General Hospital fans were excited to hear Rick Hearst was returning to the soap once again. Rick, who plays Ric Lansing on GH, has been reflecting on his daytime TV career. While reminiscing, he recalled a time when he almost “married” Cynthia Watros, who plays Nina. Here is what he shared about their first interactions with each other.
Rick Hearst Recalls Seeing Cynthia Watros Audition
Rick Hearst fans may remember when he played Alan-Michael Spaulding on Guiding Light. On that soap, Cynthia Watros portrayed Annie Dutton. She even won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress for her work on the show.
While Alan-Michael and Annie never got together on Guiding Light, Cynthia initially screen-tests for the role of Lucy. Lucy and Rick’s character ended up getting married.
He spoke to Soap Opera Digest about meeting Cynthia for the first time. “Here’s how I remember Cynthia. I think I have to remind her of this, as well, but she actually screen-tested for the part of Lucy,” Rick shared. “When Cynthia came in for that audition, I just marveled at her because there was such an incredible depth to her performance. You know, she’s a very trained actor, and it was like she took it on as a Shakespearean role and was so involved. I loved what she did.”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the direction producers wanted to go with Lucy’s character. They eventually cast Sonia Satra in the role. A year later, Cynthia landed the role of Annie and Rick Hearst said he was thrilled. He recalled knowing she’d be a “powerhouse” on the show.
The Two Actors Meet Again On General Hospital
Years later, the two soap stars are meeting again on General Hospital. Of course, Cynthia didn’t play the role of Nina when Ric pushed her into a quickie marriage to get her fortune. At the time, the character was played by Michelle Stafford (The Young and the Restless).
Nonetheless, Cynthia and Rick are finally getting to act side-by-side and play off their past as exes on the ABC soap.
“I absolutely love working with her… This is genuinely the first time I’ve had that opportunity to work with Cynthia and she is phenomenal,” Rick gushed over his costar.
He continued, saying that she is an “incredible listener and goes with the moment of a scene while, at the same time, having a completely full point of view from her character’s standpoint.”
General Hospital fans have loved watching them on screen together. Some are even hoping that something will come from their interactions, despite their complicated history.
It doesn’t seem like Rick Hearst would mind a rekindling of their romance on GH either. What do you think?
