BEST RECAST I MIKE, GH
A healthy dose of fan (and Digest editorial staff) skepticism accompanied the news that GH was recasting the role of Sonny’s father, Mike, played so well by Ron Hale from 1995-2010. But with all due respect to Hale (who is retired from show biz and was therefore unavailable to reprise the part), our worries proved completely unfounded. From the get-go, it was clear that Max Gail was a brilliant choice to reintroduce the character — but this was a recast that went beyond just being a seamless transition from a previous portrayer. Early on, Gail’s iteration of Mike was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and the actor’s performance throughout the heartfelt, true-to-life and painful tale of Mike’s deterioration — and the impact of his illness on his family — has been a thing of beauty. From Mike’s emotionally raw scenes with Sonny, to his sweet friendship with Stella, even to memorable one-offs like his post-earthquake church encounter with Liz, Gail has made us fall in love with Mike all over again. His openness, honesty and vulnerability as a performer have yielded some of the very best moments of the year.