General Hospital star Kirsten Storms has admitted she was shocked at hearing her long-running character was set to be recast. Storms has played the character of Maxie Jones on the soap since 2005, but the role is set to be recast on a temporary basis, as Storms encounters scheduling conflicts.
Recasting characters with different actors is one of the most common soap opera tropes, and seeing a different actor play the role of Maxie is not a new thing. There have been a couple of occasions in the past where Storms has had to temporarily vacate the role, adn Maxie has been recast, and the same will be happening again.
Storms admitted that she was “taken aback” when she first discovered she was set to be replaced (via Variety). The long-running star had to step away from the role she has played since 2005, due to scheduling conflicts, with Nicole Paggi filling in. In the original interview with Soap Opera Digest, the star opened up about the decision.
Storms said that she was surprised at first to hear that someone else was going to be filling in for her during her absence. But she also admitted she was glad that someone would be able to carry on her character’s story and journey in her absence. Check out Storms’ comments on the situation below:
“I would be lying if I didn’t say that I was taken aback a bit by it. I would prefer that someone play Maxie and be playing Maxie well to keep the character relevant and in the soap world still because it doesn’t take much for a character to die off and for somebody else to come in and be in a front-burner storyline.
I was very excited just to know that she was still going to be in Port Charles and doing lots of things.”
What This Means For Storms’ Absence
It Will Be A Good Way To Freshen The Character While Keeping Her Warm For A Return
While General Hospital recasting Maxie may have come as a bit of a shock to Storms, this is not the first time another actress has filled in for her as Maxie. In 2011, Storms vacated the role for health reasons, and was replaced by Jen Lilley. What’s more, Paggi has filled in for Storms before on a temporary basis, so it should be a smooth process.
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The advantage of recasting Maxie is that it keeps her story running, and allows Storms to simply step back into the character when she is ready. This also benefits the narrative structure of the show, and allows the character to continue her development in a way that feels natural and organic, leaving the door open for Storms to come back.
Our Take On Maxie’s Recasting
It’s Not Forever, But Perhaps Storms Could Use The Break
Of course, Storms’ scheduling conflicts have meant that the role has had to be recast, but this might be a blessing for her. It could be that she is thankful for the opportunity to branch out and try something different for a time. Knowing the role will be waiting for her when she returns allows her to experiment creatively, and try something new.
Being able to move away from a character after 20 years gives a degree of freedom, and Paggi filling in certainly acts as a placeholder for Maxie. While it is unclear right now how long Paggi might be part of the General Hospital cast, there is confirmation it is not a permanent switch, so General Hospital fans will be seeing Storms back on their screens again.
Source: Soap Opera Digest (via Variety)
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