Finola Hughes Chides Simon Cowell for His Look, Also Really Dislikes Sweats
by Denise Warner
You remember her on 'General Hospital' or as Blossom's step-mother, but now Finola Hughes is making her mark on the fashion world. She's the host of Style's makeover show 'How Do I Look?" and she produced the series 'Running With Heels,' which followed three interns at Marie Claire as they worked their way up in the fashion magazine world. The actress-turned-fashion-guru graciously chatted with PopEater about her shows, her personal style and what she thinks of Simon Cowell's t-shirts.
What was it like to work as a producer on 'Running With Heels'? "You know it was something that I'd already wanted to be. It's like a fly on the wall behind what was going on in a fashion magazine. It's sort of just been a sexy dream of mine -- what life would be like ... I always wanted to be a journalist or always wanted to be inside a magazine, so it was an extension of that. And then bringing three little young new girls into it and putting it up there was part of the fun."
Will we see more 'Running'? "I hope so, I don't know yet but I hope so. I mean it did so well in England, in England they just took to it because they just love that kind of thing. They're so into the whole fashion scene and what goes on behind it ... I think if we did it again, I think we would take more risks with the casting -- I thought the girls were great -- I would just love to push the envelope a little bit more."
What prompts your love of fashion? "I grew up with very little money, we had no money to spare, so my mom used to take me into stores and ... thrift stores and I just got used to looking through the racks and I just started to develop this sort of artistic vent when it comes to fashion ... It's really hard for me now, I'm always looking at fashion as 'Oh this is a really good piece!' Or 'That's a really cool thing.' And then I have basically this kind of wardrobe that is not particularly eclectic as more schizophrenic. I mean literally I go from sweet Victorian bodices right .. to Alexander McQueen lace-up black leather pants ... So I run the gamut … I've got the really crazy wardrobe that when I step into it and look at it, I'm like 'Oh geez, I don't even know who I'm supposed to be today.' ... I'm just interested in the whole artistic flare of it, but also how an every day woman can enjoy that theatrical, artistic side to herself. I find it quite depressing to see women just get up and put on sweats and go to the market. I think that's not representing the female energy in a way. It's kind of dowdy."
Besides sweat pants, what's the worst thing you've ever seen one of your 'How Do I Look?' subjects wearing? Unless it's done artistically, I hate overalls ... this last season with everybody using jumpsuits, I thought those were cute but that's a whole different thing. Just overalls ... you know you look like a painter or a farmer. It's just not female, I just hate it. I think the worst thing I saw was an all in one -- oh jeez this is terrible -- footed, I'm not kidding, an all-in-one footed … what's that terrible material that people wear to keep themselves warm?"
Cluelessly: Gore-tex? "No, no. It's soft and fluffy and it's everywhere. Oh God, I don't possess one item that's why I don't know what it's called. You know, they make sweat shirts out of it and everyone wears it."
Oh velour? "No not velour, it's the other thing, it's softer."
Fleece? "Fleece, fleece, fleece, fleece ... So it's an all-in-one footed, teddy bear fleece pajama set. And I was like 'OK A, you're never getting laid. You're never getting laid in this outfit. Ever. Your whole life. And B, where's your self respect?' She was like a 37-year-old … [And] who the f--- produces it? I want to know who you are out there that makes this, produces this and sells this to the public because you need to be stopped. So that was the worst thing I ever saw. That's pretty bad right?"
That's terrible. "It's terrifying."
What kind of advice would you give women to dress well? "Respect the body you have. Dress the body you have today. You know like lots of times we're losing baby weight or we're trying to get back into shape ... but dress and respect and celebrate the body you have today ... This is the one you're waking up with ... So everything's a rehearsal, you're on hold until such and such happens? Everyday you just have to celebrate who you are today and dress that and be form-fitting. Don't wear big sweats because you re trying to cover something up. You just look three times the size. I have a big deal with sweats. Sweats and me, we don't meet anywhere."
You don't own a pair of sweats? Yeah no. I do actually, I do. I have a couple of pairs of Juicy sweats, which I've had for like a thousand years … But those big, you know, massive 'I went to Yale' [sweats.] Yeah, I'm very proud of the fact that you went to Yale, but the big huge sweatshirts that you stole from some boyfriend 5 years ago ... could you take it in, maybe? Or just show me there are boobs under there. My other pet peeve is not wearing bras that show you have two boobs. You know sometimes women wear the sports bra all day and it's like 'Oh that's so sad. Is there just one there?'"
Is there a celebrity you'd like to make over? "I always used to go on about Simon Cowell but I think that's just easy meat. I've always wanted to see what his shirt would look like un-tucked. 'Hey, we’re entering the 21st century here.' Who else? I think Britney could be chicer, now she’s getting herself together. I'd actually like to go back over time and maybe stop Madonna from going to the Metropolitan Museum ... dressed like a bunny. That would be nice."
Who has the best style? "I really like Kate Moss. I think that she sort of always gets it right and it's very relaxed ... I like Chloe Sevigny. I do. Because I think she takes a ton of risks. I think she has a real street thing. She gets what young kids are in to."
