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Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Valerie Mahaffey, actor who played quirky villains, dies aged 71
Valerie Mahaffey, a character actor with a knack for playing eccentric women who sometimes revealed themselves to be sinister in television shows such as Desperate Housewives, Northern Exposure and Devious Maids, died Friday in Los Angeles. She was 71. The cause was cancer, her husband, actor Joseph Kell, said in a statement. 'I have lost the love of my life.' Mahaffey had worked steadily over the past five decades, starting on the NBC daytime soap opera The Doctors, for which she received a Daytime Emmy nomination for best supporting actress in 1980. Most recently, she appeared in the movie The 8th Day, a crime thriller released in March. She was also known for her guest-starring roles on well-known TV series such as Seinfeld and Grey's Anatomy. She won an Emmy for best supporting actress in 1992 for her work as Eve, a hypochondriac, on the 1990s CBS series Northern Exposure, a drama set in Alaska. She was best known for playing seemingly friendly women who become villainous characters in dramas such as Desperate Housewives, where she appeared in nine episodes. In her Desperate Housewives role, as Alma Hodge, she was a woman who was trapped in a loveless marriage and faked her own death to get back at her husband, hoping he would be blamed for her disappearance. She most recently won acclaim for her work in the 2020 dark comedy French Exit, which earned her a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award for her portrayal of Madame Reynard, a scene-stealing eccentric widow. In an interview in 2021 with the Gold Derby, Mahaffey discussed the role, saying: 'I know how to be funny. I've done sitcoms. I know ba-dum-bum humour.' 'Maybe it's this point in my life,' she added. 'I don't want any artifice. And I wanted to play the truth of every moment.'
The Age
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Valerie Mahaffey, actor who played quirky villains, dies aged 71
Valerie Mahaffey, a character actor with a knack for playing eccentric women who sometimes revealed themselves to be sinister in television shows such as Desperate Housewives, Northern Exposure and Devious Maids, died Friday in Los Angeles. She was 71. The cause was cancer, her husband, actor Joseph Kell, said in a statement. 'I have lost the love of my life.' Mahaffey had worked steadily over the past five decades, starting on the NBC daytime soap opera The Doctors, for which she received a Daytime Emmy nomination for best supporting actress in 1980. Most recently, she appeared in the movie The 8th Day, a crime thriller released in March. She was also known for her guest-starring roles on well-known TV series such as Seinfeld and Grey's Anatomy. She won an Emmy for best supporting actress in 1992 for her work as Eve, a hypochondriac, on the 1990s CBS series Northern Exposure, a drama set in Alaska. She was best known for playing seemingly friendly women who become villainous characters in dramas such as Desperate Housewives, where she appeared in nine episodes. In her Desperate Housewives role, as Alma Hodge, she was a woman who was trapped in a loveless marriage and faked her own death to get back at her husband, hoping he would be blamed for her disappearance. She most recently won acclaim for her work in the 2020 dark comedy French Exit, which earned her a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award for her portrayal of Madame Reynard, a scene-stealing eccentric widow. In an interview in 2021 with the Gold Derby, Mahaffey discussed the role, saying: 'I know how to be funny. I've done sitcoms. I know ba-dum-bum humour.' 'Maybe it's this point in my life,' she added. 'I don't want any artifice. And I wanted to play the truth of every moment.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Amanda Setton Opens Up About Brook Lynn's Heart-Wrenching General Hospital Twist
Port Charles has been reeling from the dropping of a major truth bomb on General Hospital. The secret that Gio is actually the son of Dante and Brook Lynn, whom she gave up for adoption when she was a teen, has finally been revealed. Gio feels that his entire existence is a lie, and the ramifications of the secret are going to have repercussions for years to come. Amanda Setton revealed how this storyline is a huge moment in BLQ's life. Until recently, Brook Lynn didn't know the baby she gave up for adoption was a boy. When Gio revealed to everyone that he was hers and Dante's (Dominic Zamprogna) son at the Nurses' Ball, she was floored. In preparing for her character's reaction, Setton told Soap Opera Digest that she wanted to ensure she did justice to her character because, 'I wanted to give the audience and the fans this climactic moment and also serve Brook Lynn.' READ THIS: Take a dive into Brook Lynn's mindset. Being a mother and parent in real life made the storyline feel much closer to home than many others. Of Brook Lynn and the stunning revelation, Setton noted, 'This is arguably the biggest moment of her life, and by far the most emotional, to meet her child.' She was able to see how the story struck a real-world chord with her and translate those emotions to BLQ. READ THIS: Get a look at what's coming up in Port Charles. Feeling 'lucky and privileged' to play Brook Lynn, Setton revealed that going into the Nurses' Ball scenes, she lost her voice, although she didn't have a cold. 'My body knew that I didn't want to do it, that I didn't want to go there emotionally,' she explained. The actress was well aware of the emotional toll it would take on her, but refused to 'phone in' her performance. READ THIS: Check out how the 2025 Nurses' Ball performances were ranked. She was going to plow through those scenes whether her body allowed her or not. She was offered the chance to postpone those scenes until her voice returned, but she insisted that if the record times got moved, 'I won't be as in it. It just won't be as good.' Ultimately, her mantra became, 'Let's just go for it. Let's do it.' And she delivered a powerful performance that could hopefully garner her a Daytime Emmy.
