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Maura West Confirmed In New Role on General Hospital!

Photo Credit: Hutchins Photo

Photo Credit: Hutchins Photo

Fan favorite and two-time Daytime Emmy Winner Maura West has joined the cast of General Hospital in the new role of Ava Jerome! Soap Opera Digest confirmed the news today exclusively!

“I’m thrilled! Happy actress!” West responded on Twitter after the news was revealed. Maura West is already on set taping and will debut in May.

The big question is that last name of “Jerome”.   That is certainly a name from Duke and Anna’s past! Remember Olivia Jerome played by Tonja Walker? There was also Julian Jerome and Victor Jerome too!  Just sayin!  So is Ava Jerome a member of this mob family? Weigh-in!

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Please tell me Olivia is alive & this is her daughter! Duke and Anna need a storyline.

Welcome back maura. i loved you as carly on as the world turns. maura is a classy wonderful actress. i hope they put maura on contract. give her a great storyline. I’m so happy that maura is back on daytime. elizabeth hubbard who played lucinda walsh on as the world turns can be the new helena cassadine. recast the role now please. elizabeth hubbard i miss her so much.

Michael park who played jack snyder on as the world turns can play a new role on general hospital. he can reunite with maura west. they had great chemistry together. they are great friends in real life. michael park is a great actor. by the way i love the new lulu. emme rylan is doing a wonderful job as lulu. i loved her as lizzie on guiding light. she is so pretty.

Totally agree! I so hope they are revisiting the mob family made famous before Corinthos. I could totally see Catherine Hickland coming on as a recast Olivia St. John Jerome who turns out to be alive (she is older than Tonja Walker and could totally pass as Maura’s mother). Also they could easily say that Julian survived too. Excited to see where this goes!

I didn’t like this news at first because I couldn’t help but hold a grudge against Maura West after she beat my girl Sarah Brown at the Emmys (who in my opinion was beyond epic as Claudia Zacharra) but I know that’s unfair, so I’ll do my best to give Maura a chance and she better not disappoint in proving to me why she deserved that award lol!

omg wouldn”t it be great if sarah brown came back too? i loved her as Claudia Zachara, hope she comes back . for crying out loud, they brought back every other dead person why not bring back her? just saying!

Sarah Brown could play Carly’s sister from her adopted family, and ala “All About Eve” fashion try to take Carly’s life for her own – again! LOL…

Could not agree more Aria! Sarah belongs on GH even if it’s to play a 3rd role. As long as the character is a bitch I’ll be happy because NO ONE can chew up scenery like Sarah Brown! We should start a campaign to bring her back!

I’m down for anything that would bring Sarah brown Back heck she could come back as Claudia’s twin whatever it takes just bring her on period .

You guys think she could be one of the future comebacks that we’ve been teased about?! RC would have so much fun writing for her and we need a new fire cracker with Connie and Kate being integrated.

I am SO excited Maura West has signed with GH!! She’s one of the most talented, mesmerizing, exciting actresses on daytime TV!!! RC and FV will definitely utilize her talents!!!!!!

i just hope maura west is treated better than she was on y&r……….

Maybe a new love interest for Sonny?

YES!!! Exactly what I was thinking. That would be awesome and would give MB some much needed talent to work off of.

That is the first thing I though of when I heard the news. Awesome casting news. Y&R’s loss is definitely GH’s gain. Just like Emme Rylan and Genie Francis.

Great… love her!!! Ava Jerome… interesting… have to think of all the possibilities! Can’t wait to see her!

Im sorry im not thrilled. it seems that canceled soap stars does not work well on other soaps. Look at what maria bell did to y and r with geniecfrancis debbie morgan darnell maura steven nichols

The issue with her run on Y&R was Maria’s close-minded antics and her inability to write for the talents of Ms. West and other actors/actresses she took from other cancelled series.

The problem there was Maria Bell, not the stars themselves. When you have that many uber-talented people and NONE of the characters works, the problem clearly isn’t the actors (and you forgot a few: Eden Riegel and Jennifer Landon).

In this case, if the writing is there and the character is well integrated into the storylines and existing characters, it should work fine; Maura is extremely talented. If not, then it will fail–for exactly the same reasons it did on Y&R, and not because of anything to do with Maura.