What's next for you? "I've got the producer bug … I have two things that are in the production lineup and that [are] really exciting. One has to do with fashion and the other has to do with young girls … and there's a movie coming out for Lifetime, it's called 'Killer Hair' ... It's about these murders that take place in a beauty salon. Yeah, so it's perfect."
THANK YOU! ANOTHER FINDOM MILESTONE... April 20, 2009 | TheFINdom.com
Dear All,
I am humbled by your generosity and your continued efforts to raise money on behalf of the charities that are close to all of our hearts. AmfAR is a very important place to double our efforts, so let's do it!
I want to THANK my crazy friends who run the Findom, without whom I would still be figuring out how to sell a script on eBay and would have raised about 25 cents. Thank you Aurora, Shlep, Robin, Tina, Sly, Elena (Ciao), and Marion!!!
Many many thanks to you all.
Much love,
Finola
From the FINdom:
Hello!
We want to take a moment to welcome all of our new FINDOM members and wish everyone a happy, happy spring!
We also wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported Finola, The Findom and all of our charitable endeavors through the years. Finola fans have earned quite a reputation over time for their generosity, hard work ethic and dedication to a good cause. Without the support and participation of so many of you, none of what we have accomplished would have been even remotely possible. This brings us to yet another milestone moment! Drum Roll Please… Since 2001, together, we have collectively raised and donated close to $26,000 to various charitable organizations and foundations!
Not to be guilty of resting on our laurels, we want to surpass that $26,000 mark and we are soooo close to doing so! We recently made a donation to amfAR-The Foundation for AIDS Research in memory of the late Natasha Richardson, who was an amfAR board member and trustee, and we would like to double that donation within the next month. How about it? We need your help!
We are accepting donations via paypal, personal check or money order. (Please use paypal address TheFindom@yahoo. com). No donation is too small! Additionally, we have also slashed the cost of the remainder of our "The New Black" T-shirts in half for anyone who is interested in purchasing one. We have a limited supply left from our previous sale and we would love to sell them out. All proceeds will be donated to amfAR.
My friend Sophie Uliano has just launched her new book, "The gorgeously green diet". Check it out on her website and enjoy the fab recipes. I started my 'Deep Green' diet this weekend!
Come April 18th you best fasten your Bouviers and your Beales right good, or you’re gonna be in for one bummmppy night of viewing on HBO. Let the hemming and hawing quiet Ladies, Gentleman, and Drag Queens, for after April 18th, the actress we’ve come to know as Drew, talk out the crook of my mouth, “Thankkk yoouuu soooo much, I hate you mommy Jaid” Barrymore should rightfully change her surname to Oscarmore or Geniusmore. See the trailer for the new HBO film Grey Gardens yet? Well, once you do you will quite litchrally (spelled to be spoken in proper British) grab a vagina clip so as not to sissy in your drawers from excitement. Drew Propermore transcends her skinny jeans and will likely be your new OLD favorite actress. Kate Winslet who? Blanchett…was she the sassy one on Golden Girls? Meryl Streep, is that the young gal from the Roseane Barr filUM? Yep, the Grey Gardens trailer alone leaves a quiverin’ in your capelet, towel skirrrit and broach. Oh, you forgot about Jessica Lange? Never bet against Lange, Motherrrr Dahhhlinggs. I dare you to pull out your copy of the Mayles Brothers “Grey Gardens” documentary and compare it to the new HBO film and ask yourself this: Is that Jessica Lange or did Big Edie come back from the dead? Watch it below STAT!
If you have not yet seen the classic, brilliant documentary Grey Gardens, I suggest you watch it before viewing the HBO film. If you have any ounce of crazy in you, any modicom of enjoying observing crazy or if you’ve ever, in a private moment run around your house with a martini glass, long cigarette holder and a proper petty coat saying things like “oh yeah you little evil pig, I saw you, it was at Schwabs, it was a-rainin’ cats and kittens out there little piglet…and you, you were lookin’ for the diamonds so hand ‘em over pidgeon…” then Grey Gardens is a world you will want to enter and devour. And one of the most integral parts to remaking the famed 1973 documentary by Albert and David Maysles is the fabulous fashion, and boy does this film deliver, ladies n’ fags!
Guest-Blogger Matt Boren is a television and film actor/ writer. He recently starred in the much lauded Sundance darling “Mommas Man” and recurs as Stuart on “How I Met Your Mother.” He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, daughter and two dogs. You can watch his short film on the writers strike here, and his satire on facebook status update obsessions here. You can read his humorous account or being a new dad at Meeshandthebelly.blogspot.com
Put on your poodle skirt, jeans, white t-shirt and your best dancing
shoes and join us for a Sock Hop that will knock your socks off!
We’ll be jumpin’ and jivin’ to the premier 50s Rock Band “Captain
Cardiac and the Coronaries” and enjoying a full bar that will make this
Sock Hop the kind we wish we had in high school!
