General Hospital
Genie Francis Tweets Heartfelt Message: "I Would Like To Thank All My Wonderful Fans For Their Support."
\Courtesy/ABCAfter the last 36 hours of outpouring on social media by daytime soap fans and more, soap icon Genie Francis has finally spoken in a brief tweet to all who have rallied around her since the news broke that her contract was not renewed by General Hospital.
The actress who has played Laura on and off since 1977, tweeted: “I would like to thank all my wonderful fans for their support. It has made me feel so much better. ”
Nicolas Bechtel who plays Genie’s on-screen grandson, Spencer Cassadine, tweeted back to her: “Grandmother, you’re all that and a bag of chips. There’s nobody better … #GH”
Meanwhile Robin Strasser (Ex-Dorian, OLTL) tweeted: “Bad Decision in High Places! #GenieFrancis is a fixture in our hearts-We of a certain age, remember exactly where we were for #LukeAndLaura‘s marriage:) (#OLTL actors stood watching in the make-up room…Cheering for the “I DO”s:)” To which Genie replied via a tweet: “Also, a very heartfelt thank you to Robin Strasser. I love actresses who support actresses.”
So, what do you think of Genie’s tweets? Are you happy to hear from her via social media? Comment below.
“…I love actresses who support actresses.” ”
OF COURSE – this reeks of women in this business being given the shaft for so many other reasons… outside of the size of a mans piece
IN YOUR FACE : Frank Valentini, Maurice Benard, Steve Burton
the writing is on the wall.
if this is all @GH / TPTB / want for this show
cest la vie
It’s ridiculous to blame Maurice and Steve for this. Frank’s fucked up priorities were fully on display last Wednesday, when an entire episode was devoted to a dragonshit character with ZERO relevance to the history of General Hospital.
And that character – as far as I know – doesn’t have a penis. So it’s not a gender thing, it’s an agenda thing. And the Valentini agenda, from day one in February 2012 has been obvious to anybody who cared to pay attention…..
Destroy everything good about classic General Hospital and replace it with Zombie OLTL.
Thank you, Satan!….(Wow, that sounds strange…..LOL) Even though I would never express the sentiment as starkly as you have, I totally agree that this is not a gender thing. For many of us who have followed Genie’s “Laura” during her various GH tenures and witnessed the repeated struggles with GH to get the love and respect they both deserve, we recognize this travesty for the highly-personal issue that it truly is….she’s experienced this all-too-familiar unfair treatment for decades on end from the ungrateful soap and network to whom she dedicated the best years of her career—-this is simply the latest example, so quite frankly, I find those with a broader political agenda attempting to co-opt her current individual woes as a part of their own campaign both disngenuous and exploitive, to say the least! By all means, I suppport Genie and the groundswell of fans who have come to her defense with their variety of efforts to reverse this unacceptable decision and return her to her rightful place on the Port Charles canvas, but this particular situation has nothing in common with the other more widespread grievances that have made their way into the daily newsfeeds. This brouhaha is all about one beloved actress named Genie Francis and no one else! Let’s not allow those running GH or ABC to forget that!!!!
Hi… i’m coming from the point of pay disparity…. it’s gnawing at me the post that was said about Sarah Browne.. ex Carly who catapulted GH.. in her own right… WON THREE EMMIES.. and was .. per post was still payed that much less than her male counterparts
I will STAND up and HOLD ON : Steve Burton and Maurice Benard ARE NOT GOOD actors
The fact that Michelle is on the canvas also speaks volumes. Friends of Frank, not, Longtime beloved cast of GH.
A lot of people are supporting her she is going to be great,,,
Frank probably never anticipated this PR nightmare. Very likely he’ll have to eat crow and reinstate her contract or have his canceled by ABC.
GH fans should be grateful for Frank taking over when he did in 2012. However, it’s time to move on.
If he didn’t anticipate that viewers would be upset, he needs a reality check stat and should be checking into GH for real.
Totally, agree, Mo. Love Frank, but hate this decision. I watched GH yesterday for the first time since this news broke (I record it) and was sickened, I was so angry. It will be a long, long while before I can watch and not feel anything but anger for what TPTB did to Genie, and in turn, the viewers.
