Table of contents for January 13, 2020 in ABC Soaps In Depth

Maurice Benard Became An Author Nothing General About It: How Love (And Lithium) Saved Me On And Off GH isn’t due out until April 7, but Maurice Benard’s memoir is already a bestseller. And while the book promises to dive into the Emmy winner’s battle with bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety, the mental-health advocate who plays Sonny has also been reaching out to fans in another way: via his Sunday-morning STATE OF MIND Instastory talks. He’s also launched the mbstateofmind.com Web site. A Co-Headwriter Retired Shelly Altman — who’s won Emmys for penning ONE LIFE TO LIVE and THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS and also wrote for ANOTHER WORLD — retired from her post as GH’s co-headwriter this summer. She left the trials and tribulations of Port Charles in the…

The In Depth Story: Posting photos to Instagram from a recent trip to Montana to visit her sister’s family, the actress revealed that she and husband Aaron Phypers would be spending a lot more time in Big Sky country. “Soon we will be living here in Montana and Los Angeles,” wrote the soap star and THE REAL HOUSE-WIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS cast member, adding that she’d like to own a ranch with animals in Montana but still hang on to the fancier lifestyle L.A. has to offer. “I love city life,” Richards previously admitted during a chat with Soaps In Depth, “but I also love having somewhere you can go and relax, just small-town living.” But will living part of the year 1,200 miles from where B&B tapes disrupt Richards’…

PSST! Netflix has a new kids’ show debuting on Tuesday, January 14, and one of the KIPO AND THE AGE OF WONDER-BEASTS characters will sound very familiar to astute GENERAL HOSPITAL viewers: Sydney Mikayla (Trina). “So excited to finally share this news!” the teen tweeted. “Such an honor to be a part of this.” The post-apocalyptic coming-of-age series follows the adventures of a sheltered girl who grew up underground but must learn how to survive when a mutant’s attack sends her up to the surface. Mikayla’s new gig shouldn’t impact her time in Port Charles. “Hopefully,” the actress replied to a fan wondering if she’d be juggling both roles, “Trina will be sticking around for a long time.”…

… or does it seem odd that GH’s Nelle apparently has carte blanche to wander the Pentonville hallways? And that Ryan, who murdered his roommate (aka Peter’s henchman) with a pen, was left alone with a scalpel and a pretty blonde? Meanwhile, with every person sent to the prison winding up in a cell with someone they know, we couldn’t help thinking it would have been cool to see (or at least have mentioned) Shawn, who is still behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit!…

The Stars Are Calling! ■ Lately, some very lucky fans have received personalized video shout-outs from GENERAL HOSPITAL stars Maurice Benard (Sonny), Laura Wright (Carly), Ingo Rademacher (Jax), Kin Shriner (Scott), Chad Duell (Michael), Lisa LoCicero (Olivia) and others. “I didn’t want to do it, but I love it, man!” Benard raves of the video service Cameo, which allows fans to order special messages for themselves or others. “People write you back and they’re so thrilled and happy. Early on, I did one for a woman who was really sick and they showed her my video and then put that on Twitter. It just made me cry. It makes people feel good, so why not do it?” Prices range from $30 to $100; visit cameo.com and browse the Marketplace to…

Q. While fighting with GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Brad, Lucas vented about his own childhood drama. I knew he was adopted… but what drama was he referring to? Sandi F.Spring Valley CA A. Lucas wasn’t just adopted — he was procured via an illegal adoption ring! After Bobbie and Tony’s attempts to adopt a child via legit means fell through, she bought a baby! What she didn’t know was that the child had been stolen from Cheryl Stansbury, whose doctor (at the behest of babydaddy Julian’s father, Victor) claimed that her baby had died. When Bobbie eventually found out the truth, she kept her lips zipped rather than lose Lucas. When her secret inevitably came out, Tony was furious with his wife for purchasing a black market baby and then keeping the…

