With Brook Lynn and Chase set to say “I do” today on General Hospital, star Amanda Setton teases her character’s long-awaited wedding, takes us behind the scenes at General Hospital, and reflects on BLQ's evolution.
This Quartermaine schemer has come a long way since she drugged Dante to “seduce” him, but don’t worry. Setton tells FIRST for Women that Brook Lynn will always be a Q and a Cerullo, through and through – even if she takes the last name Chase.
Plus, the General Hospital (GH) beauty and One Life to Live alum who once played minion to Leighton Meester’s Blair marvels over the new generation of Gossip Girl fans and reveals why she’s never joined social media.
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Who will go down at Brook Lynn and Chase’s wedding?
Soap operas are known for their epic weddings, not to mention the epic meltdowns, tragedies, and twists that can interrupt them. With Brook Lynn and Chase’s nuptials set to air for several days, we were concerned for father of the groom Gregory, who has ALS – but from the looks of the General Hospital preview clip below, there’s even bigger trouble coming!
We can’t tell you who’s going down this week or how it will impact the party, but Setton promises Brook Lynn and Chase’s special day will be cause for celebration.
“We shot every moment of our wedding, and it was really one for the books,” Amanda Setton sets up. “It was a blast. It was beautiful. Production did an incredible job. The writers did an incredible job. The dress is stunning! I think we hit all of the fairytale moments.
“And because it's been such a slow, incremental build for Chase and Brook Lynn,” she adds, “it just felt like such a satisfying payoff to have this huge Quartermaine wedding with tons of family and friends and so many players on the show attending.”
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Behind the scenes of Chase and BLQ’s wedding: General Hospital wedding
With much of Port Charles on the guest list, shooting the big event was a lot of work – and a total pleasure.
“We all love each other so much,” Setton explains. “So when we get these big party scenes, it's so nice to all be together on set and to get to collaborate in that way. Usually, all of us are doing our own things, so to all come together is always special.”
With General Hospital a massive cast, Setton gets to move between stories more than most actors on the show. In addition to being a Quartermaine and Detective Chase’s bride, the girl who once couldn’t hack being daddy’s assistant has grown to become Blaze’s music manager and perhaps most surprisingly, the voice of reason at Deception.
“It's been fun to navigate her career and crossover into all these different ventures,” Setton says. “When you're dealing with all different characters you get to play lots of different things. I'm grateful to these writers for trusting that I'll be able to navigate all the different intentions and relationships.”
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GH star Setton plays favorites with her costars
When it comes to who she wants to see in her scripts, Setton admits she does have a few favorites – and thankfully, one of them is leading man Josh Swickard, who plays Chase.
“He’s numero uno,” she says with a smile, before listing off Wally Kurth, Rena Sofer, Jane Elliot, and Lisa LoCicero – who play Ned, Lois, Tracy, and Olivia. “I just love the family stuff and the Chase stuff. That’s the best.”
With Brook Lynn a fourth-generation legacy character on General Hospital, Setton got to spend her first years on the show mending BLQ’s relationship with her father, Ned, and finding her place in the family, again.
Getting past those daddy issues played a key role in her evolution, but the real shift happened once her fake pregnancy scheme took a serious turn. Instead of just conning Valentin, Brook Lynn was swept into playing mom to Maxie’s baby to protect her from Peter.
“The Bailey storyline let us see her maternal instincts and a more nurturing warm side,” Setton recalls. “And that really paved the way for this deep relationship they’ve built for Brook Lynn and Chase, and how that's opened up her emotional intelligence.”
Setton honors Jane Elliot, Rena Sofer, and Ellen Travolta: General Hospital wedding
Over the decades, whenever Brook Lynn has popped back into Port Charles, it hasn’t ended well – but since Setton assumed the role in 2019, the character has, well, grown up! With BLQ coming into her own, the actress has been thrilled to have Elliot and Sofer return to the fold as “Granny” Tracy and mom Lois.