Date: Friday May 29, 2009
Time: 7:00 - 10:00 pm
Where: Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort
Ticket Price: $80 per person or $700 per table
For reservations call 805-966-3411
To benefit LifeChronicles and the Alzheimer's Association
FINOLA SAYS GOODBYE TO 'HOW DO I LOOK?' April 3, 2009
Dear All,
I just wanted to let you know that I will no longer be hosting How Do I Look. There will be a new host taking over, Jeannie Mai. Naturally I wish her luck, however, I am saddened I will no longer be meeting all those fabulous women to help them move forward in their lives. It was an extraordinary opportunity and I loved my time on the show.
'N Sync's Chris Kirkpatrick was dancing back and forth.
Bo Outlaw was waving his long arms around to make a small child laugh.
And a bald eagle was flapping its wings wildly near the wife of a U.S. senator.
It was all happening backstage Tuesday night. And veteran actress and soap star Finola Hughes was in the middle of it all, smiling graciously but wondering whether the event she was about to host would actually work.
It did.
Moments later, the curtains pulled back, and two dozen girls — all of whom have spent far too much of their young lives battling cancer — got a much-needed break from reality and their moment in the spotlight.
The event was the Pediatric Cancer Foundation's "Fashion Funds the Cure." Local notables and celebs escorted each of the girls, ranging in age from 2 to 18, down a runway during a private party at Saks Fifth Avenue at Florida Mall.
Chemotherapy had claimed the hair of some of the young models. But that simply allowed the audience to focus on their brave, beautiful and widely smiling faces.
And event organizers Tara Fontana and Mark and Josie NeJame couldn't help but note that there were few dry eyes in the house.
Radio host Johnny Magic and I escorted 18-year-old Genesis Del Rosario, a senior at Colonial High School. Genesis spent most of high school in treatment. In fact, she missed last year's event because she was in the hospital.
But it has been a year since her bone-marrow transplant. And on this night, Genesis was feeling great. "I have a lot of faith and have tried to keep a positive attitude," she said.
Others escorting girls included former Orlando Magic player Pat Garrity; TV anchors such as WFTV's Vanessa Welch and WESH meteorologist Jason Brewer; U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez's wife, Kitty; Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer's wife, Karen; and former Olympic diver Mark Ruiz.
Even though Hughes doesn't live in Orlando, the host of the Style network's How Do I Look? (and former star of General Hospital) said that, after she learned about what these girls were going to do, "You couldn't keep me away."
For more information on the Pediatric Cancer Foundation, visit fastercure.org.
FINOLA HUGHES LIVES GREEN FOR HER KIDS April 3, 2009 | TheGreenGirls.com
FINOLA HUGHES SPILLS THE GREEN BEANS ON HER ECO-FABULOUS LIFE February 15, 2009 | GirlieGirlArmy.com
Emmy Award-winning actress Finola Hughes is far from just an 80’s icon, she’s a real deal modern day green goddess! Finola hosts the Style Network’s popular makeover series “How Do I Look?” (which recently celebrated the airing of its 100th episode), has developed a jewelry line for QVC, released a book with Ballantine Books titled “Soapsuds,” and is a devoted wife and Mother to 3 gorgeous little rugrats. You may remember her sexy portrayal of the mysterious Anna Devane on “General Hospital” or on “All My Children.” This glamazon Brit is the epitome of elegant kitsch; she always looks Cameo locket perfect, but decidedly has something dry, clever, and meaningful to impart. You probably wished you could dance like her (but settled on just the legwarmers) when she starred opposite John Travolta in “Stayin’ Alive.” You’ve also seen Finola in about a billion other shows and movies, but her best role has been that of eco-Mom. Finola, her husband (artist Russell Young,) and their kids live in Santa Barbara where they grow their own veggies and work the land. Finola is also a GirlieGirlArmy member, who was happy to answer a few questions for your prying, nosy eyes;
GIRLIEGIRLARMY: Hey, you eco fox! Thanks for answering some Q’s for our readers! How has your “green awakening” informed the rest of your life, and affected your work?
FINOLA HUGHES: At work I am always moaning about plastic water bottles. I ask production to bring cups and sparklets or arrowhead jugs to the set so everyone can refill when needed - it’s such a waste otherwise. Plus with leftover food when catering for a production crew, if you make arrangements ahead of time with missions and shelters, you can take your unused, untouched portions and deliver them. At home my children switch off lights when leaving a room, and won’t let the water faucet run when brushing their teeth. This is the most important part of my green awakening, imparting information to my children so they are aware. I took them to a water conservation exhibition and it really got the message across.
What have you done in the last year to become more “Green” at home? And for the parents in our midst - what is your favorite eco-Mommazon tip?
At home we have two composting centers in the garden complete with friendly worms! We have 4 rotating vegetable plots. we also have 50 organic fruit trees! They were actually on the property before we arrived, cultivated by a purist hippie that had been organic/pesticide free for 20 years. We are working on bio-dynamic gardening, but it’s a bit complicated! We hope to have a water well dug in the next 5 years, and we will have solar panels on the hillside even sooner. My fave mommazon tip is bento boxes for school lunches. We try not to use plastic, and these bento boxes are sweet with their own compartments. Plus we send linen napkins to school for lunch, not paper. It is acceptable at their school as they have an incredibly ecologically sound system there.
