Whatever Happened To General Hospital's Rick Hearst?
It's been quite some time since we've seen Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) on "General Hospital." The brother of mob kingpin Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and father of Molly Lansing-Davis (Brooke Anne Smith), Ric had his good side, but he was mostly a scheming and slimy attorney. Hearst's birth name is Richard Charles Herbst, but when he started acting, his agent advised him to change it. His first acting gig was as Brian in Frank Henenlotter's cult classic horror film, "Brain Damage," in 1988, in which a parasite named Elmer attaches itself to his brain, forcing him to kill people.
Although Hearst would later become wildly popular as Ric on "GH," he got his start on another soap, "Days of Our Lives," in 1989 where he played Scotty Banning. Down through the years, he appeared on several sudsers, including "Guiding Light," "The Young and the Restless," and "The Bold and the Beautiful." Thus far he has won a total of three Daytime Emmys, one for "GL," and two for "GH," for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, respectively. After leaving "GH" in 2016, Hearst went on to other shows, including "The Vampire Diaries" in 2016 and the reboot of "Dynasty" in 2018. Eventually, he landed in Atlanta, Georgia, owning and operating a eatery called Nonna's Family Kitchen, and he has taught acting as well.
Hearst runs his restaurant with his mother
In February 2019, former soap opera star Rick Hearst was on the podcast "That's Awesome," which is hosted by "General Hospital" stars Bradford Anderson (Damian Spinelli) and Steve Burton (ex-Jason Morgan). The conversation largely centered around his restaurant, Nonna's Family Kitchen. "I started a family business that really helps sell my mother's cooking and also provides income for her in her retired years. It provides jobs for not just my children [but] an income for my family," he explained.
He further added, "It also helps my students, actors who are constantly out of work who need, you know, A. to be fed, because that's of course what we're all about, and B. to be able to pay their bills." Hearst's partner in Nonna's is his mother, Anna, who was raised in Italy by her Nonna, which is Italian for grandmother. On the restaurant's website, Anna states her Nonna's philosophy was that "Food was meant to bring people together to 'feed' not only their bodies but FILL their soul. Our family began Nonna's Family Kitchen with a simple goal in mind. Keep food simple, use quality ingredients, and focus on flavor."
Hearst worked with former GH star, Natalia Livingston
Rick Hearst has a page on We Audition in which he gives a brief outline of his experience, offering his teaching services, and writes, "I believe that each actor's process is unique unto them which is why I approach each actor from where they are at in that process. My goal is to guide and help you deliver a believable, authentic, and organic performance that casting and producers will take notice of." Hearst told "That's Awesome" that he teaches advanced students and that the class is scene-study based, where students act out a scene from a TV show, play, or movie. He stated that the focus is, "How you take being an actor and doing it on camera. What are the subtle little things that you have to deal with?"
In July, 2017, the Actor Boutique, an acting school run by "General Hospital" alum Natalia Livingston (ex-Emily Quartermaine), announced on Facebook, "Three time Emmy Award Winning Actor Rick Hearst will be joining us!" adding, "Actor Boutique is so excited to have Rick share his extensive training and impressive 35 years in the business with our actors! It's going to be an INCREDIBLE class!" Livingston also lives in Georgia, and in August 2017 she announced on Twitter that production had begun on a film with both of them starring in it called "Full Count," which was released in 2019.
Hearst has certainly been keeping busy since leaving "GH," and we're happy for him!