General Hospital: July 2023 Discussion Thread

[Vee]

I'm sure she's a very nice woman who doesn't deserve a lot of vitriol against her personally. Doesn't mean she's right for the part! People tried to get me to support Burgess Jenkins at Y&R too. Remember that? Billy Abbott as Father Time? Remember when we thought that was the oldest Billy could possibly look?

Edited July 20, 2023 by Vee

[carolineg]

Agreed @Vee.  It's not this actress's fault, but two things can be true at the same time without it being a horrible thing.  She's probably wonderful and doesn't deserve this.  That doesn't make her right for a role.  She doesn't look the part of a mid 20's girl.  That's the end of it.  It's on GH for making such a bizarre choice.  

Whoever said that the girl that plays Elyse is good is right.  I like her and she's gorgeous.

[Contessa Donatella]

She could absolutely positively work with an acting coach & a vocal coach & make inroads on her voice. 

[dragonflies]

Come on John be real, she's way too old for the part she 39

[Liberty City]

Did I say that, John? No. I did not. I gave Mia Kriegel a chance, and I will be giving Brooke Anne Smith a chance. However, visually, she is too old for the part. And that is simply fact.

Please register in order to view this content

You cannot tell me, looking at this "evolution" of Molly, that she visually fits the role. She looks closer to Kelly Monaco's age than Pullos', and that is a casting hiccup. She looks like she could be Haley Pullos' mother for crying out loud. It is bad casting as its finest.

100%. I'm wondering if Mark Teschner is even allowed to do his job. Maybe there is material down-the-line that Smith will work well for, but this is simply a case of bad acting.

She doesn't; those scenes with Kelly Monaco were jarring yesterday.

Again, 100%. Kriegel's casting was understandable. They clearly found out about Pullos' situation very last-minute and had to grab someone to be on set, likely one to two days before scenes were to be filmed (as Kate Mansi & Kriegel definitely started on the same day), so they had to grab someone available. But, if they were actively recasting the role of Molly beyond Kriegel, then this choice makes me question things, especially with General Hospital is usually on-the-ball with castings, especially in the recast department.

I completely agree; no one is shaming her or her age, but the casting of her in the role of Molly itself. She reads as an older Esme, and makes me wonder if she previously auditioned for that role, and she was turned down in favour of Avery Kristen Pohl.

I forgot about Burgess Jenkins... not a horrible Billy Abbott but, not the best, either.

Mhmm. And criticism over her age is merely part of why this recast is jarring. And people keeping bringing up "Well X person was cast in Y role after Z left it, and they were [insert age] so get over it," and it's like, but visually they probably worked for the role. This, visually, is a problem. Nothing to do with Smith, her personality or her as a talent. This is a casting no-no.

[Vee]

I think sometimes Teschner still makes great hires (Chavez, William Lipton, Tabyana Ali, Avery Pohl). Many other times since FV took over, it feels like FV is absolutely overruling him and exercising the same taste he often exhibited at OLTL and on I Wanna Be a Soap Star. Frank's taste is often tacky, peppy, hardbodied or blonde. No one can tell me Mark Teschner hired Jordan #3, Sasha, Willow, Rafe or that little fool who played Oscar, to name a few.

Edited July 20, 2023 by Vee

[Contessa Donatella]

I have said more than once that Frank has a multi-Emmy winning Casting Director & he needs to let the man do his job & not try to do casting himself. Frank ought to know better. It's a flaw. 

[Liberty City]

Oh, I agree. Teschner makes great finds.. and then, other times, it is clear Frank Valentini steps in and overrides, and it troubles me. If you have a casting director, allow them to do their jobs completely. Teschner has been there 33 years, and knows what he is looking for. I know Teschner auditioned and tested Sofia Mattsson for another role; Valentini said "hold her" for another role, and cast her as Sasha.

According to Teschner (April 2023), he is sent auditions, and he'll send his favourites to Valentini for final selection. So, ultimately, Teschner sent Smith to Valentini, who chose her. Teschner even revealed recasting is the toughest, which is what makes Smith's casting a true head-scratcher, and I wonder if they saw something beyond what we have right now.

[Vee]

As some anecdotes over the years have proven out (including Billy Warlock's BTS story at OLTL), at times Frank's only criteria for a hire is 'can they speak' and 'are they available today?' He is about keeping the trains running.

[carolineg]

Part of me wonders if this was a purposeful miscast to bring Haley back without backlash.  If the show hires someone so wrong for Molly maybe people will be less critical of bringing the original back after her off screen antics.

[Vee]

I honestly doubt it. I don't think they'll consider touching HP for awhile (if at all) until that case is settled.

[Contessa Donatella]

I can assure you that Frank & other unknown higher-ups are intent that Haley will never work at GH in any capacity ever again.  

[carolineg]

Yeah, you are probably right.  I just was trying to find some logic in the casting besides we picked the first female we found off the street.  

Since all the talk has been about the Molly actress being able to treat us all to the early bird special at Denny's, has anyone mentioned Sasha STABBING Cody? Where is this story going?  What are these drugs Sasha is taking? They have been teasing this pairing for months and it's all moved so slowly.  I didn't see Sasha nearly killing him as the next step.  That's the most entertaining thing Sasha has ever done.

 

[dragonflies]

LOL OMG I am going to hell for laughing at this 

 

 

[Liberty City]

I provide a one-up: