Several months after the soap opera General Hospital paid tribute to the late Jackie Zeman in a tribute episode, another show is honoring her.
Zeman died in Thousand Oaks, California, at the age of 70, in May 2023, after a short battle with cancer.
General Hospital, where she played the iconic Bobbie Spencer for more than four decades, paid tribute to her in two January episodes.
Peacock soap opera The Bay, where she played Sofia Madison on and off between 2010 and 2023, has also announced a tribute episode, via Variety.
The special episode of The Bay will air on Peacock in September, and many of her former General Hospital castmates will appear as guest stars.
Several months after the soap opera General Hospital paid tribute to the late Jackie Zeman in a tribute episode, another show is honoring her.
Peacock soap opera The Bay, where she played Sofia Madison on and off from 2010 to 2023, has also announced a tribute episode, via Variety.
The special episode of The Bay will air on Peacock in September, and many of her former General Hospital co-stars will appear as guest stars.
“The special episode titled Sofia will be a celebration of both Sofia’s character and Jackie Zeman’s life, featuring several special guest stars who have meant something to Jackie’s legacy,” showrunner and head writer Gregori J. Martin said in a statement.
Dee Wallace (ET) will guest star as Sofia’s sister, who moves to Bay City to launch a fragrance line in honor of her sister.
Leigh McCloskey, who played one of Bonnie Spencer’s ex-husbands on GH, will play Hank Henderson, Sofia’s first husband and father of her two daughters.
The special episode will feature a gala launch of the fragrance line, featuring a speech by McCloskey’s Henderson… with a unique twist.
The words he will speak are words written by Zeman’s real daughters, Cassidy and Lacey Rose.
Another of Zeman’s GH co-stars, Tamara Braun, who played Carly Corinthos, Bonnie Spencer’s daughter, will also guest star.
She will play Rita ‘Elise’ Kennedy, described as ‘a blind woman who gains the gift of sight after receiving corneas donated by Sofia.
“Knowing how special Tamara was to Jackie, I created the role of Elise specifically for her,” Martin says.
“The special episode titled Sofia will be a celebration of both Sofia’s character and Jackie Zeman’s life, featuring several special guest stars who have meant something to Jackie’s legacy,” showrunner and head writer Gregori J. Martin said in a statement.
The words he will speak are words written by Zeman’s real daughters, Cassidy and Lacey Rose.
Martin and Wendy Riche will serve as executive producers and episodes are expected to premiere daily this fall on Popstar! prior to VOD releases.
Martin also reached out to Michele Val Jean, the showrunner of the upcoming CBS soap opera The Gates, for advice on what to name the character.
He suggested that Braun’s character was named after Zeman’s mother, Rita, and her two granddaughters.
“I also knew that whatever name we gave this character had to be something very special to Jackie,” Martin added.
Real Andrews, James Preston and Kym Whitley will return as series regulars alongside Darnell Williams (All My Children) in a recurring role as psychiatrist Dr. Josef Givens.
Martin and Wendy Riche will serve as executive producers and episodes are expected to premiere daily this fall on Popstar! prior to VOD releases.