Just ask GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Bobbie Spencer: If libidinous Dr. Noah Drake didn’t invent the art of sexual healing back in the 1980s, he sure as heck perfected it! We’d love to be able to say that ALL MY CHILDREN’s David Hayward was nicknamed Dr. Evil just because of the wicked gleam in his eye. Alas, we can’t. He was as villainous as he was sexy! Those who say that laughter is the best medicine never spent a little alone time with GH’s Patrick Drake before Robin Scorpio made the ladies’ man a family practitioner. From 1970-’75, AMC’s fresh-faced Jeff Martin was the Pine Valley denizen with whom the audience — sorry, Mary! — most wanted to play doctor. For decades, whether GH’s Alan Quartermaine was rocking scrubs, viewers could tell that…

With Sonny unable to let go of his father, GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Maurice Benard dove deeply into his character’s pain. Then he let Sonny lash out, reminding us why this don with a heart of gold can be so dangerous to those he loves — and why his iconic portrayer struck Emmy gold this past year! Holding Out Hope When Sonny told Carly he was looking into an Alzheimer’s trial for his father, he tried to play it nonchalantly. But it instead came off awkward — as if he was trying to avoid the conversation that was sure to follow. And when Carly suggested that Joss wait to visit Mike and warned that he might not be doing well, Sonny bristled visibly. His emotions frayed, he was smiling with hope one…

The In Depth Story: Sonny and Carly have a sexy, volatile past. But since coming back together after losing Morgan, they’ve found a way to balance their strong personalities and even learned to catch themselves when they start picking fights for the wrong reasons. “It’s a mature relationship,” Maurice Benard (Sonny) contends. “Laura Wright (Carly) and I get along great, and we’re two good actors working together, so it feels real. That’s what I dig about it. It’s two people who are really talking like married people do — as opposed to acting.” The moment Carly’s ex-husband returned, of course, everything shifted. “Sonny doesn’t like him,” reminds Benard. “Jax is annoying.” And, not for nothing, but Jax slept with Carly the last time he was in town — which is…

Lisa de Cazotte passed away on December 7 at the age of 58 after a long illness. A supervising producer at THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS at the time of her death, the daytime vet began her soap career in 1990, as a ONE LIFE TO LIVE intern. After rising in the ranks there, de Cazotte worked on SANTA BARBARA, ALL MY CHILDREN and SUNSET BEACH before partnering with writer James E. Reilly in 1999 to launch and executive-produce PASSIONS. Post-PASSIONS, she produced GENERAL HOSPITAL’s NIGHT SHIFT spin-off and won Emmys while at DAYS OF OUR LIVES and Y&R. She is survived by her husband, documentary filmmaker Antoine de Cazotte, three brothers and a host of nieces and nephews.…

STATUS In between her GH appearances, Lexi Ainsworth (Kristina) was recently in Ontario working on the thriller Madison 3. “Excited to be filming in Canada again,” she posted in an Instastory. “This time on the East Coast.” The project is the third installment of an upcoming franchise, and the films were shot back-to-back with an anticipated release later this year, likely on television. Stay tuned for updates on where and when to watch — and how Ainsworth’s character, Bethany, fits into the drama!…

Carly’s been caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place of late. Of course, this being Carly, the inanimate objects have been replaced by the handsome men who happen to be her current and former husbands. Although the situation has been stressful, Carly this week becomes downright insistent. Will she finally come clean with Sonny? Could that be why he winds up feeling betrayed? Meanwhile, by week’s end, Jax is at a loss. Will this trio of troubled souls be able to maintain the relatively peaceful coexistence they’ve been striving for, if only to keep Josslyn from being torn apart?…

