General Hospital’s Stephen Macht: Can Character Actors Save Soaps?

By Marlena De Lacroix

Every week for months, there have been rumors that Stephen Macht’s tough mob lawyer character, Trevor Lansing, is about to be whacked on General Hospital. So, while there’s still time, I’d like to say that I’m really enjoying Macht’s performances in the role this season. Yes, Macht, the 60ish actor with the pock markets, the slitty, beady brown eyes, and the formidable stack of gray-white hair. I bet he’s never heard the word “hottie” in his life. Read More

Word, Marlena! I should hate Trevor Lansing but I don't and it's because of Stephen. Macht is a phenomenal actor. I love his scenes with Rick Hearst. What a great father/son duo.

Marlena's columns get better and better each week

i think SM is great, but Trevor HAS to go. Keeping a horrid plot point char because the actor is good i stupid, IMHO.

Trevor and Claudaslut need to DIE ASAP!

Sorry, I disagree. I think Stephen is a great actor but Trevor needs cement shoes along with the trampy Claudia and 'Yawnny". Get this newbie mob family off my screen. I don't see this chemistry between Rick and Stephen, if I would tape GH, it would be FF material for me, which sucks because I'm such a die hard Rick Hearst fan - I wanted something great for him with this story and he's gotten SQUAT.

Am I bitter? Damn right and I have no quams about admitting it.

i liked the article.

she didn't mention other character actors from pssns or oltl.

IA with her about Macht and think it is too bad he hasn't gotten THE story that would have made Trevor a worthwhile character -- a slow-cooking, full-blown confrontation between him and Ric which could have fed story for months to come for the both of them, and Sonny. And even Mike! Instead, as SoapQueen puts it, his potential has been wasted in order to launch the "bad" Zucchini mobsters while reinforcing "good" mobulars Scummy & Jesus.

In other words, the Mob is DESTROYING this show.

IA with Marlena's main point, though. If soaps chose talent over vapid good looks (and that talent comment goes for the writing and producing teams, too), then Daytime would be in a less precarious place right now. You only have to watch some great soaps from the 70s where talented character actors were in abundance. They didn't call it the Golden Age for nothing. The sad part is, GH used to lead the way in terms of picking talent (Tony Geary, Leslie Charleson, Jane Eliot, Denise Alexander, Genie Francis, Finola Hughes, Ian Buchanan, Tristram Rogers, etc., even Maurice Benrad once upon a time). Unfortunately, a talented character actor can only do so much with horrid writing.