Kristina Wagner (Felicia, SOD 6/20/95)
Felicia's years of pining for Frisco on General Hospital might have grown tiresome were it not for Kristina Wagner's convincing portrayal of an offbeat heroine. Viewers accepted Felicia's unconditional love for this man long ago- and they don't expect her to get over it. They don't want her to.
   The heart of a soap opera is its love stories, and Frisco and Felicia are one of GH's most enduring- despite the fact that Jack Wagner departed the role of Frisco four years ago. Oh, sure, we watched Felicia flirt with the pre-psychopathic Ryan, and we encouraged her to march down that aisle with Mac. But her heart belonged to Frisco- and we all knew it. Felicia's love for her man is pure, yet she knows he would never be happy tied down. (Sound familiar, Laura?) When Frisco halfheartedly announced his plans to stay in town, Felicia knew better: Go, she ordered. The look on her face when he left-again- combined heartbreak with strength; no small trick. Kristina Wagner is a wonderfully understated actress, and she has crafted Felicia into a funny, strong, loving woman. Credit the luminous Wagner, who plays her as the successful survivor she is.

Kimberly McCullough (Robin, SOD 8/19/97)
Few characters on General Hospital have had to endure the heartache that Robin Scorpio has in her relatively short lifetime. Over the years, we've watcher her lose her parents, Robert and Anna, her beloved stepfather, Duke, as well as various other loved ones. As if that weren't bad enough, she had to stand by while the love of her life, Stone, succumbed to the ravages of AIDS.
    And during those years, we've watched Robin's portrayer, Kimberly McCullough, handle the traumatic scenes, first, with youthful innocence, and eventually, with the stoicism and grace of one too accustomed to personal loss. Turning on the tears, even from a young age, has never been a problem for McCullough, but only in recent years has her portrayal become so poignant. And never was her experience so evident than in the scenes dealing with the aftermath of Jason's shooting.
    Finally allowing herself a few moments of happiness with Jason, Robin's joy was shattered when the Tin Man's bullets ripped into Jason. (Kudos to GH for emphasizing Robin's sense of responsibility about her HIV status.) Once again, losing a loved one under violent circumstances became a horrifying possibility for Robin, and McCullough handled the trauma beautifully. She displayed Robin's trademark strength at Jason's hospital bedside, but at the same time, allowed us insight into her character's carefully concealed, full-speed trip toward a breaking point. And what a compelling trip it promises to be, thanks to McCullough's skillful handling of Robin's psyche. Can you say Emmy reel?

Anders Hove (Cesar Faison, SOD 9/14/99)
"General Hospital's Cesar Faison is a soap villian unlike any other. It's not that he doesn't have the requisite murderous acts and menacing machinations on his resume. It's just that there is a certain delicious, guilt-inducing lure about Faison- like an evil, 5,000 calorie dessert you can't help but want to sample.
    Attribute this to his portrayer, Anders Hove. Yes, it was GH's outstanding writing team that reintroduced PC's most-sinister presence after a seven-year absence, but it is once again Hove's chilling interpretation of Faison that puts the 'ill' in this villain. Hove's effectiveness comes from his ability to subtly mesh Faison's Continental charms with cold-blooded, emotionless delight he takes in trying to destroy people. He rips Lucky from the lives of unwitting loved ones, schemes with partner-in-crime Helena, taunts Mac by pretending to know nothing about Robert and Anna's deaths, stalks Felicia so as to make her shiver in her sleep- all the while making those characters wonder for a moment if they're being paranoid.
    This was even more apparent when Felicia went to visit a then-jailed Faison. 'I came back for you,' he leers. In an instant, Felicia's 'you-can't-get-to-me' bravado vaporized.  She regained her composure and gave him what-for, but Faison knew he got to her.
    So a now-freed Faison will quietly continue to control people's lives, like some twisted puppeter, playing with his marionettes. But it is due to Hove's sly touch, that we- and the characters- can hardly see the strings anymore."

Kristina Wagner (Felicia, SOW 7/13/99)
We recently watched a black-and-white fantasy of Luke and Felicia dressed in '40s garb, swing dancing and re-enacting Lila and Edward Quartermaine's sweet courtship. It was charming.
    Then, while Carly and A.J. were getting married downstairs, we saw Luke and Felicia sneak into a locked cupboard chez Q and lift a stash of Lila's love letters. It was hilarious.
    This week, just outside the crypt on the Quartermaine's Long Island estate, we watched as Felicia tried to convince Luke that Lucky is at peace, in heaven, and that his spirit is near. It was more than simply poignant; it was- heavenly.     As Felicia recalled her feelings when Maxie was near death, the memory of Kristina Wagner's performance then, in one of that storyline's most affecting moments, came flooding back: No words were spoken- and none were needed- when the two mothers came face to face in the hospital corridor, and Felicia realized that her daughter would live only because Bobbie's daughter, B.J., had died. Now, however, as Felicia attempted to help Luke assuage the pain of losing his son, words- carefully chosen and spoken persuasively, from the heart- were essential. The uncompromising Mr. Spenser is no easy sell, but as Wagner hit every mark in a most impressive performance, Luke did not dismiss Felicia out of hand, despite his gentle rebuff: "Maybe I hear things differently than you."
     Wagner's real triumph in these scenes was that through the confidence of her performance, she established a genuine and rewarding intimacy between Luke and Felicia that has greatly expanded the playing field for their relationship. That these two characters share a penchant for adventure and could connect for a caper was no big surprise, nor was it that the two actors exude a very likable, playful chemistry. But to take Luke and Felicia to the place where they conjoin emotionally, spiritually and perhaps even physically requires more than some wink-wink flirting and an exchange of cute one-liners. To make a significant liason work in a big way- playing opposite possibly the most cerebral actor in daytime- Wagner's Felicia must meet Anthony Geary's Luke as a woman to be reckoned with and not simply eye candy who's game for some mischief. In this episode, Wagner smoothly combined grace and guts and gave as good as she got. What the future holds for Luke and Laura remains unknown, but thanks to Wagner's performance, attention must surely be paid to Felicia Scorpio Jones.