say no to him? The product placement. A little more subtlety would have helped Kim and Olivia’s chat feel more like girl talk. ... And 1…

While recasts are common in daytime, it’s less common for actors to be invited back to play entirely new roles — but Braun has done that on both GH and DAYS OF OUR LIVES, where she earned a 2008 Emmy for her run as Ava and then returned in 2011 as Taylor. “It’s very nice to be asked back,” demurs the actress. “I suppose it means they like what I do. Of course, there are challenges. There is always comparison.” But there’s also fun to be had! Braun got a kick out of sharing Kim’s first scenes with Carly and Sonny, and would love to cross paths with her former on-screen hubby more often. “I think it would be fun for the fans, don’t you?”she grins. “How do you think…

In the 2013, on-line version of ALL MY CHILDREN, Eric Nelsen took the boy people knew as Babe and JR’s son, Little Adam, into young adulthood as AJ Chandler. “My storyline was filled with a lot of tension,” he recalls. “AJ was very much in love with his best friend, Miranda, but he also struggled to find acceptance from his father, whom he accused of being an alcoholic and a junkie — issues that AJ also struggled with his whole life.” More Emmy-Worthy Performances Ahead? Since then, Nelsen has continued to be cast as men with troubled souls in everything from A Walk Among The Tombstones to Amazon’s THE BAY THE SERIES (for which he recently won an Emmy). “Those roles have so much substance,” he explains, “I really enjoy…

Lilley is admittedly envious of DAYS’ Marci Miller (Abigail/Gabby/Dr. Laura) for getting to play multiple personalities. “The reason I wanted to play it is that Theresa’s mom, Kimberly, had dissociative identity disorder,” she says. “So when I got to play twins in [the recent lifetime thriller] Twin Betrayal, it was my closest attempt.” To prepare for her own dual role, pictured below, Lilley channeled actress Tatiana Maslany, who took on numerous characters in the series ORPHAN BLACK. “One thing she does so well is, when one character goes undercover as another, you can still tell which character is underneath,” Lilley raves. “I tried to bring that to the best of my ability… [Twin Betrayal’s Jessica and Allessandra] had different voices and even the way they carried themselves and enunciated words…

The Solid Choice Though the colorful robe certainly is pretty on GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Maura West (Ava), the basic black ensemble on the left actually lets her beautiful features take the starring role. Seeing Red Our informal voters preferred Sal Stowers (Cassandra, ALL MY CHILDREN; Lani, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) in the “cold shoulder” dress over the strapless jumpsuit in the same hue. Men’s Vests These dapper gents from ABC Daytime certainly do look spiffy in this menswear staple! What Were They Thinking?…

The In Depth Story: While focusing on Charlie’s Pub, Julian has tried to give his family the time and space that they need to forgive him for his handling of the threat posed by twisted sister Olivia. And “it’s been a success to have this new business and to have to learn on the fly how to run a restaurant,” portrayer William deVry maintains. “It takes his mind off of being isolated from his family. And for Julian, a bit of isolation was not a bad thing! He could really do some soul-searching. [During this period,] we’ve seen some humor and a bit more introspection” from him. As a result of taking this good, hard look at himself, Julian has resolved to become a better man. “I don’t think anybody’s…

PSST! Though tensions are running high between GH’s Finn and Chase, there’s one person who might be able to get the half brothers to stop their sniping: their father! So far, little is known about the siblings’ dad other than that he’s the reason the guys aren’t close — Finn thinks that his dad remarried too soon after his mom’s death, and he resents Chase, seeing him as the family his father chose over his firstborn. If we know anything about soaps — and we do! — it’s only a matter of time before Pops shows up. For a sneak peek at what’s ahead for the brothers, turn to our Summer Preview on page 24!…

Since the truth exploded at the Nurses Ball, Nina has been trying to understand how Valentin could have hurt her so badly, and he’s been trying to win her back. To that end, he manages to actually keep his word on Tuesday, June 5. Something transpires that leaves Nina feeling unnerved on Monday, June 11. Whatever has her spooked isn’t easily dealt with, as Nina is downright rattled by something on Wednesday, June 13. On Thursday, June 14, Valentin’s fate is decided… or is it? Perhaps not, because he refuses to accept what’s happening that day! Something tells us that when Nina shows compassion on Friday, June 15, it will not necessarily be toward her estranged husband!…

