GH: Jackie Zeman passed away

[NothinButAttitude]

I just saw this on Twitter. OMG. RIP, Jackie. 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by NothinButAttitude

[Faulkner]

This hurts. Bobbie was one of those characters I felt a kinship with. She’s probably the reason why I gave up GL and started watching GH in the ‘90s. And JZ did some of the finest acting I’ve ever seen on soaps or anywhere else:

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[Vee]

I've watched a lot of the Marland-era and onward stuff during the pandemic. In that early stuff especially from '78-'79, Bobbie is not fuckin' around while terrorizing Laura. She gave Sarah Brown's Carly a run for her money, she was merciless. It was a world of difference from the strong, loyal and sympathetic streetwise heroine Jackie built over the consecutive decades after. As other megastars came and went from the show (or came back again when they needed to pay the rent), Jackie and Bobbie remained, and grew and evolved onscreen into someone the show depended on and the audience couldn't do without. And she had chemistry with virtually everyone. I especially loved her work with Stephen Nichols as Stefan, in a pairing that was cut too quickly short by Richard Culliton after Guza left for Sunset Beach.

Speaking of SuBe, I was fascinated by what little I've seen and read about Bobbie's story with Jake Meyer and always kind of hoped they'd bring back Sam Behrens for her someday. Bobbie gave us so much, got so much story yet I never tired of her, even given JZ's IRL ups and downs.

[Vee]

From the main thread:

Edited May 11, 2023 by Vee

[Soapsuds]

 

[YRfan23]

Was not expecting this at all!!

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RIP! 

[kalbir]

This is shocking. RIP.

[DRW50]

I'm dumbfounded. Even in recent times, with all the changes, Jackie still had such presence, and still seemed to be appearing fairly regularly. 

There would be no GH on the air today without Bobbie. There may not have even been a GH on 40 years ago if not for Bobbie. Bobbie's desperate, raw scheming for Scotty and loathing of Laura helped turn around a deeply moribund show out of step with the current audience. Then when GH was in just as helpless a place in the early '90s, Bobbie and Tiffany fighting over the custody of baby Lucas kept viewers gripped until things could turn around. The story of Carly, however damaging it became to GH in the long run, helped give GH a long run in the first place. And through it all, Jackie gave so many great performances, comedy and drama, but above all else, just had such a dynamic energy. One no one else ever had, or will have.

No matter how much the show tried to phase Bobbie out, one producer in particular, she never let go, and viewers never let her go. Until the very end. 

Thank you, Jackie. 

Edited May 11, 2023 by DRW50

[Vee]

Probably unlikely, but I'd like to see them find a way to use Sarah Brown in whatever tribute they end up doing. The scenes with her and Jackie (including those linked above) in their original storyline together are a high water mark for the show.

They also better get Ryan Carnes back as Lucas for it. I wouldn't be shocked if Tony comes out for this, either. He stopped JFP from canning her over 20 years ago.

[Franko]

Damn. This one hurts.

[dragonflies]

Oh Bobbie and Jake were a great together, some of my earliest GH memories of Bobbie & Jake

[DRW50]

I really hope they do all this, if possible, even if the show has no real interest in Lucas as a character. I imagine Tamara Braun (unless she is still at DAYS, I never remember) could return too. Jackie deserves all this and more. 

If Brad Maule or Sam Behrens are able I wish they could return in some capacity as well.

[Khan]

I agree.  With everything.

[YRfan23]

What happen?? was she sick?

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  These people keep leaving us....

[titan1978]

I’m just heartbroken about this. One of the characters who was deeply flawed and the audience got to see evolve over her tenure. Unlike a lot of soap’s reformed bad girl types, Jackie always kept Bobbie’s fiery personality.  She had a hair trigger and was always passionant.  She just grew out of her more vindictive traits when she started to love herself.  She’s so well set up by Marland and Monty, and JZ was wonderful in the role.

This one I was not expecting right now and it’s just so sad.