Soap Opera Digest

Alarming Developments! Sweet Dreams Turn To Nightmares As Tragedy Strikes GENERAL HOSPITAL'S Luke, Laura, Lucky and Liz 4-20-99     Ah, to be young and in love. Such is the rose-colored world of General Hospital's Lucky and Liz as they plan their future together in the Big Apple. In direct contrast, however, are the sour relations between another pair of L's - Lucky's parents, Luke and Laura, whose nearly 20-year marriage continues to deteriorate before their very eyes. Happy or sad, together or not, though, the lives of these four Port Charlesians will become even more inextricably interwoven by the end of this week, when a catastrophic event engulfs them all..    It's been a heady time for GH's Lucky and Elizabeth, whose decision last week not to give in to their raging hormones in a New York hotel room has brought their relationship to a new, and perhaps more profound level. "They've made love in many ways already," smiles Liz's portrayer, Rebecca Herbst, "mentally, emotionally ... all the good, old-fashioned lovemaking."
    And so this week, having returned to Port Charles, repective virginities intact, the couple sets about relishing the blissful existence they're now leading and their rapidly approaching sweet
hereafter in New York. "They are totally linked and planning a future with each other," states Head Writer Robert Guza, Jr. "A lot of love could cause a rift. But this does just the opposite. It brings them closer than ever, if you can imagine."
    "Lucky is having a good time now," concurs his portrayer, Jonathan Jackson. "He was always enjoying his time with Elixabeth, but there was [her] rape and the conflicts with Nikolas and his parents. And now all that's gone."
    Gone for Lucky, perhaps, but not for Luke and Laura. "At this point, Luke is trying to pick up the pieces of his life," relates Guza. "Meanwhile, Laura is moving full-steam ahead with hers. She and Stefan have basically committed to one another, so we're counterpointing Luke, who is incrementally getting his life back together, with Laura, who's truly moving forward."
    As are her two sons, Nikolas and Lucky. On Tuesday, the half brothers bond evern further as Lucky invites Nikolas to a small dinner party he and Liz are throwing at Kelly's later in the week, and shares what happened (or rather, didn't happen) in New York. "They've both had to deal with their own stuff and they'e helped each other through that," notes Jackson of Lucky and Nikolas's increasing camaraderie. "Their [relationship] is probably more like friends than brothers, but they do
have things in common, and that's what helps them understand each other better."
    The next day, Lucky attempts to make Bobbie better understand the importance of the father/son bond. "It sort of resonates his own situation with Luke," notes Guza. "He had a conversation with Tony, and out of that he says to Bobbie, ‘Look what happened to me and Dad. Don't let that happen to Tony and Lucas.' It's really kind of nice." Though touched by Lucky's concern, Bobbie opts to Tony's time with Lucas.
    The theme of family relations contiues into the Spencer home on Thursday when Laura comes down to find Nikolas and Lucky playing with Lulu. "It's like a dream come true to Laura," smiles her portrayer, Genie Francis, of the rapport between her sons. "It's huge, absolutely huge. [It's] something that really seemed impossible, but Lucky surprises her with big heart and his maturity."
Even more so when Lucky makes clear to his mom that he never stopped loving her throughout their recent crisis. And presents her with apainting done by Liz. "This is really, really, good place for Laura," confirms Guza. "Lucky and Nikolas are finally acknowledging each other as brothers, and then friends, and Lulu had been folded into this, too." Adds Francis, "I don't think there's anything more important to Laura than her children."
    Following that visit, Nikolas and Lucky head over to Kelly's for their special dinner for four with Liz and Emily. "It's very sweet," says Guza. "It's really just kids bonding and talking about their future." Agrees Herbst, "Is it a special occasion? In one of her past scenes with Lucky, he askes Liz if it was a special occasion and she said, ‘There's always a special occasion. Wheither it's applying to art school or just having friends and being together.' Liz is very colorful."
    As is the evening, which turns into a festive potluck dinner for the quarter of close friends. Afterward, Nikolas heads to Laura's home to baby-sit Lulu so Laura can go to Wyndemere for supper, while Liz and Lucky clean up at Kelly's. Just then, Luke happens by the diner, so Lucky invites his father in and they wind up sharing a heart felt bonding moment similar to the one Lucky enjoyed earlier in the day with Laura.
    "This means eveyrthing to Luke at this point," relates his portrayer, Anthony Geary, "because he's lost his foundation, which is his marriage, which is on the rocks at the moment. Lucky's always been
Luke's hero, so to be able to mend fences with him at a time like this ... Luke's in desperate need of feeling relevant, and Lucky does that for him so [this visit] is very important."
    Which is not to say that the Spencer men have reached thier final healing point yet, states Guza. "They still have a ways to go," allows the scribe, "but the important thing is they're making the inroads now. They're reaching out to each other. It really started when Luke grabbed Lucky and took him up to that cabin in the woods. So I wouldn't say it's the final resolution between them, but they're well on their way toward it."
    Laura arrives at Wyndemere and delightedly reports to Stefan about the harmonious relations between her children. Stefan, hoping to make Laura even happier, surprises her with an offer to take her to Paris next week. Completely unaware of this fact, Luke make his way to the Spencer
house for a visit with Lulu. Once there, Babysitter Nikolas graciously heads upstairs so Luke can enjoy some private time with his daughter.
    Meanwhile, Lucky, who's now at home in his room over the motorcycle shop, calls Liz at Audrey's house to wish her sweet dreams before they both head for their respective beds. "This is the happiest time in Liz's life," beams Herbst. "She has goals and things she want to do in her life now, and somebody to share them with." Naturally, sleep comes easily to the teen. "She has a very idyllic dream about her and Lucky dancing," reports Guza.
    If all this sounds too good to be true .... well it is. Liz's dream is interrupted. "The sound of sirens breaks into her dream," continues Guza, causing Liz to wake up "with a vague sense of uneasiness. It's almost like she has a very vague premonition of something ... like the other show is about to drop. And then she goes back to sleep." It might be the last good night's sleep Liz had for some time. "Something happens that fundamentally changes the lives of probably a dozen characters on the canvas," previews Guza. "It's another one of those beats that we do like the shootout at Luke's ... incidents that take four or five different stories in 180-degree turns. What happens," promises the scribe, "will fundamentally alter the lives of core characters in a dramatic way."

