-Fin and Bear It, SOD 1/25/00
-Enemy Lines, SOD 2/29/00
-Take Five, SOD 2/22/00
-50 Most Beautifule People- Finola, SOW 3/28/00
-Absolutely Fabulous, SID 4/4/00
-Licensed to Drool, SID 5/23/00
-Finola on the View Transcript
-Alex/Anna Questions Remain, SID 8/8/00
-Matters of Life & Death, SID 2/22/00
-The Count's Not Down, 5/9/00
-Can Dimitri Save Alex's Life, SOU 5/23/00
-The Hidden Enemy, SID 7/11/00
-Cheating Death, SOW 8/8/00
-Edmund Who? SOD 9/5/00

Digest: 'What's the question that everyone asks you in interviews?'

Finola Hughes: 'What was it like working with John Travolta?' [Ed. note: They appeared together in the 1983 dance movie Staying Alive.]

Digest: 'I wasn't going to ask that- but what do you say?'

Hughes: 'It was great. He was wonderful.'

Digest: 'What question do you hate answering in interviews?'

Hughes: 'Well, not it's, "Why didn't you go back to General Hospital [to play Anna, her 1985-92 role]?" But nothing really irritates me.'

Digest: 'What's the biggest misconception about you?'

Hughes: 'That I'm very proper. I think it's because I used to copy people when I was younger. I went to a convent and I went to good schools. I grew up pretending to be more proper than I am.'

Digest: 'Who was the first person you copied?'

Hughes: 'A girl called Vivian Reynolds. She was very beautiful and very proper.'

Digest: 'Do you still copy people?'

Hughes: 'Uh huh.'

Digest: 'Anybody you care to name?'

Hughes: 'No, but I get into it. I think all actors do it. I think it's why they never really have personalities of their own [laughs].'

Digest: 'Did you miss soaps when you left GH?'

Hughes: 'I was doing other things.'

Digest: 'What was the most fun thing that you did while you were away?'

Hughes: 'I did a little, low-budget film called Dark Side of Genius, which is a very pretentious, arty name. In fact, it was quite a pretentious, arty movie.'

Digest: 'What kind of pretentious, arty role did you play?'

Hughes: 'I played an art critic. I couldn't have been more pretentious if I tried. It was right around the time [of] the whole grunge movement. The guy who was playing the artist had long hair and both of us were trying to stoop further than the other. We were both grunging each other out. But I'm British, and he's American, so he did it better than me. I really enjoyed the film because the director was very visual and had lovely ideas. And so it was all a big, congratulatory, arty moment. Nobody saw it, but I enjoyed making that.'

Digest: 'Can anybody see it? Is it on video?'

Hughes: 'Yes, it is. It's somewhere out there in the ether.'

Digest: 'What's the one thing you're still burning to do, career-wise?'

Hughes: 'Well, you know Ian [Buchanan, ex-Duke, GH; ex-James, Bold and Beautiful] and I have always talked about doing Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? We always used to say, 'When we're older, when we're older.' And now Ian says, 'We're old enough.' We always talk about that, but it terrifies me- like everything. But I'd love to play that drunken woman, Martha.'

Digest: 'What moment in you career makes you cringe?'

Hughes: 'Wearing thigh-high, silver boots and a silver bustier when I was playing Emma Frost, she was a superhero, in [the 1996 TV movie] Generation X. I really wanted to do it, but I didn't realize what the costume would look like. The costume lady did a wonderful job; it wasn't her. It was the fact that it was... inelegant in a way. But it's sort of fun playing outrageous characters.'

Digest: 'What are you burning to do in your personal life?'

Hughes: 'Ring the bell at Wall Street.'

Digest: 'What are your cringe-worthy real-life moments?'

Hughes: 'It's invariably when parts of my costume fell off in different productions onstage. What else? I think I've said stupid things on television like on Regis and Kathie Lee. I spend weeks going, "Oh, no, I shouldn't have said that." But then nobody remembers.'

Digest: 'When you first got to AMC, there was some scandal with the Dimitri fans who thought you took Michael Nader's salary. How did you react to that?'

Hughes: 'I didn't go to the fan club luncheon [laughs]. But it was a mistake on my part, I got the dates screwed up. It's just as well, maybe.'

Digest: 'Some fan thought you also "took" the money that would have lured Eva LaRue Callahan (ex-Maria) back.'

Hughes: 'I didn't realize that. Like I have so much power. When I started on General Hospital, I was blamed for Emma Samms [ex-Holly] leaving. But she was going to The Colbys [to play Fallon] and she was very happy. My brother used to burn all the mail to protect me.'

Digest: 'After people got over the Nader idea, they realized that you two have terrific chemistry. They loved the Alex/Dimitri scenes.'

Hughes: 'I haven't seen them. I should.'

Digest: 'Can you tell that you have great chemistry with someone just by doing a scene with them or do you have to see it on-screen?'

Hughes: 'Ian and I used to have this thing about chemistry. We used to say, "What are they talking about?" Really, I think what you see working is two actors that just get each other. With [Nader] from the get-go, we were just on the same page. You slip into a rhythm and you do it. People call that chemistry.'

Digest: 'What kind of fan feedback on the show do you get at your Web site?'

Hughes: 'All kinds of stuff. "I like this. This scene was good. This scene sucks."'

