Absolutely Fabulous
Finola Hughes talks about tea parties, Emma's a-peel, and why Alexandra Devane will never be "huggable" (Matt Webb Mitovich, SID 4/4/2000)

"Sitting down to lunch at a Manhatten steak house, Finola Hughes is all smiles. By now, the affable actress and former Angeleno is all caught up in her mysterious Pine Valley persona- All My Children's Alexandra Devane Marick- as well as her new New York life. One question, though, dogs her: Is karate-kicking Alex really General Hospital's presumed-dead Anna?

Soaps In Depth: So, you're not exactly who everyone thinks you are... (Hughes raises an eyebrow.) You're Irish.

Finola Hughes: Yes, my father was Irish. We lived in London, but would go back to Ireland for vacations. He was really married to being Irish, so we had a lot of Irish influences growing up.

In Depth: John Callahan (Edmund) says you throw 'the best tea party this side of Boston'.

Hughes: I do! I did it for Christmas, in my little dressing room. Tea, scones, jam, cream, sandwiches... I had about 100 people come by, including the crew- all these big guys holding tiny tea cups. Next year, though, I'm getting someone to help with the cleanup!

In Depth: Do you dash off to London as spontaneously as Alex?

Hughes: I go as often as I can. And now, from New York, it's so quick to get there. My brother lives right near the airport in England, so I can fly in and see him in seven hours.

Cats' Tail
In Depth: If I visited London for a weekend, what three things must I see?

Hughes: You should probably drive by Buckingham Palace. And your wife would probably want to to to Harrod's. Then, you might want to go to Covent Garden, this gorgeous area with quaint shops. That used to be my old haunt when I was doing Cats.

In Depth: Since you originated the role of Victoria The White Cat in the London production, how do you feel about Cats ending its record run here in the U.S. on Broadway?

Hughes: I'd like to take David Letterman as my guest to the final performance! (She laughs.) He's always talking about 'those damn cats!'

In Depth: Speaking of Broadway, can you tell me what Satan's Alley, the musical within the film Staying Alive, was about?

Hughes: Beats Me! I don't remember there being any plot. I recall John Travolta being lowered from heaven into hell... and a lot of dry ice. It all probably took place in [director] Sylvester Stallone's mind.

Scarred for Life
In Depth: Two years after breaking Tony Manero's heart, you landed on GH... and were fitted for Anna's 'scar'.

Hughes: See, they didn't tell me about that. [Then-executive producer] Gloria Monty took me downstairs to watch A Woman's Face, this film where Joan Crawford has a scar down one-side of her face. Suddenly, Gloria says to me, 'That's what we're goind to do with you!' I was like, 'What?!' Later, they decided that I was wearing it as a 'penance.' Like what, I stuck it on every morning? (She laughs.)

In Depth: After a successful GH introduction as Robert's first wife, you and Ian Buchanan created one of soaps' most sophisticated couples in Anna and Duke.

Hughes: Thank you! Ian is Scottish, so we have the same references and the same sensibility. I think John Callahan (Edmund, AMC) has that same kind of sophistication. It also didn't hurt that I adore Ian. We've been friends since the day we met.

Emma TV
In Depth: Have you ever regretted leaving GH when and why you did?

Hughes: No. I had been employed to do Jack's Place, so I was leaving to do that. I think Gloria was pretty angry, though. She kind of said, 'Alright, that's it,' and didn't have me come back to finish- and there was only like two weeks of the story left. So I don't know what happened there...

In Depth: Now, on AMC, you're again ensconced in intrigue. Do you enjoy being a modern-day Emma Peel?

Hughes: Yes, I do! For about a month, I lived in the same square where [Diana Rigg] lived. I used to stand outside and watch her clean her steps. I was a huge Emma Peel fan.

It Takes Two

In Depth: As Alex and Edmund grow closer, how are you and John handling the difficulties of building a new couple?

Hughes: It's been tricky. It's a mature relationship, and one of the things John and I work on a lot is keeping things sophisticated. They've done their mourning, their fighting, and now they're faced with the mystery of this woman, Alex- who the hell is she? Yes, there's been a lot of things for them to get over, but it only takes as long as it takes. Otherwise, you're being manipulative in a way.

In Depth: Worried that the writers might dwell too much on Alex and Edmund's baggage, John has said, 'Finola and I can carry our own bags.'

Hughes: Just by the sheer fact that you're of a certain age, you're going to have baggage, so I often feel we don't need to remind the audience. The only person that doesn't have baggage is Becca- and even she has some! So I agree with him.

Unembraceable You?
In Depth: Will Alex keep Edmund at bay until she resolves her past?

Hughes: I think that Edmund's going to go there with her. But what I don't want is domestic bliss. I can't do that.

In Depth: It'd be a shame to tie up Alex's past too quickly.

Hughes: 'Now we can love her! Now we can trust her!' I've never really been interested in that. It's important that there are sides to a character that are vulnerable, but it's never been my aim to be the 'huggable' person. In fact, I'm often told, 'You need to warm your character up,' and I kind of ignore that. I think sentimentality is overplayed in soap operas, in general. When you find the areas where it's appropriate- for instance, Alex would go over hot coals for Gillian- then it means something... it's an 'in', If [GH bad guy] Cesar Faison knew Alex's 'in', he'd take Gillian. When somebody that is completely hard is crippled, it's more interesting when they fall apart. But if you see their weakneses all the time, they're not so interesting to destroy.

In Depth: Okay, one last question: Is Alex really Anna?

Hughes: Ahhhhhh... Well, see, now that I'm not at liberty to say...

In Depth: I understand. Some things have to remain 'top secret'."