''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...
'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on
ABC.
Created by
Frank and Doris Hursley
Frank M. Hursley (November 21, 1902 – February 3, 1989) and Doris Hursley (September 29, 1898 – May 5, 1984) were an American husband-and-wife team of screenwriters, best known for their serials, especially the medical drama ''General Hospi ...
, who originally set it in a
general hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...
(hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city was named
Port Charles, New York. The series premiered on April 1, 1963.
This is a list of notable characters who significantly impacted storylines and began their run, or significantly returned, from the years 2000 to 2009.
Sage Alcazar
Sage Alcazar is a fictional character on the
ABC soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...
''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...
''. She was portrayed by
Eileen Boylan in 2003, and then by Katie Stuart in 2004.
Sage Alcazar arrives in Port Charles with one thing on her mind: revenge. A gun-toting Sage stalks
Alexis Davis for days, waiting for the right moment to wreak havoc on her life, because Sage believes Alexis had murdered her father
Luis
Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish form of the originally Germanic name or . Other Iberian Romance languages have comparable forms: (with an accent mark on the i) in Portuguese and Galician, in Aragonese and Catalan, while is archai ...
in cold-blood. However, that right moment never comes for the obviously tormented teen. In order to receive attention, Sage jumps off the dock and into the river.
Dillon Quartermaine
Dillon Quartermaine is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network.
Introduced in 1992, Dillon is the son of Tracy Quartermaine ( Jane Elliot) and her ex-husband Paul Hornsby (Paul Satterfield). T ...
jumps in after to rescue her, soon realizing it was just a stunt for attention. Dillon takes Sage back to the Quartermaine mansion, where Dillon's girlfriend,
Georgie Jones
Georgie Jones is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. She is the daughter of supercouple Frisco and Felicia Jones. Previously played by various child actresses, Georgie is primarily portrayed by Lindze Letherman, who ...
, sees Sage hiding under Dillon's bed and gets upset.
Sage continues to pursue Dillon, and convinces her uncle
Lorenzo to make Dillon her bodyguard. Soon after, Dillon is forced to take Sage out of the country to keep her safe. While away, Sage gets Dillon drunk and he passes out. When Georgie calls, Sage pretends she had bedded Dillon, but Dillon is able to convince Georgie it isn't true.
Dillon's mother
Tracy returns to town, and tries to keep Dillon and Georgie from seeing each other. She promises Georgie she will make Dillon stop working for Alcazar if Georgie stops seeing him. Georgie agrees and breaks up with him for his safety. Heartbroken, Dillon falls into bed with Sage. A gleeful Tracy sets up Georgie to discover Dillon with Sage. Dillon tries to explain, but Georgie refuses to listen. Sage tells Dillon she had been a virgin and that their night together meant something to her. She is crushed when he says he wished it had never happened. She continues to pursue a relationship with Dillon, but he continually rebuffs her attempts to get close to him again.
Tracy's granddaughter
Brook Lynn arrives in town having run away from home. Her mother
Lois
Lois is a common English name from the New Testament. Paul the Apostle mentions Lois, the pious grandmother of Saint Timothy in the Second Epistle to Timothy (commending her for her faith in 2 Timothy 1:5). The name was first used by English Chri ...
shows up to find her and her father
Ned convinces them to stay and run their old record label L&B again. Lois hears Sage sing and has her sign a recording contract.
Sage doesn't get along with Brook Lynn very well and continually defends her uncle and his new relationship with Lois. But when a contest is announced to find the next big girl band, Sage groups with Brook, Georgie, and Dillon (dressed in drag) to try out for the competition. Sage is crushed to hear the group was only supposed to launch a future solo career for Brook.
When Brook holds a
séance
A séance or seance (; ) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word ''séance'' comes from the French word for "session", from the Old French ''seoir'', "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, spea ...
to communicate with her deceased great-grandmother
Lila Quartermaine
''General Hospital'' is the longest running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city ...
, Sage seizes her opportunity to scare everyone. With the help of her friend Trent, she makes it appear Lila's spirit is moving things around. Then she pretends she has been stabbed, and when the others find out, they yell at her. She yells back and taunts Georgie that Dillon still wants her. Georgie finally has enough and locks Sage in the basement freezer. When they go downstairs to get her out, they find Sage dead instead. Georgie blames herself for locking Sage in the freezer, and Tracy overhears her "confession." She calls the cops and eventually the real killer is found to be
Mary Bishop
This is a list of characters that have appeared or been mentioned on the American ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''.
A Aaron
:( Chad Brannon, 2009)
Abigail
:( Ivy Bethune, 1987)
Sarah Abbott
:(Eileen Dietz, 1981–83)
::Roommate to Heather ...
, who meant to kill
Emily Quartermaine
Emily Quartermaine is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. The role was originated on January 20, 1995 by Amber Tamblyn, who portrayed the role until July 11, 2001. Natalia Livingston subsequently played Emily from ...
and killed Sage by mistake.
