General Hospital
Robin Riker Joins The Cast Of GH As Rebecca Budig's On-Screen Mom!

Photo: RobinRiker.com
Robin Riker, who played Beth Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful, will be returning to the world of daytime drama in her new role on ABC’s General Hospital!
According to Soap Opera Digest, Riker has been hired to play the on-screen mother of Rebecca Budig’s Hayden AKA Rachel.
In her new role as the talked about Naomi Dreyfus, look for the disgraced mom to cause trouble for Budig’s on-screen alter ego and more.
Riker has appeared in numerous films, and primetime series as well as the stage. Look for her first appearance on GH come June 3rd.
What do you think about the casting of Riker as Budig’s on-screen mom? How will Naomi figure into the storyline equation? Share your thoughts below!
Not excited about any more new characters being brought to the canvas. I would like to see GH write more stories and provide more airtime for the cast they already have.
I echo your sentiments, Marie.
i’m disgusted with this cat and mouse game… the blame game… the blackmail… the lust isn’t even interesting any more…
I mean really.. what’s the point… now that Nicholas doesn’t really have a story outside of this love hate relationship… since ELQ is not his to fight for.
I do wonder… about those diamonds… is Rebecca really hiding… all the moneys her family “stole” and Nicholas gets in deeper …. this isn’t right
Nicholas stole the show last year… these writers have totally lost his character.
unless Rebecca does have … sigh… MORE secrets and till GH gives Laura STORY with power
argh! how frustrating
it’s all about the Sonny and Carly and Jason and Sam show… how uneventful
I miss all the other characters
I forgot… Nicholas may have planted those diamonds so he can have equal footing on the blackmail
still dull
Rachel … who is a character without “connection” till now… was so close to making it on her own… because… like Liz and Jake… showed lots of promise… and love and romance was in the air
now it stinks
I agree with all of you. This issilly
And someone PLEASE tell me what was that get-up Nickolas was dressed in today (Fri.)? Egads!
I totally agree! The cast is so bloated that you can barely follow s/l as it is.
Me too!
Agree! It’s like they are stuck in the same story lines so they add more characters.
With all due respect, Hayden is not so new anymore and if you want to tell her story, its essential to cast her family. Whether you like Hayden or not she is signed and fully committed so you might as well write her and make he more than ONE dimensional.
Exactly–looks like GH going the route of the newly-cancelled Nashville–a sprawling list of characters that no one care anything about. 🙁
Donald Trump…will you please build a wall around PC-too many newbies getting in!!!
Lol and of all the actresses those two hacks could write for why her…
have to gavel @Harry
you are a welcomed clever post… humor is so needed
I just can’t imagine that the behind the scenes production… have to know… right… that fan outcry do not want… GH to be the
Sonny and Carly w/ Jason and Sam show
who’s gonna pay for it? lol
The Quartimaines, Corinthos and Jeromes…most of the people in PC…they all seem to be doing well!!!-lol
TPTB have lost their collective minds. GH’s cast is already bloated with storylines coming & going and characters missing for days & weeks.
We don’t need anymore cast and we certainly don’t need family brought in for a failed newbie character like Hayden.
Hayden’s on her third backstory & we still don’t care.GH needs to cut so many newbie characters & concentrate on characters we know, love and are invested in.
Lucas & Brad are getting married & their entire relationship has happened off camera. How do they expect us to invest when TPTB don’t invest themselves?
Why hire Nurse Amy when viewers would rather see nurses we’re already invested in? Give Elizabeth, Epiphany,Felix the airtime not newbie Amy.
Laura’s promised story is always backburnered. Genie Friggin’ Francis! Instead Hayden gets a family, another backstory and airtime.
TPTB are trying to drive viewers away.
Amen to no new nurses!! Ephiphany and Felix YAY!
Epiphany was so funny during Sonny rehab
get this… I actually liked Sonny…. “he can” show human emotion… not that he was full of words… but it lent Maurice Benard , himself… a chance to act
this end all or be all… for his kids… is tiresome… plus the cutesy cutesy way … Carly and Sonny are threshholding themselves… drinking champagne and heralding themselves king and queen of port Charles
I think not
I have to agree. Soaps want more viewers yet it is difficult to invest with so many characters and stop-start storylines. I like following closely, seeing favorites day to day, not here and there.
These two Actors Tyler and Rebecca deserve better writing then this.I agree for the most half.
You said it! And well!
