A Visit to the Set of General Hospital with Joshua Swickard and Frank Valentini

I was invited by Disney on an all-expense paid trip. All opinions are my own.

I remember visiting the set of General Hospital a few years ago right after they celebrated their 50th anniversary so it was exciting to visit again recently to celebrate their 55th anniversary! It’s fascinating to see how much a set can change in a few years and to meet new and seasoned cast members from the show. Cast members were even going over their lines when we visited so it was very interesting to see them in their element.

General Hospital is on a huge set. You can walk down the center with sets on each side for different scenes.

The sets can change often or some stay the same for quite some time. For example, the hospital set is at the end which stays the same but other sets get added and changed frequently depending on the story line. We were able to get a quick chat in with Nancy Lee Grahn who plays “Alexis Davis” on ABC’s “General Hospital.”

After our set visit we got to get a sneak peak at an upcoming Nurses Ball episode. We even got to meet and visit with Executive Producer Frank Valentini, and Joshua Swickard, who plays “Detective Harrison Chase” on ABC’s “General Hospital.” We even got to see a sneak peek at Josh’s top-secret performance! You absolutely must tune in and watch! He is a great actor and has a captivating performance for the Nurses Ball!

They shared with us how the Nurses Ball episodes raise awareness and support for HIV and Aids. The episodes take a lot of time to create compare to other episodes but they believe they are worth it because of all the awareness it creates.

Since I’ll be talking a whole lot about the new movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story over the next few weeks, I thought I’d share a fun fact! Mark Hamill, known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars film series, had a recurring role on General Hospital in the 1970’s.

Solo: A Star Wars Story World Premiere & Red Carpet Experience

JOSHUA SWICKARD

Joshua Swickard, who plays “Detective Harrison Chase” on ABC’s “General Hospital,” got his start in modeling for such brands as Men’s Health, Sports Illustrated, Jockey, Finish Line, Sears, Kohl’s, Nordstrom and others. I can see why, he definitely has the perfect look to be a model. But the guy can also act! I really expect to see even more great things from him in the near future!

Joshua Swickard
Harrison Chase on ABC’s “General Hospital”
Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin

Swickard, who grew up in central Illinois, made his television debut as a recurring guest star on the Disney Channel show “Liv and Maddie.” Additional credits include “K.C Undercover” and “School of Rock.” He currently has a feature film debuting next year starring as a rodeo cowboy.

Swickard studied at Howard Fine Acting School and Lesly Kahn & Company. When not working, he enjoys singing, dancing and playing the drums. His hobbies include snow skiing, hiking, reading and traveling. Growing up, he had the privilege of spending summers in Central America working with different organizations; he continues that work when his schedule permits.

Executive Producer Frank Valentini, and Joshua Swickard, who plays “Detective Harrison Chase” on ABC’s “General Hospital.”

Frank Valentini

Executive Producer Frank Valentini came to ABC’s “General Hospital” in January 2012. Previously, he was executive producer of ABC’s multi-award-winning daytime drama, “One Life to Live.” Valentini was honored with an Emmy® Award for producing in 2002 and two consecutive wins in 2008 and 2009, as a part of the “One Life to Live” directing team and in 2011 for the ABC daytime webisodes, “What If.” In addition, he was nominated for a DGA Award in 2002.

Prior to being named executive producer of “One Life to Live,” Valentini held various positions on the show, including associate director, stage manager and coordinating producer. In addition to his duties at “OLTL,” he served as a guest director on the ABC daytime drama “All My Children.” In 2008, he added commercial director to his credits with the “Endless Drama” broadcast and web campaign for ESPN. He directed ABC Daytime’s innovative series of “What If” webisodes that began airing on abc.com and soapnet.com on July 12, 2010. The 10-part series features well-known characters from “All My Children,” “One Life to Live” and “General Hospital,” answering the questions, “What would happen if two characters from different soaps ran into each other? What would they say?”

Valentini has a vast knowledge of contemporary music, which he acquired when he served as a radio station music director, talent scout for Steam Records and freelance writer for VH-1. He served for two years on the board of the New Group Theater Company. He received his degree in film and television production from the University of Buffalo. He has traveled to over 75 countries, and in 2002, he became a published photographer.

Joshua Swickard, “General Hospital”
© XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
Episode # 14059; U.S. Airdate 05/17/18

“General Hospital”’s Annual Nurses Ball

“General Hospital”’s annual Nurses Ball, this year sponsored by Olay, returns WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, and airs through MONDAY MAY 21. Founded in 1994 by Port Charles resident Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring), the Nurses Ball is one of fictional Port Charles’ most glamorous charity events, dedicated to HIV/AIDS awareness and research. This year, celebrity guest appearances include “The Chew”’s Carla Hall and “The Bachelor”’s Nick Viall. In her debut performance, Hall takes on an infamous role decades in the making; while Viall joins Aurora media maven Nina Clay (Michelle Stafford) on the red carpet, as they welcome viewers into what promises to be a memorable night. From Sam McCall’s (Kelly Monaco) stunning arrival to Sonny Corinthos’ (Maurice Benard) unwavering support and Jason Morgan’s (Steve Burton) tireless search for answers, as well as never-before-seen musical performances and a surprise proposal, the Nurses Ball promises to be this year’s can’t-miss event.

“General Hospital” celebrated its 55th anniversary on April 1, 2018. It is both the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the longest-running scripted television drama currently in production. “General Hospital” has won the prestigious Emmy® Award for Outstanding Daytime Drama a record 13 times. “General Hospital” was created by Frank and Doris Hursley. Frank Valentini is the executive producer. “General Hospital” airs weekdays on The ABC Television Network.