Photo by Albert Sanchez
Use your favorite Golden Girl to come up with an analogy about your own life:
I can hear Bea Arthur saying something like: “oh yeah, call yourself an 80’s icon, huh? Get a load of this!!” and then showing me her padded shoulders, as i show her my spangly headband from ‘Stayin’ Alive.’ How’s that?!!!
Pure genius. That analogy was simply blissful for our 80’s lovin’ ears. Tell us about a moment in your life where you felt pure bliss:
When my children were born. When they sleep and I peek in on them. So peaceful and darling. That’s blissful.
Tell us about your latest projects, pretty please:
I just finished a Lifetime movie in Vancouver called “Killer Hair”. Great fun. My new show on Style is called “Running in Heels,” about the behind-the-scenes workings of Marie Claire Magazine. I helped to produce it.
One last Q: with that perfect punim of yours, we want your beauty tips! What are some things you just can’t live without:
Wen hair cleanser contains no sulfates and doesn’t strip the hair of essential oils. I also love Liz Earle face moisturizer and Dr. Haushka face cleanser and eye cream. I also swear by Lavender & Rose Geranium Oil for travel, I put some on a napkin and tuck it into my airplane seat. Pretty soon everyone around me is mellow and feeling great because their olfactory senses are being cared for!! People walk by and say “Wow, it smells so great here”!!!! Also; kookie karma granola - yum!
DEEP SOAP: TRISTAN ROGERS & FINOLA HUGHES ON ROBIN'S WEDDING AND GENERAL HOSPITAL'S GOLDEN AGE December 27 , 2008| Fancast.com
By Sara A. Bibel
Fancast.com
America watched General Hospital'sRobin Scorpio grow up. We were there as she went from cute little girl to an HIV positive teenager, to a doctor and mother. So were her TV parents Finola Hughes and Tristan Rogers (well, when they weren't busy saving the world.) I had the pleasure of interviewing the supercouple as they waited to tape their wedding scenes. The duo have the same rapport as their characters. Hughes managed to make sweatpants glamorous by pairing them with funky suede heels, while Rogers was every bit as dashing as Robert Scorpio. They shared their thoughts about everything from Robin's wedding to GH during the Gloria Monty era.
You were both fantastic on Night Shift. Is that what inspired GH to realize what they had in you?
Rogers: I'm not sure what inspires GH, to be honest with you. It was a great reconnection. It would be sad if we didn't make use of that.
Hughes: I'm very proud of what happened there.
Rogers: It touched everybody, even people that weren't familiar with this couple have come up to me and said, "I really connected with you guys. I started watching because of the nature of the story, because of the cancer element, but you two really sold it." It was very moving for me to be able to reach the audience at that level. The next part of that was these two characters who have this history. The fact that it was written that these two actually reconnected in the storyline got to me, too. Ever since we finished I've been thinking, s--t, why isn't that being carried over? I guess it is to some point, but to what extent after this I don't know.
How did you shoot the episode with Robert's dream sequences?
Hughes: We had so much fun that day.
Rogers: They'll be talking about the reunion episode for a long time.The minute I set foot on that set [Robert's old house] I got chills. You start thinking about a lot of show you did there and a lot of people you worked with, a lot of the incidents that took place. They carefully and craftily used flashbacks. Night Shift opened a number of creative doors. That's why I think everybody will be sad if that show is not picked up. We demonstrated that daytime television is not dead and that it has an ability to tell a wonderful story when it's put together properly. There's nothing like it.
You two have known Kimberly McCullough almost as long as her actual parents have. Does this feel like watching a relative get married?
Hughes: It's interesting because I get flashes of that just sitting in the dressing room and talking to her. Or getting an e-mail or text from her. I get flashes of, "I've known this woman since she was a little girl." She's turned into such a phenomenal young woman in real life that it's really quite something. If you start at seven in this business, you can go anywhere. You might be off the rails by the time you're fourteen. She could be in rehab now, and she's just not that person. It's heartening to see how she's kept her head on her shoulders.
What would you like to see happen to Robert and Anna
Rogers: I'd like to see the Scorpio family become a solid family unit on the show, Frankly, that would be unique because I'm not aware that this show has any solid family units anymore. Given the state of the country right now, I think it would be good for this unit to be involved in a story of optimism and hope. I think it just screams out for it. This foursome could certainly do it quite easily. In some respects, we've touched on it in the last three episodes. I've seen snippets of a build there. Whether it's continued, I don't know.
Hughes: I, for one, want to escape into something happy. When I watch TV now I don't want to see anything harder than what's occurring in the real world. From a selfish point of view, working with Kim and Jason is fantastic. Never have four people had so much fun.
Rogers: I don't know how to put it into words. It's just comfortable.
Hughes: It's like when we used to work with Sean and Tiff. I would love for there to be a case, something to solve. Spinelli would be amazing on the computer. It would be incredible. Make it more sophisticated [than the WSB]. Move it into CSI and 24. Actually make us win instead of this bumbling police force that you have here because you want the mob to win. I don't think there should be any fear of having sophisticated people on the good side as well as sophisticated people on the bad side.
