Actor Tajh Bellow discussed his 2025 Emmy nomination for “General Hospital” and tackling grief in his storyline. He is up for “Supporting Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actor.”
Bellow has been playing the role of TJ Ashford on the ABC soap opera “General Hospital” since the winter of 2018.
This marks his second career Daytime Emmy nomination. He was previously nominated for “Outstanding Young Performer in a Drama Series” back in 2021.
2025 Emmy nod for ‘General Hospital’
On earning a 2025 Daytime Emmy nomination, Bellow expressed, “I know everyone says that it’s an ‘honor’ to be nominated, but it really is. It’s the only word that I feel is appropriate. There are so many great actors that you are in the same pool with for consideration for this nomination, and I am just so blessed and grateful.”
“I am very honored to have been a named a 2025 Daytime Emmy nominee alongside such an inspirational group of storytellers,” Bellow noted.
“Thank you to the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) for this incredible recognition and my heartfelt thanks to the brilliant writers of ‘General Hospital’ for creating the space that allows me to do this work that I love. I am so thankful beyond words,” he elaborated.
Bellow on tackling grief in his Emmy-nominated storyline
On tackling grief, Bellow said, “Grief is such an interesting yet complicated thing. As a male, you have all of these different layers of how people tell you that you should be able to grieve, how to demonstrate pain, and how you should handle a situation.”
“So, I had to initially remove all of that,” he admitted. “I had to allow TJ’s truth to really shine through that storyline. A lot of men and a lot of people of color don’t get a chance to actually come apart and unravel and just deal with raw emotion like that.”
“I wanted to make sure that I did this storyline justice, especially for people who experienced these situations, I wanted their pain to be visible, shared, and relatable,” he added.
Working with Vernee Watson
Bellow had great words about working with two-time Emmy winner Vernee Watson as his on-screen aunt Stella.
“I love Vernee; every time her and I work together, she basically is my aunt,” Bellow exclaimed.
“Whenever we do these scenes together, she is so supportive, so giving, and she is incredibly present. Each time Vernee steps up on the stage, you can feel her warmth and her love; she gives them both freely,” he explained.
Working with Robert Gossett
On working with Robert as his on-screen grandfather, he said, “I actually call him ‘granddad’ and he is just wonderful. Robert is one of the best actors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, and he is just so skilled.”
“Most importantly, Robert and I have a lot of fun when we work together. We always goof around and we have a good time,” Bellow acknowledged.
Working with Kristen Vaganos
Bellow praised co-star Kristen Vaganos for being a “true professional.” “It was crazy because the year that she started working on ‘General Hospital,’ she was the fourth Molly,” he said.
“We had to jump into this intense storyline out of nowhere together and we were trying to portray 12 years of history. We’ve had the longest-term relationship on the show for a while,” he noted.
“Kristen adjusted very quickly in this role… we found chemistry together quickly, jumped into losing our child, and then, losing each other. My hat goes off to Kristen for doing such a great job and doing it so quickly,” Bellow added.
Lessons learned from executing the baby loss storyline
On the lessons learned from executing the baby loss storyline, Bellow reflected, “I often learn from my character TJ, and that sometimes life imitates art.”
“TJ holds his loved ones and their emotions close — not to control but to feel connected. It’s his way of staying grounded in the relationships that matter to him,” he said.
“This storyline illustrated that our lived ones can endure a terribly painful and transformational experience of loss with us, but still experience this loss in their own way. Visible or not,” he explained.
“We all feel differently, and we express ourselves differently, so it reminds me to be patient and to give space, and to really release my understanding of how things ‘should be going’ in difficult times,” he elaborated.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Bellow revealed, “The Wind Rises.”
“I believe this is my wind-raising phase,” he admitted. “This is me navigating what is flowing and what isn’t. This is me navigating when I’m going to decide to stand my ground or allow myself to go where I’m being carried to,” he explained.
Tajh Bellow on Maurice Benard’s ‘State of Mind’
Bellow recalled participating in Maurice Benard’s “State of Mind” podcast series on mental health.
“Doing ‘State of Mind’ was great. Maurice is such a good interviewer. I had a lot of fun,” Bellow said.
Message for his fans and supporters
For his fans and supporters, Bellow stated, “Thank you so much for riding with me… for being here and for showing up.”
“The last year has been intense… knowing that they grieved with me, they hurt with me, they were angry with me, and they were crying with me, and that was an incredible type of support. Thank you for showing up,” he said, effusively.
To learn more about 2025 Daytime Emmy nominee Tajh Bellow, follow him on Instagram.
