General Hospital
Maura West Talks Being The Mafia Donna Of General Hospital's Jerome Clan!

Courtesy/ABC
Two-time Daytime Emmy winner Maura West is really getting the opportunity to chew the scenery in her latest soap role of Ava Jerome on ABC’s General Hospital. West who debuted back in May, is getting plenty of airtime and has been integrated into many a story with a bevy soap leading men from Roger Howarth (Franco), to Michael Easton (Silas) to William deVry (Julian)!
In this new interview with Michael Logan of TV Guide Magazine, just as Ava is about to truly amp up her attempt to take over the Port Charles mob territory from Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) on next week’s episodes, she spoke about taking on the delicious role on GH, and that role that kind of went south as Diane on Y&R! Here are a few excerpts below!
Maura on how to navigate playing a character in soaps that the audience doesn’t completely vilify and turn their backs on: “They’re supposed to hate Ava but what you want is that they love to hate her. Still, you can’t worry about it. You play what they give you and, hopefully, let the viewers see that if you scratch that surface there is a heart and soul somewhere under there. In soaps, there’s always room for redemption. (Laughs) Well, almost always. She doesn’t see what she does as bad. Mobsters go home to their families at night and eat dinner, just like you and me. And they have a huge capacity for love. They can bury someone in a shallow grave in the woods and then go to their kid’s Christmas concert on the way home. “
Maura on how her stint on Y&R didn’t last so long as Diane Jenkins: “Honestly, I was at Y&R so briefly that I don’t even think about it! (Laughs) I must have blocked it out! Sometimes I’ll see a magazine article where they’ll say Maura West and in parentheses they have “ex-Carly ATWT” and “ex-Diane Y&R” and I’ll go, “Huh?” I met some wonderful people at Y&R but that experience is not something my heart aches over, not something I miss at all.”
So what do you think of Maura’s Ava Jerome? Are you enjoying Ava’s attempts to be the reigning Mafia Donna of Port Charles? Do you think Y&R misused the uber-talented West? Comment below!
Loving the addition of the Jarome family, and hope they stick around for a long while. Love William and Maura, and hope the writers do more with their characters than just mob related stuff.
Also really hoping that along with Robin, they find Alan Quartermain in that clinic and bring him home. Could just see the fireworks between Monica and Maura if Ava and Alan flirt with each other. Bring back Alan now!!!!
Would like to see a Julian and Alexis pairing also.
I wanted Alan back but he’s made too many ghostly appearance, the last with Rick and Emily…maybe she could make a play for A.J? Julian and Alexis is an obvious pairing…she’ll end up with him b4 his mob ties are revealed! Ava is here to stay so she wont be Connies killer…imo.
There have been many soap characters that have appeared multiple times as ghosts and still came back from the dead. I would accept any ridiculous excuse of why he’s not dead if it meant having him back.
Maybe Casey the alien has him.
Yeah, id accept any explaination too…
I only hope she’s the murderess because I don’t know any other AJ…and I DON’T want it to be Aj! Love him and cannot stand how he’s constantly be torn apart by people less worthy! (Cracks me up when I get all in a tither about fictional “people.”) LOL…
It’s a conundrum. I do enjoy and want the Jerome’s to stay…particularly Julian. Something about the way he plays his role is incredibly sexy! But I don’t know how Alexis would ever reconcile being with him when she couldn’t handle Sonny, Jason or Sean being in the mob…or when she finds out he killed his own sister! (Which I didn’t know till the actress just mentioned that piece of GH history.) To date he hasn’t shown his ruthless side so it’s difficult to reconcile…
As for “Ava” Maura West is the epitome of the old school b&w film mob dames….she’s great at it but I don’t want to see her frame AJ.
As for Alan…there’s not enough Qs on now…big house with no one in it. Should bring back Ned, Skye, maybe Alan could pop in now and then in his ghostly persona…(standing back observing, whatever…)
