It's been more than a decade since the Daytime Emmys were held in Las Vegas, but you'd be forgiven if you considered placing a bet that a General Hospital actor would win the Supporting Actor Emmy. After all, four of the five nominees call the fictional town of Port Charles, New York, home.
When the envelope was opened, it was Robert Gossett's name that was called. Gossett parlayed a nomination in last year's Guest Performer category into a win in the Supporting field the following year. Per Emmy rules, the Guest Performer category, win or lose, is a once-and-done situation.
"We've had loss in our family at GH. We lost my leading lady, Sonya Eddy, and our beloved producer Nneka Garland. And I also lost my son, who I know is up there watching and yelling and jumping and screaming," Gossett said upon taking the stage to accept his award.
Gossett's Emmy reel involved a mental health storyline, something that General Hospital has focused on in recent years. Gossett's character was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and the diagnosis created drama with his family. His reel also included material of Marshall's courtship of Epiphany Johnson, played by the late Sonya Eddy.
"I stand on so many other shoulders," Gossett continued as he thanked the show's cast and crew and his own loved ones.
With this win, General Hospital has won 15 times in the Supporting Actor category. The ABC soap won the very first trophy in this category back in 1979 when Peter Hansen (Lee Baldwin) took home the award.
In one of the more somber moments of the night, Sonya Eddy earned a posthumous Daytime Emmy for her work as General Hospital's no-nonsense nurse Epiphany Johnson. Accepting on behalf of Eddy was friend Tyler Ford, who admitted that hearing Eddy's name called was a bittersweet moment for him.
The 55-year-old actress went in for a pre-scheduled procedure on December 9, 2022, and was released on December 11. Shortly thereafter, Eddy began to feel ill and returned to the hospital on December 15. By that time, Eddy had developed an infection that became "uncontainable." By the morning of December 20, Eddy was placed on life support and died later that night.
"Accepting these flowers is bittersweet, but I know Sonya would only relish in the sweet," Ford said from the stage. "I want to thank Frank Valentini more than anything for being a faithful friend, and Disney/ABC and the cast and crew of General Hospital for embracing her for 16 years. I want to thank the Academy for acknowledging her contribution and craft."
Though she spent 16 years with General Hospital, Eddy is known to fans for numerous other roles. Perhaps one of the best-known was Rebecca DeMornay on Seinfeld, a role that made her a pop culture icon. Eddy's sassy character lectured Jerry and friends on muffin stumps and taking books into public bathrooms.
"Sonya never aspired to be an actor, and while her talent was undeniable, I am sure she's more overjoyed by being remembered for how she made people feel on-screen and off," Ford concluded.
Eddy is the third Black actress to win in the Supporting Actress category. General Hospital actresses have now won this award four times in the past five years.
