Emmy winner Laura Wright served as host, who was joined by 10 other gifted actors from the popular ABC daytime drama, which just celebrated its 56-year anniversary on the air.
The actors shared their behind-the-scenes stories from the show, and participated in a question and answer session that was facilitated by Ryan Carnes (Lucas Jones).
Four new faces at this event included Briana Henry (Jordan Ashford), Elizabeth Hendrickson (Margaux Dawson), Katelyn MacMullen (Willow Tait), and Parry Shen (Brad Cooper). The fans in Melville welcomed Briana Henry as the new Port Charles Police Commissioner Jordan Ashford with open arms and extolled her for doing a great job.
Tamara Braun stated that she loves being on the show as the newer character, Dr. Kim Nero. “It is awesome and I’m loving it,” Braun remarked.
Emme Rylan, who plays Lulu Spencer Falconeri, is drawn to the “emotional scenes” that her character Lulu has been having lately on the show since it allows her to showcase “the whole life of her character day after day.” She subsequently described it as the “most epic make-believe.”
Elizabeth Hendrickson, who plays the district attorney Margaux Dawson, shared that she had a “great time” doing courtroom scenes with Emmy winner Hillary B. Smith, who returned as defense lawyer Nora Buchanan. This fan event was extra special for New York native Hendrickson since her father was in the audience.
Maura West acknowledged that she “does not mind” playing such a villainous character as Ava Jerome.
When asked by this journalist how she handles being dialogue-heavy (where she has to churn out 40 to 80 pages of script a day), West responded, “First of all, I am very grateful because I love Ava Jerome. Everybody knows how much I love her. When Ava Jerome gets to talk, I say ‘thank God’ because she gets to say her side to every story. I also have all these little minions at home, and I pay them to run lines with me. My little one will not run lines anytime I am in a scene with a man.”
“I actually prefer days when I am at work and I am dialogue-heavy with long scenes and a lot of dialogue. I find those easier to learn, prepare for and perform than a big group scene when you are chiming in something. I absolutely love that. It makes things more juicy,” West said.
West subsequently revealed that the best advice that she was ever given was “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” which is commonly known as the “Golden Rule.” “That is super important,” she said.
Katelyn MacMullen praised her co-stars James Patrick Stuart (Valentin Cassadine) and Michelle Stafford (Nina Reeves) for being “amazing.” MacMullen admitted that she feels stronger each day getting to play Willow, which has been a gratifying experience.
Similar to MacMullen, Ramsey joined in on James Patrick Stuart’s fan club, where Ramsey described him as a “tremendous actor.”
Wes Ramsey also noted that he is “really humbled and honored” to work with iconic actress Finola Hughes. “We really get in the trenches together,” he said.
James Patrick Stuart also treated the fans and attendees to a few verses of a song of his, which he performed a cappella, that was well-received with a standing ovation. This song was quite moving since it was a gift to his father.
Parry Shen and Ryan Carnes also opened up about playing on-screen couple Brad Cooper and Lucas Jones, and they discussed their experiences about rehearsing the more intimate scenes.
From the General Hospital cast, Briana Hendry described Maura West as the funniest person on set, while other actors concurred that Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) is one of the more “sarcastic” performers on the show; moreover, they listed Josh Swickard (Detective Harrison Chase) as the “nicest.” “Josh’s heart is bigger than this entire room,” they said.
In return, all of the 11 actors reiterated their sincere appreciation to all of the fans that gathered in Melville. “Thank you for keeping us employed,” they said.
Towards the end of the event, the actors took part in a raffle, where the money raised went towards the nonprofit organization Contractors for Kids.
“I have attended many ‘General Hospital Fantasy’ events over the years and I am grateful to have met many actors and actresses that I grew up watching,” said Ilysa Saffer, dedicated fan. “I appreciate that they take the time out of their busy schedule to see their fans and make us feel special. This event was special because they had fan-favorites as well as newcomers from the show.”
Another loyal fan, Britt v/d Bosch, traveled all the way from the Netherlands to attend and be a part of this event. “This event was awesome. I came just for Maura West, who was amazing and very kind. Everybody is so beautiful. They look the same way they do on television,” she said.
The Verdict
Overall, the “General Hospital Fantasy” event in Melville, New York, was terrific. The actors showcased their real-life personalities, which were all warm and pleasant, and they gave the Long Island audience a day to remember. Fantasy Events Inc. deserves a sincere round of applause for a job well done, especially their organizational skills, for everything going smoothly. This show garnered an A rating.
To learn more about other “General Hospital Fantasy” events, check out their official website.
