-Ch-ch-ch-Changes, SOD 1/1/02
-How is Ryan Tied to Anna's Duke? SID 2/5/02
-Accused, SID 4/16/02
-Couple Close-Up, SOU 4/23/02
-Who's Proteus? SID Cover Shoot, SID 1/8/02 and SID Online
-Who is Proteus? SID 1/8/02

Hughes, Russell Young and baby Dylan are okay.  “Everyone’s fine.  We’re all good. [That day.]  I was there working,” she reports.

The tragic event was just one of many recent changes for Hughes, but fortunately, the rest have been positive.  Most importantly, there’s motherhood.  “Dylan’s a year old now.  I managed to make it a year without any disasters,” she chuckles.

It’s hard to believe that it’s only been a year since Hughes’s former character, Alex Marick, waddled around Pine Valley in dark baggy clothing and assorted props that never convincingly concealed her expanding tummy.  “That’s what happens,” she shrugs.  “They grow in spite of you.  And he’s fabulous and walking.  He used to come into the studio a lot more than he does now– because of the war.  With the anthrax in the news, that’s when Dylan stopped coming to work.”

With her flat stomach and nonexistent hips, it’s hard to tell from looking at her that she ever gave birth, but just check Hughes’s unchecked to–do list.  “I didn’t expect not to be able to do things during the day,” she admits.  “You really can’t; you just focus on the baby.  It takes up so much of your time, which is great.  I spend a lot of time playing with him.  I thought I’d be able to do this and that.  But [babies] demand your attention.  There’s no option there.  But he’s a really sweet boy, and they spoil him terribly here.”

The biggest culprit? “Richard Esposito in hair and makeup,” she reports.  “Richard just loves him.  He buys him things and plays with him.”  Not that the hairstylist can perform a baby makeover– yet.  “Dylan has not hair… much to Kelly’s [Ripa, Hayley] pleasure because, of course, [Ripa’s daughter] Lola has a lot of hair.  And so whenever Kelly sees Dylan, she sort of says, ‘Oh, my goodness, I spend so long today trying to decide which hairstyle to put Lola in.’ You know, rubbing it in.”

Another happy difference for Hughes has been the reinvigoration of ex-spy Anna Devane since Richard Culliton took over as head writer.  Her original AMC character, Alex, was never embraced by the audience.  The far more popular GH transplant Anna turned up last winter, but floundered about as the powers-that-be puzzled over what to do with the presumed-dead snoop.  The Brit sums up her feelings about new and improved Anna in one word: “Thrilled.”  She adds, “Now the words that come out of my mouth make sense.  They’re more edgy.  The whole character’s more edgy… more flawed.  He just knew how to write for this woman.”

Upon receiving the first juicy Anna script, Hughes says, “I screamed.  I ran to Jean [Dadario Burke, executive producer] and I screamed.  I said, ‘I can’t believe it.  This is the best things.’ I think it was around when Anna first broke into David’s room.  The whole thing took a … what is that? A 180.  And I feel like I belong.”

Is she speaking of Anna or Finola? “Both. Both [The fans] are happy. They like it.  Well, they all love Vincent [Irizarry, David], of course.  All my fans are crazy for him.  And I think that a lot of people who were seeing Anna with Edmund all like Brooke.  Everybody loves Julia [Barr, Brooke], obviously, so they’re very happy that Edmund is with Brooke.  It works out well.”

Earlier this year, Hughes said that she might resume the dual role, but now the actress notes, “I’m at ease just playing the one character, and I like to play the one character.  I do hope that she’s allowed to continue investigating things.  I hope that after this whole [Proteus] story, there will be something else for her to do.  This is more of a romance show, and I guess to a certain extent the investigative side is more drama.  But I think that they’ve managed to mesh it in Pine Valley quite well.  And if Chris Stamp is staying, perhaps there will be a future for her and the [sleuthing].”

A change that’s good for fans is that the soap, which limped along these [past few years, is getting back on track.  “I’m really glad that ALL MY CHILDREN is doing as well as it is right now,” says Hughes.  “It’s excellent.  Everybody here can feel it, and I’m so happy.”

Hughes hopes what she and her colleagues do will bring some much-needed distraction to war-weary viewers.  “It’s very strange when you’re an actor and things like this are happening.  It sort of seems irrelevant what you have to say, but this is what we do.  Maybe it takes people away from it, watching the shows.  I hope so.”

