"General Hospital": Celebrating 50 Years
The Paley Center for Media Salutes the Cast of Daytime TV's Longest-Running Soap Opera

April 2013

On April 1, 2013, beloved soap opera "General Hospital" aired its official 50th Anniversary episode, commemorating half a century's worth of living room memories for its millions of devoted fans, many of whom have not known a world without Port Charles, NY and its citizens.
The Paley Center for Media (if only we could've all packed the set of Kelly's!) held a special evening honoring the golden anniversary of ABC's beloved soap, and I had the privilege of speaking with the cast on the red carpet about GH's special place in TV history.

You'll also see photos from the event, find out where Laura's iconic wedding dress is & what stumped Genie Francis, and discover a surprise interview from a much-missed character! Even the Smithsonian Institute gets name-checked!

“General Hospital” cast and creative team at The Paley Center for Media’s presentation of General Hospital: Celebrating 50 Years and Looking Forward at The Paley Center for Media © Kevin Parry for Paley Center

Things are about to get soapy...literally. Ever wondered what your favorite soap stars' favorite soap is? And I don't mean the Daytime variety!
Find out what the lovely ladies of "General Hospital" lather up with and their thoughts on the legacy GH leaves in pop culture!

Genie Francis has made Laura Spencer an American icon and serendipitously happens to be celebrating her 50th year right along with GH!
This anniversary would certainly be incomplete without her, so I'm sure fans are loving her return to the show as she teams up with Luke to defeat all foes Cassadine. After Laura's many years traveling on the run, Genie told me where we'd adventure to if she had the choice (for once!) and reminisces about her favorite storyline: 

First of all, how contagious is Jackie's laugh? Portraying Bobbie Spencer for a total of 36 years and counting (not far behind Genie's 37), her exuberance and adoration is unwavering, and she's not stopping anytime soon!

Kirsten Storms, formerly Belle Black on "Days of Our Lives," has been playing Maxie Jones since 2005. I don't know about you, but out of all the families in Port Charles, I think Maxie hit the parental jackpot. Kristina Wagner (Felicia Jones) and Jack Wagner (Frisco Jones) complete with adorable step-dad John J. York (Mac Scorpio)? Where do I file the adoption papers?

Kimberly McCullough (Dr. Robin Scorpio) has remained so adored throughout the years, growing up on the show, as her loyal viewers have done. For me, the golden age of GH was the early '90s, and when I think of the afternoons I spent in Port Charles, images of the love affair between Robin and Stone Cates are ever-present. Without them, there wouldn't have been a dialogue started between our TV sets and the nation regarding HIV/AIDS awareness, during a time when speaking openly on the subject was still considered taboo. There'd be no Nurses Ball, a now cherished institution of the series, and who hasn't had their lives made better by countless appearances of Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring) in her underwear? This is worth watching just for Kimberly's hilarious reminder of the very important lesson Robin has taught us.

To quote Kimberly, I love me some Finola Hughes. If you don't know her as Anna Devane on GH, you'll recognize her as the quintessential TV mom - first on "Blossom" then as the *spirited* matriarch of the Halliwell clan on "Charmed." She's super fun, British, gorgeous (seriously, I'm convinced she has the secret recipe for anti-aging) and so quick-witted, she had the entire panel audience cracking up throughout the evening. This month, Finola's directorial debut, The Bet, premiered, so be sure to check that out, too.

Fan-favorite Laura Wright as Carly Jacks always keeps things lively and interesting in her role, especially lately with her many delicious scenes with favorite returnee Vanessa Marcil (Brenda Barrett). Is Carly meant to be with Jax or Sonny or some other admirer? See Laura's take:

We just saw Teresa Castillo (Sabrina Santiago) make her debut Nurses Ball performance singing Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" with the adorable Brooklyn Silzer (Emma Drake). Now that things are heating up between her and Dr. Patrick Drake, how will Sabrina react if Patrick's un-dead wife Robin returns to her family?

Surprise bonus interview! If you loved Robin and Stone, you probably also had a crush on Stone's hunky brother Jagger Cates played by Antonio Sabato, Jr. Here's what Antonio had to say about his time on GH when I caught up with him earlier this year.

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