General Hospital
News (Page 20)

Take a look at the General Hospital spoilers for the next few days...

• Spinelli persuades Logan and Cooper to aid him in battling the minions of darkness, as brothers in arms.

• Carly (Laura Wright) goes snooping around on her own, then hangs around for Jason to get her… when someone strangles her with a phone cord to the brink of flatlining.

• Johnny arrives in time to apply CPR to a lifeless Carly, as Lulu observes with trepidation.

• After Johnny breathes life back into Carly, she, Lulu and Jason deduce that this strangulation must be the work of a second psychopath on the loose, the one who may be sending those text-messages.

• Carly makes Jax (Ingo Rademacher, pictured) very happy by assuring him she’s done investigating Leticia’s murder.

Exciting, handsome news, ladies:

The Hot Guys 2008 Calendar is on sale now. This ideal stocking stuffer showcases TV's hottest actors from General Hospital, All My Children, and One Life to Live with pictures you can drool over all year long.

The 2008 Hot Guys Calendar will also be available for purchase for the very first time at ABC Super Soap Weekend.

Purchase the Hot Guys Calendar now and receive the ABC Daytime Presents a Holiday Affair CD for $15.99. Discount applied at checkout. Follow our link to learn more.

As a relative newcomer to General Hospital, Brandon Barash recently sat down with Soap Opera Weekly to discuss the experience. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:

Soap Opera Weekly: What's it like playing a loose canon like Johnny?
Brandon Barash: It's a lot of fun playing someone who's called crazy, but at the same time you can't judge Johnny as crazy. The fun part is trying to figure out why he does what he does, why he says what he says, why he snaps. What happened years ago in his childhood that makes certain things set him off at any given moment and makes him so dangerous?

Weekly: Did you like working opposite Bruce Weitz (Anthony Zacchara)?
Barash: It's a blast. It's not hard to act when he's on the stage with me. He gives it to me. Bruce is very playful and generous as an actor. It's been a pleasure working with him.

Weekly: Have you always wanted to act?
Barash: No, I had wanted to be a doctor, which is strange. When I started college I was in the BFA acting program, but also in pre-med. I was pre-med for almost two years. I wanted to be an orthopedic or cardiac surgeon my whole life. But late in my sophomore year I realized I only had time for one thing, and my passion to be an actor had become greater than my passion to be a doctor.

So I decided to take a risk. I guess I made the right choice.

They're more than just actors.

Thirteen stars from All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital got together to produce the holiday album, "A Holiday Affair." Check out the track listing now:

1. I'll Be Home For Christmas - Susan Lucci
2. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Kassie DePaiva
3. Winter Wonderland - Jason Thompson
4. Sleigh Ride - Kristen Alderson
5. River - Kathy Brier
6. Even Santa Claus Gets The Blues - Tika Sumpter
7. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) - Renee Elise Goldsberry
8. Joy To The World - Bobbie Eakes
9. Little Drummer Boy - Scott Clifton
10. Santa Baby - Eden Riegel
11. Silver Bells - Jacob Young
12. Please Come Home For Christmas - Vincent Irizarry
13. Silent Night - Ignacio Serricchio and Kathy Brier
14. We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Ensemble

Where can you find a trio of your favorite General Hospital stars? So glad you asked...

Josh Duhon (Logan), Julie Marie Berman (Lulu, pictured) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) will be holding a meet and greet and autograph session on Sunday, November 18 at the Lake Elsinore Outlets, 17600 Collier Avenue, Lake Elsinore, CA.

They will be appearing from 1-3 p.m. For more information, please call (951) 245-0087

What can you expect on the following few General Hospital episodes? Take a look below for some hints...

• Liz (Rebecca Herbst) is relieved when Jason reveals himself to her.

• Kate tells Sonny that she wants to be with him no matter... what the risks may be.

• Lucky (Greg Vaughan, pictured) struggles to save Maxie.

• Patrick tells Ric (Rick Hearst) that the procedure that could save his life could also kill him.

