VIDEO: Top Stars Check Into General Hospital

By Scott Harris Posted Nov 12th 2009 02:10PM

James Franco has a long list of impressive credits on his resume, including mainstream and cult hits such as 'Spider-man' and 'Pineapple Express'. But this month he will finally receive the ultimate accolade for any true Hollywood star: a guest spot on 'General Hospital'.

Yes, it's true: the dreamy Franco, who is known for unusual career choices such as his decision to temporarily drop acting altogether to pursue a literary degree, will be appearing on the long-running soap as a mysterious assassin. But Franco is hardly the first star to pass through 'General Hospital''s hallowed halls; for decades, the show has been both a launching pad for unknowns who went on to become stars and a welcoming venue for established legends to let their hair down.

In honor of Franco's appearance, then, we thought we'd tip our hats to the folks at Port Charles and present some of our favorite star appearances on 'General Hospital'. Because you never know when that hunky doc handing out love advice may turn out to be the next Rick Springfield.

It's only fitting that we kick off our list with Franco himself, of course, so here's a sneak tease at what you can expect when he hits the airwaves with mayhem on his mind.

Undoubtedly the biggest star to pop up in Port Charles is one of the biggest stars in history, Elizabeth Taylor, who appeared as scheming widow Helena Cassadine in 1981.

'General Hospital' has an unusually strong musical legacy, with a number of pop stars getting their start on the show. But it also has featured guest appearances from established greats, such as this 1995 number by none other than legendary blues master B. B. King.

Roseanne and Tom Arnold played to type in 1994 when they appeared as a crazy married couple, which happened to be exactly what they were at the time.

Interestingly, the role played by Roseanne was picked up nearly a decade later when 'All in the Family' star Sally Struthers appeared in 2002 as the mildly unhinged would-be bride Jennifer Smith.

Demi Moore may be a household name these days, but she was still an unknown back in 1983 when she got her big break on 'General Hospital' as investigative reporter Jackie Templeton. In this clip, Scorpio stops by her publisher to give them a piece of his mind and gets a surprise when the lady herself shows up to give it right back.

Amber Tamblyn was just 12 when she began appearing as Emily in 1995. She stayed on 'General Hospital' for six years before moving on to greater fame on 'Joan of Arcadia'.

Here's a rare double-star clip: when Sammy Davis, Jr. appeared in 1982, John Stamos was still an unknown. Thanks to a bit of improvisation, Stamos got to play drums with Davis in an extended jam, leading to many more musical opportunities for the 'ER' actor, who would go on to a regular gig playing with the Beach Boys.

98 Degrees may not have had quite the same cache as the Rat Pack, but that didn't stop 'General Hospital' from scheduling an appearance in 1999. As might be expected, their guest spot triggered a bout of extended teen angst, as seen in this lenghty clip.

Before 'MacGyver', Richard Dean Anderson was best known for his role as Dr. Jeff Webber on 'General Hospital', a role he filled for five years.

'Wayne's World' star Tia Carrere also got her start the old fashioned way: by slogging it out in the afternoon for two years as Jade Sung, starting back in 1983.

Ricky Martin has had an interesting career arc. Sandwiched between his days as a Menudo boy-bander and his mega-success as a pop icon, the latin singer found time to play Miguel Morez on 'General Hospital' for two years beginning in 1994.

And we finish off the list with the legend himself, Rick Springfield, who pulled the unusual double duty of being a massive pop star and a soap opera icon at the same time: he signed onto the show in 1981, just before "Jesse's Girl" hit the charts, leading to a sudden afternoon frenzy as fans went wild for his Dr. Noah Drake.

Tags: Elizabeth Taylor, ElizabethTaylor, general hospital, GeneralHospital, James Franco, JamesFranco

Comments

(1)

Tuesday 08 March

By marlene barton

Vote down Vote up Report this

I AM SO DISSAPOINTED THAT GENERAL HOSPITAL HAS TO COPY ALL MY CHILDREN IN HAVING LUCKY MARRY TO KEEP THE GAL FROM BEING SE TO IRLAND. TAD IN ALL MY CHILDREN JUST GOT MARIED TO KEEP ONE OF THEIR PEOPLE FROM BEIBG DEPORTED ,HAVE BEEN SEEING GH COPY A LOT OF THINGS HAVE WATCHED GH FOR 50 YEARS BUT AM GETTING REALLY TIRED OF THIS ,DO YOU HAVE THE SAME WRITER? AS ALL MY CHILDREN

Page 1 of 1