James DePaiva (Dr. Bensch) enjoyed a warm reunion with Maurice Benard (Sonny) when he stepped on to the GH set — under circumstances far less harrowing than when they first bonded. “We met when Maurice was on ALL MY CHILDREN [as Nico from 1987-90],” recalls DePaiva. “And we had a pretty eventful trip together when we went out for a weekend of fan appearances. We definitely got to know each other! The weekend was pretty short, but we bonded because as the plane was taking off from Newark [NJ], lightning hit the front of the plane and there was a loud boom. You could see the light around the front row of the airplane, and we saw the light go around the door of the cockpit. We kept thinking we were about to crash, we were about to die, saying, ‘Please land this plane! Please turn around!’ Once you think you’re going to die, you share a lot of stuff after that!” DePaiva adds that Benard’s fear of flying actually predates that frightening experience. “He’d hated flying already! He made that clear, that he hated flying, and then when that happened it was like, ‘Forget about the appearance, just get us home, please!’ That was probably 30 years ago, but I feel like we’re dogs from the same breed or something. It was great to see him.”
Photo credit: Steven Bergman/JPI
The passing of Oscar-winning Director John G. Avildsen had emotional resonance for B&B’s Sean Kanan (Deacon). “I got Karate Kid III from an open call and John, who directed Rocky, Lean on Me and the Karate Kid trilogy, plucked me out of the abyss and gave me a career,” the actor recalls. “I was really overwhelmed when I heard and all of a sudden, I was taken back to 30 years ago, when I was a young actor hanging outside of Warner Bros. waiting for my chance to audition for him. I last saw John at the 30th anniversary of the Karate Kid films, and we all received a proclamation from the city of L.A. And not too long ago, I was interviewed for the documentary John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs. I spoke with his ex-wife, Tracy [Brooks Swope, ex-Vanessa, GH], and offered her my condolences. We’d still kept in touch. John will forever be a part of who I am as an actor and as a person, and I will always be grateful to him.”
Olivia Rose Keegan (Claire) got a surprise when she walked on to the DAYS set and learned from James Reynolds (Abe) that she was on THE TONIGHT SHOW the evening before. “I thought he was joking,” says Keegan. “I checked it out and James was right. I was on the show.” Keegan’s appearance took place on the day that former FBI Director James Comey testified before Congress. “Jimmy Fallon said that the soaps were pre-empted, but one station decided to air his testimony — and also the soaps — at the same time,” she recounts. “Something would happen at the hearing, and then they would go to a soap moment, with characters reacting.” In addition to Keegan, the bit included reactions from GH’s Franco and Carly (Roger Howarth and Laura Wright), and Y&R’s Dina (Marla Adams). “They used me saying, ‘Oh, my God!’ from when Claire first saw the sex tape,” shares Keegan. “I watched it online and thought it was very funny. It was a surprise, for sure.”
Eric Braeden (Victor, Y&R) has done it, as did the late Jeanne Cooper (ex-Katherine), and Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki) is in the middle of hers, but don’t expect Peter Bergman (Jack) to pen his memoirs. “The problem with that is I’d have to remember stuff, which I can’t, and I really mean that,” explains the actor. “I’m amazed when people can talk about their second grade teacher and what kind of relationship they had. What? I can’t even remember the names of my high school teachers!” Still, Bergman can appreciate his good fortune through the years. “I have had an exceptional life,” he declares. “It’s been an amazing ride, but I don’t see how I would be able to remember what came first. No, you’re not going to see my autobiography. I’m actually not interesting in that way. I’ve had an interesting life but I’m not that interesting, so it just wouldn’t be a very good read. And I’m not just saying that.”