It’s not as though taking popular stars from one show and giving them roles on other shows has never, ever worked–but it does fail sometimes too, and when it does, it’s usually because TPTB assume that star power is enough and that they don’t have to support it with good writing and a viable character, which is exactly the mistake that Maria Bell made (over and over and over and over again).

West as Diane didn’t work from the start. West was entirely too young to play Diane and the whole thing was doomed. I like West and she is very talented. I also like Diane Jenkins very much (particularly when Alex Donnelly played her). However, I LOATHED West as Diane.

I am NOT a viewer who thinks you can simply recast an established part with any talented actor. It has to be the right “match.” West as Diane definitely was NOT that.

Marie Bell (and the casting personnel) deserve their share of blame for deciding to put West into the part of an established, 50-something female part. (Why the heck West wasn’t cast as Phyllis’ sister, Avery, is beyond me. Michelle Stafford and West would have been great as sisters and very age appropriate).

All of that being said, if West KNEW she was going to be cast as Diane when she was offered the job, I also put some blame on her for taking it. A very quick research of that character’s history would have informed even Helen Keller that West was at least 10 years too young to play Diane. It was ghastly to watch West’s Diane as the love interest of Victor.

West as Diane was a complete waste of the actress’ talents due to poor choices by Bell and West both. Also, it was a complete waste of Diane as the writers solved the issue by killing this great character.

Frankly, after watching Y&R for its entire 40 year run, I’d rank this entire situation as one of the worst decisions every made by the show. There have been some other lousy ones over the years but this one had permanent damage — Diane and her rich history are gone for good.

OMG OMG OMG !!!!!!!
The BEST news since Maura was let go from Y&R !!!!! Totally awesome to have one of my fellow High School classmates on my absolute favorite soap!!! I’m doing cartwheels !!!! VERY excited to see her on TV again. Please, please, please put her on contract so we won’t need to worry if she’ll only be on for a few episodes.

Maura West is one of the most talented actresses to come along in quite a looong time.
CONGRATS Maura !!!! You still look so beautiful !!!! I honestly can’t say enough on how awesome this news is!!! Wishing you all the best in your new (and hopefully VERY looooooooooooong) adventure !!! Wow!!

Wouldn’t she look great with Nicholas? This is very exciting.

I’m so glad Maura West is on the best series on daytime. Before Ron and Frank took over GH, I’d hoped she would go to ONE LIFE TO LIVE, but Y&R had her move all the way to LA just to waste her amazing talent. Some of the great writers from AS THE WORLD TURNS now work for GH, so they know her strengths! I adore this actress and I’m glad she’ll be well taken care of.

If Ava is from that Jerome family — and the show has been incorporating its own history too well to think otherwise — she could pave the way for a decent storyline for Bobbie’s son Lucas, who was written out after coming out. Lucas is biologically a Jerome, the son of Julian Jerome and Tiffany’s sister Cheryl. Lucas might have a right to some of the Jerome family business. This would also bring Carly (Lucas’ sister) back into the mob storyline.

Exactly what I was thinking … Bobbie’s son Lucas is a Jerome by blood. The son of one of Duke and Anna’s greatest villians … with Olivia Jerome (his aunt) being probably their biggest adversary. Lucas would be entitled to whatever fortunes or shares of the Jerome family that may still exist and be of great interest to any surviving Jerome members. It would tie Luke, Laura, Carly, and Bobbie into the stryline as well. And the show needs Bobbie as this last month as proven. Bobbie is a great sounding board for Carly (who has no friends), a good friend for Scott (who has no friends except for Lucy), and is Luke’s friend/partner in crime as well (he’s got relationships with Laura and Tracy and a quasi friendship with Sonny, but it’s been Bobbie all these years who has been his trusted companion and best friend). Also remember … Lucy Coe was involved with Victor Jerome and her invovlement led indirectly to his death which caused her to marry Alan Quartermaine all those years ago. So she’s roped into the Jerome family as well.