Will GH's Lucky Live?

     "I would hate to be in [the writers'] situation!" jokes Jonathan Jackson about the unenviable task of writing his character, Lucky, out of GENERAL HOSPITAL when the actor exits this spring.
     "There's no good way to do it," muses Jackson. "The best situation would be if Becky's [Herbst, Elizabeth] contract was up--it would be neat to leave together. But since that's not going to happen, I really don't know what they're going to do."
     Jackson shares that Anthony Geary (Luke) doesn't want to work with a recast, which Jackson finds flattering. "It was very nice of him. He actually said, 'If he's going to leave, kill [Lucky]."
     Jackson admits that the death of Lucky might be the lesser of two evils. "Tony said he wouldn't want to play [the death]," says Jackson, "but he'd rather do that than recast the role."
     Why leave now? "You don't get many chances in Hollywood and it would be stupid to miss that oppurtunity," says Jackson. (Jackson is in the current Michelle Pfeiffer film, The Deep End of the Ocean and is up for other projects.) "School is always going to be there. I have a lot of money in trust funds, so I can dig into that and go to school at any age." Could Jackson see a return to soaps someday? "I love GH. I love the people there; they have a great group of actors. If I ever did a soap again, it would definitely be GH."

GH Loses Lucky 3-23-99     Despite previously published reports, Jonathan Jackson will exit his role as GENERAL HOSPITAL's Lucky.    Although Jackson's manager, Tony Monziotti, will only confirm that the 16-year-old actor will be leaving GH "later on this year," setside sources place the departure in the spring.
    "Jonathan has plans to pursue a film career," explains Monziotti of his client's decision to exit GH after nearly six years. "The fans know that he's leaving. Nobody has said he's staying permanently. Now, most of his fans want to see him in movies anyway."
    Judging from Jackson's upcoming schedule, that won't be too difficult. In addition to a supporting role in the newly released Michelle Pfeiffer film The Deep End of the Ocean, Jackson has recently completed work on another feature, True Rights, as well. "We're hoping that will be out in the fall," states Monziotti. "But what we want for Jonathan right now is a picture called Patriots, starring Mel Gibson. We're still working on it, though."
    What Jackson is also working on is a way to return to GH periodically should future storyline permit. "He has told GENERAL HOSPITAL and made it very clear to me that he wants to periodically go back to GH," allows Monziotti. "It's a question of if the storyline warrants it and they want him to come back; Jonathan would be more than happy to."