The whole “mystery” of Robin…it’s obvious it’s her lurking around but they seem to be trying to have us believe it’s Jason…
@rebecca1….We are so on the same page about “AJ”…he has become GH’s convenient go-to “whipping boy,” and that has worn thin….it also does a grave disservice to SK because it makes his character seem too one-dimensional, and he obviously possesses the talent to play far beyond the parameters he has been permitted thus far. As for Julian, I am still not feeling this big “thing” he and Alexis are supposed to be embarking upon…to me, they seem mismatched and not quite of the same equivalent age group, either. Even though the older looking Ms. Davis is behaving like a slobbering, blushing schoolgirl around her first crush, I simply don’t detect a mutual attraction…I would prefer to see “Sam’s Daddy” with somebody else. I am also remaining skeptical on the “Ava Love” that so many here profess….while I do give her major “style points” for her take on the “retro silver screen glam girl,” I’m not yet enchanted with the entire package…her vibe is too much “emotional, quivering whack-job” to really be a credible “Mob Queen.” We require more backstory on her history and how it created her particularly pseudo-sophisticated, yet amazingly declasse’ persona. (I have previously proffered that if an “Ava Mama” is scripted for that purpose, then Gloria Loring would be a perfect choice to fill the role….the physical resemblance is uncanny, and I think the former “Liz Craig” would make a scary hilarious gun moll/mother to MW’s daughter….can picture a lot of friction there!) At any rate, I can live with an empty “Q” mansion for the time being…save for an an occasional ghostly visit from Alan…maybe even to his foundering namesake this time around???? Given AJ’s current demons, he could just think he is hallucinating. Lastly, even though I cannot wait for Robin’s return (and the subsequent annihilation of “Sow-brina’s” pathetic little fairytale…) I don’t believe she is due just yet. It appears the mystery “lurker” is going to be Heather….time to break out those BLT’s!!!! Haha….P.S. I enjoyed and appreciated your latest “Downton” character analysis, and will respond accordingly when time permits…..Thank you!!!!
So sorry for the mix-up, jimh! But I’m glad you liked my casting idea…I can easily envision GL as a former flame/singer from one of Victor Jerome’s nightclubs, and their fling produced Ava….I’ve always felt she and Julian are not full siblings, and that she is an illegitimate offspring of the original don. It would be a nice addition to GH to have a musical performer the caliber of Ms. Loring….even though she would definitely have some competition from our mutually favorite “Karaoke Queen!!!” (Where is dear “mutta” by the way?…Hiding out in those tunnels at Wyndemere???)
I love love love Ava Jerome. Best female addition in ages. She has that special spark that just shines with everybody on Gh.
She is wonderful… love to watch her in action.
I totally disliked her as Carly on ATWT, but I love her as Ava.
LOVE TO HATE AVA!! She’s the greatest!!!! One of the best additions to GH!!!!
Always loved her as Carly on ATWT, and love her now in the role of Ava. She is a very talented actress who brings her whole game every time she’s onscreen. Look forward to many more years with her on GH.
All soaps need a good solid troublemaker who isn’t so evil you cannot allow them to continue, but just evil enough to take the taste of sugar out your mouth, from all those too good to be true, super sweet heroine types. For this reason I like Ava on the canvas– I think she might try to romance Sonny, not for real, just to get inside his head and mess with his business and they stab him in the back– figuratively or literally, which one, I guess would depend on her mood. lol.
Love Maura West ,whatever she’s doing.
I think Maura is a beauty, and a terrific villain. What I don’t see is an ability to allow us to ‘love to hate her’. I don’t see any softness in her character, even with her daughter…. no vulnerability. So I don’t find myself empathizing with her in any way…. much like her Diane character on Y&R.
