Carly Corinthos
Encyclopedia
Caroline Leigh "Carly" Corinthos Jacks (née
Benson; previously Quartermaine, and Alcazar) is a fictional character
on the ABC
soap opera
General Hospital
. Originated by Sarah Brown on April 8, 1996, the role of Carly has been portrayed by Laura Wright
since 2005. Wright is a soap veteran, previously known for her role as Ally Rescott Bowman on Loving
(1991-1995) and The City (1995-1997), and as Cassie Layne Winslow
on Guiding Light
(1997-2005).
Within the General Hospital narrative, Carly is the best female friend of Jason Morgan.
s for her portrayal of Carly. She won for Outstanding Younger Actress
in 1997 and 1998, was nominated in 1999, and won again for Outstanding Supporting Actress
in 2000. Brown appeared on the cover of Soap Opera Digest
19 times during her run in the role, and won two Soap Opera Digest Awards in 1998 (Younger Lead Actress) and 2000 (Favorite Actress).
In January 2000, it was reported that Brown would be exiting General Hospital when her contract was over in March of that year. Brown's character was put in an important storyline and the show had already lost several of its actors, including Jonathan Jackson
(Lucky) and Steve Burton (Jason). Brown agreed to stay for one year and General Hospital began to create an exit in December 2000 if Brown decided not to renew her contract. Gina Tognoni
was rumored to replace Brown. Brown decided to stay with the series for a month. "My contract expired today, but I will stay with the show 4 more weeks to wrap it all up for them," she said. "I am not leaving because of money issues or contract issues. I am leaving because my heart is telling me I'm done." She departed the series on April 23, 2001.
Fans protested Brown's departure, and sent emails to Jill Farren Phelps
in an effort to get the actress rehired. However, Tamara Braun
replaced her on May 2, 2001. In a November 11, 2001 interview with Soap Opera Digest, Braun commented on being a high profile recast: "I really didn't know about the uproar, which was good. But I was informed about it before I started working. I thought to myself, 'Holy guacamole ... I'm going into something here. But all I can do is the best that I can.' I think on some level, a lot of people were waiting for me to fail." During her tenure, Braun was the first actress to play Carly to take the character into the lead actress category, garnering herself a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Lead Actress. Braun didn't win, however, she did bring the character of Carly into a different strata in terms of the character's place on the soap. For the first time Carly would be considered in the same league as General Hospital
's other lead females such as Laura Spencer
, Felicia Jones, and Bobbie Spencer
.
Braun departed the role on April 15, 2005, and on April 18, 2005, Jennifer Bransford
assumed the role. Phelps released a statement on the recast: "[The audience] will eventually accept a new Carly, especially if Maurice is determined to make it work." During Bransford's tenure, Shayne Lamas
also portrayed the role as a teenager in several flashbacks. On October 5, 2005, Bransford was released from her contract. A representative of General Hospital said, "Jennifer's casting in the role of Carly did not work out. She is a consummate actress and she's good at what she does. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors."
After Bransford's dismissal, rumors began circulating that Laura Wright
, known for portraying Cassie Layne Winslow
on Guiding Light
, was being considered for the role. On November 4, 2005, Wright debuted as Carly. ABC Daytime
president Brian Frons
stated: "Carly is a complex character, and we are excited to bring Laura's talent, beauty and intelligence to this role." In November 2009, Wright signed another 4 year contract, obligating her to stay with the series
until 2013. Wright won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress
in the role in 2011, becoming the second leading actress from the soap to do so.
of EastEnders
, and then Kendall Hart
of All My Children
.
In 1999, writer Patrick Mulcahey
noted that the character of Carly had been somewhat of a work in progress at first. "Worse yet, we the writers didn't really know what Carly was supposed to be," he said. "That may sound like a horrifying confession, but in daytime, a successful character is always a collaboration between the writers and the actor." Mulcahey said the writers discussed who they felt Carly, as a character, is and that "the actor finds certain other decisions have to be made and makes them, sparks fly between the actor and another actor, we see what's happening on-screen and start playing around with it in the writing- that's how a character takes shape". He further stated:
's past as a teen prostitute had long been established when a young woman named Carly Roberts comes to Port Charles
in 1996 with the single intent to ruin Bobbie's life. Carly is currently scripted as having been born November 5, 1973 in Jacksonville, Florida
where Bobbie was a prostitute. She is later adopted by the Bensons in Pensacola, Florida
. She is Bobbie's biological daughter Caroline Leigh Benson, given up for adoption by the teen when Bobbie was unable to care for the child herself. To conceal her identity, Caroline assumes the name of her best friend, Charlotte "Carly" Roberts, who had died in a car accident when they were teenagers. As revenge for being "abandoned" by her birth mother, Carly seduces Bobbie's husband Dr. Tony Jones. Carly begins a friendship and sexual relationship with Jason Morgan, and after fighting with Tony, she sleeps with a drunk A.J. Quartermaine, Jason's brother. She discovers she is pregnant, and asks Jason to claim to be the father of her child. The baby is later named Michael Morgan, after Jason's friend and boss, gangster Michael "Sonny" Corinthos
.
