Jane Elliot is no stranger to the TV Insider Daytime Performer of the Week feature and other columns that single out the best and brightest in daytime drama.
She’s been entertaining fans of General Hospital since 1978 with her portrayal of Tracy Angelica Quartermaine, who is not only the rock of the Quartermaine family, but also one of the most entertaining characters in the history of soaps, due in no small part to Elliot’s spot-on performances filled with pace and vitality.
Tracy never forgets anything, and she’s never afraid to call someone out on their, shall we say, “stuff.” Last week, Elliot’s Tracy read Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) for filth in light of the “coffee importer’s” desire to become the 16th board member of General Hospital.
The show worked in numerous times the number “16” on Monday’s episode, which just happened to be the program’s 16,000th episode.
“Have you lost your mind?” Tracy queried Genie Francis‘s Laura Webber Collins, who broached the idea of Sonny joining the hospital board.
She has her reasons for keeping him away from the hospital. Most of Port Charles seems to have forgotten or forgiven him for killing AJ (Sean Kanan), Tracy’s late nephew, years ago. Sonny, despite promising Michael, AJ’s son, that he wouldn’t kill AJ, he went ahead and did it anyway after Ava Jerome (Maura West) lied that AJ was attacking her.
Given the Quartermaine family’s ties to General Hospital — AJ’s late parents, Dr. Alan Quartermaine (Stuart Damon) and Dr. Monica Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson), both served as chiefs of staff — Tracy’s stance is understandable.
A few years ago, Laura and other characters had qualms about accepting Sonny’s money for the town of Port Charles given that the man gains those funds via his mobster activities. Those characters have since softened on Sonny, but not Tracy.
We got to see Elliot in all her glory speak truths that everyone should be screaming as she objected to the idea of Sonny joining the board. “Alan and Monica both served as chief of staff of this hospital while all Sonny did was kill their son,” Tracy reminded Laura.
Elliot had her character turn to and face Sonny as she completed her thought, “and get away with it,” in order to let the mobster know she wasn’t afraid to toss the truth in his face.
Tracy went on to say in honor of her late brother and sister-in-law she would never let Sonny serve on the board.
A lesser actress might have shouted and screamed these lines of dialogue, understandably so. The emotions involved certainly called for it. Elliot, however, is a performer who gives a master class in acting every time that she’s on screen. She chose to let the gravity of the words speak for themselves instead of simply raising her voice. Elliot kept her tone controlled and firm.
Sonny begged off as he wanted the board to be as productive as possible. Rather than be impressed with Sonny’s decision, Tracy smiled like a satisfied cat who just ate the canary, happily sharing to Laura, “Well, that was easier than I expected.”
One of many reasons that Elliot is so watchable is that she makes sure that Tracy never loses her eye on the prize or the objective of the scene. Sonny backed down for once? Good! Tracy didn’t want him on the board, and she was thrilled to be getting what she wanted.
Sonny returned with reinforcements in the form of the granddaughter of the late Dr. Steve Hardy (John Beradino) himself; GH Head Nurse Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) walked Sonny back to Tracy and Laura, pointing out that Sonny donated not one but two wings at the hospital. Also, Sonny supports the Nurses Ball, and he sends sandwiches “anonymously” to the hospital’s night shift on Saturdays.
Disney/Christine Bartolucci
Tracy countered that the Quartermaine family has also been generous to General Hospital. Elizabeth then invoked the name of her grandmother, Audrey Hardy (Rachel Ames), in an effort to vouch for Sonny. Elizabeth claimed that both her grandparents would want Sonny on the board. Tracy was not unaffected by Liz using Steve and Audrey’s names in Sonny’s defense.
“Clearly, you have the head nurse under your spell,” Tracy told Sonny.
The late Edward and Lila Quartermaine’s daughter is nothing if not strategic. She acknowledged that Elizabeth made some points, and therefore she would not stand in the way of his nomination. However, Tracy maintained that Sonny would never get her vote. She also had faith that the board would see Sonny for who he truly is.
Sonny tried to use his charm on Tracy, quipping that if she could put up with him, then he could put up with her. While other characters might have cracked a smile at that, Tracy remained stone-faced. AJ’s killer may be getting a nomination but she’s not going to give him a smile!
After Laura urged Tracy to work together, Elliot had her character do the unexpected as Tracy extend her hand first to Sonny so that they could shake on it.
Tracy’s handshake shouldn’t be mistaken as an endorsement of Sonny. She skipped the board meeting voting on his inclusion and let Elizabeth have it when Liz wrote off Tracy’s dislike of Sonny as “personal issues.”
“Do not diminish my concerns about that man. They go far beyond ‘personal grievances,’” Tracy stated. “If he’s on the board, people are going to think that he is deciding how General Hospital allocates its funds – not to mention the fact that he will use this hospital to sanitize his reputation.”
Disney/Christine Bartolucci
Elliot got to show there’s more to Tracy than bringing brutal truths to situations. She enjoyed a happy reunion with her nephew Jason (Steve Burton), Alan and Monica’s surviving child, who’s back in town after an extended absence. “I knew we hadn’t seen the last of you,” Tracy happily beamed to Jason.
The scene was a reminder that Elliot knows how to balance Tracy with moments of joy.
Elliot won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 1980 for her role as Tracy. She’d still be raking in gold statuettes, in our opinion, if she submitted her name and a reel for consideration. At last year’s awards when she received the prestigious Gold Circle Award, she shared with TV Insider that she opts not to submit.
The true victors, however, are GH viewers who feel like they’ve won every time they see Elliot on their screens!
General Hospital, Weekdays, ABC