General Hospital: Difference between revisions
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At the beginning of the new milennium, Sonny would gain a new love interest in the form of Carly Roberts after previous efforts to pair him up after Vanessa Marcil's departure in 1998 failed. The popularity of the Sonny and Carly coupling remained even after Carly's original portrayer, [[Sarah Brown]] quit the show in 2001 and was replaced by [[Tamara Braun]]. Eventually though, the enormous amount of airtime that the duo (along with those in their immediate circle) recieved only served to polarise the audience. In particular, criticism was levelled at the amount of airtime that was devoted to the various mob storylines that these characters were involved in. |
At the beginning of the new milennium, Sonny would gain a new love interest in the form of Carly Roberts after previous efforts to pair him up after Vanessa Marcil's departure in 1998 failed. The popularity of the Sonny and Carly coupling remained even after Carly's original portrayer, [[Sarah Brown]] quit the show in 2001 and was replaced by [[Tamara Braun]]. Eventually though, the enormous amount of airtime that the duo (along with those in their immediate circle) recieved only served to polarise the audience. In particular, criticism was levelled at the amount of airtime that was devoted to the various mob storylines that these characters were involved in. |
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GH aired its 10,000th episode on [[April 17]], [[2002]], with an episode that revolved around the show's longest serving character Audrey Hardy, celebrating her 10000th shift as a nurse at the hospital. The episode was notable for showcassing much of |
GH aired its 10,000th episode on [[April 17]], [[2002]], with an episode that revolved around the show's longest serving character Audrey Hardy, celebrating her 10000th shift as a nurse at the hospital. The episode was notable for showcassing much of GH's long history in a series of clips and montages, but shortly afterwards, the show would soon be accused of forgetting it's history and veteran characters. |
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Trouble had been brewing for quite sometime (due to the increasing amount of focus on Sonny and the mob), but it really became apparent after the abrupt departure of Genie Francis in 2002 under somewhat controversial circumstances. However, ratings remained stable after Francis' departure and even rose due to the fact that Vanessa Marcil returned as Brenda in a five month stint which lasted into the early months of [[2003]]. |
Trouble had been brewing for quite sometime (due to the increasing amount of focus on Sonny and the mob), but it really became apparent after the abrupt departure of Genie Francis in 2002 under somewhat controversial circumstances. However, ratings remained stable after Francis' departure and even rose due to the fact that Vanessa Marcil returned as Brenda in a five month stint which lasted into the early months of [[2003]]. |
Revision as of 02:30, 13 February 2006
- For the ITV soap opera which ran from 1972 to 1979, see General Hospital (UK TV series).
Network | ABC |
Creators | Frank Hursley and Doris Hursley |
Executive Producer | Jill Farren Phelps |
Head Writers | Robert Guza, Jr. and Charles Pratt, Jr. |
Premiere Date | April 1, 1963 |
Runtime | 60 minutes (30 minutes from 1963 to 1976; 45 minutes 1976-1977) |
IMDb Page |
General Hospital is the longest-running daytime soap opera on the American ABC television network, and is also the longest-running soap opera produced in Hollywood (having been taped at the Prospect Avenue ABC Television Center West since its inception).
The show debuted on April 1, 1963, the same day that rival network NBC launched its own medical soap opera, The Doctors. The show originally aired for a half-hour until the network expanded it to 45 minutes in 1976, and then to an hour in 1978. The serial was created by soap writers Frank and Doris Hursley, a husband-and-wife team.
The show is often credited for starting several trends in the soap opera genre in the 1980s, most notably that of the supercouple and fast paced action-adventure plotlines that were remarkably different from the more traditional domestic and social issues that had been the sole focus of most soap operas during the previous decades.
