As Ned Quartermaine, Wally Kurth has leading man charm and appeal (well, he actually has that at his other daytime gig, too, but today, we’re talking about Ned!) For his role as a patient, loving, and thoughtful husband and father on General Hospital, Soap Hub bestows Performer of the Week honors for GH on Kurth.
Wally Kurth – Performer of the Week
There was unresolved tension between Ned (Wally Kurth) and his wife Olivia Quartermaine (Lisa LoCicero) after he slept with Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) last year after thinking erroneously that Olivia had rolled in the hay with super-spy Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers). But the real conflict between the Quartermaines came from Ned’s belief that Olivia’s son Leo (Easton Rocket Sweda)
Ned had already partially warmed his way back into Olivia’s heart by underwriting an art exhibit at the Jerome Gallery featuring the photographer of Joel Sartore and purchasing a few of the artist’s books for Leo. Olivia said she was running out of positive adjectives to describe her hubby as the exhibit was a special treat for little Leo.
The festive nature of the exhibit turned dark after Ned’s daughter Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) lost track of Leo. Olivia – understandably – began to live every mother’s worst nightmare. Calmly, Ned shared that he knew where Leo could possibly be.
First, Ned (Wally Kurth) tried to reassure Olivia that Leo was okay as a gallery valet saw Leo walking away (but assumed he was with some adults who were exiting at the same time). After seeing a photo of an octopus from Sartore’s exhibit on the wall that Leo was looking at, Ned realized he knew where Leo might be!
Ned and Olivia raced to Pier 54 and found Leo lying on the dock looking into the water. Ned asked Leo what he was doing there. Brook Lynn asked Leo if he were trying to find an octopus that was similar to the one in Sartore’s picture. The boy nodded. But when Olivia asked Leo if he knew why everyone might be so frantic that he wandered off alone, he appeared unresponsive.
Ned explained that he’d researched children on the autism spectrum and learned that they liked being near the water. Gently, Ned asked Olivia if she were all right. Ned said he couldn’t diagnosis Leo for sure, but an understandably scared Olivia knew that if Ned hadn’t done that research, then they might not have found Leo.
Recent Soap Hub Performer of the Week for GH Lisa LoCicero also shined in these scenes as Olivia trembled and Ned took her into his arms. She thanked her husband for being there. “Always,” Ned replied. As Olivia started to head home, she took a few steps, turned, and asked, “You coming?” LoCicero’s tone indicated she wasn’t just asking for Ned’s temporary company. She wanted him back in her life. Ned answered his wife by taking her hand.
Nobody liked seeing Leo go missing however, Wally Kurth showed what a rock his character is in these scenes. Olivia saw Ned’s strength, too, which prompted her to realize she must face reality. This was a heartfelt compelling drama as a family came together out of mutual love. Kudos to Wally Kurth for playing the romantic lead, loving husband, and stepdad that viewers feel isn’t just a character on a TV show but is a treasured pal who comes into their living rooms every week.
General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Port Charles, check out all the latest that’s been posted on GH spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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