Digest: 'What scene sucked?'

Hughes: 'It's always related to story, it's not really related to acting. One of them said, "Why aren't you more concerned about Gillian? You jeopardized her life by [trying to stop David from operating on her]".'

Digest: 'How do fans fell about you and Edmund?'

Hughes: 'I suppose it's hard because he's Dimitri's brother. Luckily, now I'm beginning to see on my Web site that people are saying, "Oh I'm really liking the scenes with you and Edmund." And, "You guys are looking good together."'

Digest: 'How much did the writers tell you when you came to AMC. Did they say, 'We're saying you're Alex Devane, but really...'

Hughes: 'Oh, I can't tell you that [laughs]. They were very up-front. It was really nice. I had lots of information. It's hard to build a character unless you have all the information. Now, it's getting complicated.'

Digest: 'Memory lapses, confusion, clocks.'

Hughes: 'Clocks. We all hate clocks.'

Digest: 'Can you specualte?'

Hughes: 'As it's laid out, I'm Alex. That's what I know. And that's what I play. But I think it's going to be a bumpy ride, which is exciting. I don't even know. I really don't know what they have in store.'

Digest: 'Do you ever come up with story ideas?'

Hughes: 'Yes, and I go and bore Angela [Shapiro, president of ABC Daytime] and Jeannine [Dadario Burke, AMC's executive producer] to death. I sit them down and I say, "and this and this and this." And they just nod and they say, "Yes, thank you very much. We'll get right back to you."'

Digest: 'What would you like to see happen with Alex?'

Hughes: 'It didn't happen, but one thing I thought would have been fun was to have [GH's] Faison come to Pine Valley. I really thought that would have been interesting. And just have Alex meet him because he would have freaked out.'

Digest: 'If Alex turns out to be Anna, do AMC fans have to worry about you leaving Pine Valley?'

Hughes: 'No. I'm here.'

Digest: 'Is there anything I didn't ask you that you want to talk about?'

Hughes: 'How great it is to work here. It's a great company of actors. I'm a terrible interview, aren't I? I read these interviews sometimes and I go, "Oh, that so clever." Ian gives great interviews. I read his stuff and go, "That's so witty." I call him up and I say, "Did you plan to say that? Did you rehearseit?" When I read Kin's [Shriner, Port Charles's Scott] stuff, he's so funny.'

Digest: 'Do you like giving inteviews?'

Hughes: 'They make me panic. And I don't read the interviews because I always think I sound like an idiot.'

Digest: 'So then I can say anything I want, and you won't know.'

Hughes: 'Sometimes, I read them.'

Just the Facts:
Birthday- 'October 29.'
Fans Always Say- 'You look so much better in person.' And I always say, 'So do you.'
Pet Peeves- 'I'm sensitive when people say, "You're really short in person," or "You're so skinny," or "You look so much better in person."'
Crowning Achievement: 'Getting married.' Hughes's husband of seven years is Russell Young.
If she could live anywhere it would be: 'French Polynesia... it's amazing.'
What about her native England: 'Why? I moved here. Are you kidding me?'
Official web site: http://www.friendsoffinola.simplenet.com

Alex VS. Anna:  Alex may really be Anna, but her portrayer, Finola Hughes, isn't talking. Here's some speculation.
Pro: 'The women share the same maiden name and are dead ringers for each other.'
Con: 'In 1992, word came down that Anna and husband Robert Scorpio were killed in a boat explosion along with Faison, who was obsessed with Anna.'
Pro: 'No bodies were ever found, and more importantly, Faison turned up alive.'
Con: 'The Scorpios' daughter, Robin, was visited by their ghosts.'
Pro: 'Maybe it was grief.'
Con: 'Alex is an esteemed neurologist. When did she have time to cram in medical school?'
Pro: 'Anna did lead a mysterious life before hitting Port Charles...'"

Enemy Lines (SOD 2/29/2000)
Formidable foes: Dr. David Hayward (Vincent Irizarry) and Dr. Alexandra Devane (Finola Hughes)

The battle lines were drawn... long before coming to Pine Valley, when David romanced Alex's pal, Siobahn. A pregnant Siobahn killed herself in the wake of David's rejection and Alex blamed him for the tragedy. David counters that the neurologist is angry because he wasn't interested in her, a claim she hotly denies.

Digest: What were your favorite battle scenes?

Irizarry: I enjoyed the scenes when they started talking about Siobahn in Joe's office. I also liked the scenes at Wildwind when David was trying to enlist Edmund to help support him with the foundation. He said she was holding something over him from the past. She came in and they had this huge fight.

Hughes: I really liked the first set that we did when we really had a go at each other way at the very beginning.

Digest: What's your relationship like in real life?

Irizarry: I like Finola a lot. She's a little neurotic (laughs), but in a playful, endearing way.

Hughes: Did he say I was neurotic? I love that! We've been to the opera together with his wife and my husband. I think he bought us the tickets. I like him very much.

Digest: Do you hold grudges in real life?

Irizarry: When I was a teenager, I lived with the philosophy that if somebody does something to you, you make sure you get them back. I would hold a grudge for two years waiting for the right time.

Hughes: I heard [Soap Opera Digest Executive Editor] Carolyn Hinsey say this once and I think it's very funny. She looked at somebody and said, 'You're dead to me. Dead!' I love that because if people cross you, it's great to have them out of your life. I do that. I totally move on."

