Port Charles- Daytime Soap Operas- News, polls, Kelly Monaco

The Dancing With the Stars 20th anniversary special episode honored the beloved competition show, with Tom Bergeron returning to guest judge alongside DWTS favs Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough.

In addition to all six of the original pro dancers returning to perform, viewers looked back on the show’s history, along with highlights and most memorable moments. The episode also included a heartfelt tribute to the DWTS contestants who have passed, along with plenty of familiar faces and a few surprises.

But a big shock for many was in the audience, as Season 1 Winner Kelly Monaco was spotted cheering next to Season 6 winner Kristi Yamaguchi.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), one fan posted a picture of Monaco with the caption: “Guys, I just about jumped outta my seat!!!!!! Look who it is!”

Monaco, best known for her role as Sam McCall on General Hospital, competed in the inaugural season of DWTS back in 2005 with professional partner Alec Mazo. The duo shared the show’s first “journey arc” success as they started a bit rough, but their steady improvement led to landing the coveted Mirrorball trophy.

Monaco returned for DWTS All-Stars in 2012, again partnered with Mazo, but was eliminated before the finals.

In 2024, her character Sam McCall was killed off on General Hospital after appearing on the ABC daytime soap for 21 years. Sam died from a complication following a liver donation to Lulu Spencer. The actress is said to have been “blindsided” by the decision to write her out of the show, according to sources. Since first appearing in 2003, Monaco had filmed more than 2,200 episodes of General Hospital.

After her exit from General Hospital, she announced the podcast Bad Bunnies with actress and former Miss USA Shanna Moakler in March 2025. However, in July 2025, Moakler revealed that the podcast was not happening as Monaco was “dealing with some personal things.” Instead, Moakler moved forward with a new podcast called Wicked Awesome alongside Claudia Jordan.

She has since kept a low profile, so fans were especially pleased to see her at the outing.

Fans responded to the X post in delight, confusing a few folks who were out of the loop.

“Bc we rarely see Kelly, like ever. She doesn’t post on socials either so it was a surprise for me,” said another.

Monaco credits DWTS with allowing fans to see her for the first time other than Sam. “I swear to you, from the first airing of Dancing With the Stars, almost overnight, it was a switch in support, because then I wasn’t Sam,” said Monaco. “Breaking the fourth wall, sometimes that works out badly for people, but for me, it worked in my favor, and I think I was able to gain some respect from the audience, and they didn’t think I was, like, this trashy whore who was sleeping with her stepfather.”

‘Matlock’ Introduces Olympia’s Mother With ‘Fresh Prince’ Alum Vernee Watson

Watson will play Olympia’s (Skye P. Marshall) mother, Celeste, in the episode. CBS has just shared the logline for the episode, airing on Thursday, December 4, at 9/8c. Celeste will be involved in the case of the week.

Here’s the description for Matlock Season 2 Episode 7, “Prior Bad Acts”: “Olympia works to repair her relationship with her family after she takes on a case involving her mother’s new husband. Also, Matty and Olympia receive a shocking piece of information.”

Olympia’s family has become a central part of Matlock‘s second season. Now that Olympia is in on Matty’s (Kathy Bates) secret investigation into corruption at Jacobson Moore, the pair is working together to try to keep Olympia’s ex-husband, Julian (Jason Ritter), out of prison for the part he played in burying the Wellbrexa study that confirmed the addictive nature of opioids. He’s the one who did the burying, by order of his father, Senior, the managing partner of the law firm. But in Matlock Season 2 Episode 5, Senior denied any knowledge of the existence of the Wellbrexa study.

Olympia’s father died before the events of Matlock, and her grief over that loss has been incorporated throughout the show, especially in Season 1, when she thought she lost the recording of one of his final voicemails to her.

Bringing Olympia’s mother into the fold will reveal more about the character, who’s having a tough time living under the weight of the lies she has to tell to keep Matty’s secret a secret and protect her family. That’s even harder when that lying involves gaslighting Julian, as seen in Episode 5.