She’ll be a good addition to the cast. My reservation is that they are expanding the family of a poorly written and ill-defined character, Rachel / Hayden / whoever / whatever. Maybe this will ground the character and not just muddy the already murky waters.
I totally agree with all the above posters. There is not enough depth to the current s/l’s and way too many in the current cast. The revolving door approach is definitely not working for me — what a disappointment to see yet another newbie.
Totally agree….cast WAY TOO LARGE! Characters disappear for too long, stories, lag, or occur off screen or are dropped all together. TPTB seem to have favorites and could care less about fans. Current characters & couples who are proven popular are cast aside, or decimated in order to prop the favorites. History and story lines being rewritten to fit someone’s selfish agenda. Bye GH, I’m out!
Unless her mother has some secret past with someone already on canvas whose character is deeply connected to the history of the show, why bother. Creating characters just to create story line instead of creating story lines for character already there has always been problematic for any soap. Viewers aren’t interested in new characters unless they are anchored to main characters– If JK Rowling created new main characters for every Harry Potter book no one would have read the series, they kept reading the books because there were following a certain set of characters. Sure new characters might have been introduced in each new book, but the books were never about the new characters. Soap writers need to heed that lesson. If you can’t figure out stories for characters you got, maybe you need to find yourself a new career other than soap writer.
Mary SF…Good points!
Mary, love the Harry Potter comparison!
I agree with everyone. I’m sure she’s a nice lady but GH doesn’t need any more new people. It’s already ridiculous. I could care less about Hayden so I sure don’t care about her parents.
Or Ponzi schemes.
This Nancy agrees. I could care less about Hayden or Rachel or whoever–her character started out one way (pretending to be Jason’s husband) then, when they signed her for a 2 or 3 or 4 (!) year contract, they changed the story; now they’ve changed it again. Don’t care! And the idea that she and Nikolas are going to make each other’s life “hell,” to use Nikolas’s words–who wants to see THAT? What a dismal concept–and how can that be entertaining in any way?
These are the same writers who gave AMC’s Greenlee an entire family while making the stories on AMC orbit around her sun. While Rebecca Budig is a perfectly decent actress, I have never understood the fascination with her. She’s just okay and borderline boring.
It’s hard to get excited about an entire family moving into Port Charles when characters we really care about are largely ignored. Two weeks ago we got to see Laura have lunch with Kevin and she has not been seen since.
The cast is over saturated as it is. Moreover, from reading the story summary above, it looks like Hayden’s family dynamics will replicate Greenlee’s family dynamics. I am sure Hayden’s Bernie Maddoff-like father will be trotting in soon and probably a brother or sister or two.
Slow down with the rapid introduction of new characters, GH.
Rebecca Buddig’s Greenlee never worked for me as a heroine. The only time I enjoyed the character was when she tormented Bianca after she saw her at The Blue Note and threatened to expose her as a lesbian.
Ron Carlivati’s vision for Hayden as the fun bad girl has been undone by Jean and Shelly’s desire to make the character a sympathetic victim. Big mistake. GH — like every other soap these days — is hellbent on declawing their strong female characters and making them dreary milquetoasts who are defined by their men.
Alan…it’s also hard in real life to find strong females that someone isn’t trying to “declaw.”
Alan, good point, why would two female writers remove Hayden’s claws?
BUT you may get less Sonny!
Yes, Harry!
And, like you, I wonder where is Laura’s story? Poor Genie! She can act circles around all of the new-cast members.
It’s surprising to me when I read the comments that are on here before mine and I agree with 99, if not 100% of them. So what’s left to say, but DITTO.
Most likely she Sonny’s sister;Hayden/Rachel’s uncle….WHO CARES….
Welcome! Looking forward to the story unfold
And yet…and yet…After almost twenty years on canvas, we STILL do not even know the name of Liz’s mother. If ever a character needed family, it is Elizabeth Webber, not this dud Rachel whatever.
But nothing is more important than building up a pet character who, to date, is a major fail!
a 4 year contract…. WOW
Frank Valentini… is far more caustic than Ron Carlivati
that’s becoming so obvious now… the behind the scenes drama that rallied with Valentini and dissed RC
Here, here, Tristan! The Hardy/Webber family has been underrepresented for so long now, it’s not even laughable anymore. Instead, we just see more and more epic fail characters and their families invading Port Charles. Get a clue, GH people…we don’t want Nina, Hayden, Sabs, nor most of their recent fellow newbies who cannot hold a candle to the seasoned vets of Port Charles. Only when there is a truly compelling reason to introduce a character to the canvas should it happen….case in point: Griffin Munro. He has a perfectly logical rhyme and reason for being there, and perhaps the same shall be said for Finn in the near future…..I certainly hope so. But beyond these two fine actors, I cannot see the rationale for any of the others who have been added to the already enormous cast.