History
1963-1977 (The Early Years)
The first stories were mainly set at a general hospital in Port Charles, a fictional New York town, and revolved around manly doctor Steve Hardy (John Beradino) and his nurse Jessie Brewer (Emily McLaughlin). Steve was chief of Internal Medicine on the hospital's seventh floor and dedicated his life to healing and caring for the sick, ably assisted by Nurse Jessie. Jessie's turbulent marriage to the much younger Dr. Phil Brewer (most notably played by Roy Thinnes) was the center of many early storylines. Over the years, Phil became renowned for his philandering, with Jessie constantly forgiving her errant husband for his affairs. The seemingly neverending cycle of separation and reconciliation between the two finally ended in 1974, when Dr. Phil Brewer was murdered.
Another nurse, Lucille March (Lucille Wall), brought her sister, flight attendant Audrey March (Rachel Ames) to town; slowly but surely, she romanced Dr. Hardy, eventually marrying him three times. While there was no overt tension, Jessie was disappointed as there had always been an air of sexual tension between her and Steve. It was never acted upon, as they remained close friends until Jessie (and actress Emily McLaughlin) died in 1991. Steve Hardy himself died five years later when his portrayer, John Beradino passed away in 1996.
The show was glacially paced and low-rated in the earlier years, save for one relatively high-rated and fast-paced plot in 1971. In this storyline Audrey was accused of murdering her son's babysitter and General Hospital was briefly elevated to the number one position, beating long time ratings giant As the World Turns. However, the success was shortlived. Due to relatively easygoing choices in storyline, the show almost always lost out to rival medical soap The Doctors, which was considered by many, including reviewers for TIME magazine, to be more daring. Although TIME noted that the acting performances were decent, an article on the soap genre, in 1976, panned General Hospital's minimal budget for settings and props, calling it not unlike a high school production.
1978-1989 (The Golden Years)
Faced with cancellation threats in 1978, ABC brass brought on Gloria Monty as Executive Producer. Monty had much experience in the genre from directing The Secret Storm for years. Under her tutelage, and the headwriting stints of Douglas Marland (who created longtime staples the Quartermaine family and Bobbie and Luke Spencer) and Pat Falken Smith, General Hospital bounced back from the brink and subsequently became the highest-rated American soap opera, from 1979 to 1988. Monty stayed as Executive Producer until 1987, only to return briefly from 1991 to 1992, in a widely panned tenure during which she was accused of no longer being in touch with the daytime audience. Monty was replaced with the equally controversial Wendy Riche.
When Douglas Marland objected to a planned storyline that had called for the virtous Lesley Webber to cheat on her husband with David Hamilton, Marland was challenged to come up with a better idea. As a result, Lesley rejected David's advances and the enraged suitor began sleeping with her sixteen year old daughter Laura Genie Francis instead. This torrid affair culminated in Laura killing her older lover after discovering that he was only using her to get back at her mother. This storyline was successful and as a result, Laura became a major focus of the show. Laura's subsequent storyline, a love triangle involving her with Scotty Baldwin and Bobbie Spencer, was also a success, but soon the success of both stories would be overshadowed by a phenomenon that very few expected, when Laura crossed paths with Bobbie's brother Luke.
The supercouple pairing of Luke and Laura would eventually become the most popular storyline in GH's history (and arguably soap opera history as well). Their wedding in November 1981 was the highest rated episode of any daytime soap opera in the United States, with more than 30 million viewers. They were so popular even movie star Elizabeth Taylor wanted in on the action (she guest-starred as Helena Cassadine, and adorned People magazine with Geary). Their relationship was not without some controversy, as Luke raped Laura in 1979. Laura was traumatized and went to counseling, but after her popularity with Luke flourished she claimed the rape was a "seduction" (in 1998 the issue was revisited and Laura finally admitted to herself that Luke raped her).
The show has also created other popular pairings in Holly Sutton and Robert Scorpio (Emma Samms and Tristan Rogers) as well as Duke Lavery and Anna Devane (Ian Buchanan and Finola Hughes), and the show's focus began to drift away from the original hospital setting onto a series of action-adventure plots, most of which were highly successful with the show's audience.
