‘GENERAL HOSPITAL’ Wins Multiple DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS
The NATAS – National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences annually holds the Daytime Emmy Awards to honour the best in American daytime television programming. On the 5th of May 2019, the 46th Daytime Emmy Awards was held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. The glittering evening was hosted by Mario Lopez and Sheryl Underwood for the third consecutive year.
Television stars descended in scintillating costumes to grace the occasion to encourage and celebrate the Emmy Awards winners. The evening surely belonged to the drama series ‘General Hospital’. The 56th year-long series, which started broadcasting on the 1st of April 1963, is still going strong. ‘General Hospital’ is No. 3 on the all-time longest soap opera list in the world with 14,290 episodes.
German children series ‘Unser Sandmannchen’ is the No. 1 soap opera with 20,000 episodes to its credit. ‘Unser Sandmannchen’ was first aired on the 22nd of November 1959. The series is currently under production. ‘Unser Sandmannchen’ is a German children's bedtime television program, which uses stop-motion animation. The puppet was based on the Ole Lukoje character by Hans Christian Andersen. It is interesting to note that two versions were created by East Germany and West Germany. After the German unification, only one version was broadcasted.
The No. 2 on the all-time longest soap opera list is American series ‘Guiding Light’, with 15,762 episodes to its credit. ‘Guiding Light’ commenced its journey on the 30th of June 1952 and ran for an amazing 57 long years and ended its journey on the 18th of September 2009. ‘Guiding Light’ is the longest-running drama series in television in American history and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
‘General Hospital’ is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera in production. It is also the second longest-running drama in television in American history after ‘Guiding Light’. The series also happens to be the world's third longest-running scripted drama series in production, after the British serials ‘The Archers’ and ‘Coronation Street’. ‘General Hospital’ holds the record to win 13 Daytime Emmy Awards for ‘Outstanding Drama Series’.
At the 2019 Daytime Emmy Awards, ‘General Hospital’ won as many as five awards. Maurice Benard won the ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series’, Vernee Watson won the ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series’, Max Gail won the ‘Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series’, Hayley Erin won the ‘Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series’ and Patricia Bethune won the ‘Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series’.
Johnny D explores the successful journey of the five Emmy Awards’ winners in brief.
Maurice Benard
Mauricio Jose Morales aka Maurice Benard was born on the 1st of March 1963 in Martinez, California. Father Humberto Morales worked as a Bakery Superitendent. Mother Martha worked in a bank. Maurice grew up in San Francisco. Maurice Benard made his acting debut in 1987 playing the character Nico Kelly in the television series ‘All My Children’. He went onto act in 300 episodes till 1990.
His journey of success has seen him winning two Daytime Emmy Awards and three Soap Opera Digest Awards. In the year 1991, Benard was seen in the television movie ‘Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter’. He also starred in the film ‘The Ghost and the Whale’. His wife Paula was the executive producer of the film. So far, Maurice Benard has acted in 7 television series and 13 films.
In ‘General Hospital’, Maurice portrays the character Michael Sonny Corinthos Jr. He is the main protagonist and a fictional character of the drama series. Benard portrays the role of the manic depressive mob kingpin, who lives in Port Charles. Benard’s character made its entry on the 13th of August 1993. He is paired with Brenda Barrett and Carly Benson. Sonny and Brenda were the most popular super-couple of the 90s’ decade. Benard’s character is the central character of ‘General Hospital’ and the storylines revolves around his friends, family and criminal enterprise.
On the personal front, Maurice Benard married Paula Smith on the 11th of August 1990. The couple is blessed with three children. They adopted Paula’s sister’s daughter Heather Ann after her mother’s demise. At the age of 22, Maurice Benard was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Ever since, he has become a spokesperson for treatment of the bipolar disorder with Mental Health America. In ‘General Hospital’, his character depicts his real-life experience, which has won critical acclaim from one and all.
Vernee Watson
Vernee Christell Watson aka Vernee Watson-Johnson was born on the 28th September 1949 in New York City. Vernee graduated from Cathedral High School to pursue Major in Drama from New York University. At the age of 17, Vernee Watson started her professional career with the Al Fann Theatrical Ensemble in Manhattan. She toured with the group for five years.