Rogers: What we're getting to here is we need some balance.
Give us a little preview of the wedding.
Hughes: What I can tell you is Maxie is about to have a heart attack through the entire wedding because she wants this to be perfect. It's really sweet. Every person gets to have their moment of connection to the bride.
Rogers: That's why it takes so long to shoot these things. That's why I've brought a thick book with me.
Rogers: I said I'd read the first book and make my own opinion. I haven't seen the movie.
Hughes: I brought W, so I'm going to read it front cover to back cover. How many GH weddings have you attended?
Rogers: In the 80s I used to beg not to be invited to people's weddings.
Hughes: I never wanted to be a bridesmaid because in the 80s the dresses were hideous. I was a bridesmaid and Frisco and Felicia's wedding and it was the most horrible day of my life.
Rogers: And the hair.
Hughes: I am culpable for my own hair. I went out on a limb to be a country western singer and I succeeded for the entire decade. I needed to have been pushed away from the Aqua Net way earlier than I was.
< on years your from out stand that scenes favorite any have you Do>
Hughes: There's a few from the 80s. When we went on location in Santa Barbara, that whole time was ridiculous and hilarious and we had that phenomenal Jaguar E type that we were driving around in. There was one scene where we were pretending to be cooks. We had chef's hats on. We got into a flour fight. When I came on the show I was a bad girl so we had no back story. Basically, on that remote we made it up. Gloria [Monty] said we could do anything we wanted. She put us ina situation and said, "Go for it."
Rogers: I remember that scene where we were supposed to jump off the boat and swim to shore. We did it about four times and I couldn't feel my feet. There was this guy who had a house on the water who was watching it. At this point I could hardly walk. My feet turned blue. He said, "Bring him over here," and stuck me in this Jacuzzi. I could have sat there for about four hours.
Hughes: For me, also, at Night Shift some of those scenes were so well crafted. We got to be where we may be [at the wedding.] It was so nice.
Rogers: It was subtly done. It's not like it happened all at once. There was a nice build to it.
Few of those action adventure location shoots happen now. How do you think the budget cuts have changed the storytelling in daytime?
Rogers: I don't know whether the budget cuts have affected it. The remotes were a lot of fun, but in reality they never did anything for the ratings. You could never look at the weeks the remotes aired and see a huge spike.
Hughes: It's story that makes the ratings rise.
Rogers: Ultimately the story brings the fans back or drives them away. I can't see that budget cuts should affect story.
Hughes: Imagination doesn't cost anything.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! December 24, 2008
Dear All,
Here is hoping everyone has a safe and fun Holiday Season. Thank you for another wonderful year of friendship, it is always lovely to hear from you, and I am beyond grateful for your continued support. I have enjoyed my time back on GH immensely, I would travel to Iceland to work with Kimberly!! And I especially loved our family story on NightShift. To be on a set with Kimberly, Jason and Tristan was really the best, and to have such interesting material was indeed a gift. I will be back tripping the Fashion boards in March with a new show on Style I am producing, so keep your eyes peeled for "Running in Heels"!
Stay well and I wish you a fabulous everything, and may 2009 be all you hope it to be and more.
With love and respect, from my family to yours....
Finola
GH: NIGHT SHIFT "PAST AND PRESENCE" CAST October 21, 2008
TRISTAN'S VIDEO BLOG: AFTER THE TEARS October 16, 2008| TristanRogers.com
Watch Tristan's video blogs backstage on Night Shift with Finola, Kimberly, and other cast members.
WIN A NONNI BISCOTTI MUG SIGNED BY FINOLA & HELP SUPPORT BREAST CANCER RESEARCH October 14, 2008| eBay.com
Nonni's Biscotti is auctioning off celebrity-signed coffee mugs and donating 100 percent of the sales to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. Throughout October (National Breast Cancer Awareness Month), fans everywhere can bid on nearly 90 pink Nonni's Biscotti coffee mugs autographed by celebrities including Finola. The mission of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures. Learn more at komen.org
FINOLA ON HOW TO ALLERGY PROOF YOUR HOME October 9, 2008| Aller-ease.com
As autumn approaches and days cool down, folks begin preparing for the inevitable shift to more home-based activities. For 62 million Americans who suffer from indoor allergies and asthma, the warmth of home may be anything but comforting. Summer air can draw scores of dust and allergens into heating ducts, curtains, bedding and carpets - all of which unleash their fury with the first blast of heat from your furnace. Now is the time to prepare. Just ask allergy sufferer Finola Hughes, daytime Emmy Award-winning actress who hosts the Style Network’s, “How Do I Look?”
INSIDE NIGHT SHIFT'S VERY EMOTIONAL GH REUNION October 7, 2008| TVGuide.com
Complications from his latest surgery, coupled with the existing trauma caused by chemotherapy, soon will send General Hospital: Night Shift's Robert Scorpio into a coma. As things look dire, the resilient superspy is visited on the SOAPnet spin-off's Oct. 14 season finale by a bevy of buds, Luke (Anthony Geary), Anna (Finola Hughes) and brother Mac (John J. York) included.
