Ten Questions with Nancy Lee Grahn aka "Alexis Davis" on General Hospital

[Debi Fischer]

I recently interviewed General Hospital soap opera star Nancy Lee Grahn. One of the best known lawyers on daytime, her riveting performance as "Alexis Davis" the attorney for the two hospital staff members of the #metoomovement storyline on GH is worth exploring. She is drawn to bad boys like "Sonny Corinthos" (Maurice Benard), and "Julian Jerome" (William deVry). This year she was nominated for a daytime Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series. Get into the mindset of this fascinating character who has been on the show since 1996.

1. This case exists in a fictional hospital. Do you think this case between Kiki and Dr. Bensch could have happened in a real hospital setting?

Could happen? It does happen. In a hospital, a school, a law firm, a bank....anywhere and everywhere. This is a reality for many women to some degree at some point in their working lives.

2. Francesca the RN on the show. Do you think that her story line is credible, that she was coerced into sex with Dr. Bensch?

Absolutely credible. This type of thing happens all the time. I've had friends that this has happened to sometimes expressly like here, sometimes by implication - I.e., women who don't cooperate with their harasser are systematically and insidiously destroyed. Suddenly, they aren't given opportunities, they are diminished and demeaned inside and outside of their presence, and often find themselves terminated for ridiculous reasons. Moreover, others who do give in, are seen to be advanced or at least survive in the workplace. Some women simply cannot afford the possibility of losing their jobs as they have children to feed or bills to pay and no other options. This is where the lines seem to blur as between a Francesca situation and Kiki one. But blaming Francesca for giving in to the threats ignores the bigger issue - nothing excuses someone threatening your livelihood unless you give them sex. It's not a real choice. That threat for many women is the same as holding a gun to her head and demanding sex - no one would consider blaming a woman for "giving in" under such circumstances. No one should blame Francesca either. Blaming Francesca for giving in to Dr. Bensch's threats and his abuse of power lets Dr. Bensch off the hook for his despicable and criminal behavior.

3. Given today's climate regarding sexual harassment how do you think she fell into this trap? Do you think it was due to her age?

I think it's dangerous to see this as women "falling into a trap" because it makes it sound like Francesca, Kiki, or any woman could have avoided being in a harassment situation if only she'd done something different. These aren't traps - men like Dr. Bensch are going to harass regardless. You are right that there has been a climate change and no question that the "Me Too" movement has moved the line in a better direction. But it has not in any way eradicated sexual harassment or changed predators' behavior. While things are improved in terms of women at least being taken seriously when they complain, the facts are that men still have more positions of power in almost every workplace and some still harass and women still fear for their career future. These situations have not ended - they've just had a little more light shined on them. Even some of those who seemingly stood up for the Me Too movement and spoke out against Harvey Weinstein, like Les Moonves, has, it turns out, had a bunch of women come forward to say he'd done what Harvey Weinstein had to them - reputable women like Illeana Douglas. Things are improving but the problem has not ended.

4. As fictional attorney Alexis Davis do you think GH has enough emphasis on the medical side of things or more the legal side of things because of Sonny Corinthos and his organized crime ties?

Let's just say, I would like a better balance of power between the mob and the law. It's a soap opera, so the hot bad boys rule. Television is complicated. However, when the heroes are killers, the stories are skewed in favor of the killers which puts those with a moral compass at a disadvantage. They do their best under the circumstances and I will say women do better on soaps than they do in primetime and kudos to the daytime network honchos for that. But I confess that I still have popped a vein or 2 over my 30 years in daytime wanting the playing field between men and women in soaps to be more equal. This is where Soaps and real life are similar. I and my coworkers, male and female, artistic and technical, keep trying to move the line and I feel, while we have farther to go, we have made measurable progress.

5. Are you surprised as Alexis Davis that Kiki decided to go after the case given her status as a nurse's aide and pre-med student, that is the low woman on the totem pole?