Take Five (SOD 2/22/2000)
You are invisible for one hour. What do you do?
-Panic!

What's the most ridiculous thing you've ever done?
-Years ago, I had to take part in one of those painfully cheery celebrity sports events. I felt like a hamster on a wheel.

Do you have any bad habits that you won't give up?
-That eternal cycle of purchase- change mind- return... it's exhausting.

What would people be surprised to know about you?
-I like standing in the pits at a NASCAR race and watching the 17-second tire changes... wicked!

Do you have any regrets?
-Regrets, I have a few..."

50 Most Beautiful People (SOW 3/28/00)
Finola Hughes (Alex, AMC)
When do you feel your most beautiful? When I'm laughing.
     The Beauty Shop- Products: I can't live without Elizabeth Arden 8-hour cream.
     Exercise: Yoga, walking my dog around Manhatten, or sitting in a sidewalk cafe watching everyone else walk their dogs."
    Other nominees from AMC included Mark Consuelos (Mateo), Josh Duhamel (Leo), Susan Lucci (Erica), Vincent Irizarry (David), Rebecca Budig (Greenlee), and Kelly Ripa (Hayley).

Absolutely Fabulous Finola Hughes talks about tea parties, Emma's a-peel, and why Alexandra Devane will never be "huggable" (Matt Webb Mitovich, SID 4/4/2000)
"Sitting down to lunch at a Manhatten steak house, Finola Hughes is all smiles. By now, the affable actress and former Angeleno is all caught up in her mysterious Pine Valley persona- All My Children's Alexandra Devane Marick- as well as her new New York life. One question, though, dogs her: Is karate-kicking Alex really General Hospital's presumed-dead Anna?

Soaps In Depth: So, you're not exactly who everyone thinks you are... (Hughes raises an eyebrow.) You're Irish.

Finola Hughes: Yes, my father was Irish. We lived in London, but would go back to Ireland for vacations. He was really married to being Irish, so we had a lot of Irish influences growing up.

In Depth: John Callahan (Edmund) says you throw 'the best tea party this side of Boston'.

Hughes: I do! I did it for Christmas, in my little dressing room. Tea, scones, jam, cream, sandwiches... I had about 100 people come by, including the crew- all these big guys holding tiny tea cups. Next year, though, I'm getting someone to help with the cleanup!

In Depth: Do you dash off to London as spontaneously as Alex?

Hughes: I go as often as I can. And now, from New York, it's so quick to get there. My brother lives right near the airport in England, so I can fly in and see him in seven hours.

Cats' Tail
In Depth: If I visited London for a weekend, what three things must I see?

Hughes: You should probably drive by Buckingham Palace. And your wife would probably want to to to Harrod's. Then, you might want to go to Covent Garden, this gorgeous area with quaint shops. That used to be my old haunt when I was doing Cats.

In Depth: Since you originated the role of Victoria The White Cat in the London production, how do you feel about Cats ending its record run here in the U.S. on Broadway?

Hughes: I'd like to take David Letterman as my guest to the final performance! (She laughs.) He's always talking about 'those damn cats!'

In Depth: Speaking of Broadway, can you tell me what Satan's Alley, the musical within the film Staying Alive, was about?

Hughes: Beats Me! I don't remember there being any plot. I recall John Travolta being lowered from heaven into hell... and a lot of dry ice. It all probably took place in [director] Sylvester Stallone's mind.

Scarred for Life
In Depth: Two years after breaking Tony Manero's heart, you landed on GH... and were fitted for Anna's 'scar'.

Hughes: See, they didn't tell me about that. [Then-executive producer] Gloria Monty took me downstairs to watch A Woman's Face, this film where Joan Crawford has a scar down one-side of her face. Suddenly, Gloria says to me, 'That's what we're goind to do with you!' I was like, 'What?!' Later, they decided that I was wearing it as a 'penance.' Like what, I stuck it on every morning? (She laughs.)

In Depth: After a successful GH introduction as Robert's first wife, you and Ian Buchanan created one of soaps' most sophisticated couples in Anna and Duke.

Hughes: Thank you! Ian is Scottish, so we have the same references and the same sensibility. I think John Callahan (Edmund, AMC) has that same kind of sophistication. It also didn't hurt that I adore Ian. We've been friends since the day we met.

Emma TV
In Depth: Have you ever regretted leaving GH when and why you did?

Hughes: No. I had been employed to do Jack's Place, so I was leaving to do that. I think Gloria was pretty angry, though. She kind of said, 'Alright, that's it,' and didn't have me come back to finish- and there was only like two weeks of the story left. So I don't know what happened there...

In Depth: Now, on AMC, you're again ensconced in intrigue. Do you enjoy being a modern-day Emma Peel?

Hughes: Yes, I do! For about a month, I lived in the same square where [Diana Rigg] lived. I used to stand outside and watch her clean her steps. I was a huge Emma Peel fan.

It Takes Two

In Depth: As Alex and Edmund grow closer, how are you and John handling the difficulties of building a new couple?