Next up on Matlock is Season 2 Episode 6, entitled “Harm Reduction,” in which Matty and Olympia continue to test the boundaries of their friendship while helping a group of nuns, and Olympia and Sarah (Leah Lewis) become roped into secretive activities within the firm.

Sarah was introduced to Senior through an awkward encounter with her mother and stepdad in Episode 5. In that scene, Sarah’s mom let slip that her daughter had recently taken on her first case. What Senior doesn’t yet know is that she wasn’t allowed to take on that client.

Could he find out and use that information against her, which gets her and Olympia — now a partner at the firm under her ex-father-in-law — roped into those secret activities at work? Parents, they really make a mess of things sometimes.

Watson was recently seen in Shrinking Season 2 as Gaby’s (Jessica Williams) mother, Phyllis, and plays Stella Henry on General Hospital. Watson also starred in Bob Hearts Abishola as Gloria.

She played Will’s mom, Viola “Vy” Smith, in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and appeared in Peacock‘s Bel-Air spinoff as Janice. This was a new character and an homage to her time on the original series as opposed to a reprisal of her previous role.

Vernee Watson Guest Stars in Matlock 12/4/25

Marisa Ramirez Guest Stars on Boston Blue 11/21/25

Beloved ‘Falcon Crest’ Star Susan Sullivan Launches New Soap Opera

For nearly a decade (1981-1989), Susan Sullivan (Another World) entertained audiences as Maggie Channing on CBS primetime soap Falcon Crest. Now, she’s channeling that experience into a brand-new YouTube series, teaming up with longtime friends to create a modern soap for today’s viewers.

Sullivan revealed the project on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Creating a soap opera for seniors with some old actor friends on YouTube under the title… What Friends Do: The Old & The Restless…Come along for the ride, we’d love have to have you!”

The series, created by Smartphone Theater, is described as: “After a lifetime on and off the stage, four friends navigate their twilight years in an upscale independent living community where the cameras have stopped rolling, yet the drama continues.”

The web-series stars Sullivan as Bevy, alongside her Falcon Crest co-star David Selby (Dark Shadows) as Max . It also features Kathryn Leigh Scott (Dark Shadows) as Ruth, and Granville Van Dusen (The Young & The Restless, Port Charles) as Al.

What Friends Do: The Old & The Restless was written by Connell Cowan and Sullivan, directed by Asaad Kelada (The Facts of Life), and produced by Todd Felderstein.

Pat Crowley Dies: ‘Please Don’t Eat The Daisies’ Star With 100-Plus Credits Was 91

Her son, Jon Hookstratten, and EVP at Sony Pictures, said his mother died of natural causes.

Crowley had more than 100 film and TV credits from 1950 to the early 2010s but probably is best known for toplining Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, the 1965-67 NBC series based on the 1960 movie starring Doris Day. She starred opposite Mark Miller as Joan Nash, a newspaper columnist who pooh-poohed the era’s traditional “housewife” tropes and didn’t care who knew it. Housework? No thanks. Cooking for the family? Nah. Joan slept till through mornings — in the same bed as her husband, a first for TV — and did her own thing.

The show — which also featured a massive sheepdog named Ladadig — wasn’t a big hit, not making the year-end Top 30 in the three-network universe, but was popular in reruns in the 1970s.

Before that, Crowley had guested on dozens of TV series ranging from Suspense, The Untouchables and Rawhide to Gunsmoke, Bonanza and Maverick. She also co-starred with Burgess Meredith and Robert Sterling in “Printer’s Devil,” an hourlong 1963 episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone.

After Daisies, she continued to guest on numerous popular TV shows well into the 2000s including The Rockford Files, Columbo, Hawaii Five-O, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Hotel, Friends, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Frasier, Charmed and Murder, She Wrote. Crowley also played Mary Scanlon in more than 250 episodes of the daytime drama Port Charles, 60-plus of Generations and on other soaps including The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital and primetime’s Falcon Crest.

