Tossing aside his GENERAL HOSPITAL’s character’s super-casual look, Chad Brannon (Zander) made a few hearts stop when he walked into an old-movie-theme restaurant wearing a navy suit to meet his fan club. Amid hoots and hollers, he turned the party into a very personal event, inviting not only his father to attend, but also a family whose young daughter was afflicted by Cystic Fibrosis, the charity which the evening benefited. "My Aunt Allison passed away from Cystic Fibrosis when she was 13," said an affected Brannon. "So it’s near and dear to my heart. She’s an angel in our family, and I always wanted the chance to be able to do something for her."
A Moving Tribute
Brannon applauded his fans, and they, in turn, showed their support with a special presentation. "You have assumed the real-life roles of visionary and humanitarian," read one fan. "You have actively and courageously dedicated yourself to improving the health and well-being of your fellow human beings by supporting and working with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. To that end, and through your inspiration, your fans have been inspired to join you in this mission."
Lois Sutton, who originated and engineered the project, then handed him a giant check for $2,000 made out to the Los Angeles chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Brannon’s leading lady, Natalia Livingston (Emily), was then asked to take center stage as she too was honored. "Zem" fans all chipped in and made a nearly $500 donation in her name to Avon Breast Cancer Awareness. They also put together a huge basket of Emily-related goodies, including a journal "because Emily writes in her journal a lot… unfortunately not the truth," they joked.
Lessons In Love
Most of the questions of the night spoke to the Zander/Emily/Nikolas triangle. Asked if he liked how it was progressing, Brannon teased, "Where do I begin? I’ll say this, I’m glad it’s Tyler Christopher (Nikolas). He’s awesome as a friend. But it sucks that Zander doesn’t have Emily all to himself. But hey, it’s a pretty darn good story."
Without even blinking, he said he knew right from the start that Livingston was going to pull her weight when it came to taking over the role left vacant by the much-loved Amber Tamblyn. "After we taped the first scene, I started jumping up and down. ‘Yeah! I’ve got somebody to work with! They brought a girl in to play with!’ I was so excited."
Still, the co-stars’ first love scene was a little trickier than it appeared. It was Livingston’s first on-camera romp, and it proved a little challenging. "Chad was great. He helped me out. The cameraman, Robert, was right there," she said, indicating really close to her backside. "And Chad kept picking me up and then turning me [that] way. My legs were way up in the air, so I think Robert was getting the shot I didn’t want him to see!" Thankfully, Chad came to the rescue and made sure that their soap-opera scene didn’t end up on Pay-Per-View!
Hey, What About Me?
With all the talk from Emily about how Nikolas’ support drove her to fight for her life, Brannon couldn’t help but get a little defensive on behalf of his poor character. "Oh, by the way, I need to address something with you," he said, turning to Livingston. "There’s something that Emily says about Nikolas saving her life. I just want to point out, I’ve got bullet holes in my chest!" The crowd roared in agreement.
To launch his flashy new Web site, www.chadbrannon.net, which kicks off on September 1, Brannon and Livingston will be doing a live chat on September 2 at 7 p.m. PT. Be there!
Chad Brannon