On Monday, June , Eric ponders whether Liam might be able to find forgiveness for Steffy once she gives birth. On Tuesday, June 5, Steffy and Liam are overjoyed to meet their baby girl. Hope puts Liam in an impossible position on Wednesday, June 6, when she inquires whether he still intends on marrying her! On Thursday, June 7, Liam weighs his feelings for Hope and his desire to keep his family together. Ridge confides in Thorne about the stress that’s been put on his marriage to Brooke as a result of their daughters’ difficulties on Friday, June 8.…

General Hospital In Depth asked... Do you think Ava’s scheming will wind up costing her Griffin? While most feel as if this couple is doomed, many believe Ava deserves someone who will love her more and judge her less! This issue’s question... Do you think this is really the end for Valentin and Nina? Reader Reaction: 91% DEFINITELY 9% NO WAY TOP 5 GH COUPLES 1 Liz Webber & Franco Baldwin 2 Sam McCall & Drew Cain 3 Laura & Kevin Collins 4 Carly & Sonny Corinthos 5 Alexis Davis & Julian Jerome TOP 5 ACTORS (as voted by Soaps In Depth readers) 1 Issue Last : 1 Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) 2 Last Issue: - Steve Burton (Jason, GH) 3 Issue Last : 2 Roger Howarth (Franco, GH) 4…

GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Maurice Benard never had any intention of performing at a Nurses Ball… but when executive producer Frank Valentini told him that Sonny would be stepping on stage to back up his father? “I didn’t blink,” Benard recalls. “If it had been a whole song, no way in hell. “But this sounded incredible,” he goes on. “Mike was embarrassed about forgetting the words, but Sonny just said, ‘Dad, I lost you to the summer wind,’ and then we ended the song together. It turned out to be a cool little moment.” The legendary GH veteran had fun going into the studio to record his first-ever single with co-star Max Gail, who plays his father, but that doesn’t mean performing at the gala was easy! “I didn’t know I was…

Sam McCall Most of the time, we think of Sam as a badass heroine, a thrill-seeking adventuress who’s as tough as she is beautiful. But if you scratch her lovely surface, you’ll see why she’s rarely paired a halo with her skintight jeans and tanks — the look is a mismatch on this complex character. Before arriving in Port Charles, the object of Jason and Drew’s affections adopted almost half a dozen aliases so that she could marry — and, more to the point, rob blind — a series of smitten Richie Riches. Even after settling in the crime capitol of the Eastern seaboard, Sam didn’t exactly walk the straight and narrow. She not only stood by and watched as Jason and Elizabeth’s son was kidnapped, she later hired thugs…

The Disney-ABC Television Group announced its 2018-’19 primetime slate, and new dramas starring GH’s Hayley Erin (Kiki) and Bryan Craig (ex-Morgan) were given full series orders! Erin will be part of Freeform’s PRETTY LITTLE LIARS spin-off, THE PERFECTIONISTS, but her character remains a closely-guarded secret. Since both networks are part of the Mouse House family, a GH rep confirms that the daytime drama plans to work with the new show to share the actress. And it turns out, Erin had no trouble balancing the April pilot shoot with her responsibilities in Port Charles. “It was very quick,” she tells Soaps In Depth. “I flew up to Portland, we shot it, and I was back to work at GH on Monday.” The actress adds that she had no trouble keeping her…

“The potential is endless. I can see her crossing with a number of our residents!” The In Depth Story: First, Maxie complimented model Rylie’s Enchantment campaign during the blind date she crashed at Wyndemere. Then, there was the phone call in which the Crimson editor took a hard stand against Erica’s assistant, refusing to give the cosmetics mogul a deal on advertising space. While these mentions were likely nothing more than fun winks to AMC, many fans would love to see La Lucci show up in Port Charles. When Soaps In Depth caught up with the soap icon last year, she confessed that no one from GH had invited her to appear on the soap but marveled at how often she’s still recognized for her daytime run. “People stop me…