Born on September 17, 1933, in Olyphant, PA, Crowley moved to New York City and studied at the High School of the Performing Arts before beginning her career on stage and in modeling. Hollywood took notice and in 1954 she won the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year after performances in Forever Female opposite Ginger Rogers and William Holden and in the Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis film Money From Home.

Through the 1950s and ’60s, Crowley also appeared in a number of features films including the musical Red Garters, The Square Jungle and Douglas Sirk’s There’s Always Tomorrow. She appeared alongside such stars as Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Tony Curtis and Rosemary Clooney, transitioning easily among comedy, drama and musical roles.

Crowley’s last film appearance was Mont Reve in 2012, capping a career that bridged the golden age of Hollywood and modern television.

Along with her son Jon and his wife Marion, she is survived by her husband, Andy Friendly; daugher Ann Osher (Robert), five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Lynn Hamilton Dies: ‘The Waltons’ & ‘Sanford And Son’ Actress Was 95

Carson added that she “transitioned peacefully” on Thursday, surrounded by her “grandchildren, loved ones and caregivers.”

“With profound gratitude and admiration, we celebrate the extraordinary life of iconic actress Alzenia ‘Lynn’ Hamilton-Jenkins, whose remarkable legacy continues to uplift and inspire. Her illustrious career, spanning over five decades, has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment, motivating audiences across the globe through her work as a model, stage, film, and television actress,” he wrote, in part.

Born on April 25, 1930 in Yazoo City, MS and raised in Chicago, Hamilton graduated from the Goodman School of Drama, being the sole Black actor among her peers. She soon gained experience performing with a South Side theater company, per The Hollywood Reporter, and translated that burgeoning skillset to Broadway for four plays from the late ’50s to early ’60s. Her experience on stage included productions of Shakespeare’s works and a world tour of adaptations of The Miracle Worker and The Skin of Our Teeth as a member of President John F. Kennedy’s cultural exchange program. In 1966, she joined the Seattle Repertory Theatre.

Among her TV credits are episodes of Gunsmoke, The Bill Cosby Show, Hawaii Five-O, Ironside, The Young and the Restless, Starsky and Hutch, The Rockford Files, Roots: The Next Generations, Days of Our Lives, The Jesse Owens Story (TV movie), The Golden Girls, 227, Sunset Beach, Moesha, Port Charles, NYPD Blue, The Practice and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Her most significant arcs in television include her role as practical Nurse Donna Harris, Redd Foxx’s onscreen fiancée on NBC’s sitcom Sanford and Sun; Verdie Foster on CBS’ historical drama The Waltons and Vivian Potter on NBC sudser Generations. She also starred as ex-con Cissie Johnson on the early ’90s syndicated nighttime soap Dangerous Women. Hamilton also reprised her character from The Waltons for holiday-themed TV movies released in 1993 and 1997.

Hamilton was married to poet and playwright Frank S. Jenkins (Driving While Black in Beverly Hills) from 1964 until his death in 2014, and the two frequently collaborated together on various theater productions, including Nobody: The Bert Williams Story.

‘Days of Our Lives’: Michael Dietz on His Surprise Soap Return After 20-Year Hiatus

Dietz started his daytime career on Port Charles as Joe Scanlon in 1997 but has since moved behind the scenes as a producer of reality television, so other than a brief appearance on 9-1-1 in 2022, performing hasn’t been on his radar. As a result, the idea of stepping back in front of the camera was somewhat daunting.

“For the last, 15 years, since my soap days, I have had a recurring dream probably once every couple of months, that I’m on a set and I completely forget my line, and I’m pulling up the script, and it’s a minute before the scene, and I’m panicking,” Michael Dietz says. “So, after I said yes, I started going, ‘Oh, no. Am I going to be able to learn my lines?’ I jumped in as quickly as possible into the scripts when I got them, and it all came back, but I was still very nervous.”

