As iconic as General Hospital characters Luke and Laura have been over the course of the show’s history, the recent generation has brought even more dramatic moments with their daughter, Lulu. Introduced on the show in 1994, fans have watched her grow from an adorable infant into a strong and passionate woman. We saw her fight over custody of baby Charlotte, survive being stabbed by serial killer Ryan Chamberlain, and traverse a tumultuous relationship with her ex-husband, Dante (personally, I’m still rooting for them).
In 2020, Lulu went into a coma following an explosion at the Floating Rib, when a bomb was set under Cyrus Renault’s orders. Four years later, when the show hinted that Lulu might be making her return, I naturally hoped to see Emme Rylan reprise her iconic role. Of course, as is the way of soap operas, the producers of GH decided to go in another direction. However, unlike actor Steve Burton, whose firing from General Hospital was for very clear reasons, the reason for Rylan’s being “fired” is still a mystery.
Emme Rylan Was Not Asked To Return As Lulu On GH
She Expressed Appreciation To Her Fans
In the summer of 2024, an episode of General Hospital showed Laura (Genie Francis) visiting her comatose daughter, Lulu, in the hospital. Along the soap opera rumor mill, news soon followed that GH had put out a casting call for a character called Lauren — which, as it turned out, was a code for Lulu (via TV Insider). No concrete reason was given for the recast, but former Lulu actor Emme Rylan made it clear that it was the producers’ decision and not hers.
“Yes, it is true. GH has decided to recast Lulu,” Rylan wrote in the caption of one of her Instagram stories. “Although I am very disappointed with their choice, I am glad to finally have closure.”
Alexa Havins Was Cast As Lulu
She Has Been Excellent In The GH Role
Having formerly played the role of Babe Chandler from 2003 to 2011 on All My Children, Alexa Havins took over as Lulu on General Hospital in 2024. After waking up from her four-year coma, Lulu quickly found herself on the run from her villainous uncle Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober). However, she was soon reunited with her family, including her now-teenaged son, Rocco, and his father, Dante. Recently, Lulu shared a heartwarming reunion with her daughter, Charlotte, after searching for her in Prague and bringing her back home to Port Charles.
Following a 13-year hiatus from the soap opera scene, Havins seems to have slipped into the role of Lulu like a glove. Although fans of Emme Rylan were understandably sad to see her go, Havins has done a great job of being true to the character while still making the role her own.
What Emme Rylan Is Doing Now
Since Lulu’s character went into a coma in 2020, Emme Rylan has been keeping fans up to date with home and family life on her Instagram. In October 2020, Rylan announced that she and her family were going on a country-wide road trip before moving to a new home — often stressing that they were sure to be COVID-19 compliant. She shared several photos and videos of her travels with her husband, Don Money, and three children, Jackson, Levi, and Dakota. She also chronicled the family’s adventure for their big move to St. Louis, Missouri.
Rylan has also shown off other facets of her creativity besides acting. She often shares her knitting, homemade jewelry, and other craft projects on her Instagram, as well as makeup, hair, and skincare routines. As for acting roles, Rylan’s IMDb page shows an upcoming short film and a podcast on the horizon. Personally, given her amazing talent, I wouldn’t be surprised if she landed a role on another soap opera in the future. In the meantime, it looks like the former General Hospital actress is enjoying life at home with her family.