PSST! GH fans have been buzzing over rumors that Dominic Zamprogna — who has played Dante for nine years — won’t be signing a new contract to continue playing Sonny’s eldest kid. The show never comments on actors’ contract status, but Zamprogna fueled the fire with a possibly innocuous tweet, in which he wrote, “Goin’ with my gut.” When former on-screen partner Ryan Paevey (ex-Nathan) replied, “That’s the only way,” fans read the exchange as a tease that Zamprogna has made a big decision regarding his future at GH. What that decision was, of course, remains a mystery at press time! Before moving to the US to join GH, the Canadian import starred on that country’s teen drama, EDGEMONT, for five seasons and also appeared in the reboot of the…

We suspect that when Maxie is moved to tears on Monday, June 4, it’s not simply post-pregnancy hormones. Finn does everything in his power to be supportive on Wednesday, June 6, while Anna decides it’s time to come clean. Ava elects to spill the beans about what she saw on Thursday, June 7. Alexis has a few harsh words for Monica on Friday, June 8, while Anna lets down her guard on Monday, June 11. Kim gets ready for a big night on Tuesday, June 12, but will it live up to her expectations? What will happen when Kiki has to face her demons on Wednesday, June 13? And what has the young heroine startled on Thursday, June 14? (Bet it has something to do with Dr. McCreepy!)…

You don’t want to miss the confession Victor makes to Nikki on Monday, June 4! That same day, Neil decides he needs to set a plan in motion to keep Devon away from their mutual ex-wife, Hilary! But how far is he willing to go? Abby has a few things to say to Arturo on Tuesday, June 5, and from what we gather, they aren’t sweet nothings! Phyllis came to play on Wednesday, June 6, and the game she has in mind is hardball! Lily thinks that Charlie might need a little guidance on Thursday, June 7! And look out, world, because Hilary is ready to take on a new challenge on Friday, June 8!…

“The writers told me it’s going to be an exciting summer,” says GH’s Michael Easton (Finn), “so I’m excited to see what they’re going to give us. I’m kind of like a fan! We get our scripts, and I immediately tear through them to see what’s going to happen.” One thing the actor’s been happy to see is that Finn and Anna are going to make a go of it. “Being involved with Anna brings action and romance,” Easton says. “It’s like a blockbuster movie when you spend time with her! Plus, Finola Hughes brings a bit of class to everything she does. And I like that both as actors and as characters, we bring each other out of our comfort zone. We get to play the humor and wit.…

… or did you get a kick out of seeing GH’s Sonny and Jason literally dig a hole together? Kingpin Sonny is not exactly the type to get his hands dirty — literally or figuratively — so it was a nice change of pace. Some fans have cried foul over the fact that Jason did the heavy lifting, but for the record, that is his job… and Sonny did get into that grave and help. Overall, the Croton twist has been a smart way of taking the emotion-based story of Mike’s Alzheimer’s and using it to create other drama, too.…

GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Valentin is a guy who prides himself on staying not just a step but several steps ahead of everyone else. However, with Robert in captivity and the truth about his own connection to Peter inching closer to discovery, the schemer realized that he was quickly losing his lead. Portrayer James Patrick Stuart, on the other hand, kept his wits about him, turning in a performance that was so sly, it earned him this week’s Gold Star. Charm Offensive In the past, the Cassadine heir has gotten himself out of sticky situations with a bit of cunning and a lot of planning. This time, he followed suit by arranging to get the heck outta Dodge posthaste. Convincing wife Nina that he wanted to whisk her away on a romantic…

Over a decade after her run as GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Carly, Tamara Braun is back in Port Charles, having a blast playing the hospital’s new OB/GYN. “Kim’s great,” grins the actress, who returned to the ABC soap last fall. “She’s kind and fun, has spunk, has heart and is strong and independent. She’s a great mother, a fierce protector of her son and has a great relationship with him. He is a teenage boy, so that’s very positive! And she helps to bring life into the world. What’s not to like?” What Kim Sees In Julian Julian would certainly agree. “Wait, who’s Julian? Don’t you mean Charlie?” Braun laughs, referring to Kim’s special name for her pal. “The writers have done a really nice job with this friendship. Kim is very…

