Holly Sutton-Scorpio is a fictional character from ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
'', an American
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
on the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
network, portrayed by
Emma Samms
Emma Elizabeth Wylie Samuelson MBE known professionally as Emma Samms, (born 28 August 1960) is an English actress and TV host, known for her role as Holly Sutton on the American daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'' and as the second actress ...
. She originally appeared from July 1, 1982, to September 5, 1985.
With Samms choosing to leave the series amicably to go to ABC's prime time hit ''
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
'' and its
spin-off ''
The Colbys
''The Colbys'' (originally titled ''Dynasty II: The Colbys'') is an American prime time television soap opera that originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985, to March 26, 1987. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and Eileen and Robert ...
'', Holly seemingly perished in a plane crash.
"Fan favorite" Samms had been so popular at ''General Hospital'' that Holly was brought back from the dead on January 16, 1992 after a seven-year absence.
She stayed in the role until July 22, 1993,
during this time also playing Holly's lookalike half-sister Paloma, a heroic revolutionary.
After a 13-year absence, Samms made a seven-episode return to ''General Hospital'' as Holly on February 20, 2006, in time for the series' 11,000th episode.
She reappeared for a three-week run starting May 1 and then again on June 30 the same year. Samms again made a brief return to the series on May 15, 2009.
In January 2012, it was announced Samms would once again temporarily step back into the role of Holly.
She returned from February 28 to March 8, 2012. Emma Samms again returned for a short stints in August 2013 and June 2015, the latter as part of the story leading to the exit of
Anthony Geary
Anthony Geary (born May 29, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for playing the role of Luke Spencer on the ABC daytime drama ''General Hospital''. He originated the role of Luke in 1978 and received a record eight Daytime Emmy Awards for O ...
's Luke.
On September 18, 2020, Samms briefly reprised the role of Holly. In August 2022, it was announced she would again return to the role in October of that year; she returned from October 20 to November 30.
Storylines
1982–1985
Holly met Luke met at a camping trip, when he saw her
skinny dipping
Nude swimming is the practice of swimming without clothing, whether in natural bodies of water or in swimming pools. A colloquial term for nude swimming is ''skinny-dipping''.
In both British and American English, to swim means "to move through ...
. He was smitten, and they ended up having a
one-night stand
A one-night stand or one-night sex is a single sexual encounter in which there is an expectation that there shall be no further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single ...
. Holly set up Luke, as she played a principal role in an oil scam designed to bilk the citizens of Port Charles out of millions. Luke refused to believe Holly was a professional grifter. Eventually, Holly was forced to admit the truth. Then, Holly was kidnapped. Luke and Robert Scorpio traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia to rescue Holly and recover the money stolen by her ex-cohorts. Still hurt over Holly's deception and unable to fully trust her, Luke and Holly ended up having a terrible argument. Luke packed his things and headed to the mountains. Shortly afterwards, news arrived there had been an avalanche. Luke was presumed dead, but he had broken his back and was recuperating in a remote hospital. Holly discovered she was pregnant with Luke's child and about to be deported. To honor Luke's memory, Robert offered to marry Holly and help raise Luke's child. Soon after the wedding Holly suffered a miscarriage.
Both Robert and Holly were shocked and dismayed when Luke returned alive and well. Luke was deeply hurt to find out his best friend and his ex-lover not only married but had fallen for each other. This ignited one of General Hospital's best love triangle stories. Holly found herself torn between the two men for a while. However, Holly came to realize the man she truly loved was Robert. Robert and Holly Scorpio went on to become one of the most successful couples in GH history. When Luke later reunited with Laura and left town, the Scorpios took over as the main Supercouple on the show and helped maintain the show's stellar ratings. Robert and Holly were hailed by the fans and the press as the most romantic couple in Daytime. They broke the mold of soap couples by being happily married, totally devoted to each other while never being boring and always being frontburner. The chemistry, romance, class, sexiness and charm of this couple would delight millions of fans for the next few years to come.
In 1985, their marriage was put to the test when a secret ex-wife from Robert's past came to town in the form of
Anna Devane
''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 cit ...
. While this shocking development drove a wedge between them for a time, they later reconciled and decided to move to Australia. Holly went ahead to Australia first. Robert remained behind to tie up loose ends. However, just after Holly left for Australia Robert found a young girl in his home. Much to his astonishment, Robert learned she was his daughter, Robin. After an adventure in the Asian Quarter, Robert left for Australia to be with Holly. He then returns and reveals that Holly has ostensibly been killed in a plane crash.
1992–1993
In reality, Holly had been in a car accident and fell into a coma for nearly two years. Her family did not let Robert know she was alive. When she awoke, she discovered her husband engaged to another woman and, feeling it was too late to regain the life she had with Robert, she made the decision to stay away and let him keep his new happiness. Their paths crossed again in 1992. Robert was astonished to find Holly alive. He was angry and hurt but in a short amount of time came to entrust Robin into the care of both Holly and his brother Mac while he left town to try to find the kidnapped Anna.
