đź’« A Heroine Returns: Emma Samms Comes Home to General Hospital as Holly Sutton
After more than four decades since she first lit up Port Charles, Emma Samms is making an emotional return to the world that made her a household name.
The beloved soap star, now 63, is officially stepping back into her iconic role as Holly Sutton on General Hospital this September, ABC has confirmed. Her return comes as part of a storyline shrouded in mystery — but made all the more exciting by the simultaneous comeback of five-time Daytime Emmy winner Jonathan Jackson as Lucky Spencer. For long-time fans, it’s a reunion years in the making.
Samms, who debuted on the show in 1982, quickly became one of daytime’s most unforgettable faces. Known for Holly’s fiery independence, elegance, and tangled romantic past, she helped define a golden era of General Hospital, standing tall among legendary characters and unforgettable love stories.
And yet, her return isn’t just about the character. It’s about the woman behind her — the fight, the resilience, and the journey she’s still on.
Over the years, Samms has made multiple comebacks to GH, with appearances in 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, and more recently in 2020, 2022, and 2023. But behind the camera, she’s been fighting a far more personal battle — one that’s still ongoing.
In March 2020, Samms contracted COVID-19. What followed was not a quick recovery, but a lingering, life-altering condition known as long COVID.
“It’s an ongoing mass disabling event, and it’s been frightening to witness,” she told PEOPLE in 2022. “For me, it’s been a battle of the wills to accomplish anything.”
Fatigue. Breathlessness. Blood pressure fluctuations. Tinnitus. These symptoms have become part of her daily life, yet they haven’t broken her spirit — or her love for the role that helped define her career. If anything, Holly’s returns have become a symbol of Samms’ perseverance — a quiet but powerful declaration that she’s still here, still creating, and still moving forward.
Her upcoming appearance comes at a time of change in the GH universe. Just weeks ago, fan favorite Michael Easton exited the series after a decade-long run, and Bryan Craig, who played Morgan Corinthos, is also set to reappear this August. It’s a moment of both nostalgia and new beginnings — a reminder of the show’s lasting legacy and the stories still waiting to be told.
As Holly Sutton walks back into Port Charles this fall, fans won’t just be watching a character’s return. They’ll be witnessing the resilience of a woman who, like Holly herself, refuses to be written off.
