‘General Hospital’ Actresses Speak Out About Unequal Pay In The Industry
General Hospital has been on the air for five decades. That is a lot of talent that has graced the screen in various roles. The characters become more than just people on the screen, they become part of life for some viewers. General Hospital has created characters who are fixtures in the show. Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) is one of the most recognizable names right now. Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) right up there with his friend in terms of popularity.
With the current talks in Hollywood about unequal pay based on gender, two former General Hospital actresses have started to speak out about their experiences. For the last decade or so, Sonny has been the main focus of General Hospital. He is connected to nearly every storyline, putting him front and center in the majority of episodes. Sonny has had a few different lovers, but Carly (Laura Wright) and Brenda (Vanessa Marcil) have been the most popular. Fans banter back and forth about who belongs with him, and some often wonder why Brenda disappeared from Port Charles.
Twitter has become a place where soap fans vocalize their opinions, sometimes even tagging the actor in their thoughts. General Hospital fans have been incredibly persistent with their thoughts, so much so that in recent weeks, some of the actors have had to remind fans to respect other actors because they are only doing a job. The big outcry was sparked when Steve Burton returned to General Hospital after being gone five years. That not only affected the current storylines, but it has reportedly also affected the pay situation as well.
Earlier this month, Sarah Joy Brown (original Carly) took to Twitter to mention she was paid less than half the salary her male counterparts earned while on General Hospital. She played the original Carly, sharing scenes with Maurice Benard and Steve Burton. After she left, she was replaced with Tamara Braun who currently plays Dr. Kim Nero. As soon as Brown’s claims were noticed, General Hospital fans began to fight back. She was accused of shading Benard and Burton, though she is adamant that was not her intent. She is working to fight for equal pay while also sharing her experiences.
Sarah Joy Brown isn’t the only actress claiming that happened to her while working on General Hospital. Vanessa Marcil quoted a tweet to respond and implied Brenda may have left Port Charles due to being asked to take an 80 percent pay cut. This is shocking to some fans, especially because the Sonny and Brenda fans were a big bunch back in the days when they were a couple on the show. It looks like there may not be a return to General Hospital in her future, especially if they aren’t willing to pay her what she is worth.
Or she left because she wouldn’t agree to the 80 percent pay cuts???? #timesup https://t.co/AMNOSdWRc2
— Vanessa Marcil (@VanessaMarcilM) January 16, 2018
All of this was discussed prior to the news of Genie Francis being bumped to recurring status. Rumors of General Hospital bumping the fan-favorite veteran have been swirling for days, but Soap Opera Digest reported on the news today. While it is unclear if pay had anything to do with it, fans are in an uproar about it. Steve Burton returned to the show with a rumored salary that is huge, though an amount has not been confirmed. If that is the case, the casting cuts are assumed to be happening because of his return. General Hospital fans are unhappy, and they are letting social media know about it.