During this period, General Hospital also became known to feature plots that have been widely considered preposterous (i.e. the town of Port Charles was going to be placed under a deep freeze by maniacal Mikkos Cassadine; luckily, Luke and Laura saved the town just in time whilist several years later Robin Scorpio befriended an alien from the planet Lumina).
1990-1999 (Time of Transition)
In the 1990s, the show entered a transitional phase as the action adventure storylines of the 1980s became less popular. During this period, the show lost major stars such as Finola Hughes (Anna Devane Scorpio) and Tristian Rodgers (Robert Scorpio) and the much heralded return of Anthony Geary as Luke's identical cousin Bill Eckert in 1991 was seen as a failure.
Eventually in 1993, Anthony Geary would reprise his most famous role of Luke Spencer, along with Genie Francis who reprised her role as Luke's wife Laura. This marked the beginning of a creative renaissance for the show. Through the efforts of Riche and headwriter Claire Labine, the show gained critical acclaim for its sensitive handling of social issues, most notable of which were the heart transplant storyline which involved the death of eight year old BJ Jones (in a bus crash and the subsequent donation of her heart to her dying cousin Maxie), Monica Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson)'s bout with breast cancer and the love story of Stone Cates (Michael Sutton) and Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough), which was shortened by Stone's death from AIDS, and followed by storylines in which Robin had to deal with being HIV positive as a result of her and Stone's relationship. The show kept most of the popularity it held for most of the 1980s, and a long-rumored spin-off (which was tentatively titled GH2) materialized in 1997 in the half-hour soap Port Charles.
Problems began to arise again around 1994-1995 when the show lost more than a million viewers. All the soaps lost ground at this time, but particular scrutiny was placed upon GH for the succession of grim stories involving BJ, Monica, and Stone (as a result, they dropped plans to give Audrey Alzheimer's Disease).
From 1993-1997 the show focused on popular couple in Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Brenda (Vanessa Marcil), and eventually Brenda's relationship with corporate raider Jasper Jacks (Ingo Rademacher). They were the one constant between the regimes of Labine (who left in early 1996) and Bob Guza, who became head writer in 1996. Guza zeroed in on the mob and the popularity of Maurice Benard. Guza came and went several times, returning for good in 2002. Riche left in early 2001 and was replaced by Jill Farren Phelps.
2000-2004 (The New Millenium)
At the beginning of the new milennium, Sonny would gain a new love interest in the form of Carly Roberts after previous efforts to pair him up after Vanessa Marcil's departure in 1998 failed. The popularity of the Sonny and Carly coupling remained even after Carly's original portrayer, Sarah Brown quit the show in 2001 and was replaced by Tamara Braun. Eventually though, the enormous amount of airtime that the duo (along with those in their immediate circle) recieved only served to polarise the audience. In particular, criticism was levelled at the amount of airtime that was devoted to the various mob storylines that these characters were involved in.
GH aired its 10,000th episode on April 17, 2002, with an episode that revolved around the show's longest serving character Audrey Hardy, celebrating her 10000th shift as a nurse at the hospital. The episode was notable for showcassing much of GH's long history in a series of clips and montages, but shortly afterwards, the show would soon be accused of forgetting it's history and veteran characters.
Trouble had been brewing for quite sometime (due to the increasing amount of focus on Sonny and the mob), but it really became apparent after the abrupt departure of Genie Francis in 2002 under somewhat controversial circumstances. However, ratings remained stable after Francis' departure and even rose due to the fact that Vanessa Marcil returned as Brenda in a five month stint which lasted into the early months of 2003.
In 2003, after more than 35 years Rachel Ames, who played Audrey Hardy, was taken off-contract and removed from the opening credits, angering many longtime viewers. Around the same time, Brad Maule (Tony Jones) and Shell Kepler (Amy Vining) were also taken off contract. In 2004 Anna Lee was moved to recurring status after 25 years as Lila Quartermaine (Lee died soon after and some fans held the show responsible). At the same time, John Ingle, who had played Lila's husband was fired from the show after landing the role of Mickey Horton on Days of Our Lives and he was replaced by Jed Allan. Kin Shriner was also let go, despite the fact that he had been with the show off and on since 1977. Other characters, such as Bobbie Spencer (Jacklyn Zeman) and Felicia Scorpio (Kristina Wagner) became little more than extras, in spite of their years of popularity with fans.