Wonderful cast addition! RC/FV know what to do with beauty and talent, unlike Y&R’s show runners for the past 7-8 years. Maura was woefully miscast as Diane Jenkins, as she is 15-20 years younger, and it wasn’t fair to put her in that position. Very misguided casting decision on the part of the ailing Y&R. Alas, RC/FV and their revived GH to the rescue. Ava is steaming up the screen with pretty much any man with whom she shares a scene, kicking a$$ and taking names. Loving Maura West and Ava Jerome!
GH struck gold when they cast Maura as Ava Jerome. She’s been nothing, but amazing with her acting. Truly bringing back the gems of the early screen days. I see a lot of old Hollywood in her and always have. Ava is here to stay, as is Maura West! I am loving me Ava every day she is on, and when she isn’t, the show is lackluster. Ava is the star!
Love Maura! She can play anything and this AVA character is a hoot! Hope she’s around for a long time to come. She really livens up any scene she is in.
I am a Jerome fan and hope Franco will become involved in their story..
She was woefully miscast and misused on Y&R, but from her first appearance on GH she has been a breath of fresh air. It’s hard to look away from the screen whenever Ava appears because of the sheer unpredictability of the character–and that can be attributed to West’s nuanced work. She is to be commended, as are the showrunners, for bringing her onboard.
Tom….Just a heads-up here, but you best be careful using the word “nuanced” (or”fashionista” and “concur,” for that matter…) Apparently, these “trigger terms” send certain “people” into an apoplectic tizzy….it must simply be too much for their tiny brains to comprehend or some other pathetic affliction…..LOL!
Shay, had to reply here…your response to Rebecca came to me instead but i do love your idea of Gloria Loring playing Avas mother…perfect casting choice…hope it happens…now if theyd bring back Alan alive…i could overlook his ghostly appearance…Glorias character could make a play for him…would love her in fights with Monica!
Y&R made a big mistake letting her go. She might be the best female soap actress since Beverlee McKinsey.
She’s great!!! Can’t say that I am loving to hate her but she is doing a great job!!!
i never saw her on atwt or yr, but always know of her, and i’m glad she’s now on GH.
Love love love this woman she is a great actor!! She owns every scene she’s in!!:)
Love Maura! Love her as Ava, love her more as a person. She has a child with Autism (as do I) and does a lot for raising awareness. Go Maura!
Love her as Ava, didn’t like her as Diane on Y&R. Kiki is also very believable as her daughter because they sort of resemble each other.
I’m a huge classic film fan, and Maura West is so talented and straight from the same place that created Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Gene Tierney, Myrna Loy, and Lana Turner. If she had been around in their day, she would have been at the top of the food chain at some major studio. She’s a FABULOUS addition to GH, on the caliber of when they added Maurice Bernard. If GH stays on the air for several more years, Maura West can easily be a “top 3” centerpiece, front burner all the time, the way Maurice Bernard, Laura Wright, and when he was still there, Steve Burton are/was.
I love the Jerome family, and DeVry is a great addition. Loved him on AMC. Overall, the Jeromes are an interesting addition because they are equal to Sonny and don’t just work for him. You get the impression they don’t even really care about Sonny. They have their own fish to fry. Even Alcazar and Johnny Zacara operated “in relation to Sonny.” The Jeromes are more like Todd Manning would have been before he left: Independently evil but likeable.
I’ve watched a lot of soaps over the years, but it’s VERY easy for me NOT to watch. I drop shows for YEARS, then watch a few weeks, then leave again if there’s nothing there. I suppose people like me are why soaps got cancelled. But I’ve been watching GH three or four days a week and it’s because when I recently checked in again, Maura West and the entire Jerome storyline grabbed me. I’ll be watching for a while.
Maura is an amazing, talented actress and hopefully the will not let her go. I have watched her since the start from As The World Turns and am just floored by her acting. I’m so glad General Hospital is keeping her. You go Maura! They’re blessed to have you.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Will Ava Tie the Knot With Drew?