Jackson Sets the Record Straight 3-23-99     Jonathan Jackson (Lucky, GH) wants to set the record straight about his decision to put off college. After passing his high school proficiency test last year, Jackson gave GH six months notice that he was entertaining the prospect of attending college.    "Once I did that, it got out that I was possibly leaving, and then a lot of articles got written," says Jackson. "Back then, college was something I was definitely considering. But I still have high school classes I could [attend] before I go to college, even though I technically graduated."
    As previously reported, Jackson decided to postpone college in order to extend his stay with GH. While not allowed to discuss how long the extension is, Jackson says that he wanted to stay a little longer because of the success of the Liz/Lucky storyline. "Seeing how much the fans are enjoying it, I wanted to do a little more with it before I left," he explains.
    The actor also wants to make clear that he's grateful for the soap's flexibility. "It was nice of GH to come to the negotiating table and accomodate us," he says.

Romance Report: Lucky and Liz 3-23-99 Relationship Milestone: Pledging their loveThe Scene: February 14 is a date that Liz would just as soon forget, considering that last year, she was raped on the evening of the Valentine's Day dance. Vowing to replace those bad memories with happy ones, Lucky led a blindfolded Liz to a candlelit church. When the scarf was removed, Liz saw an altar decorated with flowers and candles. Lucky then predicted that his future was with Liz. They pledged their troth and they sealed their love wth a kiss.
Stumbling Blocks: Liz is still recovering from her attack, but Lucky has been more than a boyfriend to her -- he's her best friend. Luke has looked askance at the growing bond betwee his son and Liz, but has not interceded ... yet.
Current Status: Young and in love, Lucky and Liz are planning their futures together. Lucky hopes to get a job in New York City and Liz plans to attend art school there.
The Odds: Lucky in love. While no one in daytime ever lives happily ever after, this couple's youthful exuberance has and will carry them through a lot.

A Stitchin' Time     When it came to finding that perfect dress for the 15th Annual Soap Opera Digest Awards, GENERAL HOSPITAL's Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) had her work cut out for her -- literally. We caught up with the Outstanding Younger Lead Actress nominee as she was creating her sartorial stunner for this year's gala. (Editor's Note: Herbst took home the prize)    "I remembered that last year at the Soap Opera Digest Awards, I was freezing," laughs Herbst, who has, in the past, designed and sewn her own dresses for the Digest awards and the Daytime Emmys. "So I thought that since this awards show happens in February, which is still considered winter [in L.A.], I may as well do something that has a jacket."
    Next came finding just the right material. "Well, the first layer is a simple, black tube dress," Herbst explains. "But the jacket is olive-gold with little, black flowers on it. I was looking for something that had some color, and this material has a nice shimmer to it. Also, it's kind of thick, so it's more appropriate for a jacket."
    For the "flowy" jacket's design, Herbst used a sewing patter as her starting point. "It's actually a pattern for lingerie," she grins. "But it's the same sort of style I wanted. I had to alter the pattern, though, because I wanted the sleeves shorter and I wanted to put a collar on the jacket."
    Helping the actress achieve her vision were two essential components: her high-tech sewing machine (a high-school graduation gift) and her mother. "My mom and I worked on it for two hours the other night," reports Herbst. "The rest will probably only take us about maybe, three, four hours from start to finish. The sewing machine I have -- a Quantum Singer -- has a little computer in it. It has about 40 different stitches. You can just flick a little button and decide which stitch you want and it has a description of what the stitch is used for. Then you just hit the button that adjusts the sewing machine and you're ready to sew." Jokes the actress, "It takes a brilliant person to o[erate one of these things, let me tell you."
    What Herbst is also happy to tell you is how much cents, er, sense it made to sew her own ensemble. "For the dress and coat, it wound up costing me about $100," she notes. "If I tried to buy something like this in a store, the dress probably would have been $150 -- just that little tube thing, which cost me like, $30. And the jacket could have been anywhere from $200-$800, depending on where it was [bought]. Not bad, huh?"

GH's Jackson to Stay 12-29-98     Though at press time the ink was still not dry, General Hospital's Jonathan Jackson (Lucky) will re-sign with the soap. His contract was set to expire on jauary 13. "We've worked out an agreement for Jonathan to stay on GH," confirms Jackson's manager, Tony Monziotti. Details were being finalized at press time.    Negotiations hinged in the teenager being able to attend college. According to Monziotti, Jackso is registered for classes at Los Angeles Valley College.
    "We are thrilled," beams Executive Producer Wendy Riche of Jackson's decision to stay.
    This development should come as a relief to fans of the Lucky/Liz romance.
    Though speculation about whether Jackson would stay was swirling for months, the actor doesn't think the uncertainty dampened fans' interest in the Lucky and Liz storyline. "I think the fans are probably looking at it from the same point of view that I am," smiles Jackson, "which is to take things day by day and not concer yourself with what's down the line. Right now, we're in the middle of a really cool, well-balanced storyline."
    As for the future, Jackson says, "I'm just going to enjoy it, do the best I can, and see what happens."

