General Hospital’s Cynthia Watros Reveals the Atmosphere at Guiding Light That Made Annie and Reva’s Feud So Unforgettably Combustible
Saturday, January 15th, 2022
CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
A whole different kind of sparks flew when she shared scenes with Kim Zimmer.
Back when Guiding Light cast Cynthia Watros as Annie Dutton in 1994, the future Daytime Emmy winner was just “a young kid who really didn’t know what she was doing,” she said during a recent episode of The Locher Room. (Watch it in full below.) But boy, did she have “it,” that ephemeral quality that separates stars from mere actors. And when the CBS soap resurrected Kim Zimmer’s Reva Shayne to reclaim soulmate Josh Lewis from Annie, Watros really got to shine.
You or we might panic if we heard that our love interest’s previous love interest was coming back from the dead. But “I was like, ‘Yay!’” Watros said. Turned out, she had every reason be happy. She and Zimmer formed an on-screen partnership that transformed Annie and Reva into legendary rivals on par with The Young and the Restless’ Katherine and Jill or Stephanie and Brooke on The Bold and the Beautiful.
“Kim is a strong personality,” recalled Watros, now entangled in a whole new feud as General Hospital pot stirrer Nina. On screen, “we would fight, but she would let me. I did all sorts of things off script like laugh in her face, get in her face.”
Soap vet Zimmer not only rolled with it, she rocked it. “Not once was she ever like, ‘Ya know what? Don’t do that stuff. Just do what’s written,’” said Watros. “She just played with me, so we played together.”
The rest, as you well know, is soap history. While you’re here, catch up with some of your Guiding Light favorites with the below gallery of then-and-now photos of the cast.
Video: YouTube/The Locher Room
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Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Gregorio T. Binuya/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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<p><strong>Then:</strong> The late Christopher Bernau’s successor played imperious tycoon Alan Spaulding from 1994 to 2009. <strong>Since Then:</strong> The Broadway vet has returned to his stage roots and was nominated for a Tony in 2012 for his superlative work in a revival of <em>Follies</em>.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
2/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> Katy Perry didn’t write “Teenage Dream” about him, but she could’ve, back when he originated the role of preppy hottie Phillip Spaulding. <strong>Since Then:</strong> Following the cancellation of <em>Guiding Light</em>, Aleksander has only shown up on the Web soap <em>Tainted Dreams.</em> Well, and on our shortlist of actors who need new soap roles.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
3/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> She was already a soap vet when as a youngster, she was cast as Lizzie, Phillip’s daughter with Beth Raines. <strong>Since Then:</strong> Panettiere has done just about it all, from modeling (she was the face of Neutrogena) to movies (<em>Scream 4</em>) to primetime (<em>Heroes</em>, anyone? <em>Nashville</em>?).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Howard Wise/JPI
4/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> The Daytime Emmy winner lived up to his potential as a soap star as poor little rich boy Alan-Michael Spaulding. <strong>Since Then:</strong> He’s knocked it outta the park on <em>The Young and the Restless</em> (as a recast Matt Clark) and <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> (as Whip Jones). And we’re still waiting for him to show up again on <em>General Hospital</em> (as Ric Lansing).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
5/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> She stole viewers’ hearts from 1991-95 as Eleni Andros, the Greek goddess torn between Alan-Michael and blue-collar Frank Cooper. <strong>Since Then:</strong> The primetime MVP has headlined her own series (1999-02’s <em>Providence</em>) and fought crime as a regular on <em>CSI: Miami.</em></p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
6/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> He was goodhearted Frank from 1987 until the end of the soap’s run in 2009. <strong>Since Then:</strong> Dicopoulos lent his voice to the audio soap <em>Forever and a Day</em> and took to the stage in the jukebox musical <em>Calling All Divas.</em></p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, George De Sota/JPI
7/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> She played heiress Vanessa Chamberlain off and on from 1980 until the soap’s cancellation. <strong>Since Then:</strong> The actress has battled breast cancer and discussed on PBS’ <em>The New Medicine</em> the importance of communicating with one’s physician.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, George De Sota/JPI
8/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> He was Matt Reardon, the younger man who swept Vanessa off her feet in the mid-1990s. <strong>Since Then:</strong> The star of the 1985 martial-arts classic <em>No Retreat, No Surrender</em> has mainly appeared in indie movies. He also returned briefly to daytime with small roles on <em>As the World Turns</em> and <em>One Life to Live</em> (pictured).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Howard Wise/JPI
9/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> She won two Daytime Emmys for her portrayal of Vanessa’s daughter, Dinah Marler. <strong>Since Then:</strong> She returned to her first soap role of Kelly Cramer on <em>One Life to Live</em> and replaced Michelle Stafford as Phyllis Summers on <em>The Young and the Restless.</em></p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Paramount Network
10/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> Tognoni’s predecessor as Dinah made the role her own as she took it over from future <em>The 100</em> star Paige Turco. <strong>Since Then:</strong> Moniz has joined the cast of the Paramount Network hit <em>Yellowstone</em> as the governor and married (and split from) her former leading man…</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Derek Storm/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
11/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> He put an end to the frequent recasting of Roger Thorpe’s son, Hart Jessup. <strong>Since Then:</strong> He threw a knockout punch as the star of the mixed-martial-arts drama <em>Kingdom</em>. But the show’s <em>most</em> successful primetime star may yet be…</p>
Image: Kristin Callahan/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Arlene Ritchie/JPI
12/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> The Daytime Emmy winner pumped adrenaline into the soap as Reva Shayne’s heretofore-unknown son, Jonathan Randall. <strong>Since Then:</strong> Pelphrey so dazzled on Netflix’s Ozark that he was nominated for more awards than we knew existed.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