TVGuide.com welcomed the opportunity to "catch up" with two of Robbie's pals, John Reilly and Sharon Wyatt, who back in GH's globe-trotting days played former WSB boss Sean Donnelly and his starlet-turned-newswoman wife, Tiffany.
TVGuide.com: Set it up for us: What brings Sean and Tiffany back?
Sharon Wyatt: It's a dream sequence, because Robert's in a coma. We're an important part of his past that's trying to snap him out of it. Reilly: Robert's in terrible shape.
TVGuide.com: Does the dream sequence afford us any update on what Sean and Tiff have been up to?
Wyatt: We're in Boston. I'm a national news correspondent now, and Sean is the police chief.
TVGuide.com: When ABC first approached you with this, were you at all surprised to hear there was a nighttime GH spin-off?
Wyatt: I knew about it, and I had watched Tris on it. He's just brilliant. He gave so much in the scenes we had with him. It's very poignant. Reilly: I didn't realize [there was a spin-off] until I head that Tristan was doing it. And of course, [GH: NS boss] Lisa [De Cazotte] was the exec producer at Passions, where I played the most evil man in the world....
TVGuide.com: Alistar Crane was a juicy role.
Reilly: You get to speak what other people only think of saying. [Laughs]
TVGuide.com: Have the two of you stayed in touch over the years?
Reilly: Oh yeah. My wife and Sharon are like sisters. So that's nice — I've got two blondes!
TVGuide.com: Was jumping back into your GH roles like slipping on a comfortable shoe?
Reilly: It was. I played Sean for 11 1/2 years. In fact, when Gloria [Monty] came to me about GH, I helped name the character — "Sean" in Gaelic is "John." Wyatt: It was very familiar, especially since John and I come back in the '80s [versions of Sean and Tiffany]. That's how Scorpio remembers us best. So I've got the blonde hairdo and the lashes and the padded shoulders.... [Laughs]
TVGuide.com: John, was Sean conceived as a long-term character, or was he initially intended as simply a double-agent bad guy?
Reilly: Gloria liked Sean very much, so she always had plans for him. That's why she wouldn't let him get involved with a woman for a long time.
TVGuide.com: Sharon, was it scary at all being introduced in the midst of the Luke-and-Laura hoopla?
Wyatt: Yeah, it was! But only because Gloria scared the daylights out of me! I was drinking a bottle of Pepto Bismol every day on the set. She was a very strong woman.
TVGuide.com: I'm looking at a photo of all of you on Night Shift, and the set is actually Robert's old house. That had to be a blast from the past.
Reilly: I said to Tristan, "This [set] used to be my penthouse" and he said, "No, no, this is my townhouse!" [Laughs] Tristan was great, and Tony, Johnny York..... Kimberly, I worked with when she was 6 1/2 years old! It was like Old Home Week. Wyatt: And they have flashbacks of scenes that John and Tony did with Tris. It was fabulous to be back home. I wish they had had the one of when Tris and I first met [as Robert and Tiffany]. But that was back in '81 and they probably couldn't find it!
TVGuide.com: Does it blow you away to reflect on all the adventures your characters used to go on?
Reilly: Yeah, it was exciting. We went to Canada, Texas.... We did the whole United States.
TVGuide.com: Do you have a favorite location shoot?
Reilly: The one that introduced me to GH. That was in Texas, at the Alamo. Wyatt: Probably South Dakota. That was insanity — we had 79 scenes to do, and we did it in a day-and-a-half. But it was a lot of fun. We had a concert, a train chase, car chases, we went down in caves.... Tiffany was the comic relief at that time.
TVGuide.com: John, Finola once told me about a scene where you were firing a gun but kept mouthing the, "Bang, bang!" — on camera.
Reilly: [Laughs] That's when we were in Palm Springs, taking the tram to the top of the mountain. I was shooting at Robert and he was shooting at me, and when we start filming, I'm going [Makes gun noises]. The director goes, "Whoa, whoa! Wait! What are you doing, John?" I said, "Well, you told me to go [Gun noises]. I thought it was weird direction, but...." We all laughed.
TVGuide.com: Does anything about your appearance in Robert's coma preclude you from returning for real?
Wyatt: I would love it. It seems like we never left. Reilly: When they contacted me, I was all for it, because I hadn't worked with these people in about 15 years. It was just a treat to go into his townhouse and do it again. I never had such a great time in my life acting as I did in the one episode we did. It was a joy. We've always liked each other, so we had fun.
TVGuide.com: You must have been like, "Hey, give the seven of us our own spin-off!"
Reilly: Absolutely!
GH: NIGHT SHIFT SCOOPS AND SPOILERS October 6, 2008| GHOFS.com
Episode 12 "Truth and Consequences" Oct. 7, 2008
Patrick puts the entire hospital in jeopardy when a notorious patient dies and Dr. Monica Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson) pays a visit to the night shift. Meanwhile, Robert reminisces about the past with Anna (special guest star Finola Hughes) before taking a turn for the worse. Later, Saira confronts Leo while Kyle and Eric (special guest star Chad Allen) share a tender moment.
