Fans Breathe 'Life' in 'General Hospital' Cast
Soap operas are synonymous with giving characters a second chance at life. The producers and writers of General Hospital have resuscitated the jobs of Kassie DePaiva and Kristen Alderson in real life by admitting the Manning family to Port Charles after One Life to Live was cancelled.
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The on-screen mother-daughter duo is equally as affectionate when not playing their roles. Kassie stressed that the Manning's relocation is "a gift to the fans of One Life to Live." She added, "Not each fan watches both shows, so this way we can bring some of our OLTL fans over to GH."
"I just hope that the network does not turn its back on daytime. ABC has always been such a great brand," wept a heartbroken Kassie. Maurice Benard, who plays mobster Sonny Corinthos, threatened, "I dare anybody to cancel this show."
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The influx of fan mail proves to the actors that the genre is still warranted on television. Daytime audiences look to soaps as an escape from their own real-life concerns and as a tool to educate youth on issues in society. Kassie said, "Learning through a teenage pregnancy was an opportunity to inform as well as entertain." Maurice agreed, "Any time you're telling stories about families, rape, kids dying, it's relevant."
On GH, Kristen's character made a heartwrenching debut earlier this week. "The first episode I lose my boyfriend [Cole] and my daughter. They go over a cliff. That was my first day at GH. Our executive producer, he came up to me and he said, 'Hey Kristen, there's going to be a lot of crying, a lot of drama, and a lot of scenes for you to be doing all that.' I said, 'That's what I signed up for.'"
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Left single from the fatal accident, Star will likely be taking time to mourn the loss before walking down the aisle in an epic soap opera wedding with a new love interest. But, Kristen has already found a potential McDreamy on this hospital set, blushing that Chad Duell "has been extremely awesome to work with."
Just as the core fan base is loyal to daytime programming, these stars are dedicated to their roles. Soaps have a history of launching the careers of many primetime and movie stars, but "I really am not finished playing Star," Kristen said matter-of-factly. "It feels more exciting to me than if I got a role on a primetime show." Maurice also plans to remain focused on Sonny and not split time by signing up for Dancing With the Stars.
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Susan Lucci did pull double duty a few years back, competing in the ballroom while continuing to play Erica Kane on the now-discontinued All My Children. Maurice would "love" for the Emmy-winning actress to transition her character to GH. "It breathes life and the energy's great" when there is crossover between the shows.
All three of these actors are grateful for their devoted fans and utilize Twitter to communicate with followers, luring them to continue watching General Hospital, which airs weekday afternoons on ABC.