Tristan, I actually like Hayden BUT you make a great point, why doesnt any of Liz’s family resurface? We actually know these people and care about them.
So Elizabeth Has been on the show how many years? We know nothing about her Mom. I could give a flying you know what about the character of Hayden! Just keep digging your grave!
Thanks heavens!
If there’s one thing this show was missing it was the heavily anticipated character of Naomi Dreyfuss, mother of Rachel Berlin and wife of Raymond Berlin, master of the off-camera Ponzi scheme. The only way this could get any better is if Naomi is French-Canadian and has a niece named Claudette with a hankerin’ for a green card.
*sigh*
At least no one here is being stupid and getting angry at the actress…just the charater she will play…
As much as I dislike “GH” right now, I do like this news. Hayden is one of the few rays of light on the show, so having her mom around will mean more airtime. I’m cool with that.
I am VERY happy. I love it when networks hire ex-soap stars. She looks like Hayden and can act. This is great. I wanted Hayden’s family to come on board! Next up, Don Johnson as Raymond Berlin!
If they do cast her father, i would like it to be David Selby!!!
Sad to say, I’ve never really bought into the character. I guess I still see her are Greenlee from AMC. If her Mother is there to escort her off the show..then maybe that’s a good thing.
I’m still waiting for ABC to win the Prospect Park battle and get the characters from OLTL and AMC back. I think once that happens…ABC daytime viewers will be in for something special. Here’s to my dreaming. lol. Thanks for the opportunity to post… btw, Rebecca Budding is great…just not as this character.
RB was hired just like any other actress on GH and she does what any actress of her caliber does she takes the material she’s given and brings a character to life. She doesn’t complain or question why the writers do what they do she just does her job and her part as a member of an acting ensemble…..GH should NOT and CANNOT be all about just a few characters and if it were all of them would burn out FROM EXHAUSTION!! Soo, For Gosh Sakes people stop whining about Hayden or any other characters and enjoy watching GH or we might not have it on our screens much longer……I enjoy the balance of seeing most of he cast regularly but unfortunately the last two to three weeks have been GH’s version of The Godfather and all things Mob. I’ve been seeing the rumor mill suggesting Liz and Hayden might be siblings……Hmmmm, the actress who is to play Hayden’s Mom favors both Hayden and Liz so maybe the rumor is true and we’ll get some kind of story to explain the sister-thing…..I actually like the idea and would love to see more of Hayden and Curtis!!!
You MUST be kidding! As Harry says above, these are the same writers who wrote for her on AMC–and, when they came to GH, they gave her the contract–plus the sun and the moon!–WE DON’T CARE. “Takes the material she’s given and brings a character to life.” Question: Just how many “characters” can she be? I DON”T CARE.
Liz’s parents are Doctors without Borders. Not investment Fraud’s without lawyers.
I love everything GH is doing lately. I like the story between Hayden and Nick. It reminds me of the “Taming of the Shrew” play with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. I like the variety of stories on and do not need them to give vets anymore time than newcomers. I have been watching since April1, 1963. My memory and attention span are better than the newer viewers who whine if a story is not shown for a week. I will not tell you my age but if I was watching in 1963, I am not 20something.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Jonathan Bennett Receives 3 ‘Critics Choice Real TV Awards’ Nominations for Hallmark Series, ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’
Many things are coming up roses for Jonathan Bennett! On the heels of the news that he is set to debut this month in the role of Joe Fitzpatrick on General Hospital, who is rumored to be a new love interest for Lucas Jones (Van Hansis), comes the news that Bennett’s reality series, Finding Mr. Christmas has received 3 nomination for the Critics Choice Real TV Awards.
Bennett’s Hallmark Channel series finds itself in tough competition alongside fellow nominees: RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV), Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix), Survivor 50 (CBS), Top Chef (Bravo) and The Traitors (Peacock). In addition, Jonathan himself is nominated for Best Show Host and the series participants as the Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series.
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) revealed the nominees for the eighth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards on Thursday, which recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Winners will be announced online at CriticsChoice.com on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 9:00am PT/12:00pm ET.