Just The Facts:
Birthday: October 29

Panic Stricken:  Hughes is still tight with former co-star Ian Buchanan (ex-Duke, GENERAL HOSPITAL; ex-James, Bold And Beautiful).  “Ian is here doing reshoots on The Panic Room, so I just saw him, this past weekend.  I went down to the set and saw Jodie [Foster]; it was great.”

Wham, BAM, Thank You Ma’am:  “I go out to BAM, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a lot.  I love all the things they put on.”

New York, New York: “I love it here.  There’s nothing like the human contact all the time.  Some people hate it, but I like being amongst people.  And the fashion’s great.”

Why She Won’t Visit Ground Zero:  “I don’t want to.  I wouldn’t want to be seen looking.  I know it’s there, and I’m very sorry it’s there."  Offical Web Site: www.finolahughes.com

Hughes Fooling Who?  Though they’re on opposite coasts, Finola Hughes and former co-star Ian Buchanan are still thisclose.  “She’s family for me, actually.  And her husband, of course, too.  They’re so much a part of my life,” reflects Buchanan.  “Now that they’re in New York, going to New York for me [is about] seeing them. Last year for her birthday, we surprised her and I flew in for that.  One thing I will say about Finola – either she’s a really great actress or she’s the easiest person to surprise.  I don’t know how anybody whose friends don’t speak to them for two weeks before an event doesn’t put two and two together and realize that something is up,” he chuckles.  “She always gets that wonderment, [breathlessly] ‘Oh, my gosh, you people! How did you do this?’ I always look at her like, ‘R-i-i-ight!’ She’s nobody’s fool, but she acts like she’s easy to fool.  That’s what I believe.”

How is Ryan Tied to Anna's Duke? What a Difference A Year makes For AMC’s Finola Hughes (SID 2/5/02)
In between marriages to fellow spy Robert Scorpio, Anna Devane (while on GENERAL HOSPITAL) exchanged vows with club owner/Mob pawn Duke Lavery, a dashing Scotsman who shared many a torrid tango with his equally-sophisticated mate.  Yet thus far on AMC, Anna has yet to suggest a tie between her late husband and Pine Valley’s most eligible bachelor– two men who share the same last name.  That, however is about to change…
     Ryan Uncovers A Clue!  Ever since federal agent Chris Stamp revealed that Patrick Curry was a no-good, drug-dealing hood whom he gunned down in cold blood, Ryan has been out to investigate the whole story of his late father’s shady past.  In doing so, this week a curious marking on a photograph of his recently-deceased mother, Gail, leads Ryan to suspect that Chris knew the abusive Curry’s wife. Meanwhile, Chris makes an eye-opening discovery of his own– about Ryan’s birth date– which infuriates him to no end!
     Duke: The Missing Link!  The next day, while snooping in Stamp’s room, Ryan wonders why Chris would have jotted down his birth date.  Just then, Anna sneaks up on him!  As the pair get to discussing Ryan’s curiosity about Chris’ connection to Gail, Anna decides to share with Ryan a secret which she has been keeping under her hat– that is, exactly how her late husband, Duke, fits into Ryan’s family tree!
    “Ryan’s reaction is one of disbelief,” says his portrayer, Cameron Mathison, “which is reasonable, considering everything that has been going on.”
    To be sure, Anna’s revelation may launch Ryan, with the lady superspy as his mentor, on the biggest mission of his life!  “It’s very cool,” says Mathison.  “I’m psyched!”