Courage has no status. Often those who seem the weakest and most vulnerable have the most strength, courage, and fight in them.

6. How do you prepare to go into lawyer mode as Alexis Davis on the one hand versus being so insecure about your relationships with men (I can see the change when you speak to Julian for example) vs. when you prepare to do battle as the fierce attorney.? How do you reconcile the two sides of Alexis?

It's an ongoing battle many women have and one that I hope the writers find interesting enough to pursue out loud. I know a lot of kick *** professional women who are fierce in the workplace, but go home to as many vulnerabilities and insecurities as Alexis. I love that dissonance in Alexis - it feels real to me.

7. Given that you have watched the show evolve over the past twenty years, do you think the #metooGH could have happened when your nemesis Helena Cassadine was on the show? She was such a strong willed woman?

Helena would be an interesting case study, but probably not for the me too movement. I can only say that Frank and the network are very interested in doing right by the #metoo movement which is why this story was created, approved & written.

8. Will the #metooGH movement color how you portray Alexis in the future?

I have and will always be a fighter for gender equality in real-life and in the character I play with the words I'm given. I'm a lovable (for the most part) pain in the *** about this, I fight each battle about the fair portrayal of women... and win some. I've learned to choose my battles. The PTB on GH are EXTREMELY fair about listening and supporting me, and I'm not just saying that because I work for them. I'm too old and too honest for that. They really walk the walk But I will never stop fighting.

9. Will Alexis back down even less? Become more ruthless like Scott Baldwin or does she have that intrinsic good core despite being a Cassadine?

Well, It seems that bad behavior wins the day in this climate. Don't get me started. I'd direct you to my Twitter Account @nancyleegrahn and ask you to scroll through if you want to see me wound up! But I'd like to use a new friend of mine, Michael Avenetti, as an example of what I think is necessary right now and would defend my character to follow his lead. The game has changed. The high road was lovely and correct, but the rules have changed and we cannot play little league when the other team is playing hard pro ball. We must fight. And fight to win. Our democracy and liberty depend on it. I kind of hope Alexis comes to this conclusion as well - with some limits.

10. Where do you see Alexis in the next 5 years? I wish I could say The White House, but Alexis wasn't born in the USA so isn't constitutionally qualified. Wouldn't it be funny if she got deported now that the government is looking at past citizens who have already been naturalized? But seriously, I'd just like to see her hip deep in love, sex, family, friends, enemies, and legal battles. Or is that too greedy? I'll just take the sex!

This show is leading the way to illuminate and educate nurses about the importance of the #metoomovement and how it affects them in the workplace environment. As nurses, we show our patients empathy 24/7. Nurses, empower yourselves like Kiki and Francesca on GH! What do you think of the GH storyline? Has this happened to you in the hospital setting?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I feel like the implication here is that if you can't write something better, you're not allowed to object to an article? That's pretty unfair. Not everyone has the skill or the time to write articles for AN, it doesn't mean that they don't have the right to speak up when they read something they think is garbage.

You can certainly object. However, we always want to offer alternative - if you don't care for whats being published please make some constructive comments as what type of articles you would like? Its useless to make negative comments without suggestions as to improvement.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

I understand that, and I'm sure it's hard to find article authors. I think the most constructive way to phrase my takeaway from this particular thread is that nurses generally do not feel that soap operas with nurse characters are relevant to our practices, and it's a bit offensive to suggest as much.

[caliotter3]

It would do well to teach people who are paid to write for AN how to use such mundane features as the quote button, not to mention choice of subject matter. This entire vein of content belittles those who have actually faced such problems on the job.

[caliotter3]

In fact, the character is in therapy now to figure out her relationships with men and her family. She is a work in progress and very aware of the dynamics of the nurse-doctor relationships of the staff at the hospital.

