GL Fan Club Luncheon 2003

Kim Zimmer (Reva) gets flanked by Marty West (Shayne), Lindsey McKeon (Marah) and Scott Bailey (Sandy).

From the smile on everyone's faces, it was obvious that this year's Guiding Light Fan Club luncheon was a resounding success! It was an exciting weekend for the Marriott Marquis Hotel, experiencing fan hysteria reminiscent of The Beatles historic appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The GL presence was so overwhelming, they should have renamed the Marquis Marriott "The Beacon," between the GL Fan Club Luncheon and the 9th Annual Daytime Celebrates St. Jude Benefit, which was held at the hotel two nights earlier.

The morning of Sunday, Oct. 12, the GL cast made it abundantly clear who they were there for -- the fans. Jerry verDorn (Ross), who once again served as master of ceremonies (again ably aided by on-screen wife Liz Keifer [Blake]), explained the reasons for the fans' loyalty. "Because it's fun, it's worth the money and all the trouble to get to New York. Not many shows do this on such an intimate level as we do it. Because it's very family-like." Ricky Paull Goldin (Gus) echoed the sentiment when he took the stage, proclaiming to thunderous applause, "We have the best extended family of fans of any television show on the air in the United States of America and Europe -- and that's you guys!"

And the fans were not disappointed. After a rousing Q&A session, the GL aficionados were given the chance for autographs and photo ops with their favorite stars. Whether the actor was a veteran or a newbie, the excitement never waned. Scott Bailey (Sandy), a Fan Club first-timer, gushed, "They're all really nice. They all remind me of my relatives back home." Marj Dusay (Alexandra) opined, "To see them there and to hear all the appreciation, we appreciate it. And you can't thank them enough. I've done lots of movies and TV. This is the greatest group of fans in the world. It's very comforting, especially when you feel fat and ugly and stupid certain days [Laughs]."

Being around all the fans also got some of the cast members looking back to Fan Club gatherings past, and some of the more memorable incidents. Michael O'Leary (Rick) mused about a rather unforgettable incident. "There was a woman somewhere between 350-450 lbs. who wanted to run her hand through my hair. She came up, ran her hands through my hair then tackled me and then basically engulfed me. I kept pushing and screaming for help, but nobody came!" Cracked Jerry verDorn, "We hope this doesn't happen again, because they don't have insurance for that sort of thing." Fortunately for Laura Wright (Cassie), her fans were more civilized. "A couple years ago, Bradley [Cole; then Richard, now Jeffrey] and I went and met a whole bunch of fans for lunch and then we couldn't find a place to just go get a Bloody Mary. And so we found a place and then we sat and played chess in the lobby of the Royalton Hotel, had Bloody Marys and then came and like had the best time hanging out and signing autographs."

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the tireless efforts of GL Fan Club President Mindi Schulman. "The fans are great. The cast is so cooperative. They make my job so easy. I put this together, me and Mary Ann [Wortendyke, President, ATWT Fan Club]. It's a lot of work. But I love doing it. I've been doing it [running fan clubs] since 1986. Thank you guys for coming and all your support." And for the fans who couldn't make it, the GL stars sent their best wishes. David Andrew MacDonald (Edmund) said, "To those of you who couldn't come, I hope to see you in the years to come, if I'm there to be seen." Lindsey McKeon (Marah) suggested, "You should come next year. You're missing out. And thank you for your support." Yvonna Wright (Mel) spoke for many when she succinctly stated, "We still love you." And Crystal Chappell (Olivia) proclaimed, "You're with us in spirit and keep watching, because that's what's going to keep this all alive!"

For fan-tastic photos of the event, click here.

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