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General Hospital is the longest-running American soap opera, it first premiered on April 1, 1963. It holds Guinness World Records for its longest run and has multiple Daytime Emmy Awards. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, the show initially revolved around a hospital setting, later named the city of Port Charles, New York.
It became the only ABC soap opera after 2012. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2013, the show reached its 15,000th episode on June 22, 2022.
One of the characters in the ABC soap opera is Lois Cerullo. After returning to Port Charles on a short-term contract, Rena Sofer, known for her role as Lois Cerullo, has shifted her status to a recurring part, hinting at a potential change in her role in the soap opera.
Details on Rena Sofer's transition to recurring status on General Hospital
In October 2023, Rena Sofer returned to General Hospital as Lois Cerullo. Her character had been absent from the show for over 25 years. According to recent updates in the show's credits, Sofer has been moved to recurring status, following James Patrick Stuart.
However, there has been no official confirmation of her departure from the show. Sofer's return was initially planned for a brief period, focusing on helping Ned (Wally Kurth) recover his memory.
Sofer's comments and future plans
During an interview with Soap Opera Digest, actress Rena Sofer talked about her return. She revealed that the show's executive producer, Frank Valentini, asked her to return. She said,
“It just really seemed like an absolutely perfect time to have Lois come back for a short amount of time to try to get Eddie to remember that he’s Ned. So Frank reached out to me and asked me if I’d be willing to come back for a short amount of time and I said yes.”
Although there is no official confirmation of her departure, Sofer mentioned a potential move to the East Coast during an interview with the Associated Press.
“My husband and I are planning a move to the East Coast and, you know, I just thought, when I moved here, one of my first big jobs was ‘General Hospital,’ and it just felt very full circle for one of my last jobs in Los Angeles while I live here to be ‘General Hospital’ and doing this character that I love so much.”
The soap opera has seen other actors, including Lynn Herring, Jon Lindstrom, and Michael E. Knight, adopting recurring roles while remaining integral to the storyline. ABC, adhering to its policy, refrains from commenting on actor contracts.
Rena Sofer's other roles
Rena Sofer won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1995 for her role as Lois Cerullo. She left General Hospital in 1997 and spent the next nine years playing Quinn Fuller on The Bold and the Beautiful. After leaving the CBS soap in 2002, she pursued acting and pottery.
General Hospital airs on ABC Monday through Friday at 3 p.m. EST.