On the Friday, November 13 episode of General Hospital, Drew (Cameron Mathison) convinces Ava (Maura West) they need to get married, to each other! Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) hopes to get the DNA results on Jude (Will Traval) she has waited for, and Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) secretly co-conspire to find out who in Port Charles had the infamous tick!
Here’s what went down: Drew explained to Ava that they needed to get hitched ASAP, that way, they couldn’t be forced to testify against each other in the Jack Brennan case. After initially being kind of sick of the thought of marrying Drew, he made her change her mind, by throwing out the fact that if she lands in jail Sonny (Maurice Benard) will have Avery (Ayla Bullington) all to himself.
Next, Ava heads to GH to ask Lucas (Van Hansis) to be her witness in marrying Drew. Lucas has already figured out the reason Ava is marrying Drew because it has something to do with Brennan’s death. Explaining she hates the idea of getting married to Drew, she has run out of other options. Lucas agrees to help her, but firmly tells Ava nobody would believe it was a real marriage anyway.

Photo: ABC
CAN MOLLY AND JOE STOP THE WEDDING?
At the same time, Drew asked Martin (Michael E. Knight) for a post-nuptial agreement. Martin was not happy to hear that Drew was going to marry Ava, warning that prison was a better option than tying himself to a woman like Ave Jerome.
Eventually Ava, Lucas, Drew, and Martin gathered at the city clerk’s office. Lucas comes up with a way to derail or stall the nuptials by saying that they need to wait for Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) and Avery to show up, as they should be a part of this, too.
Lucas may have saved the day, because Molly (Kristen Vaganos) and Joe (Jonathan Bennett) went to Drew’s office to serve him his warrant, but found the office door open. Next, Joe found a sticky note on Drew’s folder that revealed Drew had obtained a marriage license. A light bulb goes off in his head and he realized Ava and Drew are getting married, so he and Molly rush off to City Hall to try and stop it.

Photo: ABC
IS JUDE THE TRUE BABY DADDY?
Elsewhere, after receiving a text message that the DNA results are in at the hospital, Brook Lynn ends her discussion over Jude and baby Phoebe with Gio (Giovanni Mazza) and runs out of the Quartermaines.
Once Brook Lynn gets off the elevator at GH, she sees Jude and Britt Kelly Thiebaud) looking might close. She quickly heads back towards the elevator sight unseen and was clearly shaken by what she saw. Earlier at the doctors and nurses hub, Elizabeth helped Dante by confirming by an ear gesture they had worked out; that the patient with the tick was Ava Jerome.
You can check out the scenes where Lucas gets a visit from Ava and he learns she wants him to be her witness in marrying Drew at City Hall.
Now weigh-in: do you think Ava and Drew will tie the knot before Joe and Molly make it to City Hall? What do you think the DNA results will show once Brook Lynn gets her hands on them? Have they been tampered with? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly Fears Escalating Tensions Between Sonny and Josslyn: ‘I’ve Already Lost One Kid Because of That Man. I Won’t Lose Another’

On the Thursday, November 12 episode of General Hospital, as battles line are drawn by Carly’s (Laura Wright) ex-husband, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and her daughter, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy), she realizes things are about to get a whole lot worse, and she expressed her fears to Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart).
After Sonny came to see Carly to get her daughter to back off of him; especially when Josslyn lit into him in front of nuAvery (Ayla Bullington), Carly is terrified that Sonny could retaliate against Josslyn. Realizing, Josslyn is in danger, Carly won’t sit by and let anything happen to her. She tells Valentin, “I’ve already lost one kid because of that man. I won’t lose another.”
Viewers won’t soon forget the devastation Carly felt when Morgan (Bryan Craig) died in a car bomb explosion back in 2016 because of Sonny’s dealings in the mob in a complex story involving Julian (William deVry) and Olivia Jerome (Tonja Walker).