Getting a warm welcome from the cast provided reassurance, as did seeing a familiar face in the studio. “The greatest joy is I went in and, of course, everybody was beyond lovely,” Dietz reports. “And when I got on set, Scott [McKinsey], the director, came out, and he was one of my last directors I worked with on Port Charles. He gave me a big hug, and I said, ‘I’m a little nervous.’ I had my scene with Mary Beth [Evans, Kayla Johnson], and she was so lovely. After, Scott said something over the speaker on the stage, like, ‘Welcome home, pal.’ Then it all kind of melted away.”

That he’s been cast as a medical professional yet again wasn’t lost on the actor. “What is it with me and doctors?” he muses. “Ironically, my daughter’s graduating from Duke in a month, and she wants to go to UCLA for her Master’s and PhD. She wants ‘doctor’ at the end of her name, so the big joke is I’ve played one on TV, and my daughter will be one.”

Though Dietz has appeared on multiple soaps, he admits he wasn’t as familiar with the Salem crew. “Probably a lot of [the cast] was like, ‘Oh, who’s this new guy that just got this part?’ ” he notes. “I’m like, ‘Oh, no, no, man, I used to do this back in the day.’ I feel so old now. I’m a little bit grayer now.”

But the adrenaline rush from performing quickly came back to him after his first day on set. “I called my wife [Paige Rowland, ex-Kit Montgomery, All My Children] on the way home, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God! That was so much fun,’ ” he recalls. “I totally got bit again. I mean, realistically, it had been maybe 20 years since I did scenes like that in front of the camera. I did a gig on Passions [as Jake in 2007] and Bold and the Beautiful [as Dr. Mark Maclaine from 2002-05], but to go back to that when you basically don’t do it for 20 years is a really strange experience. It was awesome, though. Everybody was just really nice and made me feel super comfortable.”

Dietz’s path to producing began 25 years ago, when he started developing programs and pitching ideas to networks. “I ended up selling a scripted show to NBC that got greenlit for pilot, and we thought it was going to go to series,” he recalls. “And I was like, ‘Oh, this is so easy.’”

When that didn’t pan out as planned, a friend who was working on Big Brother urged Dietz to consider pivoting to reality TV. “Big Brother was one of my favorite shows,” Michael Dietz shares. “I watched it religiously with my wife and daughter, and he was the guy that was coming up with the games and the challenges. I was like, ‘That is the coolest job I’ve ever heard of in my life.’ And he ended up getting me an interview with Big Brother. My resumé had nothing in the unscripted world, but I went in as a fan of the show with a ton of ideas. And the guy at the time that was hiring was like, ‘Look, I have people with tons of experience on their resumés, but I love what you’ve come in with and your approach.’ A week and a half later, I got the call that I was coming on as a producer for Big Brother, and I have been working ever since.”

Dietz has found great success behind the camera and has served as co-executive producer on a string of high-profile shows, including House of Villains, Generation Gap, and Love Island USA. He’s looking to add even more credits to his impressive list of hits. “I’m still pitching and selling a lot of my own shows,” he relays. “I’ve got seven shows in some stage of development. We have one with Reese Witherspoon‘s company [Hello Sunshine], a show that we just started taking out pitching. I have one at Fox. I have one with Sony. And then my wife, since we’ve been empty nesting for four years now, came on and the two of us have put together shows, and we’re pitching. I can’t think of how many pitches we had in the last few months between Hulu, Netflix, NBC, all the places. So that’s been really amazing for us.”

Though his plate is full on the production side, Dietz wouldn’t mind flexing his acting muscles from time to time. “I could see doing it if stuff like this came up every now and then,” he states. “Before Days, I would have said no. I felt like I had closed that chapter and moved on. But then I had that experience, and I was like, ‘Oh, there’s no reason I have to close this. This is fantastic.’ So, I would definitely have a conversation, and I am 100 percent open now to explore possibilities that come up in this space again.”

Jon Lindstrom’s Novel ‘Hollywood Hustle’ To Be Adapted By AETH Entertainment

Hollywood Hustle follows a fallen Hollywood star fighting for redemption when the cost of fame turns deadly.