Hughes: It's been tricky. It's a mature relationship, and one of the things John and I work on a lot is keeping things sophisticated. They've done their mourning, their fighting, and now they're faced with the mystery of this woman, Alex- who the hell is she? Yes, there's been a lot of things for them to get over, but it only takes as long as it takes. Otherwise, you're being manipulative in a way.

In Depth: Worried that the writers might dwell too much on Alex and Edmund's baggage, John has said, 'Finola and I can carry our own bags.'

Hughes: Just by the sheer fact that you're of a certain age, you're going to have baggage, so I often feel we don't need to remind the audience. The only person that doesn't have baggage is Becca- and even she has some! So I agree with him.

Unembraceable You?
In Depth: Will Alex keep Edmund at bay until she resolves her past?

Hughes: I think that Edmund's going to go there with her. But what I don't want is domestic bliss. I can't do that.

In Depth: It'd be a shame to tie up Alex's past too quickly.

Hughes: 'Now we can love her! Now we can trust her!' I've never really been interested in that. It's important that there are sides to a character that are vulnerable, but it's never been my aim to be the 'huggable' person. In fact, I'm often told, 'You need to warm your character up,' and I kind of ignore that. I think sentimentality is overplayed in soap operas, in general. When you find the areas where it's appropriate- for instance, Alex would go over hot coals for Gillian- then it means something... it's an 'in', If [GH bad guy] Cesar Faison knew Alex's 'in', he'd take Gillian. When somebody that is completely hard is crippled, it's more interesting when they fall apart. But if you see their weakneses all the time, they're not so interesting to destroy.

In Depth: Okay, one last question: Is Alex really Anna?

Hughes: Ahhhhhh... Well, see, now that I'm not at liberty to say...

In Depth: I understand. Some things have to remain 'top secret'."

License to Drool  Postmark:  Pine Valley (by Marlena De Lacroix, SOW 5/23/2000)
"I'd like to thank ABC Daytime for doing something unarguably right during this past year: giving us an uncompromisingly intelligent new woman character. In a soap landscape full of dumbed-down women, how nice it has been to revel in All My Children's Alex Devane Marick, as played by Finola Hughes. Alex is every bit as intelligent as Anna Devane, the character Hughes previously played on General Hospital. (Alex is a doctor; Anna was a WSB agent and police commissioner.) In fact, just about every AMC fan has been wondering for the past year whether Alex Devane is actually... Anna Devane. But more on that ambiguity later.

Is it possible for Finola not to play an intelligent woman? She's one of those elite daytime actresses who belongs to the Susan Flannery Club; you can actually watch their characters think on-screen. And on top of adding a certain cerebral quality to her characters, Hughes is also capable of playing a shattering vulnerability. Her characters are so strong, that when they finally do break down, the poignancy of it is utterly devastating. Like Flannery (who plays Stephanie on The Bold and the Beautiful and with whom she is competing for the Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy this year), Hughes makes everyone who is in a scene with her look- or more precisely act- good.

What I really like about Hughes is that she is not pretentious at all. She doesn't hog the screen or the spotlight like some other daytime divas (wink, wink) we all know. She harmoniously shares scenes and storylines (and even in a 1990 TV-movie, The Bride in Black) with the always gracious Ms. Susan Lucci. And during the past few months, Hughes has resurrected the actor who plays Alex's new love interest, John Callahan (the once-dazzling Edmund) from the acting dead! Both in person and on-screen, the ageless Finola is one good-looking chick. In fact, the man who edits this column has such a 'jones' for Finola that his license plates read: WSB Agent, and his internet address is Duke Lavery.

With May sweeps upon us, it's Finolafest time! Alex's thought-dead husband, Dimitri, is just about to resurface. (Oh, how I've missed Michael Nader's shining choppers!) So she's in a triangle with the very suave Marick brothers. And AMC- a soap that has always spotlighted mother/daughter relationships- has just hired Samantha Eggar to play Alex's mother, Charlotte. All those clues AMC has sprinkled about like bread crumbs that Alex may be Anna- such as Alex inexplicably knowing karate and Russian and naming her horse Scorpio- will have to come to some resolution some time soon.

If Alex turns out not to be Anna, AMC is going to have to placate a large mob of angry GH fans, who have become AMC converts on the chance that Alex actually is Anna. But then again, Anna was very good at facing down the mob- or is that Alex? I don't know- you decide. I'm just enjoying Hughes, ABC Daytime's gift to smart women who still love soaps."

Finola Transcript [Click here to go to The View's website]
Fresh from our Hot Topics, the ladies wondered if Finola would bare all like Kathleen Turner does in the London production of The Graduate. The actress says she would if the part called for it, and if she felt comfortable with herself. The one time Finola appeared nude in a movie, the scene was cut out,
which she finds just a little humiliating. "I jut did it for the crew," she jokes. She has come close to baring all for All My Children, but is carefully covered with pasties and underwear. Nude scenes are never fun, she says, because you're trying to hold the sheet up and look casual. 

Finola grew up in London and lived in Los Angeles for roughly 16 years. She has since relocated to New York with her husband and dog. How is she adjusting? Finola is proud to admit that she now tailgates and no longer signals when driving. Her biggest problem has been being overwhelmed by the variety of sandwich fixings at delis. 