Zoe proves to be Thomas’ pawn when he ups the ante in his scheme to get Hope by taking his relationship with the gorgeous model to the next level. Meanwhile, Brooke and Ridge fondly remember their epic past, even as they lament that their future together seems impossible. Thomas gives Hope a big surprise — one she neither anticipates nor appreciates! Thomas admits to Shauna that he’ll stop at nothing to win Hope, and encourages her to adopt the same tactic with Ridge. And Steffy is flattered when a new man at Forrester Creations asks her out!…

FYI Birthplace: Madrid, Spain. Birthday: August 18. Packing A Punch: The heartthrob keeps fit by boxing. “I don’t get in a ring, it’s more like punching a bag,” he explains. “But it’s a really good workout. You don’t realize how tiring it is to just throw your fists up for 30 seconds!” Movie Magic: “I’m a big sci-fi/fantasy guy and love Lord Of The Rings,” Dominic says. “I was in a happy trance when I watched all three movies in the theater!” THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Sean Dominic (Nate) always knew that he wanted to be a performer, but he wasn’t sure whether he’d be a dancer, singer, musician or actor. “At 4 years old, I was dancing with the grown-ups while other kids my age were playing with…

Cari Shayne (ex-Karen, GENERAL HOSPITAL) says that it was her son’s autism diagnosis more than a decade ago that prompted her to leave Hollywood to her husband, Zeus Mendoza (Joe, PORT CHARLES), and instead explore a career with a more reliable schedule: that of an obstetrics nurse. With both of their children now doing well, the actress has returned to her first love via a new role that was tailor-made for her! Another White Coat In the new season of Amazon’s THE BAY THE SERIES, “I play Memorial Hospital’s Dr. Genevieve Cates. The name is a tribute to GH’s Karen, who became Dr. Cates after marrying Jagger,” Shayne says. “Genevieve delivers some medical news to the Garretts that stirs up controversy.” Shayne had not shared scenes with the soap’s star,…

When you work with someone day in and day out for years, you begin to get a sense of what makes them tick. That holds true for THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Scott Clifton (Liam) and his two beautiful leading ladies, Annika Noelle (Hope) and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy). We put the actor’s knowledge of his screen “spouses” to the test and walked away with a little more insight about what the women in Liam’s life are really like! Who’s more likely to make a fool of themselves solely for the amusement of others? “I think Jacqui. It’s impossible to humiliate her — she has no ego about anything. If it’s embarrassing, somehow she ninja-judos it into ‘cute.’ Even on set, if she completely biffs it and falls on her…

RETURNED Tracy Quartermaine Franco awoke… as himself! SELF-DESTRUCTED Helena’s portrait STUNNED Charlotte showed Laura a picture of her secret ninja — Nikolas! REVEALED Obrecht gave Nina proof of Valentin’s part in the maternity hoax. UNCOVERED Anna accidentally figured out Peter might be linked to the assassin. FOUGHT Sonny and Carly CALLED Sonny told one of his fixers Carly was in trouble. IN BUSINESS TOGETHER Sasha and Lucy…

The Writers Guild Of America has nominated the scribes of GH, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS and DAYS OF OUR LIVES in the daytime drama category for the upcoming 2020 awards! (Despite its ratings-breaking Baby Beth storyline, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL did not get a nod.) Not only has GH taken home WGA gold eight times, but the ABC sudser has earned back-to-back wins over the last five years. “Congratulations to our amazing GH writing team for their well-deserved nomination,” tweeted Eden McCoy (Josslyn). “So proud and grateful for the stories you gift us with!” The 72nd-annual WGA Awards will be handed out on Saturday, February 1, in dual ceremonies to be held in New York and Los Angeles.…

PSST! Oh, how we have missed the phenomenal Jane Elliot (Tracy) in Port Charles! Mum’s the word on whether Tracy will stick around into the new year so she can keep her eye on errant granddaughter Brook Lynn and the rest of the Quartermaine family. But Soaps In Depth can tell you that GH’s scribes were thrilled to have her portrayer, Emmy winner Jane Elliot, back in the fold. While this visit will only be a short one, co-headwriter Chris Van Etten tells In Depth, “When you get an opportunity to have Jane Elliot on the canvas, you take it!”…

