General Hospital's Brutal On-Set Wardrobe Policy Doesn't Leave Place For Taking Souvenirs
The soap budget simply cannot allow prop-stealing.
It's no secret that there's a tradition among actors to take something from the set back home when filming is over.
While some do this because they genuinely like the item they're taking, others believe that it holds some sort of special memory that's just nice to have around even after all the fun is over.
From the craziest things like floggers and underwear to simple but beautiful posters and artwork, actors tend to choose with their hearts and are very open about their trophies.
As it turns out, soap opera actors don't have that privilege. Especially not for ongoing projects like ABC's General Hospital.
After the genre hit a major crisis in the mid-2000s, with ratings dropping even more than before, soap opera production became far less profitable. Budget cuts forced the teams of the surviving shows to operate on a much tighter schedule and be more conscious of every penny spent.
However, General Hospital’s costume designer Shawn Reeves is open to bringing any piece of clothing in, as long as it’s justified by either the event or the character’s storyline:
"There are a lot of trends I don't like, but I find a way to like it and I have to justify it for the character. If it works for them, then we're going to do it," Reeves said in an interview with ABC-13’s reporter.
However, stealing items from the show's extensive wardrobe is strictly forbidden. While General Hospital prides itself on having a variety of costumes available for filming at any given time, from police uniforms to nurses' prom dresses, nothing is allowed to leave the confines of the studio.
In fact, every single piece of clothing is cataloged, and every pair of shoes is labeled with the character's name and a picture so there are no repetitions. General Hospital is all about consistency, so each actor has a drawer of jewelry and accessories that also belong to their characters.
If you want to get a better look at the character's distinctive styles, you can tune in to General Hospital Monday through Friday on ABC.
Source: ABC-13