Toronto Sun
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Legendary soap opera star Denise Alexander dead at 85
"General Hospital" star Denise Alexander has died at the age of 85. Photo by ABC Veteran soap opera actress Denise Alexander has died at the age of 85. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Alexander died March 5 of natural causes at the home of a nephew in Colorado, her stepson, Anthony Colla, told The Hollywood Reporter . The Daytime Emmy nominee played Susan Hunter Martin on NBC's Days of Our Lives from 1966 to 1973 before getting an offer to portray Lesley Webber on ABC's General Hospital. It was a role that lasted nearly 50 years, with her last onscreen appearance coming in 2021. When she joined the show as Webber, Alexander became part of a love triangle along with with Chris Robinson's Rick Webber and Leslie Charleson's Monica Quartermaine. ' General Hospital went to number one for the first time during the Rick and Lesley and Monica triangle storyline,' she told We Love Soaps , according to PEOPLE . Alexander departed General Hospital following a contract dispute in 1984 and joined rival soap Another World. I n 1996 her character was brought back from the dead. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I was sad when I left the show,' she told We Love Soaps . 'When you have played a character that long and had fun with it, you can feel the fan's sorrow. I missed the character, and it's a fun thing for me that she came back to life. It's a character I know, and there's still a few people I know there.' General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini hailed Alexander in a social media statement. 'I am so very sorry to hear of Denise Alexander's passing,' Valentini wrote. 'She broke barriers on screen and off portraying Dr. Lesley Webber — one of the first female doctors on daytime television — for nearly five decades. It meant so much to have her reprise her role in recent years, and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with her. On behalf of the entire General Hospital family, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to her family, friends, and longtime fans. May she rest in peace.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I am so very sorry to hear of Denise Alexander's passing. She broke barriers on-screen and off, portraying Dr. Lesley Webber - one of the first female doctors on Daytime Television - for nearly five decades. It meant so much to have her reprise her role in recent years and I am… — General Hospital (@GeneralHospital) May 10, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Days of Our Lives star Susan Seaforth Hayes also took to social media to pay tribute to Alexander. 'Denise Alexander was a friend to treasure and an actress to applaud. She was well established on Days when I joined the cast as Julie #4 (a replacement for 4 previous actresses). She watched Billy and I fall madly in love and, being a romantic lady herself, cheered us on,' she wrote, sharing a photo of herself posing alongside her husband Billy Hayes and Alexander. 'Such happy memories of her years in Salem and her great success on General Hospital. We both began as child actors, both had strong mothers and both were raised as Christian Scientists in our early years. I was grateful for her wisdom, taste, humor, and goodness every time I saw her. It was never enough. And my love for her will never be over.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Soap fans shared their condolences on Valentini's post, with many hailing her for being a trailblazer in the genre. 'I am so sad to hear this, she was a wonderful actress and a huge part of the show's history. The last time she was on, you could see her health had declined but that did not stop her delivering an A+ performance,' one fan wrote. 'GH has lost a lot of its former stars in the last year. Although as a fan I did not personally know them, it felt as if I lost some one I was close to. RIP lovely lady.' Alexander got her acting start as a child, appearing first on radio before moving to television. 'There was television, there was radio, I did theatre, I did everything there was to do, and it seemed natural,' she told We Love Soaps, PEOPLE reported . 'Now when I look back, I think, 'How lucky was I?' — because a lot of people didn't have those experiences.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In that same 2010 interview, Alexander opened up on what her life was like as one of the biggest daytime stars. 'The audience would surround your car and scream when you would try to drive away from some appearance,' she said, according to The Hollywood Reporter . 'Financially, it was great. And I didn't have to go out on audition and be told I was too young, too old, too short, too fat, too boring, nothing. It was a great place to be and a great job and a great gift for an actor. And everybody got famous and that was fun.' mdaniell@ Read More Toronto Maple Leafs Editorial Cartoons World Ontario Sunshine Girls
Express Tribune
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Denise Alexander, ‘General Hospital' and ‘Days of Our Lives' star, dies at 85
Veteran soap opera actress Denise Alexander, best known for her roles on General Hospital and Days of Our Lives, has died at the age of 85. Alexander was a prominent figure in daytime television from the 1960s through the 2000s, portraying Susan Hunter Martin on NBC's Days of Our Lives and Dr. Lesley Webber on ABC's General Hospital. Alexander's acting career began in the 1950s with a Broadway role in The Children's Hour, followed by appearances on shows like The Twilight Zone. She joined Days of Our Lives in 1966, appearing in over 800 episodes until her departure in 1973, the same year she transitioned to General Hospital. Her move to GH caused a media stir but revitalized the struggling series. Her character became central to a key love triangle and earned Alexander a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1976. She left the show in 1984 amid contract disputes but returned in 1996, ultimately appearing in over 1,000 episodes until her final appearance in 2021. Alexander was married for over 40 years to director and actor Richard Colla, who passed away in 2021. Tributes poured in from former co-stars, including Genie Francis and Susan Seaforth Hayes. GH executive producer Frank Valentini also praised Alexander's legacy, calling her one of the first female doctors on daytime TV and a barrier-breaking actress whose influence spanned decades. Alexander's contributions to daytime television leave a lasting impact on generations of viewers and colleagues alike.