I’m totally excited about this. I was just saying to a friend that Duke needs a storyline that doesn’t involve around Anna. I love that RC has involved Duke a bit with AJ & Michael at ELQ, but I would love to see him work with Spinelli on finding the missing Quartermaine heir. And the show has yet to explore how Duke ended up in that Turkish prison for 20 odd years. Did the Jerome family have something to do with it? Is Ava a sister of Olivia and Julian that we didn’t know about? And don’t forget Lucas, Bobbie and Tony’s adopted son is the biological son of Julian and Cheryl Stansbury. I have a feeling that they will test Maura with Maurice now that they are moving Connie away from him into other storylines.

THIS IS BRILLIANT!!!

Maura West (ex-Carly, ATWT; ex-Diane, Y&R) is a fantastic actress, and I know that the character of Ava Jerome is really going to be a fantastic addition to the cast! She’s really going to be great acting against some of the show’s already amazing ensemble cast!! I’m dying for Maura to really excel in a role!

is she going to threaten Morgan? I assume shes Sonnys new love interest

Hoping it is a fresh mob tie-in, will be nice to bring a little of that back. I trust Frank and Ron to do it right and not go the Guza route. Although when I read this, my first thought was how amazing a return this could facilitate for Johnny Z down the road. Tie the Jarome and Zacharra families together and really give Sonny a strong antagonist.

Very exciting!!!. What a phenomenal actress she is!!! I have Watched her on ATWT and Y&R (Note to Y&R): You let her get away.. major mistake!!! I will be tuning in to GH more often now. Welcome back Maura!!!

Y&R eat ur heart out!!! Awesome news for GH!!!

Maura West’s early portrayal of Carly on As the World Turns (1995-96) was sheer acting brilliance. One of the best bitches the soap world has ever seen.

Then they turned her into a goody two shoes and I lost interest in watching her for the next 14 years.

I just hope they start her off as an evil vixen … and don’t change that for crying out loud. We need more bad girls on this show. Britt isn’t enough.

I wish I could get back into GH especially since Maura West has been cast, but there’s not enough diversity for me. They keep hiring the same look.

Okay! This is going to be brilliant for about a million different reasons.

1 – Maura West – West truly is a brilliant actress and can do soap bad girl with the best of them.

2 – Ava Jerome – There are no accidents. Especially in Carlivati’s world. I have no doubt that Ava is the beginning of a story returning focus to the Jerome crime family of the 80s. I don’t think this will mean Olivia or Julian or Victor will rise from the dead, I think this will be a new generation, a new era, harkening back to history, but with a fresh take.

3 – Refocus on the mob – I’m actually curious to see Carlivati’s take on the mob, just because I know it’ll probably be more balanced, and possibly darker and more psychological and strategic than anything Guza ever gave us. I always like the concept of Sonny going up against a female adversary, because he claims to have such an honor code and doesn’t condone violence against women. I think that gave the Faith Rosco story much longer legs than it could have if her husband Rosco was the main adversary.

4 – West as a mafia princess – Does it get better than that? West just brings such life and personality to her work that I am itching to see what she does on GH. She’s also in a unique age bracket where she could skew older toward Duke, or she could relate to Sonny, or she could relate to AJ or Nikolas. There are a lot of eligible men who could create chemistry with West.

5 – Duke/Anna – Given Duke’s history with the Jeromes and particularly Anna’s history with Olivia, however Ava is connected should give them a good jolt of storyline. And with Ava being newly created, Duke’s history with the Jerome family could help inform the audience on who she is, if the writers want to catch the audience up quickly.

6 – Lucas Jones… Jerome? – With Bobbie’s recent return and update on Lucas dating around and not finding the right guy… and then the scene cuts to Felix bemoaning how he always goes for unattainable men and will never find the right one, that screamed of a setup for future story and the return of Lucas. So with a Jerome resurfacing, how long until Lucas is cast and returns to explore his biological Jerome ties? The Gay Mafia in Port Charles?! Exciting! As mentioned earlier in the replies, it could also rope Carly back into the mob storyline via her brother, and could give a concerned Bobbie more of a reason to stick around Port Charles and protect her son. Carly’s mob-related brother placed in opposition to Carly’s ex Sonny? Uh oh.

7 – West’s ATWT ties – West proved to have good chemistry with Jon Lindstrom when he played Craig Montgomery on ATWT. And I wouldn’t mind seeing her in scenes with Lynn Herring. Didn’t Lucy say that she and Kevin would be sticking around Port Charles? Maybe Ava Jerome is a little crazy (likely, given Olivia Jerome’s history) and will have Kevin as her shrink, kind of a gender reversal of HBO’s Tony Soprano and Dr. Melfi?

