Tonja Walker is no newcomer to daytime soaps, She proves just that with her latest project on GH. During her 15 years in Daytime television, Tonja also made singing tours across the country opening with national recording artists and in her own one-woman show in LA, New York, and Las Vegas. Tonja has also starred in pilots for television, episodic TV, and films. She has been called “a walking sound bite” and is requested frequently for interview shows and magazine articles.
The role was originated by Tonja Walker in 1988 and she left in 1990; she was known for being a villain. On January 17, 2017, it was revealed that she is alive. On February 6, 2017, Soap Opera Digest revealed that Walker has wrapped her return trip to GH but will air through mid-March.
In a recent General Hospital QA Tonja Walker, shared a few hidden-gems of what might be coming next for her character (Olivia 'Liv' Jerome).
What's been the most fun to shoot?
Tonja Walker (Olivia 'Liv' Jerome) shared that she loves working with Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis). But I had a blast working with everyone.
What would you like to see happen to your character?
Tonja Walker: I want to see her come back well, wreak more havoc in Port Charles... or come back as Alex.
What's up with you and Winston-will we see u 2 together? (Just saying)
Tonja Walker: I played a little of that yesterday... we'll see.
Did you like the way the Ava/Olivia confrontation played out?
Tonja Walker: Honestly, I wish that we'd actually gotten to talk about our different mothers and history. Maybe that'll happen in the future.
So glad GH brought back Olivia, one of the best villains of the show. Will she stay in Port Charles for a while?
Tonja Walker: The writers left many doors open so I can come back. I hope it's sooner rather than later.
When u were filming, did you run into Hillary B Smith? Llanview reunion!
Tonja Walker: Oh yes! Stay tuned, you'll see... we have scenes together!
Tonja is best for the job.
Walker's first venture into production, earned her a Tony nomination for BEST PLAY, as the associate producer of Enchanted April. She created Tonja Walker Productions in 2005 and successfully produced her first film – The Derby Stallion. Tonja discovered Zac Efron and cast him in Derby in his first lead role in the film. This film also won many awards including the New York Independent Film and Video Award for Best Picture, The Dove Award, and The London Children’s Film Festival Award.
How the started with Liv and Julian?
Olivia is a mobster with family ties to the Jerome mob family. She is romantically involved with Duke Lavery. She finds herself in a power struggle over her father Victor's mob business against her brother, Julian Jerome and their illegitimate half-brother, Dino Antoinelli.
Olivia is almost killed by Dino, but she survives and suffers a severe brain injury and has to be institutionalized. Dino is arrested, and Victor dies after becoming insanely obsessed with Lucy Coe and swallows and chokes on a necklace. Her brother Julian eventually becomes the head of the Jerome empire but is seeking revenge on Duke for turning against his father. Her brother tries to enlist Olivia in a plan to get back at Duke for his betrayal.
However, their plan misfires, and Duke's wife, Anna Devane, miscarries their unborn child. Olivia tries to alert Anna about Julian's plans, but Julian kidnaps her and eventually "kills" her before she can. Duke wants revenge but is "killed" trying. However, an impostor named Jonathan Paget shows up looking like Duke. Julian and "Duke" have a confrontation, where Jonathan is killed and Julian is presumed dead.
In 2013, Julian Jerome arrives back in town under the alias Derek Wells. The real Duke Lavery was revealed to be alive in 2012 and had been held a prisoner in a Turkish prison. It was unclear if Olivia was also alive but Julian later confirmed that Olivia and his other sister, Ava Jerome were two different people.
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[Photo credit: ABC]
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