Soap fans might remember Finola as General Hospital's Anna Devane. More recently, she joined All My Children as Alexandra Devane, a role that earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress. So, is Alexandra really Anna? Finola says she's as much in the dark as anyone. She had lunch with the show's producer recently, but learned nothing. Finola did reveal that Dimitri will be returning to Pine Valley in May. So stay tuned!

Alex/Anna Questions Remain When AMC's Alex/Anna mystery recently was resolved, the truth was so shocking that some fans were left befuddled. Here, executive producer Jean Dadario-Burke clears up some of the questions! (SID 8/8/2000)
"The In Depth Story:  When the big puzzle was solved on July 10- Alex and Anna were twins separated at birth- other questions arose. Eager to satisfy Soaps In Depth readers, Burke agreed to fill in the blanks!

After stealing newborn Alex, did Charlotte pass off Anna's twin as her own daughter? 'Yes, to replace the child she miscarried,' Burke explains. 'She wanted to keep her husband and the Devane name.'

Addressing some conflicting dialogue: Did Charlotte meet Bryn Wydd boss Geoffrey Ashford before or after he killed his daughter, Cassandra? 'She knew of him before, but she really got to know him, and joined his cause, afterward.

How could Alex have memories of Anna's daughter, Robin? 'The memory of Anna hugging Robin actually happened, and Alex was there to secretly witness it, in her brainwashed state, so she could emulate Anna.'

Charlotte saved Alex's life by suggesting that she kill Anna and assume her identity. But when Alex failed to do so, why didn't the Bryn Wydd group proceed to eliminate her? 'They believed they could still rein-doctrinate her. Plus, there was a romantic link between Alex and Guy. At some point, though, they realized the brainwashing wasn't working, and they removed the "Anna" memories. But when Dimitri started poking around Alex's life, problems began.'

Does David's connection to Alex's dead friend, Siobhan, fit into this? 'Pushing David down the stairs triggered Alex's memory of Geoffrey, and began her journey toward getting her memory back.'

Will Alex contact her niece, Robin? 'At some point, she may, but right now there are more immediate things happening in Alex's world.'

Couldn't Charlotte just have been lying about everything? 'This is a soap opera,' Burke allows. 'Anything's possible!'"

Matters of Life & Death As Alexandra grows closer to Edmund, revelations from her past beg the question: Who is this dangerous beauty really? (SID 2/22/2000)
"Two steps forward, three steps back- this week, that seems to be the direction in which AMC's dynamic duos are going. What's more, one false move, and some of these relationships- not to mention these very characters- might not survive! Which pairs will find their hearts beating faster, and which will have their tickers stopped altogether? Read on and find out!
     Kiss Me Deadly  This week, the mystery of Alex's identity deepens as her life with Edmund begins to resemble one part romance novel, one part espionage thriller. 'They're thrown together trying to find out who she really is,' elaborates executive producer Jean Dadario Burke. 'And he's certainly more intrigued than most people- he's just got to know!'
     When Alex can't recall why she killed Geoffrey, Edmund comforts her. Later, he uses a computer to research Geoffrey, but his access suddenly is denied by the government! Edmund does learn that Geoffrey was a diplomat with two kids. Hearing that one was named Cassandra, Alex remembers Geoffrey telling her, 'You didn't see or hear anything!'
     Are they falling in love?  The next day, Edmund lets Alex know that he cares for her and is committed to helping her solve these riddles. Moves, she gazes at Dimitri's photo and asks, 'Is this what you meant when you asked Edmund to take care of me?' 'He's grown to the point of being protective of her,' notes Burke. 'And don't forget, investigative reporting is his thing; this [is] what he loves to do.  'Her being beautiful,' she adds, 'and a lovely person who loved his brother doesn't hurt either.'
     With more hypnosis, Alex remembers witnessing Geoffrey's murder of her childhood friend- his daughter, Cassandra! That discovery leads Alex to think that her repressed memories are all accounted for. Yet Edmund suggests that they may have only just started to chip away at a government cover-up.
     All the Right moves  More questions arise when Alex and Edmund take a trip to the mall- and a crazed gunman takes hold of the partial amnesiac! After she uses martial arts to subdue him, Edmund asks, 'Where did you learn those skills?' Her reply: 'I have no idea.'
     Later, as the pair reenact the altercation, they find themselves physically close. Confused, Alex pulls away and warns Edmund to stay away- for his own sake. But he reiterates how much he cares for her and that they'll work to unlock her secrets together.
     Identity Crisis  At the end of next week, Alex piques Edmund's interests with a fervent desire to move on with her life. But her nearly-fatal confrontation with a foe prompts her to worry more than ever: 'Who am I?'
     '[What she means by "moving on"] is part of the mystery,' teases Burke. 'And boy, the mystery is just beginning.'"