“It's so fun, especially as a strong female character, to get to work with the strong women who paved the way – both on the show and as my female family that I look up to,” she says. “To explore those relationships has been very rich and really warm and familial.”
“And even outside of work, we spend time together,” she adds. “I adore those women and respect them so much. I just I love working with them.”
And then there’s Ellen Travolta, who in town for the wedding as Brook Lynn’s Grandma Gloria.
“She's such a force of nature, such a kind soul, such a professional,” gushes Setton. “Getting to work with her has been a dream. She's also hilarious. Her timing is impeccable. To have that energy in the soap world is such a treat.”
Setton talks Brook Lynn’s humor, heart and “nasty streak”
The truth is, the Quartermaine and Cerullo women often bring that energy to Port Charles, and fireball Brook Lynn is proving to be no different. Setton is more than happy to help deliver bit of comic relief amid all the drama.
“I have a background in comedy and it’s my favorite thing to do,” says the actress, who worked with Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar on The Crazy Ones and was also a regular on The Mindy Project.
Stetton adds that as BLQ has matured, her humor and quirky ways have been central to her success.
“It’s just rounded out Brook Lynn,” she explains. “She is a bitch. She has a nasty streak in her. But she's not just the self-involved, narcissistic, nasty girl who plots and schemes. She’s also funny, loving, and warm.”
Why GH star Amanda Setton isn’t on social media: General Hospital wedding
Brook Lynn has become a character viewers can root for – and many have been rooting for her and Chase ever since that first time he arrested her. After a four-and-a-half-year build, this wedding may become the talk of social media. Just don’t expect Setton to weigh in.
“Social media is not my jam,” she explains. “Facebook came out when I was in college, and at the time, I was just not interested. And then right out of college, I booked Gossip Girl. And at that point, it wasn't a thing to be on social media, so I never got on it – and I think for my personal sanity and mental health, it's been a good choice!”
She may change her mind one day, but in the meantime, she enjoys getting her feedback in person.
“Being offline makes attending the occasional fan event extra special,” Setton explains. “I love connecting in those types of environments. The few I have been privileged to be a part of, it's been so wonderful to meet the fans, interact with them, answer their questions, and hear about their experiences with GH, One Life, and all the other shows.”
Setton welcomes a new generation of Gossip Girl fans
Speaking of “other shows,” this mom of three is still getting recognized for her run as one of Blair’s teen minions, Penelope, on Gossip Girl – all thanks to its rebirth on Netflix and now Max.
“It's just wild that 15-year-olds are still consuming it, but it's a joy,” Setton marvels. “I absolutely loved working on that show. And I'm endlessly grateful for that opportunity.”
Not only did it kick-start her career, but it introduced her to two of her best girlfriends – Leighton Meester and Zuzanna Szadkowski, who played Blair and Dorota.
“We've literally grown up together,” Setton says. “Like, I wore Leighton's veil at my wedding. Our spouses are good friends. Our kids are friends. It's a real familial feeling.”
Amanda Setton wishes Brook Lynn and Chase a (not so) happily ever after: General Hospital wedding
Speaking of wedding veils, the Gossip Girl and One Life to Live alum previews Brook Lynn and Chase are about to get the wedding they deserve on General Hospital – but that’s about all she can promise.
“This is Port Charles, my friend,” bride Amanda Setton warns with a laugh. “There's a lot of fun, loving, charming, gracious stuff coming up…. and then some pretty heavy stuff, too. We won't get too comfortable.”
With the wedding starting today, we can only hope Brook Lynn and Chase will be on their honeymoon before the mayhem breaks out, at least! Either way, if this actress has her way, BLQ will find a reason to regress… eventually.
“Back in the day, when Brook Lynn was scheming, I enjoyed that,” Setton tells FIRST for Women. “I'm sure that'll come back around. She's still capable of making mistakes. All humans are. I just hope she can redeem them!”