• Luke and Tracy find themselves trapped with Scott for the duration of the storm.

There's an interesting article in the current Soap Opera Digest, as a number of General Hospital actors discuss the best advice they've received from co-stars.

Here's a sampling:

Josh Duhon (pictured, Logan)
"Kin Shriner (Scott) has been mentoring me. Maurice Benard has taken a liking to me, too. They both told me that in this genre you've got to learn what to throw away and what to put emphasis on, what to make a solid point on, because in daytime you have so much material.

They told me that soap actors have some of the best instincts on television and [to rely] on them. They said, 'Hone your craft. Hone your instincts and trust them.'"

Jason Gerhardt (Coop)
"When I started, Rick Hearst (Ric) told me that if you're playing an evil character, you always have to find the likability and the truth that the character feels. Because no matter what he's doing and how bad it is, to the character, it's the right thing to do.

Maurice Benard also told me that you're going to get a lot of feedback from everybody about what your character would do, but that you know the character the best, because he's growing with you. He told me to take their advice and internalize it. If it's good, process it with your own choices. Then, give them a little of what they want, and they'll think it's a lot.

Kirsten Storms (Maxie)
"I was upstairs in [writer] Bob Guza's office one day, talking about my scenes. I was a little frustrated. He said, 'Kirsten, go with your instincts. That's what we hired you for.' I realized that sometimes I second-guess myself. I over-analyze how I do things, especially if I start watching the recorded episodes. That advice has helped me...going with how I initially feel I should do something."

Click here to read the full article.

Bob Guza Jr. is a writer on General Hospital.

He recently spoke on the wonders of celebrity stunt casting, referring to the successes in casting Stephen Macht as Trevor Lansing and Bruce Weitz as Anthony Zacchara.

Simply put, what’s not to love, Guza asks?

“They love the context and the characters of the mob, and they’re cast against some of the best actors anywhere," Guza said.

"Stephen Macht came in and got to work with Maurice Benard, Steve Burton and Laura Wright. The same thing with Bruce Weitz. He and Maurice hit it off spectacularly.

Their scenes were incendiary. I watched the taping. I couldn’t stay away."

Wanna a peek into this week's General Hospital episodes? Here are a few spoilers...

• Nikolas asks Emily to marry him. She accepts.

• Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst, pictured) and Sam throw down, as Lucky tries to mediate the fight.

• Carly pulls a Nancy Drew, trying to determine the murder's identity. In the meantime, though, she could be the next victim.

• Luke comes across bad news about Logan in Ric’s files.

It's never too early to plan a vacation, is it? Especially when that trip involves your favorite General Hospital cast members AND gambling around the clock!

The General Hospital fan club has announced the following actor appearance in the city of lights. Book your plan reservation now...

- Jason Thompson, pictured, will be involved in what the fan club describes as "an extra shoot of fun" from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, February 17.

The cost is $70 per person. To purchase, send two self-addressed, stamped envelopes along with your money order made payable to Debbie Morris to: Debbie Morris, c/o Jason Thompson Las Vegas Event. P.O. Box 96737, Houston, TX 77213.

- Kimberly McCullough and some of the ladies from General Hospital will also host an event on Saturday night from 10 p.m. It's being referred to as "A Girls Night Out!" Check back at the fan site for more information.

Meanwhile, the following will take place at Marriott Las Vegas Suites:

- Who: Greg Vaughan
What: Breakfast greeting!
Time: 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon
Cost: $70 per person

Who: Ted King
What: Afternoon Party
Time: 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $70 per person

Who: Bradford Anderson
What: Extra shot of Energy party
Time: 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Cost: $70

Who: Julie Marie Berman, pictured
What: Bagels & Juice
Time: 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon
Cost: $70

To purchase tickets send two self-addressed, stamped envelopes along with your money order made payable to Debby O'Connor, to: Debby O'Connor, P.O. Box 16212, Irvine, CA 92623.