Episode 13 "Past and Presence - Part 1" Oct. 14, 2008
While in a coma, Robert is visited by friends from the past including Sean, Tiffany, Mac and Luke (special guest stars John D. Reilly, Sharon Wyatt, John J. York and Anthony Geary). Meanwhile, Jagger is served with custody papers by Stone’s mother and Toussaint is rocked by a letter he receives. Later, Claire makes a bold decision about her career as a doctor while Kyle and Eric (special guest star Chad Allen) come to a crossroad in their relationship. By the end of the episode, the lives of the entire hospital staff are put at risk on the explosive season finale of "General Hospital: Night Shift," Written by Sri Rao & Karen Harris.
Episode 14 "Past and Presence - Part 2" Oct. 21, 2008
In the aftermath of the explosion, Patrick and Jagger rush to diffuse a second bomb, while Robin, Kyle, Leo and Epiphany fight to save Saira's life. Meanwhile, Anna (special guest star Finola Hughes), Robert and Jagger all make life-altering decisions and Kyle and Claire reconcile on the season finale of "General Hospital: Night Shift," Written by Sri Rao & Tamar Laddy
SOAPS INDEPTH: INTERVIEW WITH FINOLA AND TRISTAN October 3, 2008
In SICKNESS and in Health ...
(from the FINomenal Board - transcribed from Soaps InDepth October 6, 2008 Issue)
No one does rock 'em, sock 'em super agent like General Hospital's Robert Scorpio and his equally adrenaline-charged ex-wife, Anna Devane. They're
James Bond and Lara Croft for the daytime audience that loves their sexy
spies shaken and stirred. They've survived kidnappings and gunshots,
explosions and amnesia, yet, like a Timex watch, they take a lickin' but
keep on tickin'. Or they did until now. Although their reunion on NIGHT
SHIFT has been received by longtime GH fans with thunderous applause, their
return has been under the direst of conditions as Robert's mortality is up
for grabs, thanks to a life-threatening bout with colon cancer. "This is a
lot of really crazy stuff," Tristan Rogers (Robert) says of the intense
storyline he's faced with. "It's going to rivet a lot of people." And
that's putting it lightly! Here, he sits down with his leading lady of 23
years (!), Finola Hughes (Anna), for a very special interview with Soaps In
Depth.
COME AGAIN?
SID: Are you surprised that after all these years, fans still want to see
Robert and Anna together?
FH: Do they? Aw. That's so sweet.
TR: We're surprised that we've lasted this long in their minds.
FH: These two people are so complicated. I think when you haven't seen
enough of couples together, it kind of makes it even richer when they get
time together.
TR: I didn't know that Fin had been brought on when I first started
{SHIFT}.
FH: He wouldn't have agreed to do it had he known that I was coming in. It
was a deal-breaker.
TR: I lobbied to have you park off the lot. (Both laugh.) I've gotten much
older than you. I started out younger, and then I went past you.
FH: You went past me in a year or two. It doubled like a dog. You age in
dog years. I age in actress years.
LOVESICK
SID: It's heartbreaking to see Robert go through his illness.
TR: It was unusual getting into the cancer thing. It was a bit of a shock
when I saw what they wanted to do. I said, "If we do it, we hold back
nothing, and we really make this man human." Heroes get shot, beaten up,
blown up ... they don't get colon cancer. It's very unglamorous. He
finally now realizes that he's shot all of his bullets. That's it.
SID: How does Anna digest it?
FH: For Anna, Robert has always been "the one." I've existed only by
knowing that Robert Scorpio was existing somewhere in the world. It's this
kind of love that is so incandescent that it doesn't need to be acted on
every day. Now Anna is facing the possibility that Robert's not going to be
there. In a moment of disaster, she realizes that she never should have
wasted all this time.
TR: He realizes he's probably going to die, and he goes into another mode.
He sees they should have done all those things that we should have done
together, because now we're out of time. We have this weight of history
that's a huge volume of water behind a dam, and we're holding it back,
pacing ourselves because we know there's a moment coming when we're going to
release our hand and it's all going to crash.
SID: Please assure fans that they're not going to kill you.
TR: No. I've got a better chance of being killed by her! (Points to
Hughes.)
BACK TO THE FUTURE
SID: There have been some fans who say that Robert's past has been written
for the sake of your being brought onto SHIFT.
TR: A lot of people have said that we've changed history, but in reality,
we haven't. If you look at it quickly, it can appear that way. But what
we've done is take a slice of the mother ship and really gone into it in
incredible detail. We've really examined it and fleshed it out. We've
taken the history we've got and expanded it.
FH: It's amazingly written. Coming here (to SHIFT), I've gotten the
opportunity to say things that I've always wanted to say. It's so
well-written and so complicated.
TR: I don't think I've done anything quite like this. This was probably
the most emotional amount of work I've done in my entire career.
SID: Can we all cross our fingers that we'll see you both continue this on
GH once SHIFT has run its 13-week course?