2005
2005 would get off to a controversial start after one of the show's more controversial young heroines, Emily Quartermaine, was brutally raped by Connor Bishop in scenes that were quite graphic. Adding controversy to the storyline was the fact that Connor just happened to look exactly like Emily's husband Nikolas Cassadine. Connor was soon shot and killed by Emily.
In the spring of 2005, Emmy nominated actress Tamara Braun left the role of Carly Corinthos, a role she had garnered amazing praise for when she took over the role from Emmy Winner Sarah Brown. After Braun's exit the show began a storyline in which Carly's son, Michael (Dylan Cash), supposedly killed his own father, AJ Quartermaine (Billy Warlock). The image of a nine year old murderer may have contributed to a decline in ratings as well as Braun's exit from the series the show fell behind CBS daytime's As the World Turns and tying or barely beating the other less-hyped ABC soaps. The storyline then quieted down and ended, with the eventual reveal that it was Michael's therapist, Dr. Asher Thomas who was the real murderer. The show then ran on to show a comedic storyline involving Luke duping Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) into marriage.
In May 2005, Kristina Wagner was fired and replaced with former Another World star Sandra Ferguson. Maxie was also recast with former Days of our Lives star Kirsten Storms taking over for Robyn Richards. This raised conflict because of the revisit to a major storyline, "BJ's heart" with two new actresses trying to act like they were the old ones. The storyline ended in Maxie keeping BJ's heart and her sister Georgie (Lindze Letherman) recovering from her brain hemorrhage.
After Braun left the series, the role of Carly was recast with former One Life to Live star Jennifer Bransford. Despite Series star Maurice Benard wanting Bransford to stick around, the fans spoke louder than ever before and Bransford was released from her contract. Soon after, Guiding Light star Laura Wright took over the popular role of Carly Benson. Long-time archrival of Carly, Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough), returned to town to help long time best friend of Carly, Jason Morgan (Steve Burton), regain his memory.
One storyline that did prove a definite hit with viewers during this rocky period was the October 2005 wedding of Lucky Spencer and Elizabeth Webber after an eight year long courtship. This was despite the fact that Lucky had had two recasts since Lucky and Liz first became popular. Jonathan Jackson had originally played the role of Lucky, but had exited the role in 1999. Jacob Young took over the part in 2000 and he in turn was succeeded in the role by Lucky's current portrayer, Greg Vaughan in 2003.
The fall of 2005 saw storylines that consisted of Carly's mental breakdown, which culminated in Carly being sent off to a psychiatric hospital for several months (A move that was done in order to allow viewers to adapt to Laura Wright taking over the part of Carly from Jennifer Bransford).
There was also the mystery of who was drugging college girls, such as Maxie and Brook Lynn Ashton (Adrianne Leon) and taking nude pictures of them. The stalker turned out to be Diego Alcazar (Ignacio Serricchio), Lorenzo Alcazar's (Ted King) long-lost son. Diego's motive was apparently his need to avenge the death of his cousin Sage (Katie Stuart). Diego was sent to prison.
Lucas Jones (Ben Hogestyn), son of long time veterans Bobbie and Tony Jones also made a comeback. This would prove to be a significant event in GH's history because Lucas soon revealed that he was gay, thus making him the first significant homosexual character on the programme. Whilst there had been gay characters on the show before such as schoolteacher Mr Murty and wedding co-ordinator Elton, they had merely been minor characters). Lucas was at first reluctant to come out, but was eventually forced to come out after he was the victim of a hate crime.
Courtney Matthews (Alicia Leigh Willis) discovered that she is pregnant with her estranged husband Jasper Jacks' (Ingo Rademacher) child, despite being in love with Nikolas Cassadine (Tyler Christopher). The storyline remains unresolved as there have been hints that the child may still be Nikolas'.