Courtesy/ABC
SONNY IS READY FOR WAR
Meanwhile in the aftermath of his visit with Carly, Sonny told his brother Ric what went down when Josslyn disrespected him in front of his own daughter and hurt Avery. Since Josslyn already make it known that she no longer considers herself part of Sonny’s family, he’s decided to treat her accordingly.
Sonnys first step in payback is to take away her support system at JJE by approaching Hudson Parker (Troy Lennon Appel) again, but this time in a much less-friendly way.
Ric points out that this would go against every move Sonny made as a legitimate businessman in Port Charles and would mean he’s back in the mob? Sonny doubles down, saying Josslyn changed the game when she involved Avery. While he showed concern of how bad Carly would feel over all this year, he said he is ready to finish what Josslyn started.
At the Metro Court, Ava (Maura West) is listening to Avery explain what happened between Sonny and Josslyn and how much she hates Josslyn right now, which Ava seems to be OK with.
WILL JOSSLYN’S WORLD BLOW UP ON HER?
Speaking of Josslyn, she is on the pier still after her talk with Hudson and still crying over her confrontation with Sonny and Avery overhearing it, and what she told her sister. Lucas comes across her at the pier while out for his run.
Explaining how badly she feels for what she said about Sonny to Avery, Lucas says that eventually Avery will discover the truth about Sonny. He explains to Josslyn that even though Avery hates her now, she will come to realize that what she said about her father was the truth, and that Josslyn was not lying to her at all.
So, what do you think about Sonny ready to play dirty to take down Josslyn? How will Carly ensure her daughter does not wind up dead? Who do you think is in the right here? Is Josslyn’s vendetta against Sonny justified, at the cost of the relationships with her family? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing

General Hospital star Cynthia Watros, who can currently be seen in on the ABC soap opera in the role of Nina Reeves, has had a enduring career in television. That included her time on the 2000-2002 Fox sitcom, Titus.
In Titus, Watros starred along with Stacy Keach as Erin Fitzpatrick and Ken Titus, respectively. After the November 10th news that Keach had passed away at 85 while living in Poland, Cynthia took to her Instagram on Thursday, November 12 to pay tribute to the great actor.
Watros expressed, “My first prime time show was along side Stacy. I loved him instantly. What an amazing talent and man.❤️”

Photo: ABC
In Titus, Stacy played stand up comedian Christopher Titus’ heavy-drinking, chain-smoking, five-times-divorced father who frequently pulled cruel pranks and tried to toughen his kids up. Cynthia played by Christopher’s level-headed, big-hearted girlfriend trying to build a normal life with him. In fact, Cynthia’s role on the sitcom was first series regular role after her Daytime Emmy run of Annie Dutton on Guiding Light which ran from 1994-1998.
STACY KEACH’S WIFE ON HIS PASSING
Keach’s wife, Malgosia shared the news of the actor’s death publicly in a statement with PEOPLE. Malgosia expressed, that Stacy had, “a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.”
She added, “Stacy peacefully departed this world. He fought for so long, with extraordinary courage, determination and strength. He was a true warrior, facing his illness with the same remarkable spirit and resilience that defined his life.”
Małgosia continued, “Stacy was not only a legendary actor, admired and loved by audiences the world over, but also my beloved husband, my companion and the heart of our family. His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever.”
Now, let us know do you remember when Cynthia made her sitcom debut in Titus? Share your thoughts via the comment section on Cynthia’s many TV roles and the passing of Stacy Keach in the comment section. But first, check out the very first episode of Titus with Cynthia Watros below!
-
General Hospital5 days ago‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
-

News5 days agoY&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
-

Previews6 days agoTHE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
-

Days Of Our Lives1 week 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)
-

Days Of Our Lives6 days ago‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
-

General Hospital1 week agoGENERAL HOSPITAL: Tracy Leaves Port Charles to Help Dillon; Paving the Way for Jane Elliot’s Temporary Exit
-
News1 week agoB&B’s Lawrence Saint-Victor to Guest Star on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
-

Interviews3 days agoB&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)












