Emma Samms is the latest on the growing list of “General Hospital” favorites to return to the ABC soap, when her Holly Sutton will show up in Port Charles in early September.
When last seen in 2023, Holly, Anna (Finola Hughes) and Scott (Kin Shriner) joined forces to stop Victor Cassadine (Charles Shaughnessy) from unleashing biological warfare to wipe out 80% of the world population. Once that was checked off their to do-list, Holly returned to Australia after her attempt to rekindle a romance with Robert (Tristan Rogers) failed.
Holly’s reappearance this time ties in with the return of another fan-favorite, Jonathan Jackson as Lucky Spencer. The show – run by executive producer Frank Valentini – is remaining characteristically tight-lipped about further details of their comebacks. Rick Hearst also recently announced that he will be heading back to “GH” as Ric Lansing, after an eight-year absence. The soap, which has won 14 Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding drama series, has kept its long-time fans very happy with bringing back its biggest stars. In addition to Jackson and Hearst, Genie Francis (Laura), Steve Burton (Jason), Vanessa Marcil (Brenda) and Rena Sofer (Lois) have also returned through the years.
When Samms joined the cast of “General Hospital” in July 1982, “GH” was at its highest highs, following the phenomenal, landmark Luke and Laura years. The character of Holly first met Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) while she was skinny dipping in the woods as he was mourning losing Laura, who’d disappeared into the fog one eventful night. Luke and Holly ended up doing what one does after meeting a naked stranger in a forest (at least on soap operas), and had a one-night stand. Although she conned him in an oil scam, he refused to believe she was a grifter, and they fell in love.
Fast forward: Luke was presumed dead, and Holly found out she was pregnant (in that order). In a symbolic gesture of its time, Luke’s BFF, Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers), stepped in and married Holly to give the unborn child a father. They fell in love and, as it turned out, Luke was actually alive.
Now, with Luke actually dead (perhaps permenantly this time) but Robert very much alive (or so we hope, come September), will there be another sweet reunion of the one-time supercouple? Stay tuned.
In recent years, Samms has continued to speak out about her battle with long COVID, which she contracted in March 2020 and has kept her homebound in England. In a blog post earlier this year, Samms wrote that she doesn’t know how to respond when people ask her how she feels.
“Do I just say ‘Thanks,’ or do I tell you about the chest pain I’m experiencing but haven’t mentioned? Do I explain that the tinnitus in my ears means that I’m often lip-reading what you say?” She went on to open up about dizziness, nausea and “a heart scarred by myocarditis” and “the ongoing microvascular disease” in her lungs.
She added, “My wonderful husband, Simon, whilst doing so much on a practical level to keep our household running smoothly, also has the exceptional level of emotional intelligence to say the right thing; ‘I know you’re feeling rubbish, but you look beautiful.’ How lucky am I?”