In the year 1970, Vernee Watson made her acting debut in the film titled ‘Cotton Comes to Harlem’. She went onto act or lent her voice in 14 films till 2018. She made her television debut with ‘Welcome Back, Kotter’ way back in 1975. Since then, Vernee has acted in 33 television series. Prominent among them are ‘Carter Country’ (1977-1979), ‘Baby Talk’ (1991-1992), ‘The Young and The Restless’ (1999), ‘Days of Our Lives’ (2007), ‘The Big Bang Theory’ (2007-2016) and ‘Young Sheldon’ (2017-2019).
Vernee Watson has won the Daytime Emmy Awards for ‘Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series’ for the second consecutive years for portraying the character Stella Henry in ‘General Hospital’.
Vernee Watson’s first marriage with Joe Duckett lasted just two years from 1976 to 1977. In 1979, she married Van Johnson for the second time. The couple was blessed with a daughter named Sunde Jinia Johnson. Unfortunately, the marriage ended up in divorce in 1991.
Max Gail
Maxwell Trowbridge Gail Jr. aka Max Gail was born on the 5th of April 1943 in Detroit, Michigan. Father Maxwell Trowbridge Gail was a businessman. Mother Mary Elizabeth was a housewife. Max’s early life was spent in Grosse Ile, Michigan. Max went to Williams College. He worked as an instructor at the University Liggett School.
In the year 1970, Max Gail made his acting debut in the original stage production ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’. Three years later, he made his New York stage debut reprising the role of Chief Bromden. In 1971, he made his film debut portraying the character Rudy in ‘The Organization’. In all, he has acted in 36 films and television series, prominent among them are ‘Barney Miller’ (1975-1982), ‘D. C. Cab’ (1983), ‘Judgment Day’ (1999), ‘Dexter’ (2007), ‘Psych’ (2012-2013), ‘Mad Men’ (2015) and ‘Hawaii Five-O’ (2017).
Max Gail runs the production company Full Circle. The production company is involved in making featured documentaries like ‘Agent Orange’, ‘Native Americans’ and documentaries on Nuclear issues. In ‘General Hospital’, Max Gail plays Mike Corbin. He entered the drama series on the 5th of February 2018. This is his first win at the Daytime Emmy Awards.
Max Gail married Willie Bier in 1983. They were blessed with a daughter named India. Unfortunately, he lost Willie to Cancer in 1986. Three years later, Gail got married for the second time to Nan Harris. The couple is blessed with a boy and a girl.
Hayley Erin
Hayley Erin Feil aka Hayley Erin was born on the 13th of July 1994 in Los Angeles, California. At a tender age of 8, Hayley made her entry in the celluloid portraying multiple characters of Dakota Fanning, Jamie, Nora and Amy in ‘MADtv’ from 2003 to 2005. In the year 2004, Hayley was seen as a guest star in ‘Malcolm in the Middle’.
In 2008, Hayley got her big break portraying the role of Abby Newman in ‘The Young and The Restless’. She acted in 67 episodes from 2008 to 2010. ‘General Hospital’ is considered to be her major breakthrough. She portrayed the role of Kiki Jerome from 2015 to 2018. Hayley Erin won her first Daytime Emmy Awards this year for ‘Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series’. In 2019, she plays Taylor Hotchkiss character in ‘Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists’.
Patricia Bethune
Patricia Bethune is an actor, writer, director and producer. At the 46th Daytime Emmy Awards, she won the ‘Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series’ for portraying the guest role of Nurse Mary Pat Ingles. In her Daytime Emmy Awards’ acceptation speech, Patricia thanked the Executive Producer Frank Valentini and her former co-stars and said, “I will go out of my way for a good view and this vista is incredible.”
Patricia Bethune added, “I am so thankful to all who took the time to vote. The nomination is all the sweeter since my scene partners Laura Wright and Jon Lindstrom have both been recognized for their work as well. Being nominated in a category that includes both men and women makes the recognition for her work as an actor all the more meaningful.”
Patricia Bethune is known for portraying some of the most amazing roles in films like ‘The Open House’, ‘Beyong the Reach’, ‘Metamorphosis’, ‘The Good Funeral’, ‘California Dreaming’, ‘Species III’ and Steven Spielberg’s ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park 2’.
On the television, Patricia Bethune’s prominent acts were seen in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, ‘For the People’, ‘How to get away with Murder’, ‘Longmire’, ‘True Blood’, ‘Madmen’, ‘Desperate Housewives’, ‘Cold Case’, ‘Two and a Half Men’, Everybody Loves Raymond’, ‘The Gilmore Girls’ and Malcolm in the Middle’.
