Mark Teschner Reveals General Hospital Casting Magic with Rena Sofer & Giovanni Mazza

Mark Teschner has been discovering your favorite soap opera favorites for over 25 years. A multiple Daytime Emmy winner for his role as General Hospital‘s casting director, he’s brought stars including Rena Sofer, who plays Lois, and Giovanni Mazza, who plays Gio, to Port Charles. Soap Hub chatted with the Silver Circle honoree at the Daytime Emmys to get some insights from the revered star maker.

The Silver Circle Winner’s Circle

Teschner graciously stopped by Soap Hub‘s spot on the red carpet at the Daytime Emmys to talk about his being honored with the Silver Circle Award, which honors his 25 years (and more) of service to the daytime community.

“When I heard I was being inducted, it was very exciting for me,” he tells Soap Hub, “Because it’s an acknowledgement of your body of work, your lifetime of work — not just that special year.

I love what I do — even after 34 years on the show, I still enjoy it. To get this kind of shoutout and respect from your peers? There’s nothing better,” he adds.

We Love Lois

Teschner not only was the casting director when Sofer came on as Lois over 30 years ago, he actually discovered her when he was looking at actors for the role of Rocky on Loving. “I found her when she was 18,” he recalls. “When General Hospital‘s [Lois] came up, I knew she was perfect for it. She wasn’t sure she wanted to do another soap. I took her to dinner and talked her into testing for the role. The rest is history. She’s created one of the most indelible characters ever in daytime.”

Beautiful Music

Teschner brings the same passion and love for his job that he had when he found Sofer as he does today — as evidenced by Mazza, one of his more recent finds.

“I was looking for a 15-year-old,” Teschner says of an unnamed role when Mazza came across his desk. “I knew he was too old [for that particular part], but I sent his audition to executive producer Frank Valentini. I said, ‘Frank, just take a look at this kid, and then, he was like, ‘Get him in here.'”

The show fell in love with Mazza and created a role for him, which includes the actor’s real-life talent for playing the violin. “We tailored that part to him,” Teschner says.

Today’s Challenges

The TV industry has changed greatly since Teschner began casting actors for half-hour soap Loving, which was shot in New York. Both new and veteran daytime actors need to bring their A-game to work every day as shows tape faster than ever due to economic reasons.

“It’s never been a more challenging time to enter show business in general because of the nature of the business,” the casting director says, “Being an actor is about the most challenging thing you can do.

“So,” he points out, “you have to do it because you love it, and you bleed it. You can’t do it because you want to be a star. The reason to become an actor is because acting is in your soul and blood. That’s what’s going to get you through the tough times.”