The Count's Not Down  The Return of All My Children's Presumed-Dead Dimitri Kicks Off a New Mystery (SOD 5/9/2000)
"When All My Children's Dimitri vanished from Seaview Hospital in September, 1999, his bride, Alex, and brother, Edmund, concluded that the proud count had walked into the sea rather than live with a debilitating neurological condition. His loved ones thought Dimitri was dead, but savvy soap fans knew better, since no body was found. This week, after an eight-month absence, the count resurfaces- and you won't believe where.
     'Just as Alex and Edmund are falling in love, the audience will be aware than Dimitri is alive,' previews Executive Producer Jean Dadario Burke. In time, promises Burke, 'The details of Dimitri's disappearance will be revealed... along with the depth of his love for Alex.'
     Ah, Alex. The count's 'widow' and brother, who are in Wales to investigate her forgotten past, just became lovers. Oh, the timing. Shares Finola Hughes (Alex), 'Last night, my parking attendant said, "Dimitri's coming back, right?" I said, "Yeah." He goes, "You're in trouble!"'
     What this means for Edmund (who, thanks to Alex, has made love for the first time since wife Maria's 1997 death) is anyone's guess. Hughes maintains that Dimitri is Alex's great love. 'To Alex, Dimitri was the one. As Maria was the one for Edmund.'
     'There will be interesting dynamics,' muses Edmund's portrayer, John Callahan. 'Edmund's going to be very, very happy that his brother's back, but Edmund doesn't want Dimitri coming into his room at night. Finders, keepers,' quips the actor. 'I think it would be in Edmund's nature to just bow out gracefully immediately. The more interesting thing is what happens afterward. To set up a triangle in the beginning would be a mistake. I don't know what the writers are doing, but I'm just speaking my mind.'
     The always-frank Michael Nader, who originated the role of the brooding Dimitri in 1991, says, 'For me, triangles are the most boring; they really are. I do hope to pursue some sort of subtle spiritual change, some perception that Dimitri is different. Being away for so long, I hope the entrance material is as nicely conceived as the exit was. Daytime is a very tough medium. There are a lot of good actors. The actors who stand out are the ones that mix it up. I hope to join that team again.'
     Burke enthuses, 'We're delighted, of course, to have Michael back. His humor and his professionalism are going to add a lot to this story.'
     Though the actor is in the dark about what's ahead for Dimitri, Nader hopes he won't have to thunder those classic soap words, 'You had sex with my wife!' Thank God, I didn't come back and open the door while they were having sex,' he chuckles.
     It's likely that Dimitri won't be saying much of anything- he's in a very bad place. On Friday, May 5, a sleuthing Alex is puzzled when a Bryn Wydd housekeeper informs her that the Gothic Wales institution is not a hospital and has nothing to do with medicine. Alarmingly, the place where Alex was once a patient does have an electric shock machine. And as viewers will see at the close of Friday's episode, Bryn Wydd is also where Dimitri has been staying!
     Burke believe that fans will buy the story to of how the count got from Pine Valley, PA, to Wales, which she admits is a challenge. 'When you're bringing back a character that has supposedly died, it's tricky because it can get to the point of absurdity and you have to be careful to make it real. I hope the audience will be delighted by the story we're going to tell.'  Down the road, fans can look for an unexpected person to add a shocking twist to this tale.
     Great Expectations  When Dimitri was written out last year, Erica/Dimitri enthusiasts cried foul. Some fans of the twice-married couple, who divorced in 1996, had hoped that the Pine Valley pair would one day reconcile. 'I found it sort of odd that they'd move me so far away from Susan [Lucci, Erica],' notes Dimitri's portrayer, Michael Nader. 'They're trying to explore these other themes. I have not watched the show, so I wouldn't know, but I hear. I just heard that Erica's trying to make David jealous. Get me in the same room with them, and we'll see who ends up being jealous,' laughs Nader. 'You got that? Yeah, Erica, Dim's back!'"

Can Dimitri Save Alex's Life? (SOU 5/23/2000)
Alex and Edmund Learn Shocking News  At Bryn Wydd, Edmund and Alex search Dr. Griffith's office, while he and Guy get ready to take care of the housekeeper before she can tell Alex anything else. As Edmund and Alex leave Griffith's office, they suddently hear voices and go back to hide in the doctor's office. Both are unaware that they just missed seeing Dimitri. While they're hiding, Alex and Edmund overhear Dr. Griffith and the coroner talking about the housekeeper, who Griffith says died of a heart attack. Alex almost cries out, but Edmund controls her and suggests the two of them head back home right away. 
     Dimitri is a Prisoner  While Alex and Edmund are on their way to Pine Valley, Dimitri is being held prisoner. However, Dimitri has his captors believing that he's in a catatonic state and unable to understand or do anything about them. They're wrong! Dimitri knows that Alex is in danger and he's been trying his best to protect her and discover why she's in trouble!
     Back home, Edmund and Alex learn that Guy had left town while they were gone. When they question him, he tells them he went to a horse show. Edmund's suspicious and plans to have Guy investigated. Alex, on the other hand, attempts to keep things calm and tells Guy she knows he would never lie to her. When Alex says she's going to ride Scorpio, Guy stops her- and the words he uses to discourage her ring a bell with Alex.
     Alex is in Danger  Back at Bryn Wydd, Dimitri gets Dr. Griffith's keys, but before he can use them, the doctor returns. The suprervisor insists that he saw one of Dimitri's legs move. Griffith will test Dimitri to see if he's making any improvement. Just as he is about to administer a dreadful test, Nurse Ames arrives. Griffith tells her to give Dimitri a sedative.
     When Griffith is gone, Dimitri begs the nurse to help him. He explains what's going on and can only hope that she'll believe him. The nurse covers for him. Unaware that Dimitri knows what's going, Griffith takes a call from Guy about Alex. Dimitri overhears Griffith give Guy orders to kill Alex.
     What can Dimitri do? While Guy plans Alex's demise, Dimitri does the only thing he can: He warns Edmund in the same manner that he sent a warning to them before. Will Edmund get the message in time?"