13/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> She succeeded the late Brian Dennehy’s daughter Elizabeth as Roger Thorpe’s chip off the ol’ block, conniving Blake. <strong>Since Then:</strong> After her three-year stay in Springfield, Stringfield made a name for herself in primetime via lead roles on <em>NYPD Blue</em> and <em>ER</em>.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, George De Sota/JPI
14/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> They were “Bloss,” aka Blake and Ross Marler, one of <em>Guiding Light</em>’s most reliably unreliable supercouples. <strong>Since Then:</strong> Keifer has appeared on <em>Venice: The Series</em>, and her on-screen husband stepped in for the late Clint Ritchie as Clint Buchanan on <em>One Life to Live.</em></p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, ABC
15/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> The future Emmy winner tackled the role of Reva’s “Wait, a minute, <em>what</em>… ?!?” sister, Cassie Layne, a stripper-turned-princess. What? It could happen. <strong>Since Then:</strong> The actress became the fourth Carly Corinthos on <em>General Hospital</em> — and for most of the show’s audience, the definitive one.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jennifer Graylock/JPI
16/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> The former child star played Gus Aitoro from 2001-2008. <strong>Since Then:</strong> The veteran of <em>Another World</em> (as rocker Dean Frame) has appeared on <em>All My Children</em> (as Jake Martin) and <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> (as Maya Avant’s no-good ex).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
17/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> She was tangled-web-weaver Oliver Spencer from 1999-2009. <strong>Since Then:</strong> She’s visited other soaps but is perhaps best known for co-creating her own show, <em>Venice: The Series</em>, and casting former<em> Guiding Light</em> love interest Jessica Leccia (Natalia).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
18/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> In his TV debut, the Juilliard grad played Olivia’s brother, Sam Spencer. <strong>Since Then:</strong> He’s polarized viewers of <em>General Hospital</em> as Peter August, the nefarious offspring of supervillain Cesar Faison. (Of note: He’s also the real-life honey of <em>Guiding Light</em> and <em>General Hospital</em> castmate Laura Wright.)</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
19/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> She played feisty Kat Speakes from 1991-94. <strong>Since Then:</strong> Long has amassed an incredible list of credits on screens big (<em>Boyz n the Hood</em>, <em>The Best Man</em>) and small (<em>Third Watch</em>, <em>NCIS: Los Angeles</em>).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Steve Mack/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
20/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> He was ’80s dreamboat Kelly Nelson. <strong>Since Then:</strong> After winning Daytime Emmys for his work on <em>As the World Turns</em> (as Douglas Cummings) and <em>Santa Barbara</em> (as Martin Ellis), Shipp suited up to play primetime’s <em>The Flash</em> in 1990. But he may be best known for his stint as Dawson’s dad on the late-’90s primetime soap <em>Dawson’s Creek</em>.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jennifer Graylock/JPI
21/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> The actor previously known as Paul Wasilewski was cast as teenage trouble magnet Max Nickerson when he was just a junior in high school. <strong>Since Then:</strong> He’s attracted a legion of fangs… er, <em>fans</em>… by giving the 2009-17 primetime hit <em>The Vampire Diaries</em> its bite.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
22/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> The former model — she started at age 3! — spent three years playing Susan “Daisy” Lemay, the illegitimate daughter of Harley Cooper and Dylan Lewis. <strong>Since Then:</strong> She’s never stopped working in TV and film but is best known for the trilogy of <em>Pitch Perfect</em> movies in which she hit just the right, ahem, note.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, J. Graylock/JPI
23/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> She turned Springfield upside down as petulant Drew Jacobs in the late 1990s. <strong>Since Then:</strong> Blanchard has cemented her star status with roles on stage (she’s a two-time Tony nominee), television (she won an Emmy for her portrayal of the younger version of the title character in <em>Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows</em>) and in the movies (including the Fred Rogers biopic <em>A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood</em>).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Steve Mack/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
24/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> He gave one intoxicating performance after another as alcoholic teen Tim Werner from 1980-81. <strong>Since Then:</strong> Bacon is so ubiquitous in showbiz that you’re no one unless you’re six degrees or less from him. Career highlights — and this list could go on and on — include 1984’s <em>Footloose</em>, the cult classic <em>Tremors</em> and the blockbuster <em>Apollo 13.</em></p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, ABC
25/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> The daytime rookie bowled over viewers as Annie Dutton, whose theme song could have been Ava Max’s “Sweet But Psycho.” <strong>Since Then:</strong> The Daytime Emmy winner shook up one primetime show (<em>Lost</em>) after another (<em>House</em>) before returning to soaps as Nina Reeves on <em>General Hospital.</em></p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
26/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> He proved so popular as Alexandra Spaulding’s surprise son Lujack that he was resurrected as his character’s twin brother, Nick McHenry. <strong>Since Then:</strong> Irizarry traded his good-guy halo to go dark — at times <em>real</em> dark — as <em>All My Children</em>’s Dr. Evil, David Hayward.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
27/28
<p><strong>Then:</strong> He starred off and on as Josh Lewis from 1981 until the lights were switched off on the soap in 2009. <strong>Since Then:</strong> Newman has focused his career on the stage, appearing in productions of <em>Peter Pan</em>, <em>Nine</em> and <em>Gypsy</em>. In fact, when that last show played Pittsburgh, his leading lady was none other than…</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, John P. Iblis/JPI
28/28