What kills me is that he refused to speak to her about it. What boss does that? What type of corporation allows someone in management to get away with that? Becky Herbst also said that she had no opportunity to talk to Frank after she learned he wanted to fire her. And yet the man touts the fact that he rehired ME in the grocery store, and that he hired Laura Wright’s boyfriend after running into them in a parking lot! The man seems to make erratic decisions and then acts completely unprofessionally to boot. He needs to go.
Gh and Frank need to wake up over there. I dont know what the hell is going on over there. Why are we losing all our GH vets??? Steve, Tyler, Tristan Jt, CW and many others and now Genie??/ Fans want our GH pple not Frank’s pets from OLTL.
It’s simple: age and sex discrimination with the actors who are over 20. LOL!
And, I guess, money was the motive in Tyler’s case.
Happy to hear from her but the news sucks!!! ABC is putting the final nail in the coffin of its soaps. We all know OLTL was the higher rated soap but ABC chose to keep the horrible GH because of brand recognition. The only thing that keeps me watching in Maura West, the Bervelee McKinsey of out modern soaps.I will not watch the Carly & Sonny show anymore.
I too adore Maura West and each time I watch her in scenes, I think of the late Beverly McKinsey. She’s one of the best in daytime today.
OLTL was only the higher rated soap after they announced their end date. Wasn’t higher rated before that.
My heart goes out to her. Who we really need to hear from is Frank Valentini. He owes us that much
Bobby “Franco” Frank is still on contract and getting big story during sweeps next month.
What is wrong with this picture GH?
I miss GF. I wanted Laura as mayor.
Feel horrible. Started watching GH in the 70’s in the summer and after school. 57 now. Record it and watch every night. It’s been so wonderful watching Laura with Spencer, Valentine,Kevin, Lulu. The mayor story line was thrilling…and then not. So sad.
Genie you’re a better person than me, right now I would be so mad. How could they do that to you or anyone else. I’ve been watching GH since it started some of the actors/actresses I didn’t much like but you are different. You bring so much passion to the show you are a joy to watch. I really wanted to see you and Ned debate for mayor it is a better story line then Michael and Nell.
Wishing you the best in what ever you decide to do. Your fans are behind you 100%.
only better things to come,,,all happens for a reason,im glad genie is off the sinking ship they call entertainment,
shes class all the way,,which is what keeps her fans coming back to support her,,,
i wish genie the very best,
and to all her fans and if you truely are a fan please turn off general hospital,,lets teach these ungrateful people at the top a lesson or 2 on ignoring the fans
Genie, I have signed every petition, written on every FB page, asked everyone in charge to change their mind and stop this ridiculous decision. You are a treasure at GH. You had a great storyline, a great new husband, a new name (enough with the Spencer anchor) and I was so looking forward to you fighting with Ned politically and being the new mayor. You were going to rise to greatness, character-wise. And then… nothing? Frank and the PTB need to recind this disgrace of a decision and put you back on top where you belong. I thought you signed a 3 year contract? We love you and can’t bear GH without you. Much Love, Trish
Trish, can you provide us with the petition info? I called the GH fan line but haven’t seen the legit petitions… this is just disgusting. She IS GH! WTH are they thinking?
They won’t let me put in the links.
One is on SoapHub and is titled “Petition to bring Genie Francis Back” (can be googled)
the other is on Change.org and is titled “Bring Genie back to GH as Contract Character.”
Between the two they are up to about 27,000 signatures so far.
I’m very angry. She was onto a roll as Mayor. COME ON! Don’t want to hear that her character was going no where. Or, Her character has come to an end . Having her pop in once in a while. Isnt going to please us. We watched her grow, even go thru a catatonic stage to marry Luke again.. this is so sad. Genie we love you!
