Sonya Eddy, who joined General Hospital as the outspoken Epiphany in March 2006, is now a contract regular on the soap.

"What I love about her is she's a taskmaster," says the actress. "She's like one of those teachers you had in school who were very demanding and you couldn't stand at the time, but looking back, you see the impact they had on your lives."

Here is a scene between Eddy and co-star Rebecca Herbst:

Miss any of the heated daytime action on Thursday? Don't worry. As usual, The Soap Dispenser has you covered with the following recaps of your favorite shows:

• All My Children
• General Hospital
• One Life to Live
• As the Word Turns
• The Bold and the Beautiful
• Guiding Light
• The Young and the Restless
• Days of Our Lives

Visit us everyday for the latest news, views and recaps of your daily addictions. We're proud to be your one-stop shop for all soap opera information.

Ashley Jones is just like the rest of us: she loves American Idol.

The Bold and the Beautiful actress acted like a crazed 12-year old when she ran into former finalist Elliott Yamin backstage...

Ashley Jones: Let me see if I have my camera! I am so psyched. I literally watched the show to watch you. I'd stay up on my cell phone and my home phone voting for you. I would hit redial all night long. My husband thought I was crazy. Oh, my God, I'm so bummed — I can't find my camera. How was shooting?
Elliott Yamin: It was fun. I didn't expect the studio audience. It was cool to interact with them. I had a good time out there. I love doing things like this. We actually just did another show.

Jones: Which show?
Yamin: Lincoln Heights. It's a similar thing, where I come in and sing.

Jones: You have no interest in acting?
Yamin: I'd like to try my hand at whatever I can dip into.

Jones: I just talked to my mom in the parking lot on my way to work. She said, "Tell him I love his song! I bought it and everything."
Yamin: That's great.

Jones: And you're on my iPod. Of course you are! Who would vote for you 200 times and then not download your song? Are you still with your girlfriend? (everyone laughs) I'm not asking for myself! (rolls her eyes)
Yamin: Why, you interested? (winks)

Jones: I just read an article on you two recently.
Yamin: Yeah. Jamie and I have been together almost a year-and-a-half. It's been great.

Jones: How's your mom?
Yamin: She's doing well. Thanks for asking. I'll get to see her [this month] for the first time in about five months. I miss her to pieces.

Jones: She's the sweetest. Not that I know her! But she's so cute. If she ever watches the show, let her know Bridget loves her.
Yamin: I'll let her know.

Jones: It was lovely to meet you. Thank you so much.
Yamin: It was my pleasure. Sorry for annoying your husband!

Jason Tam has inked a deal to stay remain One Life to Love as the singing and dancing Markko Rivera.

Tam, who also appears on Broadway in A Chorus Line, will be getting more airtime as his love/hate relationship with Langston (Brittany Underwood) heats up.

We can't wait!

Attention, General Hospital fans, wanna catch one of your favorite stars away from the camera? Here's your chance...

Who: Tyler Christopher
When: Saturday, August 18, 2007, from 1 - 4:30 p.m.
Where: The Improv, Pittsburgh, PA
Tickets: $70 (money order) or $75 (PayPal)
Email: soapfanevents@yahoo.com
Phone: 412-734-5598

Event includes:
- Meet/Greet
- Q&A Session
- Autographs
- Photo Opportunities
- Appetizers
- Soda
- Cash Bar

NASCAR driver Jaime McMurray will get hearts racing on September 26 with a guest-starring role on Passions.

The 2003 Raysbestos Rookie of the Year is a driver for Roush Racing. He's also the founder of the Jaime McMurray Foundation, an organization committed to raising autism awareness.

Remember, soap opera fans: as of Sept. 17, Passions can only be seen on DirecTV.

Meanwhile, in Guiding Light casting news: Vanessa Simmons, star of the MTV reality show Run's house and daughter of former Run-DMC front man Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons, will appear on the show as Lola, a woman with an eye for Remy beginning on Tuesday, August 21.

Missed your favorite soap yesterday? Looking for a recap of all the action?

The Soap Dispenser has you covered with its official recaps of ALL of the August 8, 2007 episodes:

1. Days of Our Lives
2. Guiding Light
3. One Life to Live
4. The Bold and the Beautiful
   
5. As the World Turns
6. The Young and the Restless
7. General Hospital
8. All My Children
   

That should get you through the morning and ready for another exciting afternoon of daytime drama.

Enjoy!

Minae Noji is one busy actress. Her time as Dr. Kelly Lee is currently split between daytime (General Hospital) and primetime (General Hospital: Night Shift).

Somehow, she found time for the following interview:

Soapdom: Are you a soap fan? If so, what is your favorite soap?
Minae Noji: I grew up watching General Hospital! It was part of my ritual when I got home from school. I would run home, quickly slap together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, grab my favorite blanket and plop myself down right in front of the TV. General Hospital had the best characters and storylines. And the cliff hangers each week always got me. I was addicted!

