Maurice Benard and Lisa LoCicero
Wasn't Lisa LoCicero's arrival on General Hospital as ballsy Brooklyn babe Olivia Falconeri utterly fantastic? Clearly, the show's top star, Maurice Benard (Sonny), thinks so. In their first scenes together last week, the duo set off some wildly intriguing sex sparks — which makes Benard's lack of chemistry with current leading lady Megan Ward (Kate) all the more obvious and disappointing.
GH is making a huge mistake if it doesn't team Sonny and Olivia now.
Viva LoCicero!
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Jon Lindstrom
You can't keep a bad man down – but you can give him a handsome new puss. As the World Turns has cast former General Hospital fave Jon Lindstrom as Craig Montgomery, the arch-scoundrel who fled Oakdale last February after attempting murder. The actor's first airdate is Dec. 3.
"Jon is a witty and immensely likable actor even when he's doing unspeakable things – as he did [playing twins Kevin and Ryan] on GH," says ATWT head writer Jean Passanante. "And that pretty much sums up Craig."
The character will return to Oakdale "with a deep desire to reconnect with his family," adds the scribe, "though his first order of business is to get himself off the hook for trying to kill Paul [Roger Howarth]. It's a big problem, but Craig is up for the challenge."
Though Craig, who first appeared in 1982, is one of the great villains in suds history, this marks the fourth recast in three years. Hunt Block was dropped from the role in 2005. His replacement Jeffrey Meeks was fired in 2007 and replaced by the original Craig, Scott Bryce, who in turn got the ax early this year.
Look for an exclusive interview with Lindstrom in TV Guide magazine.
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John Reilly, Sharon Wyatt Anthony Geary, and Tristan Rogers
Complications from his latest surgery, coupled with the existing trauma caused by chemotherapy, have sent General Hospital: Night Shift's Robert Scorpio into a coma. As things look dire, the resilient former superspy is visited on the SOAPnet spin-off's Oct. 14 season finale by a bevy of buds, Luke (Anthony Geary), Anna (Finola Hughes) and brother Mac (John J. York) included.
TVGuide.com welcomed the opportunity to catch up with two of Robbie's visitors, John Reilly and Sharon Wyatt, who back in GH's globe-trotting days played former WSB boss Sean Donnelly and his starlet-turned-newswoman wife, Tiffany.
See what the two actors had to say, after the jump.
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Tristan Rogers by Craig Sjodin/SOAPnet
SOAPnet's General Hospital: Night Shift had an overload of material for its season finale, so the wrap-up is now being presented as a two-parter that ends Oct 21. The plot: Patrick's actions with a patient culminate in an explosion that rocks Port Charles. The finale also boasts a class reunion of GH '80s greats, including Robert (Tristan Rogers), Anna (Finola Hughes), Luke (Tony Geary) and — this is so cool! — Sean (John Reilly) and Tiffany (Sharon Wyatt). — Michael Logan
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Maurice Benard and Lisa LoCicero in General Hospital by Adam Larkey/ABC
General Hospital's Kate thinks her upcoming wedding to mobster Sonny Corinthos is cursed after finding blood on her reception dress. And now that curse can be confirmed. On Sept. 19, Kate's cousin Olivia — who had a fling with Sonny back in high school — will turn up at the nuptials with some startling scoop about Kate's oh-so-secret past. The role will be played by ABC soap stalwart Lisa LoCicero (Loving, The City, One Life to Live)."Sonny has invited Olivia to the wedding, unbeknownst to Kate," LoCicero says. "He doesn't know there was quite a rivalry between the two women or that Olivia has something under her belt that's going to create big excitement—and a lot of friction."LoCicero nearly made her GH debut in 2004 when she was up for the recast role of Lois. (The gig went to Lesli Kay, now on The Bold and the Beautiful.) As a consolation prize, ABC cast LoCicero on OLTL as Sonia, who was part of a Puerto Rican mob story that annoyed viewers so much it was quickly...
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Julie Berman by Michael Bezjian/WireImage.com
Julie Berman — the 24-year-old actress who plays Luke and Laura's daughter, Lulu, on General Hospital — on Friday tied the knot with real estate broker Michael Grady, her rep tells People. Berman wed Grady, 27, in a Roman Catholic ceremony in the Sacred Heart Chapel at Loyola Marymount University. "Mike is my best friend, and ultimately he is my soul mate," she tells the mag. "He's the guy I want to do everything with... the guy I want to be with when he's old and wrinkly."
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Danny Trejo by John Sciulli/ WireImage.com, Vincent Pastore by Jason Kempin/ WireImage.com
Two "top" soaps are turning to proven baddies to add some ferocity to their canvases.The Young and the Restless has tapped no less than Danny Trejo — you know him and have been intimidated by him in any number of big-screen thrillers (The Devil's Rejects, From Dusk 'Til Dawn, Con Air...) — to play a bartender who lends Victor his ear when the tycoon passes through Mexico. Trejo first airs Aug. 11. At General Hospital, Vincent Pastore — who is perhaps best known as The Sopranos' Big "Kitty" (sorry, had to work around the blog's language filter) — is coming on board this October as doctor lawyer business tycoon firefighter philanthropist WSB agent mobster Maximus Giambetti, aka Max and Milo's pop. Pastore is also a part of a new promotional campaign touting daytime television's "unlikely" fans. — Matt MitovichSoaps-related primetime news:• Exclusive: Private Practice Landos Night Shift's Billy Dee• Exclusive: Ugly Betty Taps Pretty Hunky Mark Consuelos
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Susan Lucci by Steve Fenn/ABC
This just in from ABC:"The 13th annual ABC-SOAPnet Super Soap Weekend will be held November 15-16 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Colgate Total toothpaste will serve as the presenting sponsor of the event for the ninth consecutive year."Throughout the weekend, fans will have the opportunity to meet favorite stars from All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital. Festivities include celebrity motorcades, autograph sessions, game shows, interviews and the chance to purchase one-of-a-kind memorabilia from each of the shows. The Colgate Total Street Jam will close the event each day with live musical performances by some favorite Daytime stars."The Colgate Total sponsorship includes a national sweepstakes, awarding four trips for four to the 13th annual ABC-SOAPnet Super Soap Weekend, or one of many other great prizes. Go to SOAPnet.com for details and official rules."
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Rick Springfield and Finola Hughes by Adam Larkey/ABC
Eighties icon Rick Springfield is back on General Hospital as lookalikesDr. Noah Drake and rock star Eli Love. And the latter turns out to be quite the ageist pig. Eli will perform a concert in Port Charles on Tuesday, July 29 (Springfield's new CD Venus in Overdrive drops the same day), and he'll deny to the press that he's dating his ladylove Anna (Finola Hughes). The reason? Her daughter, Robin (Kimberly McCullough), is pregnant. "Eli is afraid it'll do damage to his career to be seen hanging out with a grandma — what will his young fans think?" the 58-year-old Springfield says. "It was a hard thing for me to play because it's such a jerky thing to do."He couldn't get away with this in real life. "Are you kidding? My fans would never put up with that," Springfield says. "A lot of them are grandmas!" — Michael Logan
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Speaking to me at ABC's TCA press tour party (just moments after she caressed my silky-soft blazer!), Kimberly MCullough previewed the second season of General Hospital: Night Shift, spoiled a French-talking "glitch" in Robin and Patrick's future, and revealed her plan to make Daddy Scorpio a bit less grouchy. Did I mention she was digging my blazer? Just $49 at H&M! — Matt Mitovich
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