It’s certainly nice to hear from Genie, but we can’t let it stop there! The ABC Daytime brass and Frank Valentini need to hear our constant support for Genie and our outrage on a very bad decision until that decision is reversed. It happened for Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) several years ago, and it also happened for Robin Mattson when she played Janet on AMC. Keep tweeting and e-mailing your outrage, make phone calls, whatever it takes! Genie Francis as Laura is the heart and soul of GH, and I thought they finally figured that out when Genie was given a 3 year contract in 2015. Never did I think they’d not renew it, especially when Laura and Kevin just got married, and Laura was running for mayor! What were they thinking? Frank never would’ve done this to Erika Slezak, the heart and soul of OLTL! Give Genie back her contract!
I posted the petitions (the two that I know of) a couple of posts above this one. Check it out and add your signature!
This is a huge mistake. They just started a story line with Laura running for mayor. I thought that was so perfect! Big umbrella story with history and consequences. This is a big fail for GH. Boo. Not sure that I will keep watching. DOOL is on fire. Just saying.
what a mistake taking her off of the program wake up people
stop bringing back the old and create new adventures for the best that you have
Jason is so boring I for one do not like him taking over Billy Millers spot getting to the point I don’t even want to watch anymore
Of course, she is a total kind, beautiful, classy Lady, as always…
Genie Francis is by far the BEST actress on daytime , I have watched her on GH since 1981 and all her appearances since. Big mistake of TPTB of GH. Wish you the best Genie!!
Makes me cry at her courage under pressure and her legendary composure. I’m just so sad. Genie, does this mean you are no longer a part of GH? I just don’t want to believe that. 🙁
I sure hope the brass at ABC think it was worth the bad press and bad will that they have generated with this decision. Most people would have known this was a bad idea (and not done it); what on earth is wrong with TPTB at ABC? Hard to believe people that stupid could be given responsibility for supervising a lemonade stand, much less a long-running program on a big TV network.
Kudos and more kudos to Ms. Strasser for chiming in. She’s tops in my book.
YES! She’s fabulous! So want her back as a key character on GH ASAP!
Keep Genie at General #makeherthemayor #welovekevinandlaura
I’m sure she’s heartbroken. She’s given a lot to GH and to be treated like this is not right. I don’t watch GH, but as a viewer of other soaps, I want to see the vets on screen and in story. They can still drive great story and they have a lot of legacy to draw from.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time. Genie has been disrespected many times over the years while they cater to her male co-stars, many of which are not as talented. She usually goes quietly, but I really wish she’d speak up. #TimesUp!
Poor decision. I think GH is writing for its demise. You will be missed Genie Francis.
I’m glad to hear she knows what and how we feel about her. The writers have lost their minds making such a bad decision. There are far more actors on this show they could have cut to leave her in place. Shame shame shame on you!!!
Genie is a class act! No word from TPTB except for FV’s unfortunate and insensitive tweet yesterday?!. I hope they get a clue before they ruin our beloved GH!
I like that it seems that Genie Francis is trying to take the high road.Plus since this isn’t the first time she has left GH over the years maybe Genie Francis doesn’t want to burn any bridges because she may know there’s always the chance she could return to GH again.
You are like the light that shines above all the others, and this is a sad day and a step backwards for women of any age!
Even after the complaints & petitions,nothing will change.Genie will still be fired& not reinstated.The higher ups don’t care what the viewers think; their mind is on the budget.
Thank you Genie Francis for sharing your tremendous talent with us fans and for always being a lady of class and dignity. You have always deserved much better from this employer.
Robin Strasser hit the nail on the head. “Bad Decision in High Places!” There have been a lot of those since the mouse company took over the alphabet network.
I was watching a classic episode from the early 80’s when Genie reprised her role as Laura, and “Think of Laura” was being played in the background during the episode. That is when daytime television was enjoyable and “can’t miss.” Valentini is void of tradition and respect. When I look at the roster of actors and the on-slaught of new and recurring characters with no legacy to Port Charles, it’s just so pointless to let Genie go-and in the middle of her storyline.
We will not stop till Genie returns as Laura! What the hell is Frank trying to do to GH. You can push your fans just so far. For those of you who watched GH from the beginning,It was Luke and Laura that brought back GH. To disrespect such a fine actress is a shame. Frank you have so much dead wood on the show right now that no more cares about. Amy, storyline dead and buried, Nelle whom everyone loathes, to name a few.
