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.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) revealed on Thursday, the lineup of presenters for 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards taking place on Friday, October 30, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California.
The ceremony will stream live on the NATAS YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@theemmys and watch.TheEmmys.tv.
Scheduled to present from the current soaps are: Katelyn MacMullen (Willow, General Hospital), Delon de Metz (Zende, The Bold and the Beautiful), James Preston (Nick, The Bay), Paul Telfer (Xander, Days of our Lives), Tamara Tunie (Anita, Beyond the Gates) and Susan Walters (Diane, The Young and the Restless).
Photo: NATAS
In addition soap alums, Crystal Chappell, Lesli Kay, Joe Lando, Eva LaRue, who is also a nominee this year, A Martinez, Juliet Mills, and Alicia Leigh Willis, will also be on hand to present.
The ceremony which celebrates nominated lifestyle programs and dramas will also include presenters: Eva zu Beck (Superskilled with Eva zu Beck), Danielle Chang (Lucky Chow), Sunny Hostin (The View), Derek Hough (Extra), Pati Jinich (Pati’s Mexican Table), Star Jones (Divorce Court), Michael Jr. (Stand Up and Do Something), Judge Greg Mathis (Mathis Court with Judge Mathis), Keke Palmer (Glam Through the Ages), Nischelle Turner (Entertainment Tonight), and Andrew Zimmern (Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen).
The 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards will bring together an exciting mix of presenters representing the full spectrum of daytime television,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO of NATAS. “From familiar faces in daytime drama to the personalities and creative voices behind talk shows and lifestyle programming, this year’s lineup reflects the breadth of talent that makes daytime so special. We look forward to celebrating the people who continue to shape the genre.”
Matthew Hoffman (Love Island USA, Cheap A$$ Beach Houses) will serve as the ceremony’s Voice of God, bringing his signature comedic narration to the evening’s celebrations. As previously announced, Lifetime Achievement honoree Genie Francis (Laura, General Hospital) will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by her husband, Jonathan Frakes.
So, what do you think about the list of presenters for the 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards? Let us know who you are looking forward to seeing via the comment section below.
General Hospital fans took to social media following the airing of the Wednesday, October 21 episode of the ABC daytime drama series. In story, Molly (Kristen Vaganos) reveals to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) that she has received an offer to join the top law firm in Chicago that practices civil law. She says it’s her dream job.
The problem Molly says is relocating from Port Charles and uprooting her life and being away from her mother, Scout and boyfriend Cody Bell (Josh Kelly). Wistful that she may lose another daughter to a long-distance situation (Kristina left a few months back to go to medical school in California), Alexis urged Molly to get Cody to go with her.
Molly still seemed concerned and has trouble committing to the idea. Alexis tells her to talk it over with Cody. Meanwhile, Cody asked Tracy (Jane Elliot) is he can have Thanksgiving off because he and Molly planned to spend Thanksgiving together with their families. After initially balking, Tracy agrees.
Courtesy/ABC
WILL MOLLY AND CODY HEAD TO CHI-TOWN?
Later, Cody shows up at Miller & Davis and the conversation turned to Thanksgiving dinner that Alexis is hosting. Molly and Cody asked her not to cook anything. Cody hugged Molly reassuring Alexis that he and Molly would take care of whatever was needed on Turkey Day.
So, this raises the question, why out of nowhere are we learning that Molly received an amazing law offer in Chicago, if the character was not being written out? If Molly leaves the canvas, would the character of Cody make his exit too?
Kristen Vaganos joined GH as a recast Molly Lansing-Davis back in September of 2023 and went on contract in August of 2024. Josh Kelly began playing Cody Bell back in June of 2022. Initial reports were that Kelly joined the show on contract and then as of June 2025 went on recurring status with the show per his choice.
Do you see a world where GH is writing out Molly and Cody? Would you be sad to see Kristen and Josh exit the soap opera? If this is not what is going on, is this just a plot point for some other story that is upcoming? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.
It’s been over two-years since his last appearance on General Hospital, now fan favorite Kin Shriner (Scott Baldwin) has taken to social media to share his thoughts on the casting of his grown-up TV daughter, Serena Baldwin now played by Kelly Kruger.
Kelly took over the role of Serena on-screen starting with the July 30, 2026 episode and has been ensconced in the storyline with her mother, Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring), in trying to win back full creative control of Deception for her.
In fact on the Monday, October 19 episode of the ABC soap opera, Serena tried to dupe Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) into signing over Michael’s (Rory Gibson) shares of the company. Jason caught on and wondered why she was doing this. She claimed she just wanted to help her mom gain creative control from Tracy (Jane Elliot) rather than full ownership, and begged Jason to keep quiet about it, which he agreed to for now.
Courtesy/ABC
WHERE IS SCOTT?
On Monday, Shriner also took to X and said, “I think Kelly Kruger is doing a great job on General Hospital, and she and Lynn Herring work well together.” That was followed by comments in his thread about the show needing to bring back Scott too.
In fact, back on August 25, Shriner also took to X with a reminder that Scott is still around and ready to come back to Port Charles, sharing, “Scotty Baldwin always fits in he just needs the right sport coat !!!!”
The last time Serena mentioned her father Scott was when Kruger made her debut and informed Lucy that her father was, “living his best life in Key West.” Meanwhile, Shriner posts on his X account continually and shared back on August 2, that it has been 49 years since he made his on-screen debut as then teenaged, Scotty Baldwin and thanked the fans for al the love and support.
So, now let us know, are you enjoying Kelly Kruger as Serena Baldwin? Do you want to see GH bring back Scott Baldwin into the story, so Serena has both her parents in Port Charles? Do you like the potential of Jason and Serena pairing? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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