General Hospital's James Patrick Stuart Reveals How Anna And Valentin's Love Scene Came To Be
"General Hospital" duo Valentine Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) and Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) spent years giving viewers a "will they or won't they" type of interaction. However, the charismatic spy couple is finally in a relationship, and so far, it's been worth the wait. Even though Valentin has leaned toward the dark side again lately, Anna has remained by his side. In Valentin's defense, he's coming off of some troubling times stemming from the fallout that his daughter with Brook Lynn Quartermain (Amanda Setton) is the child belonging to Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms) and the deceased Peter August (Wes Ramsey). He also learned that the despicable Victor Cassadine (Charles O'Shaunessy) is his biological father, and he's trying to get Valentine to commit heinous crimes. It's a lot for one man to take in (via Soaps In Depth).
The only thing missing from his relationship with Anna on-screen was a love-making scene, showcasing the pair in the throes of unbridled passion. However, that changed last month when Valentine and Anna finally had a prominent scene featuring them sleeping together. It was a long overdue moment. Per Soaps, it happened partly from the revelation that his father Victor kidnapped Charlotte Cassadine (Amelie McLain), forcing him to do his bidding, including attempting to murder Port Charles' beloved mayor Laura Collins (Genie Francis).
Viewers loved the long awaited love scene, and thankfully Stuart is shedding some insight on how the big moment finally came to be.
Stuart wanted to raise the bar with the love scene
James Patrick Stuart got candid in an interview with Soap Hub, revealing new secrets about the creation of his fiery love scene with Finola Hughes' Anna Devane. Regarding how the intimate moment came to existence, he said, "That part where they said they'd kill each other. That was the moment before they made love. That absolutely gave the audience credit for understanding those characters. On the surface, the [non-soap viewer] wouldn't get that. You'd ask, 'Who talks like that?' But the Vanna fans were on board, and they got that these characters know each other in a way some people may not understand."
Stuart also discussed his and Hughes' goal for creating the scene and how it could be used to elevated daytime television. "Our director Allison [Reames Smith], our lighting department, and camera people were all on board. The feeling was, let's make this something pretty and funny and sexy — let's raise the bar a bit. This is what the show is about," he remarked.
The entire operation at "General Hospital" wouldn't run as smoothly without producer Frank Valentini, and Stuart praised him in the interview as well, saying, "Frank is the king. I watch how he loves the show in the truest sense of the word. I see the energy he puts into it and the attention to detail. I'm not 100% convinced that the show would be around without him."