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.
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.
‘Beyond the Gates’ Mike Manning Talks Smitty’s Emotional Visit with His Mother (Exclusive)
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2026 Daytime Emmy Awards: ‘Extra’ Partners with NATAS for Pre-Ceremony Red Carpet Stream; Week of Segments Leading to Ceremony and Post-Coverage
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Could Kristen Vaganos and Josh Kelly Be Exiting ‘General Hospital?’
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‘Beyond the Gates’ Stars Lami and RhonniRose Mantilla Cover Raye’s ‘Nightingale Lane’ in New Music Video
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Stands Up to Brooke, ‘I Have Spent My Entire Life Sacrificing My Happiness for Yours. But No More!’
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THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Adam Delivers Sally’s Baby as Billy Reels from Jill’s Health Crisis in Tearjerker Episode
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