November 2005 saw a major disaster storyline involving a train collision and major real life drama. This storyline involved much of the canvas and was GH's sole focus for several weeks during the important sweeps period. During this storyline, Alexis Davis and father Ric Lansing gave birth to their baby in an antique train car via a c-section performed by Robin Scorpio and Emily Cassadine, Lucky Spencer survived a near fatal hit by a sharp metal impaling him, and the new Carly was introduced and then fought villain Manny Ruiz and escaped the crash. Reese Marshall (Kari Wuhrer) was the only major character to die in this storyline. Wuhrer, a relative newcomer to the show having only joined in February 2005, was let go due to lacking storyline between series stars Maurice Benard and Rick Hearst. Kari Wuhrer later decided to sue, claiming that her pregnancy was the cause of her dismissal.
Alicia Leigh Willis who announced on her official website on October 29 that she would be leaving the show and her character of Courtney Matthews at the end of 2005. Her final tapedate was supposed to be December 20 and her final airdate was suspected to be around January 20. Months went by, and many different actresses were suspected to have snagged the role. Then, something very surprising just recently happened, it was announced that Willis would be staying on GH after all. And once again, Willis is still leaving the soap and Courtney will be killed off.
Rick Springfield, who had played Dr Noah Drake during the 1980s, was recently tapped to reprise his role for four episodes in December 2005. His brief stint proved quite popular with fans of the show and was extended for a longer run. It appears that his successful return, combined with the successful return of Kimberly McCullough as Robin Scorpio have inspired GH producers to revisit the past as shortly afterwards, it was announced that Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio) would return for a six week run.
Title sequences
Ever since the series' debut in 1963, General Hospital has had only three opening sequences in its 40+ year history.
In the early years in 1963, General Hospital used a scene of doctors and nurses in the hospital, then it freezes and turns into a negative image, then the title appears in the Craw Clarendon Condensed font (which remained the same until 1993). Around late 1964 to 1975 after the prologue, the background faded to black, with "GENERAL HOSPITAL" still in the Craw Clarendon Condensed font, but when the show moved to color in 1967, the background changed to blue, it was used the same for the closing sequence. It was used until April 1975.
The exterior shot of the hospital in the opening and ending credits is the General Hospital of the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, located just east of Downtown Los Angeles. This shot was used from 1975 to 1993, and remained relatively unchanged between those years. The sequence's theme song was led prominantly by George Wright's piano theme from April 25, 1975 until July 23, 1976, with the ambulance entering the hospital, then the show's title zooms towards us. Then, on July 26, 1976, the theme music was changed to Autumn Breeze by Jack Urbont, with the horns throughout the opening sequence (the 1975 opening sequence remains the same, and the lettering of the show's title was smaller). This sequence was used until March 31, 1993.
In the spring of 1993, the opening sequence changed for the first time in the show's history, with a new mellow jazz theme song led mainly by saxophone. It featured video headshots of the show's cast in front of a red background. Tinted action clips from the show were also seen in this sequence, including a clip of Luke rushing, trying to rescue his then-wife Laura. A new logo was introduced at the end of the show's open, still written vertically, and it would fade into the foreground at the end of the sequence. At least 10 different versions of this open were used from 1993 to 2004. Beginning in the late 1990s, the names of the show's characters would accompany the headshots themselves.
The theme song was revamped on August 30, 2004, and accompanied a new set of visuals (all ABC soaps revamped their titles this year). The opening was styled after the commercial break bumpers that were used on all of ABC's soaps at the time. All My Children and One Life to Live's openings were done in similar ways to the GH opening. It began with brief flashes of some of the cast members, then showing a brief shot of the Port Charles skyline transitioning to headshots of cast members. The new opening sequence was letterboxed, and it was accompanied by an updated version of the 1993 theme song. The new theme song, however, was much less mellow than the 1993 theme, but was very hard-hitting accompanied by saxophone and electric guitar. The end of the sequence featured all of the male cast members sitting or standing in front of a white background. As the camera pans to show all of them, Luke Spencer (played by Anthony Geary) is then seen getting up and leaving from his chair, and then a black background with the letters "GH" in large letters appears fading onto the screen, with each individual letter in the "GENERAL HOSPITAL" logo cascading to the center of the screen, forming the title.
