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She's Back!
Fan Favorite Finola Hughes Returns to
Daytime
by Elaine G. Flores, SOD 7/27/99
"When rumors started flying that Finola Hughes would be returning to daytime, many soap fans assumed that the star would be returning to the rold of Anna Devane, General Hospital's double agent-turned-police chief, which she played from 1985-92. Not quite- Hughes was actually in talks with ABC to join All My Children. The actress makes her Pine Valley debut as the mysterious Alexandra Devane this week.
Hughes was living in L.A. with husband Russell Young when AMC approached her. 'I was very surprised, actually,' shares Hughes. 'I was just sitting at home and the phone rang and it was [President of ABC Daytime] Angela Shapiro. Her first words were, "What do you think of New York?" and I said, "I love New York. Why?" And she said, "How about coming on All My Children?" I said, "I'd love to." Then it just happened really quickly. It seemed fast for my husband and I because we had to pack up and move within a month-and-a-half.'
So why did ABC woo Hughes back for AMC rather than GH? Dona Cooper, senior vice president of programming at ABC Daytime, explains: 'There were a couple of factors that led us there. One is simply her star power. She has a major following and when we began to see a storyline taking shape on All My Children, she just seemed like the actress what we all envisioned. The fact that she's coming to All My Children as a relative of Anna Devane can add a very interesting shadow to her character. If you are a GH fan, you have questions and curiosities. If you're not a GH fan, it will be a very strong and compelling story on its own. We thought that would be a good opportunity to use somebody's historical popularity and historical strength as an actress in a story that was really right for her.'
Of course, the similarity between her GH and AMC characters' names was not lost on Hughes- in fact, it was a selling point. 'The reason [the role] sounded so attractive to me was because it was linked to Anna,' she smiles. 'And that just made perfect sense to me. It just makes the whole thing come together for me. I'm playing somebody that's related to her. I'm from the same family. It just seemed like a great idea.'
Alexandra's entrance to Pine Valley on July 23 is linked to Dimitri. More than that, Hughes can't say. 'I have strict instructions,' reports the actress. 'I'm not allowed to tell you too much. I come into Pine Valley and I am linked immediately with a lot of the main characters, which is fantastic because I've been watching the show since I got the call. There's a whole big story that brings me in. A lot of people get the wrong impression of who I am. It's very dramatic and it's very mysterious and it's very gothic. When I was told the idea of how they were going to bring me on, I thought it was one of the best ideas I ever heard. It's really a great way of introducing a character.'
Anyone expecting a diva clash between daytime royalty Hughes and soap icon Susan Lucci (Erica) will be disappointed. Not only have the two women worked together on two TV movies- Haunted By Her Past and The Bride Wore Black- but Hughes is looking forward to sharing scenes with Lucci. 'It's nice to have someone of that caliber to be working with on the show,' Hughes praises. 'She's really a woman to be admired.'
Lucci won't be the only familiar face. 'I did a play with Jennifer Bassey [Marian] and that's when we met,' recalls Hughes. 'And then we were in acting class together, so we've known each other for quite a long time. She's hilarious. And I know Walt [Wiley, Jackson] from the circuit years ago when I used to do those public appearances for General Hospital. I met Walt several times. He's nuts! I like him a lot.'
As for readjusting to the soap world, Hughes says, 'It's always tricky at the beginning because it's a bit like a rusty old bike you haven't used for a while. You never forget how to do it... I hope.'"
Pine Valley Primer
"When GH fans learned that Finola Hughes
was returning to daytime, but not as their beloved Anna, they began sending emails to her
web site. To help fans adjust to Alexandra Devane, the actress gave them a quick history
lesson. She explains, 'We pasted a big All My Children story background thing on it so
everybody could catch up with the story and know who everybody is.
To check out Hughes' Website, go to http://www.friendsoffinola.simplenet.com
Could AMC's Alex
Really Be GH's Anna?
General Hospital's diabolical Cesar Faison was
obsessed with Anna for years, and in 1992, he kidnapped her. Naturally Anna's husband,
Robert Scorpio, went off in search of her. Alas, word came back to Port Charles soon after
that Robert had found his wife on a boat with Faison, but rather than give up the fight,
Faison set off an explosion that killed all three. But there's plenty of reason to believe
that Anna survived. The explosion took place off-screen and no bodies were ever found.
More importantly, Faison recently resurfaced on GH- which means that Anna could easily do
the same.
Finola Filmography
"Here's a look at some of Hughes's
memorable moments on the silver and small screens.
Staying Alive, 1983: Also starring John Travolta. Five years after Saturday Night Fever, Travolta is a professional dancer who falls for Hughes.
Haunted By Her Past, 1987: Also starring Susan Lucci. While on holiday at an inn, Lucci becomes possessed by the spirit of temptress Hughes.
The Bride in Black, 1990: Also starring Susan Lucci, David Soul. Brooklynite Lucci investigates the sudden death of her husband (Soul). Hughes is a seductive woman from his past.
Soapdish, 1991: Starring Sally Field, Kevin Kline. In an uncredited role, Hughes plays an actress in the drama All My Trials in this send-up of the soap world.