This is so disgraceful. It’s not like there was no storyline for her. I wanted hundred her to be mayor. I am so heartsick I signed whatever petitions I could. I can’t believe what a stupid decision that GH is making! Not only is she a memory from the past but her current acting is terrific. Besides she is still magnificently beautiful. I really I really don’t know what to say anymore. You need to change your minds and reinstate her. I love you Genie. Just know we all love you.
Genie was really sad to see your leaving GH you had such a great story line. Wishing you great happiness, hope to see you back soon so much more of your families stories need to be finished, fan forever
OK–
Which soap reporter will break the story of the actual reason of Genies Sudden departure from GH ..
Stay tuned, folks ..
Yeah, and you said that Frodd & Drew were twin brothers.
Stop reading the fan fiction sites. There’s no secret hidden agenda here… just the obvious agenda of destroying General Hospital, which has been ongoing since February 2012.
The best thing about Genie’s acting is that it is based on telling the story and revealing the character. Gen Hosp needed to use Genie much much more not less.
In contrast, the over-use of Maura West seems designed just to showcase how much she can chew the scenery and over-emote in acting out a vile character that shows so little redemption and no development. Ava is not even a good villain anymore.
Sad for Gen Hosp.
I agree, Anne! If you look at most of the females who consistently have front burner status on GH, it’s always all about them with as many ridiculous scene-stealing antics and hideous over-acting efforts that they can muster….the storylines are secondary, they are merely the means to repeatedly forcefeed these same three or four actresses to the audience. None of their obnoxious, trashy characters can compare to Genie’s beloved Laura, who she skillfully portrays with a natural grace and subtlety that speaks for itself, yet we are constantly subjected to these all-too-familiar femmes of a certain age who obviously curry favor with the show-runners above all others. (And for the record, I don’t place Finola Hughes in that category….her Anna is much like Genie’s Laura in that whilst she always delivers the goods, it’s done in a most exquisitely understated fashion…she is sheer perfection!)
Well, Shay you know I couldn’t agree with you more on this subject. I have friends who are actors and they will tell you that it’s the subtle scenes which are harder to play then the over-the-top dramatic scenes. Mugging it up in a fit of histrionics is way easier than playing something subtle like self-consciousness or that deep inner sadness for which we cannot put into words due to the limitations of language. Genie was always able to play those quiet moments and for that, I think she’s underrated.
Shay, I love Genie, but I have not enjoyed what she has been given with her return at all. I know many love her and Kevin-I did not. They have turned her into mama bear/granny/scenery. Ruth Martin or Kate Martin- loved both, but they don’t put mama bears on contract anymore. Plus, she is too young to be relegated to granny-in my opinion. I was over the top furious when I first heard of this but when Genie thanked actresses who support actresses-she was silent on Rebecca Budig- don’t remember a word from her when it happened to Monica and Bobbie- or any other GH actors that have been fired and not offered recurring. None of them really ever say anything when another is fired -out of fear for their own jobs, I would think. She left Gh of her own volition a few times- Monica and Bobbie never did. They took the recurring and I think she should have as well- she could have then looked for another job or fought for better story- I know she is soap royalty and all her history but these days that does not seem to count for much on the soaps.
There are no words as to how disrespectful this has been to Ms. Francis and her fans. She is the heart and soul of GH. The fact that she has been dropped to recurring is most probably because of money and the return of “Jason”. I would have to say it is nice to see him on our screens again but it is a delight everytime “Laura” is given juicy material. I love all the characters on the show and as a former OLTL fan, I am delighted to have ME and RH on my screen. I feel bad that folks are picking on actors that have nothing to do with this decision. This seems to be Frank V.’s decision and while I am grateful for all that he does to keep GH afloat it is time to truly appreciate the amazing actresses that are a part of this show. I love the Kevin and Laura pairing that are magic! This is sad sad sad.
hi Terri Skarzynski ..
I have not seen anyone being disrespectful towards Genie, no one.