“From the opening pages, Hollywood Hustle grabs you and doesn’t let go — it’s a natural fit for an electrifying cinematic experience,” AETH CEO Eric Woods said.

“So much of my career has been spent in and around the film industry, and I wanted Hollywood Hustle to capture the look and feel of that world behind the camera that most people don’t see,” said Lindstrom in a statement to Deadline. “I’ve had the chance to play so many great characters imagined by other writers. It’s going to be a thrill to see the characters I created come to life on the screen.”

The deal was brokered by Gilbertson Entertainment and Independent Artist Group, who represent Lindstrom, along with Liza Royce Associates. AETH is represented by Gersh.

Lindstrom is a four-time Daytime Emmy nominee for his work on General Hospital and As the World Turns. He played twin brothers Dr. Kevin Collins and Ryan Chamberlain on ABC’s General Hospital. He recently joined the cast of the CBS/Paramount+ soap Beyond the Gates. He also starred on Bosch and True Detective.

Jon Lindstrom’s Beyond the Gates Debut Date Revealed!

Lindstrom actually made his daytime debut back in 1984 playing Brady Chapin on the short-lived syndicated soap Rituals. He then played Mark McCormick on NBC sudser Santa Barbara from 1985-86 and Paul Jarre on Generations in 1989. But he became a full-fledged soap star when he joined the cast of General Hospital in 1992 as the villainous Ryan Chamberlin and the following year also playing his good twin, Kevin Collins.

From 1997-2003, Lindstrom brought Kevin over to the GH spinoff Port Charles, and from 2008-10, he took over the role of Craig Montgomery on CBS soap As The World Turns. In 2013, the actor returned to GH again and continues to appear on a recurring basis even as he adds another role to his resume.

“Joey comes from the other side of the tracks,” Lindstrom said during a press junket for BTG. “He has fought his way up in many ways but he’s never lost his charm. Joey runs a casino, which, if you’ve ever been inside a casino, you know a casino is kind of like what a bar is to an alcoholic. So people can get into a lot of trouble around Joey and Joey doesn’t like trouble. He knows how to end trouble, but he doesn’t like trouble.”

If you haven’t jumped in on the ground floor of CBS’s newest daytime addiction, you can easily get caught up by binging all the episodes on Paramount+ so you can be ready for Lindstrom’s shady character to show up on Friday!

Hank Northrop, son of late Days of Our Lives actor Wayne and General Hospital's Lynn Herring, is headed to Salem

The son of Wayne and General Hospital actress Lynn Herring, Hank's previous acting work includes appearances on TV shows such as Insecure, The Morning Show, and 9-1-1: Lone Star, plus, four episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful in 2017. This year, he'll play a security guard in Antoine Fuqua's biopic of Michael Jackson, called simply Michael, where he appears alongside Colman Domingo, Nia Long, and Miles Teller.

The elder Northrop died Nov. 29, of complications from Alzheimer's, at the Motion Picture and Television Woodland Hills Home in Los Angeles, Herring announced Dec. 1. "Wayne was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's six years ago," she said at the time. "He took his last breath in the arms of his family. We wish to thank the most caring and amazing place the Motion Picture and Television Home for taking such great care of him. Wayne touched so many people with his sense of humor and wit." She recognized him as "a husband for 43 years, the best dad ever to his two boys, Hank and Grady, and a rancher who loved his cows and was a friend to many."

Northrop starred on Days of Our Lives from 1981, when he originated the role of Roman Brady, to 1984, then returned for a stint from 1991 to 1994. From 2005-2006, he played the character of Alex North. In addition to the more than 1,000 episodes of Days that he did, Wayne appeared in other sudsers, such as Dynasty and Port Charles.

Herring herself has starred on more than 800 episodes of General Hospital since 1986, but she also had a role on As the World Turns and worked with Wayne on Port Charles.

Her son said she's "ecstatic" about his new project. "She wants to scream it from the rooftops. She has been so supportive," he told TV Insider in an interview published Friday. "She gave me so much great advice before my first day and gave me so many tips heading into it. She's been the best support system I could possibly ask for."