One thing about the opening was that all cast members (which is usually around 30 people) were included all in one sequence, with some cast members being shown two at a time. Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) was given a nod, as his picture was always first. The new sequence also featured a new style of the show's title. For the first 40 years, the title was written vertically, with both words on a line, but the new logo had the entire title written horizontally, in the same typeface as the 1993 open.
Recently, the show had been slow to update the sequence, removing Reese Kari Wuhrer from the opening sequence, despite the fact the character was killed off in November 2005. It took two months before this change was made. This most likely happened because there were so many characters coming and going, and they probably just wanted to get it all done at once. This way, the crew didn't have to go back in and re-edit the sequence again and again.
As of January 16, 2006, Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) is now the last to be seen in the opening sequence. Also, headshots of Carly Benson (Laura Wright), Lesley Lu "Lulu" Spencer (Julie Marie Berman), Lainey Winters (Kent Masters-King), Dr. Patrick Drake (Jason Thompson) and Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough) were added to the opening sequence.
Cast
Current cast members
- Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos), 1993-1997, 1998-present
- Julie Marie Berman (Lesley Lu "Lulu" Spencer), 2005-present
- Steve Burton (Jason Morgan), 1991-2000, 2002-present
- Dylan Cash (Michael Corinthos, III), 2002-present
- Leslie Charleson (Dr. Monica Quartermaine), 1977-present
- Robin Christopher (Skye Chandler), 2001-present
- Tyler Christopher (Nikolas Cassadine), 1996-1999, 2003-present
- Scott Clifton (Dillon Hornsby), 2003-present
- Stuart Damon (Dr. Alan Quartermaine), 1977-present
- Jane Elliot (Tracy Quartermaine Spencer), 1978-1980, 1989-1993, 2003-present
- Anthony Geary (Luke Spencer), 1978-1984, 1993-present
- Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis Lansing), 1996-present
- Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), 2002-present
- Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth Webber Spencer), 1997-present
- Kent Masters King (Dr. Lainey Winters), 2005-present
- Ted King (Lorenzo Alcazar), 2003-present
- Lindze Letherman (Georgie Jones), 2002-present
- Natalia Livingston (Emily Bowen-Quartermaine), 2003-present
- Matt Marraccini (Jesse Beaudry), 2005-present
- Kimberly McCullough (Dr. Robin Scorpio), 1985-1997, 1997-1999, 2005-present
- Kelly Monaco (Sam McCall), 2003-present
- M'fundo Morrison (Justus Ward), 2003-present
- Ingo Rademacher (Jasper "Jax" Jacks), 1996-2000, 2001-present
- Kirsten Storms (Maxie Jones), 2005-present
- Jason Thompson (Dr. Patrick Drake), 2005-present
- Greg Vaughan (Lucky Spencer), 2003-present
- Laura Wright (Carly Benson), 2005-present
- John J. York (Mac Scorpio), 1991-present
- Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie Spencer, R.N.), 1977-present
Recurring cast members
- Jed Allan (Edward Quartermaine), 2004-present
- Denise Alexander (Dr. Lesley Williams Webber), 1973-1984, 1996-present
- Rachel Ames (Audrey March Hardy, R.N.), 1964-present
- Corbin Bernsen (John Durant), 2004-present
- Christine Carlo (Leticia Juarez), 2001-present
- Derk Cheetwood (Max Giambetti), 2001-present
- Drew Cheetwood (Milo Giambetti), 2005-present
- Sandra Ferguson (Felicia Cummings), 2005-present
- Blake Gibbons (Coleman Ratcliffe), 2002-present
- Ron Hale (Mike Corbin), 1995-present
- Ben Hogestyn (Lucas Jones), 2005-present
- Wally Kurth (Ned Ashton), 1991-present
- Robert LaSardo (Manny Ruiz), 2005-present
