Who is General Hospital’s New Charlotte? Meet Actress Bluesy Burke, Who Takes Over From Scarlett Fernandez
Beginning on September 8, Charlotte Cassadine has a new look on General Hospital. The show has recast the role of Lulu (Alexa Havins) and Valentin’s (James Patrick Stuart) daughter with Bluesy Burke. Burke replaces Scarlett Fernandez, who began playing Charlotte back in 2016.
Charlotte’s Web
The 17-year-old Burke is the daughter of actor/musician Billy Burke, who is known for starring in the Twilight movies as Charlie Swan — the father of Bella, played by Kristen Stewart — as well as on the CBS drama Fire Country, among many other credits. Her mother, Pollyanna Rose, is also an actress.
As a baby, Burke made her film debut in one of her dad’s projects, the movie Luster, in which she had a cameo. She was also the inspiration for one of her father’s songs, “Bluesy LaRue,” released in 2010 on the album Removed. In 2019, the actress appeared as Cindy in the Olivia Wilde-directed Booksmart.
Fernandez was only 7 years old when she first joined the GH ranks as Charlotte. In late 2021, she exited the show and the role was recast with Amelie McLain. At the time, Fernandez wrote on her Instagram, “Playing Charlotte Cassadine was my favorite and I’m sad it’s come to an end. I will miss my castmates and the crew and I know the fans will support the new actor playing Charlotte. Thank you for all the support!”
McLain left GH in 2023, paving the way for Fernandez’s return that same year. The actress enthused to Soap Opera Digest of the positive fan response to her comeback, “I didn’t know if they would be happy that I was back, so it felt good that they were excited to see me.”
At that time, Charlotte’s storyline became more mature in nature, with the troubled character targeting Anna Devane (Finola Hughes), who wound up accidentally shooting her. Noted Fernandez, “It’s definitely an honor because when I was little, I was getting storylines, but this is just crazy! I kind of feel like I’m treated like an adult on the show now, almost, and it’s just been great. I’ve been given great stuff and the fact that Frank [Valentini, executive producer] and all of his co-workers have trusted me has just been an amazing feeling.”
Charlotte ultimately went on the run with her fugitive father returned to the canvas earlier this year when Lulu tracked her down and eventually brought her home to Port Charles. The character hasn’t been seen on screen since March, but now that Burke has assumed the role, viewers can expect to see a whole lot more of Charlotte.
In fact, the show’s head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten, shared in their recent fall preview with TV Insider, “Charlotte returns to the canvas and assumes a pivotal role. She’s very useful to anyone who wants something from Valentin — and she knows it. She isn’t afraid to exploit her relationship with her father to get what she wants. She’ll draw closer to Danny [Ashey Antonyzyn] and Rocco [Finn Carr] as we develop General Hospital’s next generation.”
What are your first impressions of Bluesy Burke in the role? Are you excited to have Charlotte back in the Port Charles mix? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
