'General Hospital' dominates 50th annual Daytime Emmys with 6 trophies, Susan Lucci honored

Original Publication Date December 15, 2023 - 6:36 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thorsten Kaye and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood of “The Bold and the Beautiful” won lead acting honors at the Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday night, when “General Hospital” collected six trophies, including four for acting.

Kaye, who plays Ridge Forrester on the CBS soap, wasn't on hand to accept.

“Thorsten would have thanked me because I help him through everything,” joked co-star John McCook, last year's lead actor winner who presented the lead actress award this year.

MacInnes Wood collected her third trophy for her role as Steffy Forrester, the daughter of Ridge.

“Wow! Awesome! Oh my gosh,” MacInnes Wood said. “I'm so grateful for this ride.”

“General Hospital” capped a dominating night by winning outstanding drama series.

“This is really a special night and I feel very appreciative and a little anxious,” executive producer Frank Valentini said. “We'd like to dedicate this to Sonya Eddy and N'Neka Garland, we love you so much.”

Eddy won supporting actress honors for her 16-year role as no-nonsense head nurse Epiphany Johnson on the venerable ABC show. She died in December 2022 at age 55 from an infection after surgery.

Garland worked as a producer at “General Hospital” for 22 years before dying of a heart attack in March at age 49.

Robert Gossett, who plays Marshall Ashford on “General Hospital,” claimed the supporting actor trophy. He also won last year in the guest performer category for the same role.

Eden McCoy won for outstanding younger performer as Josslyn Jacks. The 20-year-old actor debuted on “General Hospital” in 2015. Her mother, Natasha McCoy, died of cancer in November.

“This is for and because of my mother,” McCoy said. “It's not lost on me what an absolute privilege it is to be able to do something, not only I like to do but love to do for a living, and I love what I do. It's really easy to be grateful on nights like this, but I am grateful every day.”

Alley Mills, best-known for her role as the mother on “The Wonder Years,” won for guest performance on a daytime drama. The 72-year-old actor began playing Heather Webber on “General Hospital” when the role was recast last year.

Her husband, actor Orson Bean, was killed in 2020 after being hit by two cars while crossing a street in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles.

“I had just lost my beloved husband — it was pretty traumatic — and then I get asked to play a seriously traumatized person who kills a lot of people, but she's got a heart of gold,” Mills said. “And she's barreling towards the light all the time and it gave me that ability to keep going and barrel towards the light. The world is so screwed up right now that all I can say to all of you traumatized people out there, just keep barreling towards the light.”

“General Hospital” also won for its directing team.

Susan Lucci received the Lifetime Achievement Honor for her 40-year run as Erica Kane on “All My Children.” The actor, who turns 77 next week, was nominated 18 times in the lead actress category without winning before she ended the wait in 1999.

Shemar Moore, who shouted, “The streak is over!” when presenting her with the trophy back then, returned to introduce her.

“She's the leading lady of daytime,” Moore said before Lucci was greeted with a standing ovation.

“How lucky am I to dream my dreams of becoming an actress and grow up to have my dreams come true?” said Lucci, who sniffled during her remarks. “There were obstacles and roadblocks. I mean, there were wannabe obstacles and roadblocks.”

“The Young and the Restless” was honored for outstanding writing team.

Kelly Clarkson earned her third consecutive trophy for a daytime talk series and won as daytime talk host. The singer, who didn't attend, moved her syndicated show from Los Angeles to New York this year.

“It's a pleasure to work with her. She makes it fun, she's a joy every day and that makes it a little easier,” executive producer Alex Duda said. “She wanted me to thank all of our viewers for sticking with us on this migration as we moved.”

“Entertainment Tonight” won its eighth trophy as outstanding entertainment news series. Kevin Frazier and Nichelle Turner, who hosted Friday night, came out of the audience to accept.

The 50th annual ceremony honoring talk shows and soap operas is the first major awards show to return since the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes ended. It was pushed back from its scheduled June date.

To celebrate the awards' golden anniversary, the previous winner of a category was paired with a long-ago winner as presenters. Attendees sat at tables spread out in a ballroom at the Westin Bonaventure hotel in downtown Los Angeles.