- Lillian Lehman (Dr. Joyce Meadows), 199?-present
- Kali Rodriguez (Kristina Corinthos), 2005-present
- Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio), 1980-1992, 2006-present
- Rick Springfield (Noah Drake), 1981-1983, 2005-present
- Constance Towers (Helena Cassadine), 1997–2002, 2004-present
- Bergen Williams (Alice Gunderson), 2003-present
- Gwendoline Yeo (Dr. Kelly Lee), 2006-present
Coming and going cast members
- Ashwyn Bagga (Cameron Spencer) (until February 2006)
- Emma Samms (Holly Sutton) (temp. returns February 20)
- Alicia Leigh Willis (Courtney Matthews) (until February 21)
Deceased cast members
- Gerald Anthony (Marco Dane), 2004
- John Beradino (Steve Hardy, MD) Original Cast Member, 1996
- Rosalind Cash (Mary Mae Ward), 1995
- Norma Connolly (Ruby Anderson), 1998
- Anna Lee (Lila Morgan Quartermaine), 2004
- Emily McLaughlin (Jessie Brewer, RN) Original Cast Member, 1991
Before they were stars
- Kristin Davis (Betsy Chilson) 1991
- Mark Hamill (Jessie Brewer's nephew) 1973
- Ricky Martin (Miguel Morez) 1994-1995
- Demi Moore (Jackie Templeton), 1982-1983
- Leonard Nimoy (Bernie the drug pusher), 1963
- Rick Springfield (Dr. Noah Drake), 1981-1983, 2005-2006
- John Stamos (Blackie Parrish), 1982-1984
- Janine Turner (Laura Templeton), 1982-1983
- Jack Wagner (Frisco Jones), 1983-1988, 1989-1991, 1994, 1995
- Richard Dean Anderson (Dr. Jeff Webber) 1976-1981
Awards
The show, as well as many of its actors and crew, have been nominated for many dozens of awards, winning on many occasions. Some of the more noted major awards (Daytime Emmy Awards, Soap Opera Digest Awards, and Young Artist Awards) won are listed below.
Daytime Emmy Awards
Show
- 2005 "Outstanding Drama Series"
- 2000 "Outstanding Drama Series"
- 1999 "Outstanding Drama Series"
- 1997 "Outstanding Drama Series"
- 1996 "Outstanding Drama Series"
- 1995 "Outstanding Drama Series" and "Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series"
- 1984 "Outstanding Daytime Drama Series"
- 1981 "Outstanding Daytime Drama Series"
Individuals
- 2005 "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" Natalia Livingston
- 2004 "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" Anthony Geary, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" Rick Hearst "Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series" Chad Brannon
- 2003 "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" Maurice Benard and "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" Vanessa Marcil
- 2002 "Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series" Jacob Young
- 2000 "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" Anthony Geary and "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" Sarah Brown
- 1999 "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" Anthony Geary, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" Stuart Damon, and "Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series" Jonathan Jackson
- 1998 "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" Steve Burton, "Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series" Jonathan Jackson, and "Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series" Sarah Brown
- 1997 "Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series" Sarah Brown
- 1996 "Outstanding Younger Leading Actress in a Drama Series" Kimberly McCullough
- 1995 "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" Rena Sofer and "Outstanding Younger Leading Actor in a Drama Series" Jonathan Jackson
- 1993 "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" Gerald Anthony
- 1991 "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" Finola Hughes
- 1989 "Outstanding Juvenile Female in a Drama Series" Kimberly McCullough