Forty years ago, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ co-creator, the late William J. Bell, tapped Doug Davidson to play wayward teen Paul Williams. In recognition of the Emmy winner’s tenure, with his alter ego evolving from a promiscuous playboy to a damselrescuing P.I., then Genoa City’s police chief, we’re flashing back to some of his most memorable moments! 1.Paul’s marriage to Christine began to crumble when they argued about having kids, and the legal eagle went into partnership with, of all people, her onetime sexual harasser, Michael. 2. In 2011, Paul had to shoot psycho son Ricky to save Michael’s sister, Eden! 3. In 1994, Paul was rendered impotent when he became collateral damage in Phyllis’ attempt to run down her rival for Danny, Christine. 4. After faking his suicide…

after 30 years playing THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s affable and artistic father figure, John McCook (Eric) has swilled more than his fair share of “fake” martinis, climbed the Forrester mansion stairs-to-nowhere countless times and even, as his randy alter ego, taken a few turns with gorgeous women on the couch in Eric’s office! Though it never gets old for McCook, he has come to know the sets and backstage secrets of this show like the back of his hand, and fortunately for Soaps In Depth, he’s willing to share what it’s been like working three decades at his “home away from home!” What’s the first thing you do when you get to work in the morning? “I come early, because I got used to coming an hour and a…

Jen Lilley had left both Theresa and DAYS OF OUR LIVES behind in the spring of 2016 in order to make time in her life for becoming a foster mom, starring in movies and working on her music. Having done all of that and more, she was in the right mindset to return and do something that was also important to her: redeeming her character! “I’d told [headwriter] Ron Carlivati before agreeing to come back, ‘The most important thing to me is that you honor my [prior] exit because I left everything on the table. I even lost my voice for two months,’” Lilley reveals. “And he was like, ‘Oh, don’t worry!’ And he totally kept his word.” Full Circle Sure enough, upon making her escape from the unspeakable circumstances…

On TV Land’s YOUNGER, Liza is still pretending to be a 20-something to keep her job at Empirical Press, ensure the success of the Millennial imprint that she and Kelsey launched and, oh yeah, not ruin her um, “complicated” relationship with handsome boss Charles. However, executive producer Dottie Zicklin says that when the series returns on Tuesday, June 5, at 10 p.m. EST, there’s even more at stake! A Jaw-Dropping Revelation “We wanted to address the #MeToo climate that we’re in,” she explains of the sexual-harassment seminar that the office holds in the wake of author Edward L.L. Moore’s potentially inappropriate past conduct toward Liza. “The repercussions for our characters are going to be really interesting, because there are definitely some inappropriate relationships going on in that office!” How…

Q: Which of your co-stars would be great in an improv troupe? Steve Burton (Jason, GH) “Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) and Carolyn Hennesy (Diane), because they’re pretty witty, they’re trained theatrically, and they’ve probably done their fair share of it already.” Risa Dorken (Amy, GH) “James Patrick Stuart (Valentin). He is so quick and hilarious. If you’ve ever had a conversation with him, you know — you’re in the presence of genius. I’m a big fan. I’d love to see what choices and characters he’d come up with.” Vernee Watson (Stella, GH) “Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) is good. She’s cool! And Maurice Benard (Sonny). We worked together recently and we had fun.” Stephen Nichols (Steve, DAYS) “Mary Beth [Evans, Kayla] for sure. She’s total improv. She’s out there. Or Eric Martsolf (Brady)…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL Wyatt interrupted Liam and Hope’s wedding to divulge to the groom that Steffy hadn’t actually been carrying on with Bill. The revelation left Liam confused about his future and mad as hell at his dad. Justin refused Bill’s order to contact Donna to get the dirt about what was going down at the wedding. While Liam wavered over his loyalty to Hope and his inclination to reunite with Steffy, the women in question bickered over their mutual refusal to give up the man they loved. After getting an unwelcome visit from Bill, Steffy suffered a fall that left her terrified for the health of her unborn child. One man. Two women. A decision must be made, and someone will be hurt! THE YOUNG & THE…