"It's honestly, for our entire family, just such a healing moment for the tough times of going through losing Wayne," he said. "I'm just so honored now to get to honor my own father on the show that he loved so much. It's just so special."

In fact, the actor said that he had an emotional reaction to learning — on his birthday, no less — that he'd been cast.

"I got the call saying, 'Congratulations, you've booked Days of Our Lives.' And I just immediately broke down in tears," Hank said. "It was so cosmic. It was almost like my dad had given me a birthday present, the first birthday after his passing, to help me through the trauma of dealing with his passing. You can't script it. It gave me the ability to cope with it a little more. It was just such a beautiful full-circle moment."

Though Hank didn't reveal any details about his new role, he told TV Insider he shares his first scenes with James Reynolds, who plays Abe Carver and starred alongside his father for years. He also noted that he and Reynolds had an emotional first meeting on set: "We honestly couldn’t stop hugging each other. He was just like, 'Oh, my gosh, you're Wayne's son. This is the best thing. I'm so excited. I loved your dad so much.' I could not ask for a better first-scene partner on Days. He took me under his wing and taught me the ropes."

Leslie Charleson, ‘General Hospital’ Icon Known as Monica Quartermaine, Dies at 79

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Leslie Charleson,” “General Hospital” executive producer Frank Valentini announced. “Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on ‘General Hospital’ alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew. I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. On behalf of everyone at ‘General Hospital,’ my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”

The beloved actress who joined the soap in 1977, has had some health ups and downs over the past few years, which has limited her time on the ABC soap, where she hasn’t appeared since December 2023. In recent years, she has suffered several falls that prevented her from getting around. Although it impeded her mobility and resulted in her need for a walker, it never got her spirit down. She was hospitalized last week after one such fall.

The Kansas City native began her long career on daytime television in 1964 when she was just 19 in the short-lived ABC soap opera “A Flame in the Wind.” A few years later she began a 3-year-run on CBS’s “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing,” where she played Iris Donnelly Garrison, who was in a popular love triangle with characters played by Donna Mills and David Birney. In 1970s, she guest starred on many of the best known shows of the time, including “The Rockford Files,” “The Wild West,” “The Streets of San Francisco,” “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” “Mannix,” “Ironside” and “Happy Days,” where she played divorcée Dorothy Kimber and was the first on-screen kiss for actor-director Ron Howard (who played Richie). In 1973, she starred opposite Shelley Winters in the film “The Day of the Dolphin.” She fell in love with the aquatic mammal and collected dolphins for the rest of her life.

In later years, she guested on “Dharma & Greg,” “Diagnosis: Murder,” “Friends” and starred alongside fellow soap stars Deidre Hall (“Days of Our Lives”) and Colleen Zenk (“As the World Turns”) in the 1993 made-for-television movie “Woman on the Ledge.”

Although her primetime time appearances were plentiful, she returned to the world of soap operas in 1977, when she was hired to replace Patsy Rahn as Monica Bard on “General Hospital.” Charleson used to joke that she wasn’t received with open arms by many of the cast and crew, who were upset that her predecessor was given the heave-ho. However, her humor quickly won them over.

During her 40-plus years on “GH,” Charleson’s Monica was part of one of daytime’s biggest and most popular love triangles (Rick/Monica/Alan), has given audiences doses of both comedy (she had a thing for slapping people and was as a member of the super-wealthy, perennially quarrelsome and dysfunctional Quartermaine family) and drama (including surviving breast cancer and the loss of three children), and has been shot and held at gunpoint more than once. Along the way, she earned four Daytime Emmy nominations for outstanding lead actress.

After 30 years on “GH,” she was taken off contract and reduced to recurring status in 2010, for which her fans and fans of the show protested. In 2017, Charleson tripped while walking her dog and injured her leg, causing her to be replaced for two months on the show by one-time child star Patty McCormack while she recovered. Several years later, she suffered another fall and was once again recast for a single day. Last October, it was announced that it was unlikely she would return. Monica, however, continues to be mentioned in storyline when the Quartermaines are gathered, referring to her as being upstairs in their mansion.