The Hidden Enemy As Dimitri and Edmund team up to unmask Charlotte, Alex at last uncovers her shocking tie to Anna Devane!  (SID 7/11/2000)  
"This week, Edmund tries to explain to Dimitri how he came to fall in love with Alex, the wife his kidnapped half brother left behind. Dimitri, though, says that they have a far more urgent matter with which to contend: rescuing Alex from her two-faced mother, Charlotte!
     'First and foremost in Dimitri's mind, before he can even get into relationships, is to save both his brother and his wife,' explains executive producer Jean Dadario-Burke. 'Their lives are in danger. Dimitri also believes he is dying.'
     Will Edmund Give Up Alex?  Worried that her daughter is coming uncomfortably close to uncovering the secrets of Bryn Wydd- the international anarachist organization which she oversees- Charlotte seeks to spirit off Alex for a 'trip to the spa.' Luckily, Edmund convinces Alex to stay put, which only serves to frustrate Charlotte!
     Later, Edmund suggests to his sibling that they apprise Alex of her 'late' husband's resurrection. The still-ailing count, though, counters that her future now lies with her new love, and maintains that the important thing is neutralizing Charlotte while keeping Alex in the dark. Besides, he asks, 'Would you give Alex up?' Torn, Edmund doesn't reply.
     'Through it all, Dimitri is looking out for Alex's best interests,' notes Burke. 'He wants her to be happy.' Later still, Dimitri happens upon Alex in the Marick mausoleum. While he years in the shadows, unseen, he overhears her thanking him for giving her Edmund. 'I still love you,' she declares, 'but my love for Edmund is real, too.'
     Meanwhile, Charlotte 'admits' to Alex that she has 'doubts' about Edmund, and suspects that her daughter merely is replacing her deceased husband. Then, once alone, Charlotte makes a phone call, saying, 'We have to take Alex the first chance we get!'
     Not Tonight, Honey, My Brother's Alive!  Eager to strangle his mother-in-law, Dimitri sets out to sneak up on her. When his predationis interrupted, he chooses to listen in as she and henchman Quinn discuss their concerns about Adrian, Pine Valley's resident ex-CIA agent, and his connection to Edmund.
     In the meantime, Edmund finds that three's a crowd, as his just-acquired knowledge that Dimitri is alive infringes upon his intimacy with Alex. Puzzeled by his hesitation to make love, Alex asks- unaware of just how appropriately- if it is because of Dimitri, to which Edmund replies, 'Yes.' Misunderstanding his sentiment, she admits that she, too, feels Dimitri's 'presence.'
     'Edmund has gone through so much in the last half hour- shock, relief, anger,' marvels Burke. 'He still loves this woman very much, but he couldn't possibly think about making love to her at the moment.'
     Bestowing a kiss upon his sweetheart, Edmund bids Alex goodnight and activates her bedroom door's new computerized alarm. Alas, when awakened by a nightmare, Alex unlocks the door (which disengages the alarm) only to find her mother awaiting her!
     Alex Turns into Anna!  Oblivious to Alex's plight, Dimitri and Edmund discuss Charlotte's suspicions about Edmund and Adrian. Although Dimitri opposes the idea, Edmund summons Adrian, who is shocked to see Count Marick alive. When informed of Charlotte's dirty dealings, Adrian recalls that the Bryn Wydd group once tried to recruit him. The revelation sparks a plan from Dimitri: Adrian will tell Charlotte he has 'reconsidered' Bryn Wydd's invitation!
     The trio had better act fast, though. Unbeknownst to them, Charlotte- afraid Alex is remembering too much- has jabbed a syringe into her daughter and reintroduced instructions to a newly suseceptible 'Anna'.
     Alex Learns the Truth!  Next week, Edmund is alarmed by Alex's strange, new independence, as Adrian approaches Charlotte with his interest in turning coats, never anticipating the explosive first assignment which the Bryn Wydd director hands him!
     Dimitri, meanwhile, is discovered alive by someone close to Erica as he strives to hack into Anna's medical records at General Hospital in Port Charles, NY, and solve his wife's haunting identity crisis. Alex, though, beats him to the punch, when she is presented with the astonishing truth!
     'Can you imagine your whole life being a lie?' teases Burke. 'And when you find out the truth, it's even a bigger lie than you possibly could have dreamed? You have to watch it unfold. One sentence can't describe what this woman will be going through.'"