Thank you but I prefer to read about the very real dynamics in nurse-doctor relationships at a hospital as portrayed by very real nurses who take the time to post here. There are numerous websites concerning soaps and TV fiction that I can visit to read about somebody's idea of 'fantasy nursing'.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I am sorry. I am not disrespecting the author. But I chafe, extremely, at any comparisons to TV/movie portrayals of real world nursing. The average layman must think we are dumb, thoughtless automatons who do whatever the doctors say, and are not very smart at all.

The two are diametrically opposed IMO.

I do not watch TV medical dramas, including the oh-so-popular Grey's Anatomy.

Soap operas offer an escape to people into daytime television. Nothing more. I have seen it; (GH)-----followed it in high school. Nowadays, I can't follow it. I am not into dramas anymore. Soap operas are dying out as "reality TV" takes a front seat. I know of no one under 40 or so who even watches daytime dramas (my kids included). How many soaps on are on TV anymore---3 or 4? Used to be over a dozen. This says a lot. The demographic most producers are after, has no use for soap operas anymore.

They don't even watch cable tv or commercial TV anymore. The Amazon fire stick, Netflix, YouTube, and other apps are what they use/watch, from my experience. The millennials I know don't even have cable at all. Some never have. They have always used their phones and pads to watch shows. Many of them have never seen a soap opera unless a parent watched when they were little.

Times have changed.

When we think about it, we realize this same demographic is what nursing needs and is actively recruiting. I think this interview may be lost on them as they don't probably know who Nancy Grahn is. I think she is a brilliant actress; I remember her in Santa Barbara way back in the 80s when I followed quite a few soaps. If we are to reach them at all we need to use the above outlets and be real.

I really do feel defensive and annoyed when a soap actress is interviewed as if she has a shred of a clue what real world medicine and nursing are. Too often, the doctors act like nurses and the nurses, like brainless ninnies. I am also aware medical dramas use medical consultants. But drama overrides reality in these shows.

So forgive me if I sound mean; I don't mean to.

[CharleeFoxtrot, BSN, RN]

So forgive me if I sound mean; I don't mean to. But to seriously come on a world-renowned nursing website discussion soap actresses and their ability to portray nurses, rubs this RN the wrong way.

Hear hear. You put this far more eloquently than I am able.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Hear hear. You put this far more eloquently than I am able.

I edited that last part because I felt it was too strongly-worded. I appreciate your understanding of what I was trying to say. Again, no disrespect to the author.

[BlinkyPinky]

Why all these articles on AN about a soap opera?

You do know these people are actors on a fictional show-- right?

[nursel56]

Yes, there are men who are sexually harassed too. The show just didn't portray this story line. Actually, if you read the ending again, I said that the soap opera was leading the way to illuminate and educate nurses and empowering them. Not Nancy Lee Grahn.

Thanks for the reply. I still find the statement to be curious, and most likely it has no basis in fact.

You might have started with an informal survey asking nurses if they watch General Hospital. In fact, in my case General Hospital was often on our break room TV. This was in 1985.

Or you could add a poll to your article, just to get a feel for the actual effect that particular show would have on our group consciousness, or even how many of us are surprised to hear it hasn't been axed yet, as so many soaps have.

If you truly believe the education and illumination of nurses on this topic is something we need a TV show to spark, I submit you don't understand nurses on this forum very well.

As a group, our activism on all sorts of social issues is well-documented. I don't have a problem with Nancy Lee Grahn. Many, if not most actors playing nurses think the nurses can teach the actors about their role, rather than the other way around.

This disagreement doesn't mean I don't appreciate all the work that went in to these articles, though.

[Chrispy11, ASN, RN]

Just my two cents. I only found this site after passing the NCLEX a few months ago. I read a lot and comment occasionally. I read the headline, thought to myself, surely this can't be an interview with a soap opera actress. I was very surprised. Not what I expected from this site. All through my entire time as a CNA, then in nursing school, never met a nurse or student nurse who watched soaps. No time and truthfully no interest. Never heard of the actress either, so the entire sentiment is lost on me. Sorry... I prefer postings that I can actually learn from and got more from subsubsequent posts than the original.