Accused- David's dirty deeds land Anna in hot water (SID 4/16/02)
This week on AMC, David Hayward finds himself again facing the possibilities of jail as the case against him continues to build.  An unexpected mishap, however, allows the man with nine lives once again to beat the justice system.  But he shouldn’t pop the cork on that champagne yet, because it’s not over.  Someone is accused of doing whatever it takes to secure his freedom- his wife, Anna!  Will she be able to prove that she wasn’t responsible?      
     Adam’s Scandalous Picture- After being shocked that his father was involved in Vanessa’s drug operation, David takes comfort in spending some time with Anna.  But their idyll is disrupted when an angry Adam bursts into the hotel room with a photographer, who snaps a shot of them in a liplock.  The ruthless businessman is determined to blow the whistle on the couple’s hush-hush marriage by running the picture of them smooching in the newspaper – unless Anna brings charges against David for trying to benefit from Liza’s illness.
    “The agreement that Liza and David made is totally one-sided,” says the doc’s portrayer, Vincent Irizarry.  “David stands to gain on every side of it.  Liza wasn’t thinking clearly when she made the deal, and Adam thinks he took advantage of that.”
     Dixie In The Middle- More problems arrive later when Anna answers a call for David and is irritated to discover that it’s his ex-lover, Dixie, in the line!  When her hubby realizes who it is, he grabs the phone from Anna, prompting her to tell him that she has decided to comply with Jackson’s wishes and testify against him.  Despite their quickie wedding to prevent that very thing from happening, Anna tells David, “I need to look out for myself!”
    “At first, I think she’s going to sacrifice everything we have with each other, a well as destroy my life’s work, out of spite and jealousy over Dixie,” offers Irizarry in character.  “But then she tells me that it has everything to do with the fact that she’s had to re-create her identity again after living for years in obscurity.  When she tells it to me like that, then I can understand why she wants to do it.  Now that she’s going to be productive in society, I don’t want her to sacrifice any of it just because of the choices that I made.
    “I tell her that I can’t be the one for her that she needs me to be,” he continues, “And that she needs to do what she needs to do.”
    David Catches A Break- After deciding to reveal the information she has on Did and his Chen Jade study- the research that produced the illegal serum that saved Dixie’s life- Anna pays a visit to Jackson.  But before she can spill the bens, the D.A. receives news that changes everything: The pipes in the evidence room have exploded, and all proof of David’s wrongdoing has been destroyed!
    Meanwhile, an unaware David makes up his mind to cut a deal with Jackson.  When he tells his wife that he’s going to turn himself in, she stops him in his tracks.
“Anna realizes that David is basically sacrificing himself for her, and tells him that they don’t have any evidence against him anymore,” says Irizarry.
    When Jackson learns that his star witness is using her marriage to avoid testifying, it forces him to cancel the hearing against David.  “Jackson is very upset about the whole thing,” explains Irizarry.  “He has a lot of animosity toward Anna.”
But the frustrate lawyer doesn’t give up, because he then sets out to go after the woman who threw a monkey wrench into his case!
     The Calm Before The Storm- Although they suffer through a roller-coaster week, David and Anna temporarily put their problems aside by making love.  “I think David and Anna prove to one another that their feelings are a lot more significant than they would let on, because they were both willing to give everything up for each other,” offers Irizarry.  “David is very grateful to her because he understands what she’s sacrificing for him.  He doesn’t want her to give up her job [as chief of police] because he wants her to thrive in it.”
    Besides realizing the extend of their emotions through this ordeal, the couple also crossed another turning point.  “There is definitely more trust between them now,” says Irizarry.  “But I think it’s still very fragile, because now Anna is going to be challenged on her perceptions of whether David was really going to turn himself in, and also if he had a hand in destroying the evidence.”
    Despite an amorous night with her husband, Anna receives a blow the next day when Jackson accuses her of tinkering with the pipes in order to keep David from going to jail.  When she protests her innocence, Jackson says that he wants her to resign as police chief.  Unwilling to give up her job without a fight, the tough-as-nails head of the PVPD tells him, “I’ll see you in court!”
Will Anna stick to her guns and, as a result, wind up in jail?  Or will she decide not to jeopardize her future and testify against David after all?
     The Road to Mr. and Mrs. Hayward- David and Anna went from mortal enemies to married lovers.  January 2000- David went to school with Anna's twin, Alex, but when push came to shove, the two docs never quite got along.
April 2001- Although David found love with married woman Dixie, his lies put an end to their steamy affair.
October 2001- When David was suspected of being Proteus, Anna investigated him by flirting wildly. After David showed Anna his secret cabin, the duo took their game of cat-and-mouse to the bedroom.
March 2002- To save David from going to jail, Anna married him. But somewhere along the way, their relationship deepened.

