‘General Hospital’ Icon Emma Samms Talks Latest Return to the Show Amid Her Battle With Long COVID (EXCLUSIVE)

It seems that Emma Samms is going to be a good girl-favorite General Hospital General Hospital General Hospital Emma reappearing herself, Holly Sutton is once again doing this week — as she is once more than ever eager to learn one thing:

“It’s the perfect part in that regard,” she says. “It’s so fun, and really interesting. It’s that depth, all those different colors that Holly has to her character.” In possibly a tiny hint of an answer to the question, Samms adds that she is working with “a brilliant, strong, powerful, interesting villain now” and there’s “going to be some interesting twists with Holly coming back to town.”

Representation for the long-running ABC series, headed by executive producer Frank Valentini, are keeping typical secrecy about Holly’s upcoming appearance, hinting merely that she will collaborate with Jonathan Jackson, who recently reprised his role as Lucky Spencer following his departure in 2015. Despite their lengthy tenure on the show – Samms joined the cast in 1982 and Jackson was added in 1993, with both appearing on and off since then – they have never shared a scene together until this time.

Samms expresses gratitude for the opportunity to collaborate with Jonathan, whom he considers an exceptional actor. Beyond his talent, Jonathan is also kind-hearted. They share a similar approach to their work, a commonality they discovered stems from both having been trained by Tony Geary (Luke).

‘General Hospital’ Icon Emma Samms Talks Latest Return to the Show Amid Her Battle With Long COVID (EXCLUSIVE)

As a devoted fan, I recall when Samms took over as Luke’s love interest after Laura mysteriously vanished. Yet, it was Jackson who made his debut, being the 11-year-old son and eldest child of the legendary supercouple. The idea of Luke finding love with someone other than Laura could have sparked a fan rebellion. However, to our delight, Holly (and Samms) were warmly welcomed into our hearts.

She admits that she didn’t know when she began that she was the third option for Luke to find a new romantic partner. They had previously tried remarkable individuals such as Janine Turner and Demi Moore, making me a sort of last-resort candidate. However, I was unaware of this fact, which turned out to be quite beneficial for me. I approached the situation innocently, with the mindset of ‘I’ll do my best.’ Somehow, it worked in my favor. I consider myself quite lucky.

For Holly, one captivating plot twist follows another, causing Samms to eagerly rejoin whenever needed. It appears the audience can’t get enough of her, a fact she acknowledges and appreciates: “They’ve been incredibly kind to me. They are a remarkably vocal group who truly care, not just about the show, but the actors in it as well.”

Initially, Samms’ British accent was part of her allure that attracted fans. However, when auditioning for the role of Holly, she needed to speak with an American accent, not just be written as such. “My first auditions were in an American accent,” she recalls, “but then [former executive producer] Gloria [Monty] heard me speaking naturally and exclaimed, ‘Oh, are you English?’ I confirmed it, and they completely altered the storyline and character. Most importantly, it was a significant relief because if I had to maintain a different accent in addition to all the dialogue, it would have been incredibly stressful, or perhaps even more so.”

‘General Hospital’ Icon Emma Samms Talks Latest Return to the Show Amid Her Battle With Long COVID (EXCLUSIVE)

Samms has faced some challenging times over the past few years due to her struggle with long-term effects of COVID-19, which kept her from traveling outside her home city, London, for employment purposes.

“She’s been experiencing this condition for approximately four and a half years, and it’s perplexing not just for those affected, but also for the medical professionals. These are highly intelligent individuals who are researching, investigating, and studying this issue, yet they continue to discover more and more harm that COVID-19 has inflicted on people’s bodies.”

“Samms shares that he received some excellent scans which revealed a past instance of myocarditis, leaving lasting damage on his heart. The aftermath of COVID-19 seems to be largely uncharted territory, and it’s alarming to him that there are those who believe we’ve moved beyond the pandemic. They seem to deny its continued presence, perhaps because they hope it won’t affect them; however, it most definitely persists.”

Samms finds it extremely worrying that anti-masking laws might be enacted due to the scientific aspect of it being confusing, as he is a clear example that COVID-19 has had a debilitating impact on many people. Without the understanding and accommodations provided by the staff at ‘General Hospital,’ Samms would not be able to work as efficiently as he does. When he’s not working or in the U.K., he must rest frequently due to a condition called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which makes him feel unwell if he stands for too long and may cause him to faint. The only way to alleviate this is by lying down flat.

She goes on to explain: “The management at ‘General Hospital’ makes allowances for this, but not all productions do. They usually write my scenes with me seated. Additionally, they’ve placed me in a dressing room very near the elevator, among other small considerations that enable me to perform effectively.”

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2024-09-03 19:20