July 19 - Where Are They Now? Wednesday - Finola Hughes

This week’s WHERE ARE THEY NOW? WEDNESDAY focuses on soap opera actress, Finola Hughes. She played Anna Devane on General Hospital (GH) from 1985-1992.

My connection with GH started in 1981. I was the Finance Director for The Ohio State University’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG). At the time I had some political aspirations and this experience would look good on my resume. The previous Finance Director had been convicted for embezzling $7000 from the budget. My administration was scandal free.

In conjunction with the famous GH wedding of “Luke and Laura” in November 1981, the USG sponsored a GH weekend at OSU. Their wedding on November 16, 1981 was the highest-rated episode of any daytime soap opera in the United States, with more than 30 million viewers.

We flew in cast members Leslie Charleson (Monica Quatermaine) and Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie Spenser) for a special GH weekend. We had a weekend of events to spotlight the show and to raise money for the student fund. During the Saturday rally I was the stand-in for the “Soap Opera Kiss” demonstration with Ms. Charleson. It still ranks as one of my top 5 kisses (possible future blog?).

As fate would have it, I would cross paths with another GH cast member, Finola Hughes.

Twenty years ago this month, I took a vacation from Ohio to Southern California with 2 friends, Scott and George. We were staying at a Huntington Beach hotel that was also hosting a nationally sanctioned dog show.

Always eager to expand my sphere of knowledge, I decided to attend part of the dog show. On my way to the pavilion I had to pass through the hotel bar. And whom do you think I ran into at the bar?

You’re right, Claude Akins. Akins played “Sheriff Elroy S. Lobo” on TV’s B.J. and the Bear. Akins also appeared in several TV series and over 50 movies. When you read his bio on the Internet it says nothing about his love of dogs. Mr. Akins did give me this dog show advice.

Claude told me to watch how they make the male dogs stand at attention. The dog owners spread their (the dog’s) legs and firmly grasp and pull down on their (the dog’s) family jewels. I considered this useless trivia until last year when I turned from wage earner to “Trophy Husband.” I can stand at attention without prompting. But I digress.

When I finally made it to the dog show, whom do you think I ran into? Right again, Finola Hughes. She was extremely pleasant and a bit of a flirt.

I knew that Finola had starred in in the 1983 John Travolta film Staying Alive, a sequel to Saturday Night Fever. I mentioned that to her and scored countless points, as not many people had seen that movie.

But WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Finola Hughes. What happened to her after our chance meeting?

Well as it turned out she stayed on General Hospital through 1992. She also had parts on two other TV series, Blossom (1994-1995) and Pacific Palisades. She then did a crossover role on All My Children from 1999-2003. Her bio says she can currently be seen on the on The Style Network as the host of the makeover show, How Do I Look?.

My TV has a “M (man) Chip” that blocks the The Style Network, WE, and Lifetime Networks. It also blocks channels that have shows with Queer Eye, Oprah, or Michael Bolton in the show description.

The General Hospital web site says Anna Devane is returning to the show for a brief run this summer.

So it sounds like there were no career ending consequences from our chance meeting in 1986. I wish her well and would advise her that the restraining order is no longer needed.

As a footnote to our 1986 California vacation, within the next three years, George, Scott, (pictured at right) and I all moved to California from Ohio. By 1992 we were all married to California women.

I’m always happy we decided to vacation in California and not in Alaska in 1986. Who knows how that would have turned out?