Soapdom: Please explain how you landed the role of Kelly Lee.
MN: Since I am a huge fan of General Hospital, I was elated when I heard that I got an audition for the role of Dr. Kelly Lee. The audition process was pretty intense. There were quite a few call backs. I remember the morning of the final audition. I felt really good and confident. That is until… I was sitting in the casting office, looked down at my feet and realized I was wearing two different shoes! One shoe was a black, strappy heel and the other was a silver sling back! I think in my rush to get ready that morning, I just wasn’t paying attention. I never did find out if the producers and casting director noticed!

Moral of the story…whenever you leave the house…always make sure you’re wearing matching shoes. And it may not hurt to double check on the underwear, too.

Soapdom: You’ve done movies and film. How does daytime compare?
MN: Working on General Hospital has been the most amazing and challenging experience. Since soaps air everyday, the shooting schedule is pretty intense. For example, on a typical day on a film set, we work through an average of 1-2 scenes per day. On daytime, we shoot 40-55 scenes in one day! That’s a big difference. This means that not only do we need to memorize our lines quickly, but we must do our scenes in one take.

Soapdom: Starring on two shows simultaneously is a ton of work. Are there any pitfalls?
MJ: Even though the characters are the same on both shows, the storylines are different. So, the most challenging thing is to remember which storyline and relationships are occurring on which show. Quite honestly, I’ve been having such a blast working on General Hospital and Night Shift. I’m having the time of my life!

Soapdom: How did they schedule the production of both shows?
MJ: They shoot GH Monday through Thursday and Night Shift works all day Friday.

Soapdom: Is production on Night Shift’s first 13 wrapped for now? If not, when?
MJ: Right now we are on episode 9. So we are almost there! We should be wrapped by the end of August. But I don’t want it to end….I want it to go on forever and ever!

Soapdom: Now down to the nitty gritty! Who are your favorite GH scene partners and why?

MJ: I LOVE Kimberly McCullough (Robin) and Kent King (Lainey). They are my favorite girls! I had the opportunity to really get to know these two women and I feel really blessed to have them in my life. Whenever the three of us do a scene together, we just laugh, joke and catch up on gossip the whole time! I really believe in girl bonding and I’m so glad that General Hospital has expanded our friendships on the show.

Soapdom: Who was the first actor you met on your first day of work? Did they make you feel welcome, or was it scary?
MJ: The first actor I met was Steve Burton (Jason Morgan). I was very nervous to work with him since I had a big crush on him. Steve reminds me of Superman. He is strong and sweet and saves people but has secrets…just like a real superhero! But when I finally met Steve on set, he was so warm and welcoming…all of my nerves melted away! I still fantasize about him saving me from a burning building, carrying me in his arms, with me screaming, “My hero!”

Soapdom: Tell us a little about the character of Dr. Kelly Lee.
MJ: Dr. Kelly Lee is the best gynecologist in the entire world! Okay, maybe not the world…but at least in all of Port Charles. She is smart, flirty, fun, sassy and has a good heart. Kelly has been single for a while now, but I know she would love to be in love and find the man of her dreams. She is afraid to love and be loved and she has a very big secret. You have to watch Night Shift to find out more!

Continue Reading...

Edward Scott has joined Days of Our Lives as Co-Executive Producer, while Marnie Saitta serves as the show’s new Casting Director (both pictured below).

“I am very enthusiastic about the important changes for Days of our Lives that Edward Scott will bring as Co-Executive Producer,” said Ken Corday, Executive Producer, Corday Productions, Inc. “Ed comes with more than twenty years experience with The Young and the Restless and brings a new, vibrant, creative energy and strength to this all-important position of leadership.”

Over at Soapdom.com, Linda Marshall-Smith says everything from music supervision to lighting to approving or denying an actor's request to change a line will be in Scott's hands. And she should know. She once spent an entire week in the booth with Ed Scott on Young and the Restless, reading lines with Eric Braeden (Victor) as a result.

“Days will benefit greatly from Ed’s direction," continued Corday. "The viewers will also be thrilled with the exciting changes in the days to come. I would like to thank former Co-Executive Producer Steve Wyman, Supervising Producer Roy Steinberg and Casting Director Fran Bascom for their service and friendship over the years. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”

Scott and Saitta come to Corday Productions having most recently served on the aforementioned long-running CBS daytime drama. Scott had an extensive tenure on the show, most recently as Supervising Producer. He is credited for fifteen Daytime Emmy Award nominations for “Outstanding Drama Series,” among them five wins.

Not only is Days of Our Lives excited about Scott and Saitta's arrival, the network is also looking forward to the duo coming on board.

“We are thrilled to have Ed and Marnie join the Days of our Lives team,” said Annamarie Kostura, Vice President, NBC Daytime. “Their vast experience in the world of daytime dramas will bring an exciting and welcomed addition to the show.”

Missed your favorite soap Tuesday? Or just looking for a recap of all the action? The Soap Dispenser has you covered with its official recaps of the August 7, 2007 episodes of the following:

1. Days of Our Lives
2. As the World Turns
3. The Young and the Restless
4. General Hospital

That should get you caught up on those four... and we are not nearly done yet.

More of our staff's recaps of Monday, August 7 episodes will be live later today.

Happy soaping, fans!