Cheating Death  When AMC's Dimitri reveal himself now that Alex and David have found a cure? (SOW 8/8/2000)
"The 'What ifs' have it this week on AMC as doctors Alex and David join forces to try to find a cure for the mysterious Patient X, whom David and Dixie know is Dimitri. When the two doctors make a breakthrough using hormones, it's a bittersweet victory for Alex, who has to face a lot of regrets.
What if David and Alex had not been adversaries?  'She's regretting the fact that she didn't let David help her sooner with Dimitri,' Finola Hughes (Alex) explains. 'And I guess Alex feels very regretful that these possibilities are now being found.'
     Recent revelations from the woman she thought was her mother, Charlotte, have muddled Alex's perception of Dimitri's last days. She now knows he didn't walk into the ocean a year ago. Instead, 'she knows he did actually live for a year. So that means that some of the treatment that she had done with Dimitri early on had worked, or else he wouldn't have lived that long,' Hughes adds. But that is little comfort now.
     What if David and Dixie didn't keep Dimitri's secret?  If only Alex knew what David and Dixie do. David uses doctor-patient confidentiality as justification to keep his mouth shut, but Dixie has made no such oath and finds it almost impossible to keep quiet about Dimitri. Dixie feels strongly that Alex should be told, as Dixie knows firsthand the pain of believing your husband is dead when he's not. Dixie even threatens to quit as David's assistant if she has to keep quiet much longer. 
     'It's more difficult for David, because he has to keep convincing Dixie not to give up the fact that Dimitri's alive,' Vincent Irizarry (David) says. 'She's keeping the secret against her conscience. She thinks it's wrong. In large part, she is right; that's just her moral fiber. I feel that he's my patient and I have to respect his wishes. So I'm right, too, on that level. Where David finds his strength and finds his confidence is in the fact that it's doctor-patient confidentiality. He can stand behind that without any guilt, without any regrets.'
     Adding to Dixie's guilt is the fact that she and David have already told Edmund that Dimitri has died again.  'Dixie is more volatile in some ways than David is,' executive producer Jean Dadario Burke explains. 'She's a romantic and she sees what's happening, and it's killing her to be quiet about it.' 
     But that's Dixie, David has no such concerns about Alex's personal feelings, though the two have managed to forge a good working relationship. 'It does afford us the opportunity to explore parts of this relationship that have never been explored before. She believes that had she trusted me more and allowed me to participate more in helping to find a cure for him, she could have perhaps saved him,' Irizarry says in character. 
     'But they still call each other a lot on stuff,' Hughes adds, 'which is sort of nice. There's an edge to their relationship. There's more room for a dialogue now, whereas before Alex would never even allow him the time of day. People can be good work partners and still be incompatible.' 
     Their animosity will flare up again, Burke says. 'I think there is great respect on both their parts for their ability as doctors. When she sees the progress he's made in this department, there has to be respect on some level- but she knows who he is.'
     Enter Dimitri, who's hidden away in a hospital room, blissfully unaware that Alex is the other doctor on his case. However, that's one secret David and Dixie don't keep, and when Dimitri learns Alex is the other doctor trying to save his life, he explodes.
     What if Dimitri reveals himself?  He's still not ready to. Though Alex and David have found a cure, Dimitri still sees this as experimental, Burke adds. 'He loves her too much to put her in the position of burying him again.'
     However, by week's end, Dimitri may change his mind. He watches as a distraught Alex breaks down in the hallway and tells David that she wishes Patient X were Dimitri. She blames her own stubbornness for her husband's death. At that point, a weak Dimitri takes a step out of his hospital room towards his wife. What if...?"

Edmund Who AMC's Dimitri is Back- and Alex Wants Him (by Elaine G. Flores, SOD 9/5/2000)
"After a year filled with angst, secrets and deception, AMC's Alex was ready to settle into a nice, peaceful life with Edmund. That domestic dream bites the dust this week when she finally comes face-to-face with her presumed-dead husband, Dimitri.
     As far as Alexandra knows, Dimitri, ravaged by a neurological disease, walked into the sea to his death last September. On Tuesday, she's set straight at the Wildwind hunting lodge.
     Naturally, the sight of the recovering count leaves Alex speechless. 'There's no dialogue, just long stares,' reports Michael Nader (Dimitri).
     At first, Alex, whose grasp on reality has been shaky in the past, doesn't believe her eyes. 'She thinks she's going crazy, that her mind is playing tricks on her and that it's a mirage,' previews executive producer Jean Dadario Burke. 'She thought she saw him in the airport. She "knows" he's dead. She thinks, "What's happening to me?" Her mind has played tricks on her before.'
     Count Andrassy, who kept the truth from Alex to spare her more pain because he figured he was going to dies soon,' is like a deer in headlights,' muses Burke. 'He wants to run because he's made such a mess of things, but the sight of her is too much for him to even move.'
     The reunited Maricks make love- not conversation. 'He is alive. She has another chance with him. Everything goes out the window because they're soul mates.' And they act upon it,' says Burke. 'For the moment, Alex is so enraptured by the fact that Dimitri is there that she just thinks of nothing but her love for him.'
     However, the exec notes, 'There will come a time to pay the piper when she realizes, "Oh, my God, what about Edmund?"' Oh yeah- Alex is engaged to marry her brother-in-law. And Finola Hughes maintains that her character does love Edmund. 'I think it's the kind of love that you can talk yourself into,' muses Hughes. 'He's very kind to Alex. That can certainly move into love. I think it's a kind of love.' Alex's love for Dimitri, on the other hand, is 'passionate, and crazy and the whole thing.'
      Though Dimitri is back, there's a lot more of this tale left. Says Burke, 'It's the beginning of the next lag in the story for the three of them. The big issue is the healing of the three characters. What's the journey back to normalcy?'
     Burke is proud of how the emotionally charged scenes played out. 'I thought they were fantastic,' she boasts. 'I was in the control room and I had given specific notes to actors, directors and everybody, and I think it just came off really, really good. I think the audience is going to love it.'"