LIZ M
Liz (lizincinti) is a moderator for all three ABC soaps on the Soap Central message board forums and does weekly recaps. She loves all soaps but her heart belongs to ABC. Her earliest memories are of watching General Hospital with her mother back in the days of Luke and Laura. This is Liz's fourth go-round as an Emmy prognosticator -- and she's back this year to see if she can up her total of correct picks.
Previous Predictions
2009: 3 for 8
2008: 3 for 8
2007: 2 for 8
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR
James Scott
EJ DiMera
I'm an ABC gal, so I don't really watch any of the soaps nominated in this category. I am familiar with many of the actors, so I know that each is definitely a contender. However, my heart bleeds whenever a storyline involves the death of a child. It's very hard not to be affected, especially when it's a scene where a father ends up in a morgue to say goodbye to his baby. My vote goes to James Scott, whom I've loved since his days on All My Children as Ethan Cambias.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS
Sarah Brown
Claudia Zacchara
Claudia poked some holes in a condom, so that she could get pregnant. Her goal was actually to avoid getting killed by her husband when he found out that she had been responsible for getting his son, from another mother, shot in the head. Michael was ten at the time, so it was a brutal scene to watch. Naturally, Claudia realized two things after she got pregnant: she loved her husband, and she loved her baby. I despised Claudia with every fiber of my being, and then some, but even I was moved as Claudia sat in that hospital bed, following a car accident, listening to the fetal monitor as her baby slowly died in her womb. That was truly gut-wrenching. Sarah was riveting to watch.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ricky Paull Goldin
Jake Martin
I have to say that I had a really difficult time picking someone from this category. All of the actors are amazingly talented, but I don't necessarily think that some of the Emmy submissions were their best work. For example, Spinelli's reaction to Maxie's one-night-stand with serial killer Franco was much more gripping than when he caught Maxie and Johnny kissing. I chose Ricky Paull Goldin because his submission grabbed me the most. I was never really a fan of Jake Martin until he started falling in love with Amanda. These were the scenes that got that ball rolling.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Bree Williamson
Jessica Buchanan
I love Carolyn Hennesy. Diane Miller is one of my favorite characters on General Hospital, but the storyline that really shocked me was Jessica Buchanan remembering that she had given birth to a baby girl who might have lived if Jessica's alternate personalities had not been in charge when Jessica had given birth. To know that her baby could have been saved if Jessica had received proper prenatal care and given birth in a hospital was stunning. I didn't think that One Life to Live would go there. I thought for sure they would have gone the stillbirth route. Bree Williamson knocked it out of the ballpark not just as Jessica, but as her alter-personalities.
OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTOR
Drew Garrett
Michael Corinthos
Michael Corinthos took an axe and gave Claudia one good whack. All of the submissions were interesting, but Drew Garrett captured angry and dysfunctional to perfection. Michael didn't kill Claudia out of revenge, although he had good reason to. He did it to save his baby sister, Josslyn, from being kidnapped. It was a horrifying scene to watch, but at the same time, your heart bled for what Michael was going through. His lack of remorse underscored just how messed up this kid's life was after being raised in the mob. It was like everything converged on Michael on that one night to create the perfect storm inside him. In the end, it was hard to tell who had paid the ultimate price: Claudia or Michael.
OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTRESS
Shelley Hennig
Stephanie Johnson
I have a confession to make; I listened to Soap Central Live when Shelley Hennig was a guest. She was so charming and sweet that I instantly became a fan of hers. She talked about her Emmy submission and gave me some insight into the character, so I saw her reel with a different set of eyes than I otherwise might have if I hadn't heard her interview. Simply put, her reel drew me in the most, so I'm hoping that she will take this category.
OUTSTANDING WRITING IN A DRAMA SERIES
All My Children
I love General Hospital. It is my favorite soap and has been ever since my mom introduced it to me when I was a little girl. Now I have a little girl who is at that age where soaps are starting to interest her. A part of me will always root for General Hospital to win this category, but I think the Emmy will go to All My Children. All My Children's Emmy submission was what soaps are all about. Stuart/Adam's murder was perfectly written, from start to finish.
