A STAR IS BORN: ONLY SIXTEEN, EDEN McCOY IS A GENERAL HOSPITAL GOLDMINE
At just sixteen years old, Eden McCoy has been a Daytime Emmy nominee for the past two years. Sure, she’s an incredibly talented actress, but otherwise you’d think she’s a typical teen – excited to have her new drivers license, loves the beach and volleyball, and is no stranger to selfies and social media. Eden has turned her role as Josslynn Jax into one of the most important characters on General Hospital. And now, she tells HollywoodHI all about her exciting life, including portraying the tv daughter of one of the most fierce actresses on the small screen (and spoiler alert, the feeling is mutual).
Life for a teenager in quarantine. ”When I think about how long everything has been closed and all work, sports, school, and basically anything fun has been shut down, it’s kind of depressing. I never thought it’d go on so long, so yeah it’s pretty awful.”
Eden has always been very close to her family. “Even though I love my family, we’re all pretty much sick of each other at this point!”
It’s a little too late to worry about that now! “I wasn’t at GH on the last day, so I’m actually worried about whether or not I cleaned up my dressing room or if I left it a mess thinking ‘I could clean it up the next time I was there’. But then ‘the next time I was supposed to be there’ never happened! And, I think I left my tv on. Hopefully someone turned it off!”
Caught off guard. ”What caught us all off guard the most is how many months this has dragged on. It’s hard not to be anxious and worried about how much longer things can go on like this. People need to get back to work and kids need to get back to school, but every time I think we’re getting close to that, there’s bad news released and we move backwards.”
A bit of a bibliophile. ”I’m reading more for sure! Right now, I’m reading Breaking Cover, by Michele Rigby Assad. It’s a true story of how a ‘regular, normal’ girl from a traditional family got a job as a spy in the CIA – and how she overcame self-doubt and fear. It’s so interesting.”
Missing her amazing on screen mom, Laura Wright. “I got to have dinner with her a few weeks ago and it was the greatest night. I miss her so much – we had a lot of laughs and got caught up. It’s so crazy not to see her all the time and hear her voice. I can’t think about it or I get sad.”
HollywoodHI EXTRA: Oh my, the Daytime Emmy award winner, Laura Wright, checks in: “I absolutely adore Eden. I am so grateful that I get to play her momma !!! We trust each other – and we lean on each other. We are family.”
Eden gets it – her and Laura are so similar in real life. “The last couple of years I definitely see it. We are both passionate about life and understand the hard work involved in achieving big goals and dreams. Neither one of us ever expects to be handed anything. We both like to laugh and we find the humor in situations even when they’re dark. Laura works harder than anyone at being her most authentic, truest self and making sure that her loved ones and her friends have what they need to be their best selves too. I try and follow her example.”
The most perfect mother/daughter team on television. “That is just about the best compliment I can think of receiving.”
Eden has great material already this year, so she’s go through the same Emmy emotional roller coaster all over again! “I don’t know about that, but I’m definitely grateful to have been able to share some strong moments on screen with William and Sydney this year. They are both focused, talented actors and I think the three of us brought out the best in each other during some of those rough, sad scenes related to their kidnapping and the aftermath of Taggert’s death.”
Eden is an amazing singer, but she won’t agree. “I am a ‘shower singer’ – and that is the only time other than the Nurse’s Ball that I will be heard singing.”
There’s a lot on tv that Eden has discovered recently. “Euphoria and Grey’s Anatomy are incredible shows. I think Euphoria is the most realistic take on teens I’ve ever seen. And, Schitt’s Creek, Arrested Development and 30 Rock – – I could watch all those on repeat.”
She is inspired by watching co-star William Lipton perform. “When I watch William sing and play the guitar it’s like watching him breathe. 100% natural. His talent is insane. He can just break into song at any moment, even if he’s completely making up the melody and the lyrics on the fly, and it will sound like a song that could actually play on the radio.”
A sixteen year old with her first drivers license – what could be worse? “I still go on scenic drives all the time, even though I have nowhere to go. Up and down the coast or through canyons in Malibu. It’s so beautiful and peaceful. I drive every day.”
Missing her tv family? “I miss them very much! I’ll never take them for granted after this separation, that’s for sure.”
Looking forward to her first day back to the set. “Tears, big long hugs, and laughter. I bet my face is going to hurt from smiling all day.”
Two Emmy nominations under her belt – that’s something to be proud of. “Thank you, but I think it’s just as much a statement about the writing and the directing. I would give anything to sit in the writer’s room for a week and see how they make their magic. And our directing team goes above and beyond to draw out and capture every nuance that they know an actor can deliver. I’m so inspired by the talent that’s behind the camera on our show.“
If Eden was throwing a dinner party, with only six invited – famous – guests. “My dream dinner guests who are no longer with us! Robin Williams, Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Alan Rickman, and Audrey Hepburn.”
And if that that sounds like a difficult evening…“OK, well then my dream dinner guests of today would be Ryan Reynolds, Dave Chapelle, Quentin Tarantino, Al Pacino, Madonna, Tina Fey.”
The hostess would be doing the cooking. “Pancakes and bacon of course. The theme would be ‘Breakfast for Dinner’, and we could have the leftovers the next morning for…breakfast!,” she laughs.
Oh, my! If you were yanked off GH for a few months to star in a movie, who among your dream co-stars would be sitting on set with? “Uma Thurman, because I’m currently dreaming of starring in a Kill Bill sequel where I’d be playing her daughter. A GH viewer on Twitter suggested it – if there was a sequel – and now I can’t stop thinking about it!”
Jim Warren
HollywoodHI