GV was held back for a number of reasons. He was only ever given one story in his tenure and he nailed it. During the Black and White Ball and the immediate aftermath, he was fabulous to watch - presenting as the kind of guy I'd certainly want support from in a family crisis.

Was he brilliant? Nope, not particularly. But who knows what might have been possible if the writer had been interested in him.

And I think that can be said for just about anyone. For me personally, the correlation between "over-hyped" and "over-exposed" is completely obvious. Soaps like their Stars, but that doesn't mean they can actually do the job well.

I agree, Greg was very underrated. I think they wanted him to be just another pretty face, but he showed time and time again that he could step up to the plate. I alsol enjoyed his brief run on Charmed; where for a bit part, he was probably even better utilised. I agree he did stand out in the addiciton story; it was the Kirsten Storms in her early GH days performances that made those scenes unwatchable for me. It was unfortunate how much Storms and Guza really struglled with the Maxie character in her early run. I hate that they had to change Maxie so much to meet KS's sweet spots.

In re Robin Christopher, swoon. I could listen to her read the telephone book for whatever rural PA town she now calls home. I hope she continues to make her summer cameos. She reminds me so much of the old Hollywood starlets in her stark androgenous looks and that deep, raspy voice. I do agree that she tends to whisper in scenes; but it is that constraint that makes so much of her emotional scenes that much more powerful.

When the show decided to once and for all obliterate the Lucky/Liz relationship once JJ returned, he spent years doing nothing but weeping, and hanging out with a cipher with a bad Irish accent.

JJ only came back for two years (November 2009- December 2011) and during the entirety of that time he was attached to Liz in someway. At first to that dreadful cheating storyline/triangle with Nikolas/Elizabeth/Lucky with the paternity/pregnancy story and where Liz was again the victim even though she cheated and then again with another triangle-esque pairing with Siobohan/Elizabeth/Lucky where Liz was the victim of crazy lady Siobohan. He was never freed of Liz at all. He was chained to her threw out the entirety of his second tenure. I would say during that time period he (the character of Lucky) had literally tons of things to be angry and cry about considering all that happened to him during that brief time period with his wife's death, Elizabeth's ten billionth indiscretion against him, his kids death, his father's alcoholism and his own slide from sobriety.

I have to say as a performer I would not envy JJ's emotional range that he had to endure as Lucky during that period as his emotions were treated like a rubber band. There are many actors/actresses in Daytime who would have just completely stopped emoting and would have quit trying. It's clear he was put threw the ringer more then probably any other Lucky was. GV's Lucky was never really written for other then to be a wimp/loser cuckold that Jason and Elizabeth constantly screwed over.

I thought GV was very good in that entire arc where Lucky was high all the time. When JJ came back and they did another Lucky being high story it didn't work very well at all.

I disagree. I think GV was at his best when he and Liz first got married in 05' and then with the train wreck story around the same time period, as well as when he was initially paired up with Kelly Monaco because they had an insane amount of sexual chemistry. GV sparkled because he was an identifiable every man kind of guy and he was very romantic, sexual and warm. He worked very well with KeMo and Herbst, it was clear that romantic pairings was his strongest suit. Even if Herbst looked like she didn't even want to touch/be near him once she was promised a pairing/spawn with Burton's Jason. I think JJ was spectacular in those scenes where he was completely out of it during the drug scenes he had, I would say he was the better dramatic actor out of the two. I wouldn't be surprised if he got another Emmy for that work.

Edited March 28, 201213 yr by Skin

At first to that dreadful cheating storyline/triangle with Nikolas/Elizabeth/Lucky with the paternity/pregnancy story and where Liz was again the victim even though she cheated and then again with another triangle-esque pairing with Siobohan/Elizabeth/Lucky where Liz was the victim of crazy lady Siobohan.

A few months after he came back he told Liz she was only worthwhile when bleeding in the snow after a rape. He never had feelings for her again in his entire time on the show. They gave him his own Irish adventure, and a new leading lady. That they tanked and had no chemistry wasn't based on Liz.

Liz was written as being a pathetic, manipulative bitch (with everyone she encountered telling her this day after day) - Siobhan's crazy story was more about causing Lucky angst than anything else.

I have to say as a performer I would not envy JJ's emotional range that he had to endure as Lucky during that period as his emotions were treated like a rubber band.

He was bursting out the tears as soon as he started back with the show. Almost immediately he wept over noble Jason, the best father ever. If he hadn't relied on his tricks, then the show might not have written so heavily for them.

Crying and screaming were what he did in the role. He never seemed comfortable with anything else, outside of the early days when he was a knockoff of Tony Geary.

Edited March 28, 201213 yr by CarlD2

A few months after he came back he told Liz she was only worthwhile when bleeding in the snow after a rape. He never had feelings for her again in his entire time on the show. They gave him his own Irish adventure, and a new leading lady. That they tanked and had no chemistry wasn't based on Liz.

Liz was written as being a pathetic, manipulative bitch (with everyone she encountered telling her this day after day) - Siobhan's crazy story was more about causing Lucky angst than anything else.

He was bursting out the tears as soon as he started back with the show. Almost immediately he wept over noble Jason, the best father ever. If he hadn't relied on his tricks, then the show might not have written so heavily for them.

