LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Thorsten Kaye and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood of 鈥淭he Bold and the Beautiful鈥� won lead acting honors at the Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday night, when 鈥淕eneral Hospital鈥� collected six trophies, including four for acting.
Kaye, who plays Ridge Forrester on the CBS soap, wasn't on hand to accept.
鈥淭horsten would have thanked me because I help him through everything,鈥� joked co-star John McCook, last year's lead actor winner who presented the lead actress award this year.
MacInnes Wood collected her third trophy for her role as Steffy Forrester, the daughter of Ridge.
鈥淲ow! Awesome! Oh my gosh,鈥� MacInnes Wood said. 鈥淚'm so grateful for this ride.鈥�
鈥淕eneral Hospital鈥� capped a dominating night by winning outstanding drama series.
鈥淭his is really a special night and I feel very appreciative and a little anxious,鈥� executive producer Frank Valentini said. 鈥淲e'd like to dedicate this to Sonya Eddy and N'Neka Garland, we love you so much.鈥�
Eddy won supporting actress honors for her 16-year role as no-nonsense head nurse Epiphany Johnson on the venerable ABC show. She died in December 2022 at age 55 from an infection after surgery.
Garland worked as a producer at 鈥淕eneral Hospital鈥� for 22 years before dying of a heart attack in March at age 49.
Robert Gossett, who plays Marshall Ashford on 鈥淕eneral Hospital,鈥� claimed the supporting actor trophy. He also won last year in the guest performer category for the same role.
Eden McCoy won for outstanding younger performer as Josslyn Jacks. The 20-year-old actor debuted on 鈥淕eneral Hospital鈥� in 2015. Her mother, Natasha McCoy, died of cancer in November.
鈥淭his is for and because of my mother,鈥� McCoy said. 鈥淚t's not lost on me what an absolute privilege it is to be able to do something, not only I like to do but love to do for a living, and I love what I do. It's really easy to be grateful on nights like this, but I am grateful every day.鈥�
Alley Mills, best-known for her role as the mother on 鈥淭he Wonder Years,鈥� won for guest performance on a daytime drama. The 72-year-old actor began playing Heather Webber on 鈥淕eneral Hospital鈥� when the role was recast last year.
Her husband, actor Orson Bean, was killed in 2020 after being hit by two cars while crossing a street in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles.
鈥淚 had just lost my beloved husband 鈥� it was pretty traumatic 鈥� and then I get asked to play a seriously traumatized person who kills a lot of people, but she's got a heart of gold,鈥� Mills said. 鈥淎nd she's barreling towards the light all the time and it gave me that ability to keep going and barrel towards the light. The world is so screwed up right now that all I can say to all of you traumatized people out there, just keep barreling towards the light.鈥�
鈥淕eneral Hospital鈥� also won for its directing team.
Susan Lucci received the Lifetime Achievement Honor for her 40-year run as Erica Kane on 鈥淎ll My Children.鈥� The actor, who turns 77 next week, was nominated 18 times in the lead actress category without winning before she ended the wait in 1999.
Shemar Moore, who shouted, 鈥淭he streak is over!鈥� when presenting her with the trophy back then, returned to introduce her.
鈥淪he's the leading lady of daytime,鈥� Moore said before Lucci was greeted with a standing ovation.
鈥淗ow lucky am I to dream my dreams of becoming an actress and grow up to have my dreams come true?鈥� said Lucci, who sniffled during her remarks. 鈥淭here were obstacles and roadblocks. I mean, there were wannabe obstacles and roadblocks.鈥�
鈥淭he Young and the Restless鈥� was honored for outstanding writing team.
Kelly Clarkson earned her third consecutive trophy for a daytime talk series and won as daytime talk host. The singer, who didn't attend, moved her syndicated show from Los Angeles to New York this year.
鈥淚t's a pleasure to work with her. She makes it fun, she's a joy every day and that makes it a little easier,鈥� executive producer Alex Duda said. 鈥淪he wanted me to thank all of our viewers for sticking with us on this migration as we moved.鈥�
鈥淓ntertainment Tonight鈥� won its eighth trophy as outstanding entertainment news series. Kevin Frazier and Nichelle Turner, who hosted Friday night, came out of the audience to accept.
The 50th annual ceremony honoring talk shows and soap operas is the first major awards show to return since the Hollywood writers鈥� and actors鈥� strikes ended. It was pushed back from its scheduled June date.
To celebrate the awards' golden anniversary, the previous winner of a category was paired with a long-ago winner as presenters. Attendees sat at tables spread out in a ballroom at the Westin Bonaventure hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
Beth Harris, The Associated Press