Couple Close-Up  Is it Love or Not? Are AMC's David and Anna Playing a Dangerous Game? (By Sheila Steinbach, SOU 4/23/02)
As far as David and Anna are concerned, rules are made to be broken… and they’ve broken many of them. There’s no doubt about it:  AMC’s Anna and David are one of daytime’s hottest couples.  They have chemistry!  Lots and lots of chemistry!  When they’re together, they light up the screen and there’s never, ever, a dull moment.  Whether they’re involved in a love scene or just bantering back and forth, they have what it takes to keep viewers glued to their television screens.  Anna and David surprised everyone when they suddenly married, but they didn’t marry for love… at least not at the time.  Anna decided that the best way for her not to have to testify against David– if the situation came up– was to be married to him.
    David went along with Anna’s plan, but it wasn’t a hardship, as it’s obvious that he genuinely cares for her.“It’s the perfect situation for David to tie the knot with somebody,” says Vincent Irizarry (David).  “We get married as sort of an agreement and we establish certain rules together and we say this is how it’s going to be,” he explains. 
    “I think it’s great that they got married,” says Finola Hughes (Anna).  Can these two play by the rules they have set up, since they never seems to be able to play by any rules?  Anna, a former WSB agent and now chief of police, has never played by any set of rules in her line of work.  David, a world famous cardiologist who has been revered by many for his skill as a surgeon, has always done things way.  Their relationship began with an instant attraction that they eventually acted upon and they have never done things the way other couples have.  At first, Anna got close to David because she thought he was Proteus and she wanted to get the goods on him to help Chris Stamp, thus helping herself in becoming police chief.  However, somewhere along the line, Anna knew that David wasn’t Proteus and she got further involved in his problems anyway.  She even helped him get to the Caribbean to use his experimental drug to save Dixie’s life.  Now, as David’s problems continue to mount, Anna has found the way to prevent the law from forcing her to reveal what she knows about his activities.  But will she use the fact that she’s his wife to keep his secrets?
     There is something to this marriage that hasn’t surfaced yet.  Their actions towards each other have us believing that they not only care about each other– as they have admitted– but deep down there is love.  They probably won’t admit it, because that would change the rules.  “If one of them said they loved the other, it would be devastating,” explains Irizarry.  “It could really mess things up,” he laughs, “but if the real feelings come into play, how do they match up against these so-called rules?”  We’re talking about two strong-willed people; admitting they love each other would make the vulnerable.  When they realize they do love each other, will they take their relationship to the next step?  It could be dangerous, but Anna and David have lived with danger before and, no doubt, will again!

Who's Proteus? SID Cover Shoot (SID 1/8/02 and SID Online)
Last summer, Finola Hughes (Anna) playfully complained that her ex-spy character was left out of Pine Valley’s drug trafficking mystery. (Pretty ironic, considering barkeep Mateo is in the thick of things.) But Hughes got her wish, and now Anna is hot on the trail of Proteus. "I think it would just have been very rude not to invite me," laughs the actress. If Devane hadn’t joined the action, Hughes jokes, "I think I would have been throwing darts at somebody. I’m very happy that they did include me. It would have been disastrous if they hadn’t. I would have felt very impotent."

One thing that’s quite potent is Anna’s sizzling sex romps with David, "It’s easy to play those scenes because of his history of being so bad," Hughes muses. "It just makes a lot of sense. It’s very much like The Thomas Crown Affair; they start off playing each other, and then slowly they begin to feel for each other. And we’ll see. I’m not sure how deep the show will go into that."

Now that she’s got intrigue and a hot guy to occupy her time, General Hospital transplant Anna has finally become comfortable in Pine Valley, but Hughes doesn’t want Devane to lose touch with her Port Charles roots. The actress was pleased when Anna’s brother-in-law Mac Scorpio made a brief visit. "Oh, it was great. It was great having [John J. York, Mac] here. And it just felt very easy. I suppose we worked with each other for about a year and a half before I left GH. So it was very familiar. I think what it definitely did was sew up loose ends for the audience. At some point, Anna was either supposed to go back or not. As I didn’t do the crossover, somebody had to come here. And I think that made perfect sense. And of course I’d like to see Kimberly [McCullough, Robin] come back now and again. I haven’t heard, but I would love that. I know she would do it, too." Hughes’ new feature appears in the 1/1 issue of Soap Opera Digest, on sale December 25. 

Hughes and Irizarry shared a laugh while posing for some couple shots.

Thumbing through the latest issue of Soaps In Depth, Irizarry read his and Hughes' Readers' Poll results aloud. While she was voted number three in that particular issue, Hughes joked that she had ranked number one previously.

A few other tidbits:
• Observing her co-stars' all-black attire, Hughes commented, "This is a very dark group." Heck, with this bunch of characters, she could have been referring to their Pine Valley personalities!

Now that viewers know that Vanessa is Proteus, will Chris and Anna be the ones to uncover Mrs. Cortlandt's sinister secret? All we can say is, stay tuned!

Who is Proteus? (SID 1/8/02)
Amidst the glamour and excitement of AMC's fifth-annual Crystal Ball, more clues are presented which cast several new Pine Valley citizens as suspects in the ongoing investigation into drug lord Proteus’ identity. And though, by the time the new year arrives, the mystery will be solved, the threat of danger will linger closer than ever!