Lucky and Elizabeth Declare Their Love 12-29-98     'Tis the season of love for General Hospital's Lucky and Liz, as the teens finally admit their true feelings for each other over the Christmas holiday.    "They're handing each other Christmas gifts," smiles Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), "and Liz gives him this oil painting she's done of the box car. It has music notes coming out of it, which are the first chord of the song Lucky wrote for her. So, he thinks that's really sweet." Adds Jonathan Jackson (Lucky, "The, Lucky gives Elizabeth her gift. It's a ring."
    Before you go picking out an outfit to wear to the wedding -- it's not an engagement ring. "It's this little gold bad with a pearl in the middle and two diamonds on the side," explains Herbst. "it's really tiny and really sweet, and she just falls in love with it."
    Hmmm, falls in love with it. Interesting phrasing. "He tells Liz that the reason why he got this for her is to have something to show that they'll be together forever," continues Herbst. "Then he tells her that he's never going to be with another girl and he's giving her the ring to show how much he loves her."
    Ah, the magic words. "Liz is just like, 'Wait -- you just said you loved me,'" laughs Herbst. "Ad Lucky says, "Well, I do. But you don't have to say it back or anything,' and starts to ramble. So Liz says, 'Well, I am in love with you and I have been all along.' In the next scene, she says to Lucky, 'I've been wanting to tell you that, I just didn't know how,' and he feels the same way. So, they've been feeling this way for quite some time." Concurs Jackson, "It's probably been too long for him to even remember when he first fell in love with Elizabeth. It was pretty soon after he started taking care of her and getting to know her."
    Remember, Liz and Lucky's relationship was born out of his helping her through the trauma of being raped. "The first couple of months after the rape, they felt a love for each other that wasa friendship love," allows Herbst. "They've been there for each other. But in the past couple of months, I think it's definitely blossomed into more than that. Now, she's focusing most of her energy on Lucky and their relationship. She hasn't mentioned the word rape in the past couple of weeks, so that's a good thing. The rape will always be in the back of her mind. I mean, rape is not something you just get over. You just learn how to deal with it better, and that's what she's doing, with Lucky's help."
    But would this couple be together today if it hadn't been for Liz's rape? "I don't know," says Jackson. "I think they both would have been completely different people in a lot of ways. [In addition to Liz's rape], Lucky's family was also falling apart. The way that they helped each other through both of those situations had a lot to do with it. They automatically had a chance to prove to each other that they were going to be there through some of the worst stuff. And they passed."
    This mutual bolstering is also part of what helped endear Liz and Lucky to fans so quickly, says Herbst. "I think one of the reasons why people like them so much is because their relationship is so healthy," she notes. "Now, if you separate them, he's a basket case and she's a basket case. But together, they're okay. Individually, they have their own issues and problems that they need to work out. But I think people like seeing that -- they like seeing them work out their problems together."
    And for Lucky, part of that means learning from the mistakes his currently estranged parents, Luke and Laura, have made. "He doesn't want to do what his parents did," states Jackson, "as far as keeping secrets from each other and lying. He's pretty set on doing things differently when it comes to the decisions he makes in his life."
    One of which could eventually be deciding whether or not to become intimate with Liz. "I don't think they're even thinking about that," argues Herbst. "They just conquered the whole kissing thing. Now, they'll kiss at will, and whatever happens, happens. But, they've barely just gotten over that stage."
    At the end of the day, says Jackson, "All Lucky really knows is that he doesn't ever want to be with anyone else." Adds Herbst, "It's not a perfect relationship, but I do feel that Lucky and Liz have a much more mature relationship than most adults do. The main reason is because they became friends before anything else. And that is what will make it last."