So those of you worrying that she’ll be on for a handful of episodes, I would relax. You don’t hire an actress of West’s calibre for 3 weeks. You don’t tie her to a family from 25 years ago for a month of storyline. The implications on the canvas are pretty decently reaching, allowing her to figure into story with heavy-hitting long-term characters Sonny, Carly, Bobbie, Lucas, Duke, Anna, AJ, Michael, and it would take a MINIMUM of 6 months just to explore all those possibilities. And they wouldn’t give the character a fierce soap name like Ava and NOT plan to keep her on canvas. West could SAIL through a 3 year contract with a role like this, on a soap like this!

Very interesting…i enjoyed reading this!

This is a great summary and probably close to what they have planned … though after killing Helena and bringing back Stavros from the dead (not to mention having brought AJ and Duke back from the dead)… I wouldn’t pass it by the powers that be to bring back either Olivia or Julian … and I hope one or both do come back. It adds to the drama and history.

As for Lucas, I kind of think it would be funny to have him come back and not necessarily be paired up with Felix, but instead … bring back Tracy’s on Dillon who has been in Hollywood (a famous director, now?) and have Dillon reveal he’s gay and invovle himself with Lucas and see Tracy’s head explode and how her relationship with Luke would be affected (not to mention how Bobbie and Carly would deal with a raging Tracy).

I would have agreed with you before the Y&R mishap. They did everything you state they will not do with Maura. Tie into the Abbot’s. Jack (a huge character) First she was there then she was gone.

maura gets cast bec she has tons of day soap opera acting experience. This is the problem for Asian american actors. There are no Asian american chars who are supporting and leading chars that are created by the writers and showrunners. Asian american actors don’t get a lot of acting experience on night and day soaps bec writers and showrunners refuse to write for Asian american chars. The lack of acting experience becomes a disadvantage for Asian american actors. How can Asian american actors get hired? They don’t have a lot of acting experience on day and night soaps bec writers and showrunners don’t cast Asian american chars. gh has failed as a soap w/ its utter lack of Asian american chars. Fictional town of gh is ny based and around a hospital. There should be Asian american chars that are part of the hospital storylines.

Am very excited. Am NOT automatically assuming that she is here just to give Sonny a jolt. Don’t need to bring her on as a Jerome, with that rich pedigree, simply to do that. Clearly bringing Morgan back is designed to enrich Sonny’s storyline, particularly with Carly. I expect Ava Jerome to be involved heavily with Anna and Duke, which I will love. And bringing Lucas back to tie into this would be one amazing, far-reaching effect of putting the Jeromes back on the canvas. Sonny may be involved, sure, since he is no longer seeking Johnny Z’s “territory,” perhaps Jerome “territory” is what he will attempt to secure. That will be great, but I do not for one minute think Maura West is here solely FOR him. Being a Jerome makes the stakes higher for so many more of the characters than just Sonny!

Could Ava Jerome be Duke’s daughter with Olivia? Or is West too old to play a child of that union?

I don’t believe she’s too old for that storyline, but do I see it happening, I don’t.

This is not a comment regarding Maura. (she is great.love her.)I sincerely hope she has abetter experience than on Y&R. Speaking of Y&R does anyone have any news to share about the Lulu switch on GH. In the morning the actress was Abby on Y&R. Three hours later she is Lulu on GH. She was fired on Y&R , rehired and fired again? THANKS

Breaking News

Writers Strike Comes to an End; Leadership Votes To Conclude Work Stoppage

It’s over! After 148 days, the 2023 Writers strike will go down as the second longest in WGA union history, only a labor stoppage in 1988 was longer.

The strike will officially come to end on Wednesday at 12:01am PT.  This was due to a vote from the guild’s leadership that now has authorized its over 11,500 members to return to work.

That means: pitching and selling scripts, taking meetings, responding to notes, writers’ rooms opening up again, and more, can now restart.

Photo: JPI

The WGA committee shared that the vote, “Allows writers to return to work during the ratification process, but does not affect the membership’s right to make a final determination on contract approval.” However, WGA East and West voted unanimously to lift the “restraining order” on Tuesday.