Photo: Hallmark
Taking to his Instagram to celebrate the nominations, GH’s Bennett, enthused, “3 Critic Choice Nominations! I’m so proud of the FINDING MR CHRISTMAS and to be in the company of all the legends in all these categories is so surreal! Congrats to Hallmark Channel and to our nominated cast and nominated show and everyone who made this magical show possible. This is crazy! This gives FMC 6 Critics Choice nominations in 2 years. Not bad for a little show on Hallmark Channel. What are your thoughts on our show?” Jumping first into the comment thread was one of his new GH co-stars, Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) who expressed, “Yeah buddy!!!🔥🔥”
In the series, Bennett, the host and co-creator spends eight weeks guiding 10 aspiring actors through a series of “festive face-offs” and acting challenges alongside actors like soap opera notables, Hunter King (ex-Summer, Y&R) and Alison Sweeney (Sami, DAYS). Along the way, they develop their skills and a bond with one another. The show, which is available on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Plus, highlights LGBTQ+ representation with openly gay contestants vying to be the next Hallmark star.
It should be noted that Traitors received the most Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations with 6 nods, followed by Dancing with the Stars with 4.
Bennett is very familiar to daytime fans having started his career as JR Chandler on All My Children in 2000-2001, before landing the part of Aaron Samuels in the motion picture, Mean Girls in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan, which would become his breakout performance.
You can check out the full list of Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations here.
So, excited for Jonathan Bennett’s General Hospital debut this month? Have you ever watched Finding Mr. Christmas on Hallmark? Let us know via the comment section below.
View this post on Instagram
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Kelly Thiebaud on Britt and Cassius Sibling Drama, But Who Will Ultimately Blow His Cover?
On the April 30 episode of General Hospital, Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) had some choice words and warning for her brother Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey) who has been masquerading as his twin, the very dead, Nathan West.
As the story has unfolded, viewers learned that Britt knew all along that when “Nathan” showed up in Port Charles seemingly resurrected with a missing 7 years of his life unexplained, that Cassius was taking his place.
Now in developments on today’s GH, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) is figuring out that this guy pretending to be Nathan is someone else, and Cassius learns from Britt, that Joss is not just a ditzy sorority girl as he claimed, but a WSB agent! The moment stuns Cassius. Are the walls about to close in on him and his charade?

Courtesy/ABC
Daytime Emmy winner, Kelly Thiebaud spoke to Soap Opera Digest, about the story point and getting the opportunity this time back at GH to work with Ryan Paevey, when she hadn’t had the chance to before.
BROTHERLY LOVE?
Thiebaud expressed on sharing scenes with Ryan Paevey, “It’s just been so wonderful to have him back and to actually work with him! When he first came onto the show (as Nathan at the end of 2013) I was kind of heading out — it was right towards the end of my contract, so we didn’t actually work together a ton. It’s been really refreshing and so much fun to really spend time together and get to know each other and work together. I think we have really great on-camera chemistry and banter with each other. I really enjoy working with him.”
With the stakes at an all-time, Thiebaud explained how she views her on-screen alter-ego’s involvement with her more hot-to-temper sibling and why Britt revealed the truth about Josslyn to him. “People finding out about Cassius would expose what she’s involved in and what she agreed to do,” explains Kelly “And now Josslyn is digging around, and she’s connected to Carly (Laura Wright) to Jason (Steve Burton) and that whole dynamic! It’s messy!”
BRITT’S MURKY FUTURE
Britt has currently also reached her breaking point with Jason being carted away by the WSB, Rocco (Finn Carr), the child she gave birth to, shooting Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) to protect her and Jason, Marco (Adrian Anchondo) being killed after trying to help her, and Cullum holding over her head getting her Huntington’s disease medication to control her symptoms, while blackmailing her into finishing the research on her father, Cesar Faison’s, final project. Thiebaud summed it up best for Britt right now, sharing, “It’s been a really tough time for her.”
So, who do you think will be the person to blow Cassius’ cover? Will it be Britt herself? Josslyn? Liesl? Brennan? Nina? Lulu? Rocco, Maxie, Cullum or someone else? Let us know your pick in the comment section.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Michael Reveals His Plan to Set Up Chase and Willow to Have an Affair
After the Wednesday, April 29 episode of General Hospital, it’s clear outside interference and other circumstances are set to blow Chase (Josh Swickard) and Brook Lynn’s (Amanda Setton) marriage sky high, as Michael (Rory Gibson) reveals his plans to entrap Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) and use her relationship with Chase to do it!
