Fans have been eagerly waiting to watch soap veteran Finola Hughes, who famously played Anna Devane on General Hospital, in a four-episode story arc on CBS' The Young and the Restless as Zara, the flirty, opportunistic mother of Sabrina, played by Raya Meddine.  The character is due to arrive in Genoa City on June 19, just in time for Sabrina's wedding to mega-mogul Victor Newman (Eric Braeden).  Unfortunately, that's not going to happen anymore.

According to TV Guide, the 47-year-old actress has graciously bowed out at the request of ABC executives to drop out of her Young and the Restless role.  This has reportedly left CBS executives fuming.

"General Hospital always planned a big summer storyline revolving around the characters of Anna Devane and Robin Scorpio as the mother-daughter relationship continues to grow in the face of Robin becoming a mother for the first time.  Upon learning Finola Hughes had booked a role in a short story arc on a competing daytime drama, General Hospital requested that she honor her commitment to our show, and she graciously obliged," ABC explained in a statement.

As of this moment, there is no word yet if CBS is taking any legal action.  And while Young and the Restless executive producer Josh Griffith refuses to discuss the controversy, he opts to send out this statement instead: "We think Finola is an exceptional actress.  We're sorry things didn't work out, and we'd love to work with her in the future."

During her stint on General Hospital, Hughes won a Daytime Emmy in 1991 for Outstanding Lead Actress.  Nine years later, she was nominated for the same category for playing Anna Devane's identical twin sister, Dr. Alexandra Devane Marick on All My Children.

Hughes has also landed roles on Blossom, Charmed, How Do I Look?, and Pacific Palisades.



-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: ABC, TV Guide
(Image courtesy of WireImage.com)