She was treated as all other’s before her that was put on recurring.
Genie was not disrespected she was simply put on recurring.
Suoo, I do disagree. Why do the new actors who play Jordan, Kim and that new guy (Laura Wright’s boyfriend, don’t know his name) all have contracts?
To me, being put on re-occurring status is an insult to Genie and her fans alike.
You don’t find it disrespectful that she found out she was fired on the day she shot the scenes about withdrawing from the mayoral race, then asked to see Frank and he said he had no time to meet with her? That says a lot….
And recurring with a guarantee for one episode per month, yeah, that is being fired. By any and every stretch of the imagination.
What a terrible decision!! Laura is the heart of GH. Her character saved the show from cancellation back in 1978. She is the reason GH is still on the air and that Valentini still hsa a job!
What was Mr. Valentini thinking when he made that insensitive tweet about Laura’s announcement?
Was Maurice Benard’s tweet about air time vs episodes aimed at Genie and her fans. How would he have felt if his contract wasn’t renewed but told he could go on recurring and do about a dozen eps. a year?
Good for Robin Strasser for supporting Genie. Too bad none of her fellow GH actresses are following suit. I guess they are afraid for their jobs?
Exactly. What kind of lucrative, valuable storyline can one have when airing in maybe a dozen episodes a year? That’s Tuesday and Wednesday filler for when Laura would go visit the insipid Lulu or Elizabeth. She would be another Bobbie or Felicia-with no real character focus or story, just there to prop up her annoying kid!
She will do just fine she has a great family it will be fine I have no idea why they dropped her but obviously they do let it go I love her respect her but she will be fine
Vanessa Marcia and Sarah joy brown have both come out with less then half pay then the cue card reader and the blank stare guy
we should all make a big stink about this. It’s disrespectful to not Only Genie, The History of Th, The character of Laura but the longtime fans. Anthony Geary had his ass kissed for years while she was locked out. The Laura character is integral to the show and moreso than any other character on the canvas. #timesup #shameful
I am on vacation but as soon as I’m home on Friday, I will be making a call. This is not OK. Frank Valentini must go. Genie Francis must stay.
Genie Francis is as always a class act! Frank Valentini, on the other hand, should never have been allowed to make this decision. The only reason I will continue to watch GH is Maura West and only the episodes that feature her. I don’t care about Sonny, Carly, Cesar Faison, Drew, Sam, Jason or any of that lot. Genie and Maura are the only reasons I watched GH.
Totally disgusted by this news. It’s an insult to GH fans and Genie. Very, very poor decision. I can’t support this show anymore by watching it. I’m totally disgusted by this.
I stopped watching this show when it became the Sonny and Carly Show and I stopped again when Ron favored Sonny and Carly over everyone else. If frank is too stupid to see the story potential for Laura as Mayor, then I guess it’s time to stop again. It’s so dumb. Just two weeks ago I was excited by this show for the first time in years… and now this. It really is like they are trying to kill the show. Frank Valentini seems like a miserable person. How do we get him fired?
This is not just any actress nor does she play just any character. BOTH are the CENTER of the GH universe!!! There is no character, male or female that connects to just about everyone on the canvas and commands the respect that Laura does, and the show looks, feels and smells incomplete when she’s not there. Karma can be a real b#tch though, and I trust and hope the universe/God balances the scales anywhere and everywhere that she and others on GH were treated unfairly. Frank Valentini is at the top of the list. I don’t trust anyone who hires actors in the parking lot.
Well Genie Francis fans we have not heard from ABC studios or Frank Valentini to get Genie back to General Hospital full time and show her respect. We need to show them that we are not going to sit back and do nothing. We have to STOP watching GH and bring the ratings down. If ratings do not plumage they will say that Genie was not worth keeping. I for one have not watched GH since I read about Genie being put on recurring. I’ve read on various soap sites that there is a lot happening on GH but this cannot stop from proving our point that fans mean business and we should be listened too! STOP WATCHING IMMEDIATELY and lets make it clear they made a huge mistake and need to fix it!!
The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.
Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Antonio Sabáto Jr., the former Jagger Cates of General Hospital and GH: Night Shift, and the former Dante Damiano of The Bold and the Beautiful has issued his first public statement since the incident involving his son, Jack’s arrest in Alaska for a fatal hit-and-run.
Jack is the son of Sabáto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, and according to court documents obtained by KTUU Jack, was allegedly driving a white Chevy Tahoe when he hit and killed Carl Simmonds, 42, near an intersection in Anchorage around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, November 9.
The reports indicated that Jack fled the scene — but later decided to called the cops to say he hit “something” that “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing.”
Photo: NBC
Now, Antonio has taken to his Instagram breaking his silence on the situation, sharing, “At this time, my family and I are navigating an extremely sensitive and deeply personal matter.”
He added, “As a father, my love for my children remains unconditional, and my priority is the well-being of my family. We ask that the public and members of the media honor our privacy during this difficult time and keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.”
The soap alum concluded, “I also wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the gentleman who tragically lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with them as well. We sincerely appreciate your compassion, understanding, and respect for the privacy of everyone affected.”
Jack Sabáto was arraigned in court on Tuesday, November 10 with bail set at $5,000, and a no-driving order and the potential of $5,000 penalty fees if he fails to attend future court appearances.
Antonio is the father to Jack, 34, daughter, Mina Sabato, 24 and son, Antonio Sabáto III, 15.
This is a developing story. You can check out Antonio’s official statement below.
So, let us know your thoughts on this tragic hit-and-run, which claimed the life of another man, and Antonio’s statement, via the comment section below.
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Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Ava’s (Maura West) daughter Avery looks quite different, starting on today’s November 9 episode of General Hospital. That’s because GH has made Avery into a full-blown teenager and the role is now being played by actress Alya Bullington.
In her debut, the Tennessee native was thrown into the deep soap waters with Daytime Emmy winners, Maurice Benard and Eden McCoy (Josslyn). Bullington weighed-in to TV Insider about her first scene which featured Avery overhearing a fight between Sonny and Josslyn.
She explained “It was something I have never done before, I did not have a lot of experience with the screaming and the crying stuff, but I got my first script, and I was like, ‘OK, this is a huge opportunity to learn so much about how that stuff works and to become this character that I have never even tried playing before.’”
Photo: ABC
THE TEENAGED VERSION OF AVERY WILL HAVE A LOT TO CONTEND WITH
Speaking of working with McCoy, Bullington shared, “She’s incredible. I remember her just laughing and making jokes on set, and then the minute that they started taping, she just locked in and she cried immediately, and my first thought was, ‘I want to be able to do that.’
The soap opera newcomer added, “I think she just inspired me so much because she is so great and she can just lock into whatever character she wants to in the moment.”
The character of Avery was born back in 2014, but as recently as the October 8 episode of General Hospital, the character was suddenly referred to as a teenager. This is the second young female character in recent months to be aged up following the casting of Kayden Brenna Tokarski as Scout Cain.
As for her take on Avery and what’s ahead, Alya said,“She’s emotional, and she’s curious, and she’s a really fun person to play because so much stuff is happening in her life. I think she’s kind of confused about what’s happening and what to believe.”
So, what do you think about General Hospital making Avery a teenager? Are you excited to see the conflict between Sonny, Ava and Avery now that they have aged up the character? Share your thoughts and welcome Alya to GH via the comment section below.
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Y&R’s Matt Cohen Talks Role as Compassionate Zookeeper in Rom-Com ‘Christmas at the Zoo’
Alice Halsey Returns to ‘Days of our Lives’ as Rachel Black – Find Out How Long!
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News2 days agoY&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
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Previews4 days agoTHE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
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General Hospital3 days ago‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
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Days Of Our Lives4 days ago‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
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Days Of Our Lives6 days ago‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
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General Hospital6 days agoGENERAL HOSPITAL: Tracy Leaves Port Charles to Help Dillon; Paving the Way for Jane Elliot’s Temporary Exit
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Days Of Our Lives1 week agoRaven Bowens Breaks Silence About Being Fired From ‘Days of our Lives’ and Her Future Plans