Afraid Lorenzo would come after Georgie for locking Sage in the freezer, Dillon tries to fall on his sword for her. But, Lorenzo tells Dillon he was grateful for him being Sage's friend and for getting to know her. He gives Dillon a letter Sage had written for him but never sent. Dillon reads the letter to their friends, who realize they should have given Sage more of a chance.
Cooper Barrett
Cooper "Coop" Barrett is a fictional character on the
ABC soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...
,
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...
.
Jason Gerhardt
Jason Gerhardt (born April 21, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for playing the role of Cooper Barrett in ''General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is lis ...
originated the role on February 1, 2007 on a recurring basis.
Gerhardt originally auditioned for the role of
Logan Hayes
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city ...
, and invited to audition for Coop after making an impression on the casting directors.
Gerhardt was eventually put on contract status.
There was often speculation the character would have a relation to fan favorite
Brenda Barrett
Brenda Barrett is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap opera, ''General Hospital''. The role was originated by Vanessa Marcil on September 18, 1992. After a six-year run with the show, the character was believed to have died after her m ...
(
Vanessa Marcil
Vanessa Marcil ( ;) is an American actress. She is best known for her television roles as Brenda Barrett on ''General Hospital'', Gina Kincaid on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', and Sam Marquez on ''Las Vegas''.
Early life
Marcil, the youngest of fo ...
), but it is eventually stated on-screen there is no relation.
Gerhardt appeared on the ''General Hospital'' spin-off ''
General Hospital: Night Shift'' as Cooper in 2007. He was let go from the series in 2008 and the character was
killed off
The killing off of a character is a device in fiction, whereby a character dies, but the story continues. The term, frequently applied to television, film, video game, anime, manga and chronological series, often denotes an untimely or unexpected ...
.
Cooper arrives in Port Charles in February 2007 as "Three," one of the seven assailants that take the Metro Court Hotel hostage.
He bonds with
Maxie Jones
Maxie Jones is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. She is the eldest daughter of supercouple Frisco Jones and Felicia Cummings, raised most of her life by Mac Scorpio. The role was first portrayed by Robyn Richards ...
(
Kirsten Storms
Kirsten Renee Storms (born April 8, 1984) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Zenon Kar in the '' Zenon'' trilogy, Emily in ''Johnny Tsunami'', and Bonnie Rockwaller in ''Kim Possible''. Storms played Isabella "Belle" Bla ...
) while they are trapped in the hotel vault during the crisis. After the hotel explodes, Maxie sneaks Coop out and hides his involvement. She helps him get a job working security until
Sonny Corinthos
Sonny Corinthos is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. Maurice Benard has played the role of the manic depressive mob kingpin, living in Port Charles, since the character's storyline originated on August 13, 1993. S ...
(
Maurice Benard) finds out he was one of the hostage takers. Sonny coerces Coop into becoming a cop at the PCPD to feed him information. Cooper and Maxie begin dating,
but face tough times when Maxie cheats on him with
Logan Hayes
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city ...
. Cooper is suspected to be the Text Message Killer,
and when he is found dead in January 2008, it is initially believed to have been a suicidal hanging.
It is later revealed Cooper was murdered by the real killer,
Diego Alcazar
Diego Alcazar is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. Diego is the son of Lorenzo Alcazar and Maria Sanchez. Ignacio Serricchio originated the role of Diego in October 2004 and portrayed him u ...
.
Alison Barrington
Alison Barrington is a fictional character on the
ABC soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...
, ''
Port Charles
''Port Charles'' (commonly abbreviated as ''PC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from June 1, 1997, to October 3, 2003. It was a spin-off of the series ''General Hospital'', which has been running since 1963 and takes pl ...
'', a
spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
of ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...
''. She was portrayed by
Erin Hershey Presley
Erin Hershey Presley (born Erin Alise Hershey on September 2, 1976) is an American former actress.
Career
Hershey Presley is most known for her role as Alison Barrington, during the last four years (2000–2003) of the American soap opera ''Port ...
from March 14, 2000 until the ''Port Charles'' finale on October 3, 2003. In January 2013, it was revealed that Presley would be reprising her role as Alison on ''General Hospital''. She is the granddaughter of
Amanda Barrington and cousin of
Mike Webber
This is a list of characters that have appeared or been mentioned on the American ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''.
A Aaron
:( Chad Brannon, 2009)
Abigail
:(Ivy Bethune, 1987)
Sarah Abbott
:(Eileen Dietz, 1981–83)
::Roommate to Heather W ...
, and one half of the
super couple
A supercouple or super couple (also known as a power couple) is a popular and/or wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or obsessive fashion. The term originated in the United States, and it was coined in the earl ...
,
Rafe Kovich and Alison Barrington
Rafe Kovich and Alison Barrington Kovich are a supercouple from the American soap opera ''Port Charles''. Rafe was played by Brian Gaskill and Alison was played by Erin Hershey Presley. They were one of the most popular romantic pairings on th ...