Crying and screaming were what he did in the role. He never seemed comfortable with anything else, outside of the early days when he was a knockoff of Tony Geary.

Don't even get me started on how quickly Geary dismissed GV. He but no effort into building any on screen rapport with his version of Lucky. It was as much a deteriment to the very overhyped Geart as it was to Greg. I hated.. HATED how Geary went to the press to badmouth Greg. With Geary it seems as if he is not their for the GH company, he is only their for his favourites. This show can go-on with out him, proven by the 8 months they go to air with Geary on the bench getting high in Amsterdam.

Edited March 28, 201213 yr by AMCHistory

Don't even get me started on how quickly Geary dismissed GV. He but no effort into building any on screen rapport with his version of Lucky. It was as much a deteriment to the very overhyped Geart as it was to Greg. I hated.. HATED how Geary went to the press to badmouth Greg. With Geary it seems as if he is not their for the GH company, he is only their for his favourites. This show can go-on with out him, proven by the 8 months they go to air with Geary on the bench getting high in Amsterdam.

What did he say about GV? He (GV) seemed to be such a sweet heart. That being said you would never know he disliked him based on his scenes with Lucky in his coma where he took him off the ventilator. That was around the period where GV was recently hired 05/06'.

Edited March 28, 201213 yr by Skin

Geary is another one whom lives off the success of the past. I could care less about Gearys personal gripes over Luke and Laura or how he hated by the way the Labine Luke, the writer I think that introduced and wrote most of the actually decent stuff with Laura, Luke and lucky. I don't know one fan who likes what Luke Spencer is today is it's self indulgence on the part of Geary and Guza who hated the Spencers. So to obliterate everything that made Luke the super iconic character he was, they took away evey characteristic that made the audience love and root for him. Luke and lucky are the same yes but tell be what's enjoyable and Fun and soapy about watching 2 whiney, weak, self indulgent drunks or drug addicts and losers. Thats what lucky and Luke became and it actually got worse with JJ because lucky got more focus. If Geary was tired of playingnthe Luke we all grew to love, he should have been killed off in a blast of glory which would have been a testament to the Luke that fans loved years ago.

I'd love to hear what Geary thinks about the drastic personality change in Luke over the last month or so. I always got the feeling he preferred the Luke we saw this past decade.

What did he say about GV? He (GV) seemed to be such a sweet heart. That being said you would never know he disliked him based on his scenes with Lucky in his coma where he took him off the ventilator. That was around the period where GV was recently hired 05/06'.

The nicest thing he said about GV is that the Lucky actors kept getting better looking. He did not repeat that line after JJ's return, I notice. There were rumors that said TG refused to have any scenes with GV. No way of knowing whether that's true.

Since you and I apparently have been watching different versions of GH for a number of years, I can't say much about your comments other than that.

That is so rude of AG, lol, especially when he loved JJ so much. When JJ first left, I remember him saying in an interview something like, "Well Tony says he'll never accept another actor as Lucky, so..."

When I think of GV, I think of him walking into that door on the blooper reel. And how he looked the coolest in Carl's favorite portion of the old opening credits when Tony walks off.

I'd love to hear what Geary thinks about the drastic personality change in Luke over the last month or so. I always got the feeling he preferred the Luke we saw this past decade.

Oh I'm sure he hates it. Personally he can shove it. I don't watch soaps to watch some PSA like character study. If I want to watch that stuff I'll rewatch Taxi Driver a real study in self destructive behavior. Who wants to watch that crap for years.

He already was interviewed during the Ethan debacle because the story was getting so much backlash on how fans just needed to get over it and move on.

That is so rude of AG, lol, especially when he loved JJ so much. When JJ first left, I remember him saying in an interview something like, "Well Tony says he'll never accept another actor as Lucky, so..."

When I think of GV, I think of him walking into that door on the blooper reel. And how he looked the coolest in Carl's favorite portion of the old opening credits when Tony walks off.

AG seems like a pretty rude guy who says a lot of pretty awful things in interviews. I doubt he ever dreamed JJ would return when he was rhapsodizing about GV's looks.

AG seems like a pretty rude guy who says a lot of pretty awful things in interviews. I doubt he ever dreamed JJ would return when he was rhapsodizing about GV's looks.

I need to find the blurb, but it was around the time of JJ's return... and yes I think you had the wording about right.

She reminds me so much of the old Hollywood starlets in her stark androgenous looks and that deep, raspy voice

I wouldn't call RC androgynous. She has strong features but is still very feminine. Though I do agree that she has an old Hollywood quality about her.

The nicest thing he said about GV is that the Lucky actors kept getting better looking.

That is so rude of AG, lol, especially when he loved JJ so much. When JJ first left, I remember him saying in an interview something like, "Well Tony says he'll never accept another actor as Lucky, so..."

It is. I don't think its really true that the Lucky's got better looking. JJ is an attractive guy.

Edited March 28, 201213 yr by RomeAt50

It is. I don't think its really true that the Lucky's got better looking. JJ is an attractive guy.

From this:

To this:

If we are talking just looks, Lucky went through a downgrade going from GV to JJ. JJ can be an attractive guy when he tries but he looked a mess for most of the time he was back with his unshaven face and long hair which made him look greasy and dirty

Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather see a non-sexy actor that can act/entertain than good looking dead weight on my TV.