General Hospital: May 2023 Discussion Thread

[AdelaideCate007]

I heard like thirdhand that GH had tried to get people back for the anniversary and that what they were offering, outside of Jane Elliot and Emma Samms, was basically like a one day cameo during the Nurse's Ball lol.

Sort of in the vein of whatever is was they brought Emma and Milo back for when Epiphany died or whatever the recent Helena appearance was. Just a drive by to say hey for like five minutes.

[carolineg]

I would also probably add if FV asked her to be a weird interloper for Sonny/Nina or she didn't like the story she would take a hard pass.  VM thinks Brenda deserves the spotlight and would not sit back to do anything else (as she should).   She's not stupid and knows the difficulty in getting her is half of the hype for her. 

[Liberty City]

I don't recall her ever stating Brenda, but I do know she auditioned as a Lois recast in 2004 prior to Lesli Kay's hiring.

[dragonflies]

lol!!

 

 

[Vee]

I'm completely unsurprised by this news.

[carolineg]

Lisa LoCicero Shares Journey from General Hospital Fan to Port Charles Resident - Daytime Confidential

It's this article.  She says she tried out for Lois and then the show talked to her about  being Brenda, but I guess that was just LLC's belief so maybe nothing concrete.  It just stuck in my mind.

Edited May 5, 2023 by carolineg

[Vee]

I saw that too. Lisa has said before she thinks they were going to try to recast Brenda but didn't, and has said she probably would've turned the role down because as a viewer she knew it would've been suicide. I think it was all just tactics tbh.

I do love that Lisa has never stopped roasting her terrible OLTL role. I was so excited to see her again after Loving/The City and then that happened. She was originally up for an even worse role on OLTL, that of Michael Easton's former partner/lover.

[Liberty City]

Ah yes, I forgot about that article and interview. So it seems like recasting Brenda has been an on-going discussion behind-the-scenes. Interesting.

[Taoboi]

EXCUSE ME????

 

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Exactly!!! It's waaaay too easy to drop Brenda in anywhere on the canvas. 

So true.

  

[carolineg]

 

It probably was all a bluff and Vanessa wasn't that far behind LLC's casting when she returned.  But I do think if you squint and look sideways at the Kate/Olivia/Sonny story beginning (and make Dante Kate's obviously) you could see where Brenda might possibly slip in over Olivia.  Then again there a lot of stories where you could move Brenda in over _insert love interest_ and it would make more sense.

Edited May 5, 2023 by carolineg

[titan1978]

The perfect spot was when Sonny had no memory.  I could easily see Brenda as the person that found him, and he remembers her (of course), maybe she was doing a benefit of some kind in that town and stopped at the bar.  Of course, he does not remember Carly or his kids beyond an impression.  And this drives Nina to her lowest point, which begins her turn towards the Annie dark side I have been craving all along.

You get Brenda at Deception and her and Lucy going after Nina’s company. Sonny working to regain his memories/kids while dealing with his feelings for Brenda/Carly/Nina. And we get Nina being a major villain for a year or so.

Anyway, I cannot imagine Brenda without VM.  But Frank recast Marty Saybrooke, which was very questionable.

[Darn]

AS. SHE. SHOULD.

Frank is well aware that Vanessa is the only draw that moves the needle, that's exactly why he doesn't want her back. Her temporary ratings goose would hurt his rep and a show that, in his mind, is running like a well-oiled machine and satisfying ABC. Brenda's return would show the seams and distract from he feels is working with the part of the canvas her return would most impact.

You can't have Carly/Sonny and Nina/Sonny shippers sniping at each other with Brenda there because even they know good and well Sonny knock the 8.5x11 out of her hand if Brenda was in danger of getting a papercut.

[Vee]

That was a desperation play, AFAIK. Susan turned down Dena Higley's story and he had gambled that he could net Sarah Brown as the only supposedly unimpeachable recast of that role to pair with Michael Easton. Except I believe Sarah also turned it down, which left him scrambling to find anyone to play Marty when he should have scrapped it.

I don't think Frank is dumb enough to recast Brenda, especially when he didn't do it with Robin even in a period when he still had most online soap press on his side. I do think he wants Brenda out of the picture for reasons myself, Darn and caroline have all enumerated, though of course we're not the only ones. Some characters and performers are too big for Frank to corral, and he's had enough trouble with that with Genie Francis (and in a different way, Tony Geary). I think it's the same reason he may or may not have rejected any supposed overtures from Jonathan Jackson, who has claimed in the past to be willing to come back but who knows.

Edited May 5, 2023 by Vee

[Taoboi]

If I'm not mistaken, @carolineg mentioned that at one time...that Sonny with no memory would be the perfect time for Brenda to resurface.

 

Oooo how there have been so many times where it would have been prefect for Nina to go full on Annie on Carly though.

[carolineg]

I did.  I thought that would have been the perfect time, but I was concerned that if it did happen Brenda would be the bad guy keeping him away from Carly and his kids and I had a hard time wrapping my head around Brenda doing that.   Not keeping him from Carly, but his brood of kids lol.

I could see Frank saying, "well, I tried!" and looking for a recast, but it would fail.  Even if he got a big name or some prime time has-been I don't see a scenario where it would possibly work.  I also think any soap star would be reluctant to even take that on.   Since he does seem to have an issue with Vanessa I don't think it's out of the question for him to recast, said recast fails, and him then going, "See, we don't need Brenda on the canvas".  I would be surprised if he took such a risk though.