I personally knew Leslie. Very well, in fact. She was a very good friend to me. No one was more kind, fun-loving, loyal and generous. I remember times at her beautiful house, when she’d let her turtle wander in her luscious backyard and it would disappear into the bushes; when we’d sit in the kitchen nook and gossip; when I would tease her about her love of Elvis Presley and the Eagles. She was a good laugher, she was. It was deep and seemed to work its way up from her feet. And the things she loved most: her horse and “General Hospital.” She loved the show and being a part of its legacy. And the fans, she loved them with her whole heart. I hope she knows how much she was loved back… and how much she will be missed.

GH's Lynn Herring, DAYS's Deidre Hall And Others Remember Wayne Northrop

“Wayne has always been the Man of my Dreams and now he will always be the Man in my Dreams,” Herring wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) alongside an image of her husband petting one of their horses. “No one navigates a loss alone & all of your love & kindness helps Hank, Grady & I take this journey Thank you especially our ?? @GeneralHospital & ??@DaysPeacock family.”

The actor’s one-time on-screen wife, Deidre Hall (Marlena), had this to say to Us Magazine about her former leading man: “He never met a practical joke that he didn’t want to pull on somebody. He was forever, forever playing practical jokes.” DAYS’s Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie) told the outlet, “Wayne was always funny,” adding, “Everybody loved him. He worked very, very hard.” She dubbed Northrop a “darling guy” and noted that the late star would be “vividly remembered by all the fans and by all of us.”

Northrop’s former DAYS on-screen brother, Peter Reckell (Bo), told Michael Fairman TV that “Wayne was my big brother from the moment I met him. Teasing and joking with me. Putting his arm around me physically and emotionally to guide me on my introduction to DAYS. No ego, just love and support. I am extremely lucky to have had him as family. Forever in my heart.”

Christie Clark, who played the role of Roman’s daughter Carrie Brady, wrote on Instagram, “Wayne Northrop was the most gloriously funny cowboy who adored his family! So,very sorry for your loss Lynn, Hank, Grady & @deidrehall_official & all the days fans & my days family. Wayne had me in stitches nearly every time the stage mangers called action. This kept me on my toes & taught me to enjoy the ride. Drake [Hogestyn, ex-John] & Wayne played the same part & had a similar vein running thru their blood, family first,enjoy every morsel of life & if you can make folks laugh.”

Herring’s friends in the daytime community have been rallying around her in the days since her husband’s passing, including her executive producer at GH, Frank Valentini, who said on X, “I am so sorry to hear of Wayne Northrop’s passing. He and @TheLynnHerring were married for over 40 years and Wayne left his mark on Port Charles in more ways than one. On behalf of our entire @GeneralHospital family, I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to Lynn and their sons, Hank and Grady – along with their family and friends. They are all in our thoughts during this difficult time.”

Longtime GH co-star Kristina Wagner (Felicia) also gave words of comfort to Herring when she wrote on X, “My deepest sympathies and much love to my friends, Lynn Herring and her boys, Hank and Grady Northrop. My heart aches for you guys. Our families have lots of wonderful memories together. Rest in peace, cowboy Wayne Northrop. ?? @TheLynnHerring”

Another longtime GH c0-star, Finola Hughes (Anna), posted a beautiful image of the couple on Instagram and wrote, “Dearest Lynn. Sending your beautiful family, Hank & Grady, my deepest condolences. The epitome of a gentleman, family man & rancher, rip Wayne Northrup” Replying to the post, Eva LaRue (Natalia, GH) commented, “Sweet Lynn, I’m so, so sorry for your loss and heartbreak. Sending you and your family all my love and prayers.”