- 1982 "Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series" Anthony Geary and "Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Drama Series" David Lewis
- 1981 "Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Drama Series" Jane Elliot
- 1979 "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series" Peter Hansen
Soap Opera Digest Awards
Show
- 2005 "Favorite Show"
- 2003 "Favorite Show"
- 2001 "Favorite Show"
- 2000 "Favorite Show"
- 1999 "Favorite Show"
- 1998 "Favorite Show"
- 1997 "Favorite Show"
Individuals
- 2005 "Favorite Villain" Ted King, "Outstanding Lead Actor" Maurice Benard, "Outstanding Lead Actress" Tamara Braun, "Outstanding Supporting Actor" Rick Hearst, "Outstanding Younger Lead Actor", Scott Clifton
- 2003 "Favorite Return" Vanessa Marcil, "Outstanding Lead Actor" Maurice Benard, "Outstanding Supporting Actor" Steve Burton, and "Outstanding Supporting Actress" Nancy Lee Grahn
- 2001 "Outstanding Male Newcomer" Chad Brannon and "Outstanding Supporting Actress" Nancy Grahn
- 2000 "Favorite Actor" Maurice Benard, "Favorite Actress" Sarah Brown, "Outstanding Lead Actor" Anthony Geary, and "Outstanding Supporting Actress" Nancy Grahn
- 1999 "Favorite Veteran" Stuart Damon, "Hottest Male Star" Steve Burton, "Outstanding Lead Actor" Anthony Geary, "Outstanding Young Lead Actor", Jonathan Jackson, and "Outstanding Young Lead Actress" Rebecca Herbst
- 1998 "Hottest Male Star" Ingo Rademacher, Outstanding Lead Actress" Vanessa Marcil, "Outstanding Male Scene Stealer" John Ingle, "Outstanding Younger Leading Actor" Steve Burton, and "Outstanding Younger Leading Actress" Sarah Brown
- 1997 "Hottest Female Star" Vanessa Marcil, "Hottest Male Star" Ingo Rademacher, "Outstanding Lead Actress" Genie Francis, "Outstanding Male Newcomer" Tyler Christopher, and "Outstanding Younger Lead Actor" Steve Burton
- 1996 "Hottest Female Star" Lynn Herring, "Outstanding Lead Actor" Maurice Benard, and "Outstanding Supporting Actor" Stuart Damon
- 1995 "Hottest Female Star" Kristina Wagner, "Outstanding Child Actor" Jonathan Jackson, "Outstanding Supporting Actor" Brad Maule, and "Outstanding Younger Lead Actress" Rena Sofer
- 1993 "Outstanding Child Actor" Kimberly McCullough
- 1992 "Outstanding Supporting Actress: Daytime" Jane Elliot and "Outstanding Villainess: Daytime" Lynn Herring
- 1991 "Outstanding Villain: Daytime" Kin Shriner, "Outstanding Villainess: Daytime" Lynn Herring, Outstanding Lead Actress: Daytime", Finola Hughes, and "Outstanding Male Newcomer: Daytime" Michael Watson
- 1990 "Outstanding Male Newcomer: Daytime" Kurt McKinney and "Outstanding Heroine: Daytime" Finola Hughes
- 1989 "Outstanding Villainess: Daytime" Lynn Herring and "Outstanding Male Newcomer: Daytime" Scott Thompson Baker
- 1988 "Outstanding Newcomer: Daytime" Ian Buchanan
- 1986 "Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress on a Daytime or Prime Time Serial" Kimberly McCullough
- 1984 "Outstanding Youth Actor in a Daytime Soap Opera" David Mendenhall
Young Artist Awards
- 2003 "Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) - Young Actor Ten or Under" brianna is the bomb
- 1994 "Best Actor Under Ten in a Television Series or Show" Jonathan Hernandez (Tied with Shawn Toovey for Dr, melissa )
- 1990 "Best Young Actor in a Daytime Drama" R.J. Williams
- 1987 "Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor in a Daytime Series" Kimberly McCullough
- 1986 "Outstanding Young Actress - Regular Daytime Serial" Kimberly McCullough
- 1985 "Best Young Actor in a Daytime or Nighttime Television Series" David Mendenhall
- 1984 "Best Young Actor in Daytime Soap" John Stamos and David Mendenhall (tie)
- 1983 "Best Young Actress in the Daytime Series" Janine Turner
- 1981 "Best Young Actor - Daytime TV Series" Philip Tanzini