David Threatens Anna!  First up is a vexing encounter between David and Greenlee’s increasingly antsy dad.  Says Vincent Irizarry (David): “Roger keeps messing up, and David is just about to lose his patience with him.”  David is frustrated further to learn that Anna has set him up.  When she insists that she will learn his secret, he assures her that, in doing so, she will become something she doesn’t want to be: his enemy!

Anna, however, actually has a new man in her sights.  “She suspects that Chris is Proteus,” Finola Hughes (Anna) reveals.  “She thinks his ‘investigation’ is a smoke screen.  And he keeps getting in her way, as if to keep her from seeing who he really is.”

Other eyes nonetheless fall on David when Mateo, arriving at Wildwind with Simone, huddles with Edmund.  Discussing Anna and Dixie’s recent accidents, Mateo theorizes that David may be putting the women in his life on guard.  In any case, they agree, Proteus is losing control.

Adam Lashes Out!  Later, as Mateo prepares a new trap for the drug ring’s boss, he’s taken aback to discover that Hayley’s escort for the ball is Ryan!  As Lavery opens up about Chris’ past with his late father – a supposed drug dealer – Hayley’s curiosity is piqued by this news about “Agent” Stamp’s ever-changing background!

Hayley’s dad, meanwhile, is spied sharing a few angry words with his son-in-law’s date for the evening.  “He confronts Simone, the lady that Mateo is carrying on with,” reveals David Canary (Adam).  “He challenges and threatens her – as is his wont.”  But what is the actual nature of their heated argument?

Vanessa’s Big Surprise!  At the same time, Vanessa goes MIA to enjoy a romp with someone who most definitely is not Palmer.  Caught by her eldest son, Vanessa rebuffs David’s scolding by letting it slip that she is well aware of his extracurricular activities!

Meanwhile, across town, Chris does his best to lift homebound murder suspect Erica’s spirits.  Alas, following a flurry of romance, the couple’s moment is interrupted by Chris’ ringing cell phone.  “I have to go,” he cryptically announces, leaving Erica alone to make her own secretive call.

Chris Has A Secret!  With the Crystal Ball underway, Edmund learns that someone has donated a valuable, covered item for the auction.  Once Palmer bests Opal’s beau, Hank, in the bidding he uncovers his prize: a statue of the Greek god Proteus!

The revelation intrigues Edmund, Anna and David, who are all aware of the figure’s significance.  Mateo, meanwhile, is absent, since he’s off with Hayley, being filled in on Chris’ questionable past!

Proteus Unmasked!  As midnight nears, a bonanza of new clues make the Proteus puzzle more perplexing: David urges his mother to keep quiet, then punches out someone… Adam threatens someone with “a pain you’ve never known”… Vanessa seeks to talk with Leo alone…Chris learns that Mateo has been hiding something from him…and Anna contemplates slipping David a drug.

Who is Proteus?  Brace yourself for the answer to that question on Monday, December 31!

“It’s me! It’s me!”  Five possible Proteuses argue their case!

Adam Chandler:  “Proteus is motivated by revenge,” says David Canary, “and Adam has made enemies everywhere because of his indefatigable ego. So this would be an excellent way to get back at those who have hounded him.” As for targeting his own son-in-law, Canary notes, “Adam never liked that boy.  Mateo is cocky, really cocky, and Adam doesn’t like that!”

Anna Devane:  “Anna is bored, and may have gone astray,” suggests Finola Hughes, hinting that the notorious double agent this time has ventured too far outside the law.  “She has played on the dark side before.  It could be that she’s gotten in over her head.”

Chris Stamp:  “Chris has taken all of these undercover jobs and claims to be investigating Proteus,” says AMC executive producer Jean Dadario-Burke.  “But he has done things which seem questionable.  Plus, he seems to be hiding something from Anna.”

David Hayward:  “David does like being in the shoes of a god,” offers Vincent Irizarry, “somebody who has other lives – people whom he can have authority and dominance over – in his hands.”  And heaven knows, Proteus has been pulling Mateo’s – and others’ – strings for months now.

Vanessa Cortlandt:  “In a way, she’s just crazy enough to do it!” argues Marj Dusay with a laugh.  “I think she would go to the ends of the Earth to control her sons and get their love – although I don’t know if she’d ever believe they really love her.  Also she loves money!”