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Suzanne's GH Fan Weekend Account

Day 1, Friday, July 23, 1999

Suzanne's Exclusive pictures for the 1999 GH Fan Weekend

Hi, everyone. Here I am at the GH/PC weekend. We spent most of the morning flying to LA from Texas. I had only a few hours sleep so I was VERY tired. After we checked in at the Sportsmen’s Lodge, first we hooked up with my friend Lynn (Minal, who has been to these events before), and her friends Stacey (Curlyqgrl) and Joan, among others, for lunch by the pool. The food was good but the service was VERY slow. I checked out the little Soap Boutique where they sold soap stuff from GH, Another World, and Days. I bought a Days t-shirt, Another World magnet and AW key chain, and a nice b&w picture of Robert Kelker Kelly. I would have bought more but the pics were kind of expensive. The hotel is very pretty, and our rooms are really nice! They have a lovely garden area where they probably have lots of weddings or at least wedding pictures. Anyway, I tried to take a nap after lunch but I was too excited and didn't have much time. I had to be down by the pool again for the free autograph session with Lisa Cerusoli (V). They have these every year with different soap actors. Marshall Hilliard (late of Guiding Light) was also there, and Patrika Darbo (from Days) was supposed to be there but didn't show, darn it. Anyway, we stayed in a really long line for Lisa, but it was worth it. She was SO nice, and so pretty. She is too skinny (so many of them are, ohmigod!), but was very sweet and personable. There was an actor there who is in some new Fall show that she will be in (she's only in for the pilot), John Ducey; they were giving out his picture and he autographed it, so I got one. We also met her online fan club president, who was very nice. They are trying to persuade GH to get her back on the show. 

After that, I tried again to take a nap, but it wasn't working. At 5:45 I went down to get in line for the Port Charles Party. My friends had gone to Kin Shriner's event, so they were much later. My husband kindly came along to stand in line with me, so I had company. We had assigned tables, but there was still a line to get in. When I did get in, I was only one there for quite a while. They gave us a packet with a name tag (helps the actors to sign autographs to you) and a folder full of fun stuff, like a raffle ticket, a PC pen, post it notes, Jon Lindstrom magnet, etc. They also sold some other raffle tickets and some GH stuff from previous events (I bought a GH pen and a Maurice Benard magnet). I didn't win any of the raffles, sadly. One of them was a studio tour! Everyone eventually showed up, the food was served, and it was fine. Then Nolan North (Chris), showed up and started introducing the actors as they came out to take their seats (the center area had the actors and press). He is SO FUNNY!!! He also made anti-"Passions" jokes.... Just about everyone from the cast was there, so it was very cool. As an added bonus, Anders Hove (Faison, GH) showed up. He rooms with Kin Shriner when he's in the states, and he had been at the Kin Shriner event as well. The actors who play Ellen, Mike, Mary, and Matt weren't there. I was happy to see David Gail (the new Joe) and Kimberlin Brown (don't remember which new character she plays since I'm about two months behind, but I loved her on Y&R and B&B). After the meal, they introduced some of the crew and said nice things about them, explained their jobs. Oh, Wendy Riche was also there (Executive Producer of both shows). Needless to say, I took LOTS of pictures and the girl next to me had a video camera through most of it (before her battery ran out) and so I'm getting a copy of that, if it turns out well. Then the cast got on the stage and answered some pre-selected questions. Nolan North hosted the asking of the questions, too. There was a lot of fun between him and David Gail, and him and Kin Shriner, and Kin and Jon Lindstrom. They kept joking that the show would be renamed "Scotty's World" and Jon said "It's Scotty's world and we only live in it". And he and Julie Pinson bowed down to him jokingly ala "Wayne's World's 'We're not worthy". It was very funny. There was also some funny interplay between Peter Hansen (Lee) and Nolan. Nolan kept joking that he was blamed for Lee's heart attack, and Peter Hansen gave this very droll speech about how they went to the Nurse's Ball for GH and it would have been nice and calm but SOME PEOPLE (meaning Nolan ) were "hyperkinetic" and acting all enthusiastic and all Peter wanted was some PEACE and CALM. When Nolan got the microphone back, he joked that Peter "had a drinking problem", which led to boos from the crowd. I assume because of Lee's long history of alcoholism, and not Peter's! Another funny moment was when Kin got asked "Wouldn't it be funny if Scotty and Stefan got together and discussed how you both slept with the same women, Laura, Katherine, and Bobbie?" He seemed nonplussed about the answer and replied, deadpan, "yes, it would be funny". I'm told he is very shy; he is a weird guy, his responses don't seem like all the others. I have to hand it to him, though; both Lynn Herring and Jon Lindstrom left before the autograph sessions, but Kin Shriner hung around. (George Alvarez also left early) I'm told that Jon will be at the GH thing tomorrow (and probably George, too), but Lynn apparently always does this. Just about everyone else hung around for the autographs, I'm glad to say. 

The autographing was not very well-organized. They just stuck the stars anywhere at a table, didn't have any signs or any organization of the lines so it was hard to find who was where and what lines went with which star (and in a very small area). Some of the lines were huge. But I got most of them; I only missed Colton ? (Neil), the actor who plays Boardman, Peter Hansen, and the two that left early, I believe. From everyone else I got both an autograph AND a picture of them (most of them posed with me). Most of the actors were SOOO nice!!! With the possible exception of Kin whom I mentioned, and Kimberlin Brown who seemed nice but maybe a LITTLE full of herself (but it could have just been shyness), everyone else was so sweet and willing to chat and sign anything. They all liked my scrapbook and commented on it, too, which I loved. I chatted with David Gail about Savannah, and he remembered seeing a printout of my webpage that the camera man Joe Thomas had posted on the Savannah bulletin board. He is just a SUPER nice guy and even better looking in person (they all were!!!). Strangely enough, my husband showed up right then, looking for me (he was outside but I gestured him, figuring they didn't care at this point whether he came in and kept me company and helped me take pictures). He had just been in the bar drinking with--guess who--David Gail's FATHER!!! And I always thought his father was Max Gail (from Barney Miller), but if they're related he doesn't know about it. Jay Pickett (Frank) admired my scrapbook and showed the pictures to Lisa Ann Hadley, who was next to him (they were both in the pictures, from a previous event), so I got him to have her sign it so I wouldn't have to stand in her very long line! It was really sweet of both of them. There were short lines for Anders Hove (Cesar), Granville Van Deusen (DV), and Carly Shroder (Serena), among others. It was just that they were stuck in corners so people didn't see them sitting there, waiting to sign autographs. Nolan North was a riot, as usual. I chatted with Nicholas Pryor briefly about being on "Lou Grant" years ago and with Granville about an episode of "Hill Street Blues" I saw him on the other day. Oh, and especially JULIE PINSON (Eve) was SOOOOO NICE!!!! And showing off her engagement ring to Billy Warlock. She was sort of cornered by fans and when I presented her with a page full of pictures and told her to just pick one to sign, she was going to sign every one! I just wanted one, I told her...so many fans take advantage and have them sign many photos while there is a long line behind them, and they are just so nice to do this for everyone. 

It was exhausting, but an unforgettable experience. You really get to see the actors as human beings, in both senses of that. You see that not only are some of them just super nice people (who would have thought that, after all, of Chris, DV, Frank, and Courtney? :), but also that they are just human. Carly got tired, it was past her bedtime. Kin brought his keys out of his pocket and his key chain was from a Union 76 gas station. Joe's father was drinking in the bar! I'm so tired, but terribly happy. Can't wait until tomorrow!!!  

Day 2!

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