Before going in search after his kidnapped wife Anna, Robert had divorce papers drawn up upon Holly's request to dissolve his marriage to Holly. However, after his and Anna's death, Holly tore up the divorce papers. Holly, devastated over Robert's "death", continued to help Mac care for Robin for a while. She later dated
Bill Eckert
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, it originally was set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the ...
, Luke's look-alike cousin, before leaving Port Charles in 1993.
2006–2022
Robert would turn up alive and well in 2006 which drew Holly back to town. She briefly returned in February 2006 demanding a huge payout for the antidote for a mutant strain of encephalitis while infected several residents of Port Charles. She claimed it was her extreme hurt and anger over Robert really being alive all these years and not telling anyone that drove her to her actions. Holly returned again that May. Holly was last seen briefly the following June while taking a bubble bath, calling Luke to lead him on a wild goose chase.
Holly reappeared on May 15, 2009
to shed light on the question of whether new arrival
Ethan Lovett
Ethan Lovett is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera '' General Hospital''. The role was portrayed by Nathan Parsons from January 30, 2009, to March 7, 2012. Parsons briefly reprised the role for two episodes in April 2013 as pa ...
is her son — and whether Luke or Robert may be the father. She confirms she is Ethan's mother and initially reveals Robert is his father on May 22, 2009. After Robert's daughter
Robin
Robin may refer to:
Animals
* Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae
* Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including:
**European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'')
**Bush-robin
**Forest rob ...
tells Ethan that Robert was in Port Charles and not with Holly when Ethan would have been conceived, Holly confesses to Luke on May 29, 2009 Ethan is in fact his son.
[Reappears on June 10, to come Luke to come save he]
''General Hospital'' recap (5/29/09) - Soaps.com
Both Luke and Ethan are angry with Holly. She makes peace with them on June 2, 2009.
[''General Hospital'' recap (6/2/09) - Soaps.com](_blank)
/ref>
Holly returned to town again in February 2012 just as Helena Cassadine
Helena Cassadine is a fictional character on the American soap opera ''General Hospital'', famously originated by film actress Elizabeth Taylor in November 1981. After a brief stint by Dimitra Arliss in 1996, Constance Towers took over the role i ...
is about to shoot and kill Ethan. Holly confesses that she lied about Ethan's paternity, revealing that Robert
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
is in fact his father, not Luke
People
*Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name)
*Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name)
*Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...
. She then confesses her love to Luke and that she merely fabricated the DNA results to make her own wishes true. She later confessed that she made it up (and that Ethan is really Luke's son) to protect Ethan's life and that she was asked to come to town by Luke.
Holly left town with Robert to hunt down and protect Ethan from Helena's plot. It was later revealed that Holly had reconciled with Robert. On January 9, 2013 Anna mentioned that Holly was in Switzerland looking after Robert, who was in a coma after being injected by a drug. Holly came to visit Robert while Anna and Duke dealt with Faison. Holly later phoned Mac at the Floating Rib to let him know of Robert's unchanged condition. In 2013 Holly help Luke in his plan to find Jerry Jacks to save his life.
In June 2015, Laura returns with news that Lucky was kidnapped, prompting Luke and Laura to go rescue their son. The search leads them to a hotel in British Columbia. On June 26, Holly also arrives at the hotel revealing that Ethan was kidnapped as well. While waiting to hear from the kidnappers, Holly and Laura have a heart-to-heart about their children and their involvement with Luke, and finally they make peace with each other. Then, they receive a photo that shows Lucky and Ethan tied up and gagged. They show the photo to Luke, and they all realize that Lucky and Ethan are giving them clues about their location, revealed to be a lumberyard close to their hotel. Luke, Laura, Holly, Dillon and Lulu fight some guards and find only Ethan at the lumberyard. Soon, they are surrounded by guards and it is then that they discover that the mastermind behind the kidnapping was Frank Smith, Luke and Laura's enemy presumed dead since 1994. Frank shoots Ethan in the arm, but allows Holly, Lulu, Dillon and Ethan to leave as he only wants Luke and Laura. Holly takes Ethan to the hospital to treat his wound. Then, she returns home with Ethan.
In 2020, Robert receives a phone call informing him that Holly is dead. Unable to accept this as truth, he begins to investigate into her death. After receiving a phone call from someone who believed to be Holly, he has the call traced to Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...
, where Holly is being held captive. Accompanied by Olivia Quartermaine, they infiltrate the Le Lucien casino, owned by mercenary Winston Rudge. They find Ethan there, also investigating his mother's alleged death. Robert, Olivia and Ethan take down Rudge and his guards, and the casino is shut down by the WSB. Before being hauled away, Rudge tells Robert that they had Holly as a prisoner but had to kill her when she got out of hand to control. The WSB seemingly confirms this when they find an unmarked grave with the burned remains that match Holly's description and wedding rings. Devastated, Robert and Ethan accept Holly is truly gone and return to Port Charles. However, on September 18th it is later revealed that Holly is actually alive and being held prisoner at another location by an unknown person.
References
External links
Holly Sutton profile - SoapCentral.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutton Scorpio, Holly
General Hospital characters
Fictional con artists
Fictional people from London
Fictional twins
Television characters introduced in 1982