Exclusive: How Two GH Legends Helped Braedyn Bruner Find Her Groove As Emma

Last December, Braedyn Bruner made her daytime debut in the recast role of Emma Scorpio-Drake, a character beloved by fans since she was born to Robin and Patrick back in 2008. Soap Opera Digest caught up with the rising star about how she came to a greater understanding of her character, the pleasure of working with GH vets like Finola Hughes (Anna) and Jane Elliot (Tracy) and more.

 

Soap Opera Digest: You earned rave reviews from fans for the scenes between Emma and Anna where she told her grandmother why she feels so strongly about going to the mat for the Quartermaines. I saw a lot of comments like, “This is when Braedyn became Emma to me.” When you first read them, could you tell that they were important scenes?

Braedyn Bruner: Oh my goodness, absolutely. I mean, even going back to the audition process when I started the show, I mentioned going back and watching old YouTube videos of all the things I could get my hands on in terms of Emma and her family and her history. Those scenes with Edward Quartermaine at the hospital, when he chooses to give Emma the last dose of serum [to save her life after Jerry Jacks poisoned Port Charles’s water supply], I remember watching them a few days before my final audition and just literally bawling my eyes out. So, I knew how important those were going into it, and of course, Finola’s been around and she was there to give me more of the backstory on it, as well, which was really nice.

Digest: Before shooting them, were you nervous at all about being able to channel all that you wanted to channel into your performance?

Bruner: Yeah. I mean, there were so many layers to that scene. This was the first time we were really seeing Emma be vulnerable and really honest with Anna since she’s returned back to town, and I think there was this sort of push and pull of, “Do I tell her?” Like, “How open do I want to be?” But it was also a nice way of seeing her explain herself, explain why she’s chaining herself to this crypt. She mentioned Edward saving her life to Drew in an earlier episode, but then we find out that it’s more than that, and it also goes back to Robin and her being diagnosed with HIV by Alan. I think there’s always a little bit of fear when you’re having to get that vulnerable, and also wanting to do it authentically. HIV touches a lot of people’s lives, so also explaining that in an authentic way was really important to me.

Digest: What do you remember about actually filming the scene?

Bruner: Well, Finola is such an incredible actress. She gives so much in a scene, so I just remember listening to her response and I specifically remember the line where she’s like, ‘Tracy Quartermaine is not voiceless,’ and then she walks past me. And I remember just being really motivated in that moment to be like, “That’s not what matters here! What matters here is that this is wrong, this is injustice!” I think Emma sees the world in black and white often; she’s either all in or all out. But I also feel like it’s really important to note that her heart is always in the right place with everything that she does. So that’s what I remember in that scene. Other than that, I think I just really … I don’t want to say “blacked out,” but I was just very present with Finola and she was very present with me, which is really nice. I think that’s always the goal in a scene.

Digest: What does it mean to you that the audience connected to your work so deeply?

Bruner: It was amazing to hear. I always say, if you touch even just one person in a scene, then you’re doing something right. So the amount of comments that I read about how moved people were by the scene and how much they loved the connection between Anna and Emma, and how they felt like, “Okay, this is the Emma we love,” that was huge. That felt incredible.

Digest: Does that affirmation make you feel more confident about the way you’re portraying the character?

Bruner: Absolutely. I think it was easier, earlier on, to compare Emma to Anna just because she is a mini Anna in more ways than one. I think their biggest similarity being their aspirations to save everyone and everything and sometimes that’s at the risk of their own future. I also think the further we go with Emma’s story and the more that I’m getting to play, I think — and I hope the audience sees — that she’s really a mix of everyone. I think there was a lot of comparison to Robin at first, like, “Oh, where are the sweet qualities?” But I think she really does have a bit of her grandfather Robert’s quick wit and pizzazz, and she’s also got Patrick’s confidence and his charm, but at the center of it all, I still think she really does maintain Robin’s love and the desire to help others. But overall I definitely would say she’s a mini Anna, and we’re getting to see that more and more.

Digest: There are worse things to be! I’ve gotten the sense already that you’re a fan of Finola’s, but tell me more about what it’s like to have the opportunity to work with and learn from her.

Bruner: It is the biggest gift, and I’ve said this since my screen test. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to not only play my grandmother, but even off screen, she and I get along so well. We genuinely have such similar personalities and senses of humor and she’s so quick-witted and hilarious. I can ask her anything that I want to and I know that she’ll give me a straight answer, which I totally appreciate and love about her. If I ever have a question about the history of a scene, I go to her, or because I’m new to soaps, if I have a question about the way that we film, I can ask, “Finola, am I moving enough in this wide shot?” Just all the little things that I’m still learning every day. She is never hesitant to help me and I literally adore her. She’s like the greatest person on this planet.

Digest: She’s not the only GH icon you’ve shared scenes with recently. Tell me about working with Jane Elliot (Tracy).

Bruner: Another legend! She is so wonderful. In a scene, she is open to little improv moments that are completely unexpected and I love it. A fun one that I’d like to share is that scene where I’ve chained myself to the crypt. Jane comes up and she asks if I have any chains, which was scripted, but then when I say no, she took her purse and she wrapped it around the both of us. That was completely improv and it was so fantastic! She’s another person who is so lovely and insightful and helpful off camera. Because she’s been on General Hospital for so long, she always loves to give me little peeks into the history of the show. Jane is the sweetest person, as well. She’s a lot like Tracy, but also not like Tracy in many ways.

Digest: Such as?

Bruner: Jane Elliot has no filter, but in the best way, like Tracy. And I think Jane has a lot of patience in real life that we sometimes don’t see in Tracy.

Digest: You’ve been playing Emma for several months now. Was there a moment where you felt like you really got her and understood her?

Bruner: It was definitely the day I stood up to Drew Cain at the crypt. I literally had a moment where I was like, “This is it, this is who she is.” Because originally, I felt like Emma was maybe hot-tempered with people and not really understanding why, or just having a hard time with social cues. She was just jumping in left and right. And I think now we see why. It’s like, “There’s motivation here, there’s a backstory.” I think that was the day that I was like, “Okay, this is who she is. She’s a good person who cares a lot about other people and she’s willing to put herself on the line of fire to protect them. That was definitely the day that I felt like, “This is Emma from here on out.”

Digest: How has that insight changed your approach to playing her?

Bruner: I think I approach scenes a little bit differently in the sense of, even when she’s angry, I never think Emma’s anger is motivated by hate. I think it’s motivated by hurt; I think she’s angry because someone has done something that has hurt her or hurt someone she loves. So, anytime I get a scene where I’m like, “Oh, Emma has to be angry here,” I’m like, “No, no, she’s never just angry. So what is it in the scene that’s making her tick?” Because her heart is so big, and that’s where the Robin is coming out in her. It’s like she has to help others. So when I approach scenes, I just ask myself, ‘Okay, where’s the Robin in this scene?’ Even if it feels like there’s none, even if it feels like being super-confrontational — which Robin could be, too — I ask myself, “Where can I find the Robin? Where can I find the heart in this scene?” That, I think, has been the biggest thing.

Do The Right Thing: Tracy (Jane Elliot, l.) and Emma ended up on the wrong side of the law in their fight to preserve the Quartermaine crypt.