While Jacklyn Zeman will forever be known as Nurse Bobbie Spencer on General Hospital, the beloved soap actress spent more than a decade on another soap -- the digital drama The Bay. Now, The Bay has announced it plans to honor the late actress with a new special storyline featuring her former on-screen GH daughter, Tamara Braun, along with other former GH stars.
"The special episode titled 'Sofia' will be a celebration of both the Sofia character and Jackie Zeman's life, with several guest stars that mean something to Jackie's legacy," The Bay showrunner Gregori J. Martin said in a statement.
From 2012 to 2023, Zeman brought psychic Sofia Grace Madison to life on The Bay. In the upcoming story, Sofia passes away, so her sister Charlotte, played by E.T. star Dee Wallace, arrives in Bay City to help launch a fragrance line in her memory. Wallace and Zeman had worked together on GH in 2015 when Wallace made a guest appearance as Bobbie's older sister, Pat Spencer.
Braun, who played Carly Corinthos on GH from 2001 to 2005 and Kim Nero from 2017 to 2019 -- and can currently be seen as Ava Vitali on Days of our Lives -- will play Rita "Elise" Kennedy, a blind woman who receives Sofia's donated corneas.
"Knowing how special Tamara was to Jackie, I created the role of Elise specifically for her," Martin said. "I also knew whatever name we gave this character had to be something extra special to Jackie."
The producer contacted one of Zeman's closest friends, soap scribe Michele Val Jean, the executive producer and head writer for the upcoming daytime soap The Gates. Val Jean suggested they name Braun's character after Zeman's mother, Rita, as well as the actress' granddaughter, Kennedy Elise.
Leigh J. McCloskey rounds out the list of former GH co-stars tapped for this special episode. McCloskey is no stranger to soaps, having played Mitch Cooper on the primetime soap Dallas, Zack Kelton and Ethan Asher on Santa Barbara, and Damian Smith on GH. McCloskey will portray Hank Anderson, Sofia's first husband.
"I needed a distinguished actor and the right one to play Sofia's first husband," Gregori said. "I heard wonderful things about Leigh and how his spirit and energy were, in many ways, similar to Jackie's. It was an absolute pleasure working with Leigh and seeing him bring the character of Hank to life. It simply made this episode all the more special."
Zeman's daughters, Cassidy and Lacey, wrote some of McCloskey's dialogue for the gala launch of Sofia's fragrance line. Fans can also see special never-before-seen photos and videos shared by Zeman's family.
The new season of The Bay will be released this coming fall on Popstar! TV and will stream on demand on multiple platforms soon after.
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