We’ve known for some time that GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Mike was on a downward trajectory. Sonny, too, has known it, but accepting his father’s dark, seemingly inevitable fate has been another matter. As a result, we’ve seen Sonny doing his best to enjoy the time he has left with Mike even while fighting desperately to find a way to elongate it. “If I could just get back a fraction of all the time I lost with my dad,” he lamented to Carly while reflecting on his difficult history with — and long estrangement from — Mike. It is a tale that far too many in the audience can relate to, and one which has given Maurice Benard some of the best material he’s had during his long and storied career as…

Dominic doesn’t have one actor that he looks up to as a source of inspiration — he has three! “Jeffrey Wright, Will Smith and Denzel Washington,” he shares. “I would like to take a piece of each of them and bring that to me. I love Jeffrey Wright’s character work — he’s one of the best actors I have ever seen. And Denzel is one of the strongest actors in the industry. Any movie he’s in, I’ll watch. And Will Smith is about charisma. His charisma is off the charts. Even if the movie he’s in is [so-so], you keep watching because of Will Smith! They are all amazing!”…

Being the biggest crime boss on the Eastern seaboard made GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Sonny Corinthos untouchable. Or so people thought! Mob moll Faith Rosco had an axe to grind with him for killing her husband, and she wasn’t afraid of the fallout! Her portrayer, Cynthia Preston, recalls that their explosive relationship was tipped off from the get-go. “On my first day, Carly and Sonny were sitting at a table [at Club 101] when I walked down the stairway,” Preston shares. “Carly’s first line about me was, ‘Who’s that?’ And Sonny responded, ‘That’s trouble.’” The Sound She’ll Never Forget Sure enough, Faith’s quest for vengeance led her to do something guaranteed to drop Sonny to his knees: kidnap his children! That 2005 storyline culminated in an epic showdown, but it started with…

a lot of crazy things happened after the recent time jump on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, but who would’ve thought that Sarah would’ve been so keen on the idea of spending so much time with Xander, let alone raising her baby with him? While things are changing rapidly on that front in terms of Eric’s involvement and more, Paul Telfer (Xander) and Linsey Godfrey (Sarah) have enjoyed every minute of being scene partners. Why? Despite coming from such radically different backgrounds, they’re like two peas in a pod! Soaps In Depth: What exactly is the status of Xander and Sarah’s relationship at this point? Linsey Godfrey: They’ve got this kind of unexpected friendship and bond, and he’s really become Sarah’s rock. He’s the person that she leans on the most,…

Q: What’s the most challenging job you’ve ever done? Tristan Rogers (Robert, GH) “Probably this one, simply because a lot of what you do is so repetitive that it’s important you make it interesting all the time. If you don’t learn how to serve up mashed potatoes a hundred different ways, you’re not going to last long in daytime!” Arianne Zucker (Nicole, DAYS) “I think I only lasted working at Sport Chalet for about two months, because they wanted me to be a cashier, and I was so nervous about dealing with other people’s money. When it’s over the holidays, the line is so long! I started to sweat and have anxiety, so I literally said, ‘I’m out.’ They put me back into [dealing with the] clothing.” Briana Nicole Henry…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL Brooke and Hope were dubious about Zoe’s return to Forrester and the apparent torch she was carrying for Thomas. When Steffy let Brooke in on her plan to have Zoe report back about Thomas’ obsession with Hope, she worried the model could become collateral damage. Liam assured his mother-in-law that they just needed to have patience, and Thomas would eventually show his true colors. Thomas meanwhile, kept telling anyone who’d listen that he was totally over Hope and ready to get to know Zoe better, and that he was determined to convince everyone that he was truly a changed man. He even asked Hope to watch Douglas while he went on a romantic date with Zoe, managing to convince the blonde that he and his…