Scene and Heard

DAYS’s Leann Hunley (Anna) and Thaao Penghlis (Tony) recently traveled to the East Coast, where they were able to interact with some loyal viewers at a fan event. “The feedback was beyond beautiful,” Hunley enthuses. “These fans are so invested in the show and in the people they have watched for years. I have been here for 41 and they are so kind and loving. They brought me things that I have not seen in 40 years and pictures. They were just delightful.” Penghlis echoes the sentiment, adding, “We offer them something in one area of their life and I think we have to appreciate it. At the same time, it keeps our show alive.” The actors also appreciate hearing what the fans think of the goings-on in Salem. “I feel like Sally Field in Soapdish going to the mall to get a little bit of love from the people,” muses Hunley, adding, “We are actors and we need feedback.

Shemar Moore’s (ex-Malcolm, Y&R) recent visit to Genoa City reminded Bryton James (Devon) of an unusual scene they shot along with the late Kristoff St. John (ex-Neil) in 2005. The story centered on Devon being in danger after wandering into a lion enclosure at the zoo. “I’ll never forget that before the episode, they took me, Shemar and Kristoff to the place where they raised the lion that would be in the scene,” James recalls. “That way, we could get familiar with being around him. We were told in advance that we couldn’t wear cologne or deodorant or anything that smells that way. The trainer was walking with us and the lion on a chain leash around his neck. This lion was a full-grown, male lion. I mean, he was massive and I remember the three of us weren’t listening to anything the trainer was saying. We were just quietly trying to figure out an escape plan in case this animal freaked out or got away because it’s only on a leash. There was a guy standing a few feet away with a dart gun but we didn’t know how fast the drug would knock out a beast that huge.” Luckily, the lion remained calm that day, as well as when the actual scene was shot. “He behaved and the trainer handled him really well,” James notes. “We were just happy that no one got eaten."

This year, Nicholas Chavez (Spencer) got to “attend” his first GH Nurses’ Ball, and enthuses, “I really, really enjoyed it. There were so many talented people [performing] and the singers and dancers were so fun to watch.” Of course, he was particularly partial to the number performed by his on-screen love interest, Tabyana Ali (Trina), and Eden McCoy (Josslyn), grinning, “I give it a 10 out of 10!” Between scenes, Chavez took advantage of the opportunity to chat with other cast members with whom his character does not usually overlap. “I got to talk with Sofia Mattsson [Sasha], which was really nice. Frank [Valentini, executive producer] kind of introduced us because we’ve never really worked together or talked to one another. We talked about traveling because we both have a bit of a travel bug, and she’s having another kid, so we talked about her having another baby in the house. She’s really cool.

B&B’s Sean Kanan (Deacon) could not have been happier when his digital soap, STUDIO CITY, picked up five ISA (Indie Series Awards) prizes, including Best Drama Series, which he shared with his wife and co-executive producer, Michele Kanan. “It was an intimate ceremony, and that was really exciting to us, to be honest,” Kanan reports. “My parents flew in from Pennsylvania, so it was really a special evening.” Kanan, who also scored for Lead Actor, says, “I did not expect to win that. It was a really great surprise. And , you certainly never know who is going to win for Best Show and that was such a fabulous surprise.” Other STUDIO CITY winners included Carolyn Hennesy (Diane, GH) as Best Lead Actress and Tristan Rogers (Robert, GH et al) as Best Supporting Actor, along with GH vet Lilly Melgar (ex-Lily et al) as Best Guest Performer. “Lilly was so excited!” Kanan relays. “I was so happy for her. It was such a great evening all around. We are still in the works for season 3, and we will keep you posted on that.”