In story, Michael dropped by unexpectedly to Carly’s (Laura Wright). A plotting Michael reveals his plan to nudge Willow and Chase into having an affair. Michael hopes it would create both a political and personal scandal, where Willow would lose her seat in congress. In the scenario, she would be having an affair with her ex-husband, while taking care of her supposed disabled husband, Drew (Cameron Mathison), who cannot speak and is confined to a wheelchair, which in turn will look horrible for Willow’s character.
Carly asked does he really want to destroy his cousin, Brook Lynn’s life in the process? Michael goes in on Chase’s holier than thou attitude, and says he is going to set-up the circumstances that would lead Chase and Willow to betray their spouses, and hit the sheets together. Michael swears to Carly what the two of them do is up to them, but he’s going to go on the offense with this.
MICHAEL HAS BACK-UP
Later, Jacinda (Paige Herschell) is talking with Charlotte (Bluesy Burke) at Crimson and how much she dislikes Willow because of what she has done to Michael. Just then, Michael shows up and tells Jacinda privately, he’s figured out a way to fight Willow. Looks like Jacinda might work with Michael to bring down Willow and use Chase as the person to do it!
At the hospital, Lucas (Van Hansis) tells Josslyn (Eden McCoy) that Carly is cheating on Jack, but he doesn’t know with who. Josslyn suddenly flashes back to the moment she found her mother harboring a fugitive, Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart), in her attic, and as figured out that her mother is sleeping with him. She heads out.

Courtesy/ABC
BRENNAN IS ABOUT TO LEARN ABOUT CARLY
Next thing you know, Josslyn has showed up inside Jack’s (Chris McKenna) hotel room at the Metro Court and when he enters his room, he is shocked to find her there. He lays into her for not keeping his distance and that Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) will have no problem killing her if he knows she’s WSB. Josslyn fires back that he is only concerned about that because his relationship with her mother depends on her being safe. But then, she lays the boom, and tells Jack, Well, you’re too late. You already lost her.”
LULU GETS A GLIMPSE OF CASSIUS’ TEMPER
In addition, Lulu (Alexa Havins) sees a different side of “Nathan.” Since she is unaware that the man before her is his twin, Cassius Fasion (Ryan Paevey), he tells her that Rocco (Finn Carr) blabbed that he shot Cullum to Britt (Kelly Thiebaud), and now he thinks they should send him away to stop him from talking to everyone else. This concerns Lulu, who rails at Nathan for telling her what to do with her son and that she isn’t going to abandon him. With “Nathan’s” outburst at her on the matter, will she finally get a clue this is not the man she thinks it is?
So, what do you think of Michael’s plan to push Willow and Chase into an affair? Will it work or backfire? Do you think Joss will reveal that Valentin is the man sleeping with Carly to Brennan, which will send him in a rage? Will Lulu continue to be clueless about “Nathan?” Weigh-in via the comment section below. But first, take a look at the GH video tease for today’s April 30 episode.
-
Days Of Our Lives1 week agoDAYS Stephen Nichols Remembers Drake Hogestyn as the ‘Most Vital, Enthusiastic, Committed Man I Ever Knew’ Ahead of the PanCan PurpleStride Walk
-
Days Of Our Lives5 days agoDAYS Stephen Nichols and Co-Stars Walk in Honor of Drake Hogestyn at PanCan PurpleStride LA, ‘I Felt Him With Us’
-
General Hospital4 days agoBrandon Barash Granted Restraining Order Against ‘General Hospital’s’ Kirsten Storms
-
Days Of Our Lives4 days ago‘Days of Our Lives’ Rob Scott Wilson Talks ‘Turning Heel’ as Necktie Killer, Ben Weston
-
General Hospital1 week agoPaige Herschell Marks One-Year as ‘General Hospital’s’ Jacinda Bracken
-
General Hospital6 days agoGH’s Giovanni Mazza Performs Violin Version of Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal’ at LA Lakers Playoff Game; Co-Stars Heap High Praise
-
General Hospital1 week agoSteve Burton’s Wife, Michelle Lundstrom, Raises Alarm on AI Scammers and Hoaxes, Pretending to be the ‘General Hospital’ Star
-
Days Of Our Lives3 days ago‘Days of Our Lives’ Conner Floyd on Chad’s Quest For Abigail’s Resurrection; But Who Should Be Cast as NuAbby?