General Hospital Star Breaks Silence on Behind-the Scenes Recast Drama
Unless you've been in a coma for the past 60 years, you might know that General Hospital is the longest-running entertainment program in the history of ABC.
In addition, it is the longest-running series ever produced in Hollywood. With a history like that, it is obvious that sometimes, characters would be recast and replaced.
Well, the same has happened recently, and it has made people confused. Robin Mattson has been playing Heather Webber from 1980 to 83, then in 2004, and from 2012 to 2022.
Georganne LaPiere was the original Heather Webber and initially played the character in 1976. She later left to become a film star like her sister Cher, and the role of Heather went to another actress, Mary O'Brien.
Because of the nature of daytime soap operas, this all is to be expected. However, fans were still surprised when Alley Mills of the Bold & Beautiful fame was cast. Although no one questioned her credentials, people were wondering why didn't Robin Mattson return to the character she had been playing on and off for around 40 years.
Robin later revealed that there's no behind the scenes drama regarding this casting after all, sharing the details behind her departure from the show.
"As nice as is to be missed, and so many of you have wondered what happened to me, I just want to let you know that I've been recovering from my knee surgery," Robin shared on November 11, "and today I'm going to have hip replacement surgery."
Robin Mattson took over the role of Heather Webber from Mary O'Brien in 1980 and made the character iconic. The Mad-as-a-Hatter villain of the General Hospital was cemented in the public consciousness because of her astounding performances. She would no doubt leave some pretty big boots to fill for Alley Mills.
Mills herself was pretty surprised about the whole recasting. She nonetheless welcomed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play the love-to-hate villain Heather. So how did she prepare for the role? Well, by doing what we all have been doing over the years. She crammed General Hospital day in and day out to get into the mindset of the character.
We wish Alley Mills all the best in her upcoming role, and we also wish Robin Mattson a full recovery after her surgery. General Hospital has had a mainstay on ABC, and it doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon. So, keep on watching and see the stories unravel.