As the negotiators shared, the end of the strike doesn’t mean that the tentative agreement that the union reached with producers on Sunday night is a surefire thing: Union members still need to vote to ratify the contract. Union leadership announced on Tuesday that will take place between October 2nd and October 9th.

Photo: JPI

However, SAG-AFTRA still remains on strike. So, even with the writers returning to work, many productions can’t move forward without their principal actors and performers.

So soap fans, how do you feel about this news for your favorite shows? Glad that the head writers and their writing teams will be back at work as soon as this week from Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Bold and the Beautiful? Y&R’s Josh Griffith, who previously had gone Fi-Core during the 2008 strike, remained at the top rated show during the last several months.

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Breaking News

WGA and AMPTP Reach Tentative Deal to End Writers Strike

Looks like we are close, very close, to the writing teams at your favorite soap operas returning to their jobs with news on Sunday that finally the WGA and AMPTP have reached a tentative deal. What remains is the fine print, and having the WGA vote to ratify their contracts.

This is welcome news to the television, streaming and motion picture industry that after five months of a strike has put the 2023-2024 TV season in deep water.

In a statement, the Writers Guild shared, “We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA (Minimum Basic Agreement), which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language. We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”

As the deal goes through its final stages, the writers are still technically on strike, but picketing outside studios and shows has now been suspended.

Photo: ABC

Among the writers’ demands that they fought for are: higher residuals from streaming shows, minimum staff sizes to prevent the use of “mini rooms” and protections from the use of AI.  The hope within the entertainment industry is that the new deal for the WGA will move along a new contract for SAG-AFTRA (actors) with the AMPTP.  As of Monday, SAG-AFTRA is still on strike.

Photo: JPI

As for your favorite soap operas, during the strikes, the shows were written by non-union writers or “fi-core” writers who gave up their union benefits in order to continue working.

The next steps in process will see the WGA negotiating committee vote on “whether to recommend the agreement and send it on to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council for approval,” tentatively scheduled for Tuesday.  Another vote by the board and council could lift the strike “restraining order”and allow scribes to “return to work during the ratification vote”.

So, are you happy to know that the writing teams from your favorite soaps are about to return to work and helm the scripts and the vision of the shows? Comment below.

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General Hospital

General Hospital Alum Richard Simmons ‘Not Interested’ In Biopic with Pauly Shore Portraying Him

Former General Hospital guest star and fitness guru, the reclusive Richard Simmons, has come forward and addressed actor and comedian, Pauly Shore’s wish to play the 70’s and 80’s pop culture icon in a biopic about his life.

Shore previously took to social media and on X shared a side-by-side of him and Simmons. Accompanying the post, Pauly expressed: I’ve noticed the reactions to me playing #RichardSimmons in a biopic. I heard he’s living in Big Bear. We’ve been playing phone tag (yes, he has a phone). I’m trying to make it happen, you guys. In the meantime, hit up all the big producers. I’ll see you at @TheAcademy 2025!”

However, TMZ’s sources are reporting on Saturday that Simmons is not in favor of Shore playing him in a film or anyone else, or any biopic on his life.

The outlet shared that Richard’s reaction was that he was aware of the effort behind a biopic, mostly spear-headed by Pauly. but that he just doesn’t want to be involved. Simmons also added that he likes Pauly a lot, but he’s not biting, despite the public’s urging on social media about the idea of a movie on his life.

Photo: ABC

Born Milton Teagle “Richard” Simmons, he became part of the public conscious back in the 70’s and 80’s with exercise studios and the ability to help his clients lose weight; many of them were celebrities. Simmons himself, admitted to at one time to being overweight, and getting into fitness helped him maintain a healthy living style and he wanted to help others.

Later, he began a four-year recurring run on General Hospital playing himself from 1979-1983.  Simmons returned to the show in 2013 for the Nurses’ Ball to taunt Lucy (Lynn Herring). He also was host of the Emmy-award winning, The Richard Simmons Show, which focused on personal health, fitness, exercise, and healthy cooking.  Over the last several years, Simmons has withdrawn from public life.

What would you think of a Richard Simmons biopic and if it included some moments in front of the camera and behind the scenes of what went down when he appeared on GH? Do you think it will ever happen given Simmons current position on the matter? Let us know in the comment section.

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