TR: I would like to see it continue. It would be crazy not to, given what
we've done here.
FH: It's really been exciting to come and play in an arena where
(headwriter) Sri Rao has given us this great story to play in. It's been
fantastic.
TR: What she said. Ditto.
GENERAL HOSPITAL: NIGHT SHIFT PROMO September 26, 2008| YouTube.com
SEAN & TIFF JOIN ROBERT & ANNA ON "NIGHT SHIFT" September 20, 2008| JackMyers.com
Coming Soon to SOAPnet's "Night Shift": More Beloved Characters from the Glory Days of "General Hospital"
Tiffany Hill and Sean Donnelly are returning to Port Charles!
Esteemed soap opera authority Michael Logan reports in next week’s issue of TV Guide that the two-part season finale of SOAPnet’s General Hospital: Night Shift will feature guest appearances by Anthony Geary – currently in his fourth decade of playing GH anti-hero Luke Spencer – and two blasts from the past: Sharon Wyatt (as Tiffany) and John Reilly (as Sean).
Apparently Luke, Tiffany and Sean will all be on hand to rally around their beloved friend Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers), the former World Security Bureau agent and Port Charles police commissioner with whom they shared many legendary adventures in the distant past, as he continues his brave fight against his gravest challenge ever, Stage 4 colon cancer. Finola Hughes will also be on hand as Scorpio’s ex-wife, Anna Devane. (Luke, Robert and Tiffany were at the center of what may be the most famous GH storyline of all time: In 1981 these three, together with Laura Webber Baldwin, stopped a madman from freezing the city of Port Charles with a weather machine.)
Geary still stars on GH, and Hughes and Rogers appear on a recurring basis, by Wyatt and Reilly haven’t been seen on that show in 15 years. (They hurriedly left town after Donnelly was gunned down and needed emergency surgery at a Boston hospital, and they never returned.) I might be nervous if these two were returning to the GH mother-ship, which now devotes most of its narrative to stories about temperamental mobsters and idiot women, because when beloved veteran characters return over there they are often compromised (think Heather Webber and Holly Sutton Scorpio) or destroyed. (Poor Rick Webber was killed off and manhandled like the corpse in Weekend at Bernie’s) But I have total faith in Sri Rao, the head writer who this summer has excitingly transformed Night Shift, which was absolutely dreadful during its freshman season, into one of the best soap operas on television. I feel that I can look forward to the return of Tiffany and Sean with eager anticipation rather than fretful trepidation.
For what it’s worth, I like to think that a suggestion I made in my first column about Night Shift might have planted an idea that resulted in having Geary make a guest appearance. Further, in responding to a comment that appeared when that same column ran on the popular soap site MarlenaDeLacroix, I stated that Tiffany Hill would certainly pay a visit to Robert during her dear friend’s hour of need, adding that she would be a perfect fit on the show. And now, here she comes! (If I have any influence at NS, here’s another suggestion: Bring on Nurse Bobbie Spencer’s gay son Lucas, who is also Tiffany Hill’s nephew, as a potential love interest for intern Kyle Julian.)
My early enthusiasm for Night Shift has only continued to grow in recent weeks. I have enjoyed every short and long term storyline during its sophomore season, and I remain highly impressed with its treatment of veteran GH characters Robert Scorpio and Jagger Cates. (Jagger is now an FBI agent whose young son has been diagnosed with autism.) It was nice to see Robert’s brother Mac, now the police commissioner of Port Charles, cross-over from GH to be by his older brother’s side, even if they have been largely estranged for much of their lives. (John J. York, the actor who plays Mac, is criminally underused on his own show.) Rao and his team are giving us expert soap opera storytelling, told by people who respect their franchise, its history and, most importantly, its fan base.
FINOLA JOINS "NIGHT SHIFT" September 20, 2008| SoapNet.com
Great news! Finola Hughes is coming to "General Hospital: Night Shift" -- as Dr. Robin Scorpio's stylish super-spy mom, Anna Devane -- for the final three episodes of this season.
Save the date: Finola first airs on Tuesday, September 30.
"I am THRILLED that we are bringing back Anna Devane," enthuses "Night Shift" headwriter Sri Rao. "It's definitely a dream come true for me that we're able to reunite Anna with Robin and Robert, and really have a Scorpio family reunion."
These are heady times for the Scorpio clan, in good ways and bad. Happily, Robin just found out she's expecting a baby girl. At the same time, her super-spy father, Robert, has been diagnosed with colon cancer.
"I couldn't tell this story for Robert without bringing back Anna," Rao explains, "because there is no one else in his life who could help pull him through this.
"Anna comes in to bring Robert strength and to bring Robin strength and to pull the family together," the writer continues. "Because Robin and Robert can't get through it alone. So it's gonna be really exciting to see all of them together -- and it's just a thrill for me to be able to write Robert and Anna's relationship. We're pushing it to another level with Robert being sick.
"Anna's coming back in the final episodes of this season because she's his last hope," Rao teases. "I'm saving the best for last."
August 14, 2008 6:00 PDT By Daniel R. Coleridge
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