A captivating reunion awaits on General Hospital, and it's one that will leave you on the edge of your seat! Finola Hughes, the talented actress behind the beloved Anna Devane, is about to face a unique challenge. But here's where it gets controversial...
Anna, our fearless heroine, finds herself in a perilous situation, held captive by the dastardly duo of Sidwell and Ross Cullum. And this is the part most people miss: they're not just any villains; they're master manipulators, aiming to convince Anna that her arch-nemesis, Cesar Faison, is still alive and torturing her from the great beyond. Talk about a mind-bending twist!
Now, here's the catch: Faison, played by the brilliant Anders Hove, was killed off in 2018. So, how do you bring a dead character back to life, especially when his presence is so crucial to the story? Enter Finola Hughes, who, despite not sharing scenes with Hove for years, has maintained a close bond with him. Their reunion, though unconventional, was a treat for both the actors and the audience.
"I love him so," Hughes gushes about Hove. "He's one of my all-time favorite scene partners." And their connection didn't wane over the years. In fact, when Hove recorded his lines for this pivotal scene from Denmark, he made sure to text Hughes beforehand, discussing the emotional journey their characters were about to embark on.
When it came time for Hughes to film those intense scenes, where Faison's voice taunts a vulnerable Anna, she was in for a surprise. "It was nuts!" she exclaims. Why? Because even though Hove wasn't physically present, his voice, played back to her on set, allowed her to react in real-time, creating an incredibly authentic performance.
"They played it to the floor," Hughes explains, referring to the studio floor. "It felt like I was working with him, except he was in Europe and had prerecorded it!"
The history between Faison and Anna runs deep. It all began before Anna's arrival in Port Charles in 1985. When Hove first stepped into the role of Faison in 1990, flashbacks revealed their initial entanglement, with Faison's mother, Sybil McTavish, serving as Anna's nanny. As adults, their paths crossed again when Anna became a double agent, working for both the WSB and the DVX, Faison's criminal organization.
Faison's obsession with Anna knew no bounds. He expressed it in disturbing ways, from writing novels featuring a fictionalized Anna to kidnapping her and even assuming the identity of her presumed-dead husband, Duke Lavery. Faison's reign of terror seemed to end in 2018 when he was shot by Jason, but his legacy lived on through his son, Peter August, who witnessed his father's death.
With such a complex backstory, Hughes was thrilled to explore Anna's psyche and her past. "It was a really cool method to tap into Anna's history," she enthuses. "Working with Anders, even from a distance, is always a treat!"
So, what do you think, fans? Is this a brilliant way to bring a dead character back to life, or does it cross a line? We want to hear your thoughts! Comment below and let's discuss this controversial move!