GH's Liz Makes a Shocking Discovery 11-3-98     This week, GENERAL HOSPITAL's Liz tries to get on with her life -- while dealing with the aftermath of her rape -- by throwing herself headfirst into finding the person (or persons) blackmailing Emily. "Elizabeth is extremely determined to find this blackmailer," previews her portrayer, Rebecca Herbst. "The circumstances are the same: Somebody violated Emily. And since Liz thinks that she'll never find the man who raped her, she feels this is her way of getting revenge."    On Tuesday, Lucky surfs the Net and informs Emily that her head shot was found on the same Web site as Maggie Christian's nude photo -- along with an announcement proclaiming to check out the site next week, when "all" will be revealed. Lucky, Liz and Nikolas rally around Emily and take matters into their own hands. "Basically, the four of them are just following any leads they can to get to the right person," explains Jonathan Jackson (Lucky).
    "With Mr. Murty's help, Lucky and Liz go to work for Emily's modeling agency to check on anybody involved there who would have access to her photos," says Jackson. "They go undercover," Herbst adds. The following day, Liz and Lucky start their internship at Downtown Faces. Liz works at the front desk, while Lucky infiltrates the mail room. But a mysterious woman is keeping a close eye on the young "detectives."
    Meanwhile, Lucky and Nikolas reach a middle ground and manage -- almost -- to put their hard feelings behind them. "The focus is on helping Emily out and catching this guy for her," surmises Jackson. "They're working toward a common goal, so they try to put their past aside, for the time being."
    But while Lucky and Nikolas are off pursuing a lead, Liz stumbles upon a horrifying discovery. "Elizabeth puts it all together when she's looking through one of the modeling books," teases Herbst. "Liz puts two and two together -- and comes up with a lot more than just four."

GH's Lucky Survives Real-Life Fright Flight 8-18-98 On July 23, Jonathan Jackson (Lucky, GENERAL HOSPITAL) and his mom, Jeanine, were on a commercial flight from Burbank Airport to their home in Washington State, when tragedy almost struck. "We were taking off, and right before we got in the air, we heard these loud, banging noises," reports the relieved Jackson. "It sounded like the engine was trying to work, but couldn't. We knew something was wrong because it kept doing that when we got into the air. Then we started smelling smoke, which was pretty scary. The panicked flight attendent yelled over the intercom, 'Put your heads down and grab your ankles!' I just stuck my head down and prayed my butt off, conjuring up every prayer I could think of." Despite fire shooting out of the engine, the plane landed safely and the Jacksons were rerouted onto another aircraft. Jackson later learned that a bird had become lodged in the engine.
As previously reported, Jackson's future with GH has also been precariously up in the air recently. He admits it would be difficult to leave his GH family. "I'm having a great time working with Becky [Herbst, Elizabeth]," he says. "I've had the most fun this past year than I've had ever. Not being involved in the [Spencer] family as much has given me a chance to carry more of a storyline." Fortunately, the well-grounded Jackson is alive and well, to make whatever decision he ultimately chooses. Whew!

Take Five Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth, GH) 8-18-98

- What do you worry about? - "I worry everything about nothing." - What role were you born to play? - "A role in any period piece. I was not meant to live in this era." - If you could live in any era, which one would you choose? "The early 1900s -- the clothing was fascinating. It had style and class, and it looked great on any figure." - What attracts you to a man? "A manly man, who would decorate and design a house with me." - What would people be surprised to know about you? - "I am extremely shy and have a sever case of stage fright."

Is Jonathan Jackson Leaving GH? 8-11-98     Rumors are flying that Jonathan Jackson has given notice to GENERAL HOSPITAL that he plans to leave the role of Lucky sometime this fall.    "Let me put the record absolutely straight," asserts Jackson's manager, Tony Monziotti. "I want this made very clear. Jonathan's current contract with GENERAL HOSPITAL has a provision in it that allows him to leave prior to the end of the contract to matriculate into college. At 16 years of age, Jonathan has completed his high school and is actively looking at going to college. We are exploring options with ABC where Jonathan can pursue his college education and remain with GENERAL HOSPITAL, which would require some scheduling considerations from GENERAL HOSPITAL. No decision has been made, except to notify GENERAL HOSPITAL as per his contract agreement that we would give them six months' advance notice in order to meet that requirement."
    If Jackson does decide to attend college, would he consider doing double duty with GH? "We would be willing to sit down and talk and find ways in which all parties could be satisfied with the situation," responds Monziotti. "If Jonathan were to attend college and leave GENERAL HOSPITAL, it would not be to attend the fall semester, but the winter semester, beginning in January [1999]. The period of the contract that would allow him to leave ends January 13. That is the official position. I don't know where the rumor started. I wish everybody would relax."
    "We are in discussions to work out the logistics so he can do both and we expect to work this out," responds a GH spokesperson.