Former on-screen hubby Jon Lindstrom (Kevin, GH) wrote this on his official X account: “I know many of you have been sending healing thoughts to Lynn and her family in the last few days. Wayne was such a vital and powerful soul that it’s hard to imagine him no longer on this plane with us mere mortals. But I have to take a moment to acknowledge my friend Lynn’s bravery, grace, dignity and, most of all, her unwavering devotion to the love of her life and husband for over 4 decades. It is an inspiration and an example of what true, committed, unvarnished love can be. I’m sending her my thoughts along with all of you. I know she appreciates it, so keep ‘em coming.”

Young and Restless star Tracey Bregman (Lauren; ex-Donna, DAYS) also shared her thoughts on Hughes’s post, saying, “He was so lovely. I’m heartbroken for their family.” while also posting Digest‘s tribute to Northop on her Instagram story and saying, “I’m am so sorry to hear this. What a wonderful, special, sweet man. My heart goes out to Lynn and their family.”

Wayne Northrop, ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘Dynasty’ Actor, Dies at 77

Northrop died Friday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, publicist Cynthia Snyder told The Hollywood Reporter. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s six years ago.

“He took his last breath in the arms of his family,” Northrop’s wife and fellow soap star, Lynn Herring Northrop, said in a statement. “We wish to thank the most caring and amazing place, the Motion Picture and Television Home, for taking such great care of him. Wayne touched so many people with his sense of humor and wit. A husband for 43 years, the best dad ever to his two boys, Hank and Grady, and a rancher who loved his cows and was a friend to many.”

Northrop appeared on more than 1,000 episodes of Days of Our Lives, first as Detective Roman Brady and then as Dr. Alex North. On Dynasty, he played Michael Culhane, chauffeur of oil tycoon Blake Carrington. On Port Charles, he portrayed the manipulative Rex Stanton.

Northrop also appeared on such other series as L.A. Law, Hotel, You Are the Jury and Cold Case.

Wayne Northrop was born April 12, 1947, to Robert and Donna Jean Northrop in Sumner, Washington. He graduated with a degree in communications from the University of Washington before taking an acting class at Seattle Community College and moving to Las Angeles to pursue an acting career.

He joined the newly formed Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre headed by Ralph Waite in 1975, which led to his first agent and television role, a small part on an episode of Police Story.

He married Lynn in May 1981, and the couple later purchased a working cattle ranch in Raymond, California. Passionate about wildlife and conservation, he ran the ranch with his environmental beliefs in mind. In 2008, he and his wife purchased the oldest house in Raymond, built in 1886, and converted it into a museum that’s now on the National Register of Historic Places.

‘General Hospital’ Star Réal Andrews Announces Show Exit — Here’s What He’s Doing Next

Andrews took to his Instagram account on Tuesday (October 15) to announce that he was officially stepping away from the series and would not be returning in the near future.

“My chapter with General Hospital is over,” he told fans in the front-facing video. “The writing has been on the wall for a long time. I wanted to come here because you guys have been phenomenal, the best, amazing supporters.”

Andrews went on to thank those who made his GH time possible: “I do want to give a shout-out to [casting director] Mark Teschner, [who] gave me the first opportunity, Bob Guza [former head writer], Wendy Riche [former EP] and Frank Valentini [current EP]. All the champions there.”

Andrews further revealed he has a new gig on the horizon: “I got offered what is the biggest role in my life. It’s [with] the biggest and best network, the best director, producers, writers, in my opinion, in the industry. We’re in pre-production for it.”

He couldn’t disclose what the project is as he shared he’s signed an NDA. However, he added: “It’s the biggest project of my life, ever. The most important one. And everything comes together, and happens for a reason, right? Everything I’ve done in my whole life was for this role.”

Looking back on his time on GH, having begun on the ABC soap in 1996, he added: “As an actor, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Frank [Valentini] said, ‘I’ve written you some amazing stuff,’ and he did. Being blessed to be on a show like General Hospital, I mean, it really is a blessing, from top to bottom.”

Fans flooded the comments section excited for the TV star but bittersweet over the news.

“Loved you on GH! Congratulations on your new project and continued blessings!” wrote another.

Closing out the update, Andrews added his new project will “blow you away” and as far as returning to GH goes: “Never say never.”

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