There are some big changes afoot at General Hospital over the summer, and one of the biggest ones was revealed by the series Daytime Emmy- winning executive producer, Frank Valentini.

After winning the series fourth consecutive Outstanding Daytime Drama Series award, and 17th overall in the history of the 61-year-old soap opera, Valentini spoke with ABC 7’s On the Red Carpet at the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

When asked what to expect coming up, the exec dropped a bombshell. Valentini shared, “A former cast member is coming back. And I think that the audience will go crazy for HIM.”

Photo: Disney

Now speculation is running rampant of just who could it be! Is it possible that Jonathan Jackson will reprise his five-time Daytime Emmy-winning role of Lucky Spencer? Could it be the return of John J. York as Mac Scorpio who had to exit the series to undergo treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes and multiple smoldering myeloma (two blood and bone marrow disorders), but who recently returned a month ago to the set? Or, might it be the return of two-time Daytime Emmy winner, Bryan Craig, as a now very much alive Morgan Corinthos?

In addition, Steve Burton (Jason), Kate Mansi (Kristina), and GH head writer, Elizabeth Korte, also shared some storyline intel of what lies ahead through the summer months for Jason, Kristina, and all of the Davis women.

Watch the entire video package below.

Now weigh-in, which male actor is returning to General Hospital? Who do you hope it will be? Share your theories via the comment section.

When General Hospital’s Steve Burton (Jason) and Laura Wright (Carly, GH) opened the envelope to reveal the winner of the Lead Actress in a Drama Series winner, during the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards broadcast, they called Y&R’s Michelle Stafford’s name.

Now, a three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Stafford took to the microphone to address the viewers at home, her Y&R family and her own family. During her acceptance speech, Michelle mentioned a moment “crying” in the office of the series executive producer and head writer, Josh Griffith.

While people were spinning their own stories of what went down, Michelle decided to nip that in the bud, by taking to her Instagram and explaining what she meant, and what has been going on in her life, which includes the death of her stepfather, Ed Lee, who she lost back in March of this year.

Photo: JPI

Michelle wrote: “Need to kill this weird narrative that’s seems to be catching fire regarding the thing that I said to Josh Griffith on stage “thank you for letting me cry in your office.” I usually wouldn’t give a sh*t. But I think actually sharing the story with you might be helpful to anyone who is experiencing grief.  I lost a parent recently. It was devastating.  But you must carry on with life. You go to work. You take care of your kids….And life does in fact move on.”

“About 10 days or so after his death I had already had a meeting planned with Josh about some questions I had in my story. We were discussing a couple things and every time I talked about my character’s relationship with her children and aspects of how it would play out… this surge of emotion came over me. Have you ever been there? After a loss you move on and you’re fine but then maybe you’re talking to, I don’t know, a co-worker or you see something at the market and something triggers some memory and you fall apart? The more you try to stop it the worse it gets. Oh man, it’s horrible. That’s what happened,” Stafford explained.

Photo: JPI

Stafford continued, “I found myself weeping in Josh’s office. Like an idiot. Something about talking about Phyllis’s relationship with her kids just did it. I was so embarrassed. I apologized profusely. He did the most human thing. I won’t get into what he said and did but it was quite human. Yes, it’s a workplace, our set. For sure. We’ve all been working together for a long time. It’s a professional environment, but we all really care about each other.”

Clarifying that this wasn’t about her crying in the bosses office to get a storyline out of it for the future, Michelle added, “Sometimes that’s hard for people to understand if they don’t have that kind of work life. Maybe folks out there who are trying to spread a rumor that I ‘cry to get a storyline’ maybe they have a bad work situation. Or a boss who doesn’t even care to listen to them. I don’t know…. ”

In closing, the award-winning actress shared, “All I know is that I’m very honored to work with people I also care about and who I believe care about me. What a gift. What I said on stage was a spontaneous comment to my boss who did something very kind for me. Very human for me. My wish for others is that one day they actually experience a working environment that’s similar.”

You can watch Michelle’s acceptance speech from the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards below.

Now, let us know, what did you think about Michelle taking the time to explain what she meant, and how grief, as with anyone else who has had a major loss or losses in their life, comes in waves and can affect you seemingly when you least expect? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Young and the Restless (@youngandrestlesscbs)

Legendary casting director, Mark Teschner, has been the man responsible for just about all the new faces you have seen on ABC’s General Hospital for the past 34 years.

This past weekend, Mark officially became a 2024 Daytime Emmy Silver Circle inductee which celebrates those individuals who have made enduring contributions to daytime television.

Teschner joined other Gold and Silver medal honorees on-stage during the 51st annual Daytime Emmy telecast on CBS that included:Patricia Denney, Linda Grand, Janet Drucker, Kathleen Finch and Rolanda Watts, plus Gold Circle inductees, A Martinez, Suzanne Rogers and Jerome Dobson.

Photo: NATAS

Teschner is a 10-time Emmy winner, and was nominated for Outstanding Casting again this year at the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards. Now. Mark chats live about his Silver Circle honor, some of his GH casting coups, how he found some of GH’s most popular stars through the year, what he looks for from an actor during the audition process for a soap opera, and much more.

Recently, Teschner told Soap Opera Digest on what he looks for in a performer when casting a role: “Sometimes it’s just, you know it when you see it. A great example is Vanessa Marcil (ex-Brenda) an actress who didn’t have many credits other than a couple of plays she had done. I saw hundreds of actors and I felt, on a gut level, we hadn’t found the combination of charisma, sex appeal, complexity and soulfulness, and then Vanessa walked in. Fortunately, the powers-that-be agreed.”

Join us live on Tuesday night, June 11th beginning at 10PM ET/7PM PT on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel for this very special conversation with Mark.

If you have any questions you would like posed to Mark, but cannot make the live chat tomorrow night, you can drop in the comment section below and it may just get asked during the show.