.
Casting
In March 2000, ''Port Charles'' hired actress
Erin Hershey in the recurring role of Alison Barrington, the granddaughter of legendary ''General Hospital'' character Amanda Barrington (
Anne Jeffreys
Anne Jeffreys (born Annie Jeffreys Carmichael; January 26, 1923 – September 27, 2017) was an American actress and singer. She was noted as the female lead in the 1950s TV series '' Topper''.
Career
Jeffreys was born Annie Jeffreys Carmichae ...
). Hershey made a guest appearance on the parent series during the 2000 Nurses' Ball. Hershey married her ''Port Charles'' costar
Brian Presley
Brian Joshua Presley (born August 18, 1977) is an American actor and director.
Career
Presley started his career with a handful of guest appearances on television shows such as ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', '' Any Day Now'', and '' 7th Heaven''. ...
, who portrays Jack, in 2002. She stayed with the series until its cancellation on October 3, 2003.
In January 2013, it was announced that Presley was reprise the role on ''General Hospital''. Her return coincided with the return of
Jon Lindstrom, who portrayed
Dr. Kevin Collins on both ''General Hospital'' and ''Port Charles'', as part of a revisit to the vampire storyline. Shortly after her return, the character is
killed off
The killing off of a character is a device in fiction, whereby a character dies, but the story continues. The term, frequently applied to television, film, video game, anime, manga and chronological series, often denotes an untimely or unexpected ...
, leading to a murder mystery storyline on the series. Presley appeared as Alison from January 30–31, 2013. Presley returned as a
ghost
A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to re ...
for two episodes from February 27–28, 2013.
Storylines
In January 2013, Alison returns to Port Charles, with her son
Rafe
In Hebrew orthography the rafe or raphe ( he, רָפֶה, , meaning "weak, limp") is a diacritic (), a subtle horizontal overbar placed above certain letters to indicate that they are to be pronounced as fricatives.
It originated with the Ti ...
, in tow. It is implied that Alison and Rafe have been on the run for many years, presumably from
Caleb Morley
The following is a list of characters who appeared on the ABC daytime soap opera ''Port Charles'', which ran from 1997 to 2003. The series was created by Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, and Wendy Riche. It is a spin-off of the serial ''Genera ...
. After leaving Rafe with a silver arrow to defend himself from harm, Alison makes her way to the Police Department, looking for information on
Lucy Coe
Lucy Coe is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap operas ''General Hospital'' and ''Port Charles''. Portrayed by Lynn Herring, she first appeared in April 1986 on ''General Hospital'', introduced as an alibi in a murder plot. In 1997, s ...
. Once there, she mistakes
John McBain for Caleb, and
Samantha Morgan for her old friend,
Livvie Locke
The following is a list of characters who appeared on the ABC daytime soap opera ''Port Charles'', which ran from 1997 to 2003. The series was created by Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, and Wendy Riche. It is a spin-off of the serial ''General ...
. Alison later contacts John to meet her at the Pier, but by the time he arrives, Alison has been stabbed to death by the very same arrow she had given to Rafe, who is detained as the primary suspect. Alison appears to Lucy and Rafe as a ghost when they are trying to confront Caleb, who is really
Stephen Clay. She helps Lucy find a way out of the Spoon Island tunnels, and tells Rafe to not give up hope.
Reception
The pairing between Alison and
Rafe Kovich proved to be extremely popular with critics and fans, leading to them becoming the first super couple on ''Port Charles''. Janet Di Lauro of ''
Soap Opera Digest
''Soap Opera Digest'' is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional in ...
'' wrote of the couple, " The minute actors
Brian Gaskill
Brian Richard Gaskill (born January 22, 1970 in Honolulu, Hawaii, raised in Neptune Township, New Jersey) is an American actor.
Career
While living in Neptune, he attended Red Bank Regional High School as a drama major in the school's Academy of ...
and Erin Hershey Presley crossed paths on screen, the show's scribes knew they'd struck gold. "He looked at her and we said, 'Oh man, this is it!' recalls
Esensten">arbaraEsensten. 'Whenever we put them in a scene together, between those big, watery eyes of hers and the way he smiles at her ... I wish we could bottle it."' ''Soap Opera Digest'' also named Hershey "Performer of the Week" in their February 19, 2002 issue for her performance in portraying Alison as torn between Jamal and Rafe.
''Soap Opera Weeklys Joe Diliberto also praised Hershey for her work during "the crumbling of Alison's relationship with Jamal" and the beginning of her romance with Rafe.
[Soap Opera Weekly
''Soap Opera Weekly'' was a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It featured onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional i ...]
02/19/02"> Diliberto said, "As ''Port Charles'' Alison, Erin Hershey mixed heaping amounts of amiability with dollops of sadness and a dash of bittersweet to come up with a performance sweeter than any candy."