Carly reveals her true identity to a horrified Bobbie and Tony kidnaps Michael to protect him from Jason and Sonny's mob lifestyle. When Tony is not jailed for the crime, Carly shoots him and is sent to a mental institution. Jason secures her release, and Carly and Michael move in with Jason and his girlfriend Robin Scorpio
. Robin tells A.J. that he is Michael's real father, earning Robin Carly's hatred forever. A.J. blackmails Carly into moving into the Quartermaine mansion with threats to have her institutionalized again, and she and A.J. wed on May 26, 1999 though she plots a future with Jason. After Carly misreads a moment between Jason and Elizabeth Webber
, she sleeps with Sonny and becomes pregnant with his baby.
— and gets her pregnant. Carly and Sonny divorce in November 2001, but after almost losing her, Sonny remarries Carly on June 28, 2002. Alexis pretends her former fiancé Ned Ashton is the father of her child and gives birth to baby Kristina later that year.
In 2003, Sonny's half-brother Ric Lansing
drugs Carly and tricks her into believing they had slept together. Carly learns she is pregnant, but Sonny is revealed to be the father. Ric marries Elizabeth, who is pregnant with his child, but she has a fight with Faith Roscoe and loses the baby after Faith pushes her down the stairs. Ric kidnaps Carly, keeping her in a panic room at his house and planning on faking an adoption. Sonny's nemesis Lorenzo Alcazar
— with whom Carly shares a mutual attraction — finds and "kidnaps" Carly; finding Alcazar helping Carly give birth, Sonny shoots Alcazar on October 24, 2003. However, the bullet goes through him, and hits Carly as her son Morgan is being born. Carly goes into a coma, and later awakens to find herself desiring a life with Alcazar as Sonny is now sleeping with Sam McCall but the two reconcile after realizing their family is what matters.
Months after discovering a secret from Alexis, Carly reveals to Sonny that Kristina is his daughter, but their marriage ends because Carly had held on to the secret for so long. Carly stands up to be Kristina's Godmother Christmas 2004. Carly and Sonny divorce in January 2005, but when Faith Roscoe and A.J. kidnap Michael, Carly suffers a breakdown and is again committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2005. Soon after, a newly-arrived Reese Marshall is revealed to be Carly's presumed-dead childhood friend Charlotte "Carly" Roberts, whose name Carly had adopted before her own arrival in Port Charles. Having survived the car crash, Reese/Charlotte seeks revenge against Carly for her part in the divorce of Charlotte's parents. While Carly had indeed slept with Charlotte's father Dan, it is revealed that she had been pressured. As a result of her breakdown, she marries Alcazar in June 2005 to hurt Sonny, though the union is short-lived due to her ties with Sonny and ends on December 5, 2005.
dies on February 21, 2006, soon after giving birth to a baby boy named John, and Carly offers to help raise this child with Courtney's husband, Jasper "Jax" Jacks
. However, Robin reveals that John's real father is Nikolas Cassadine
, who takes custody. Carly's biological father John Durant, who had reappeared in 2004, is killed on May 5, 2006 defending her from a psychopathic killer.
Carly and Jax fall in love and become engaged, but Carly marries Sonny in January 2007 to prevent herself from being called into court to testify against him. Jax's brother Jerry Jacks
and a team of mercenaries hold party-goers (including Sonny and Carly) hostage at the Metro Court, and after the crisis, Carly sleeps with Sonny. However, she decides to divorce Sonny in April 2007 and soon marries Jax. When a mysterious killer begins stalking the women in Port Charles, Carly finds her children's longtime nanny Leticia's strangled body in her house. Believing that she had been the intended victim, Carly begins a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the man dubbed the "Text Message Killer," using text messages to lure him out of hiding at Nikolas's Black and White Ball. After Jason's sister Emily Quartermaine is strangled to death at the ball, the killer attacks Carly, but escapes unharmed. The killer is eventually revealed to be Carly's former stepson Diego Alcazar
, who is attempting to avenge the deaths of his father and cousin Sage.
(played by Carly's original portrayer Sarah Brown), leaving him in a coma. While taking Michael to a special care institute, a distraught Carly has sex with Sonny in the back of a limo, then asks him to sign a paper giving up his parental rights to Michael. Weeks later she begins to suspect that she is pregnant. Jax discovers the tryst and leaves Carly, but the two reconcile, even though she nursed an injured Sonny and Jax slept with Kate. They renew their wedding vows and consummate their new start, after which Carly discovers she is pregnant, but the child she carries could lead her to have a stroke. She finally confesses to Jax, who urges her not to abort. In late spring 2009, Dr. Patrick Drake performs surgery on a suddenly SORASed Michael and he awakes from his year-long coma as a rebellious teen. His younger brother Morgan, who is also SORASed, and others around Carly worry about how the stress might hurt her health, leading her to send Michael to live first with Sonny, then later to place him under the care of the Quartermaines, until her child is born.
After Claudia Corinthos was run off the road, causing her to lose her baby, Michael panics in the belief that he is responsible. Carly pulls Claudia out of the burning car and ends up being hospitalized herself. Following her release, both Michael and half-sister Kristina Davis go on the run to Veracruz, Mexico
. After Jason and Sam bring them back home, Kristina reveals she was the driver who caused Claudia's accident. Michael agrees to live with his mother and Jax rather than with the Quartermaines.
, Sonny's illegitimate child with Olivia
, Claire sets Sonny's trial for Claudia's murder into motion. Dante suspects that Michael may be the one who killed Claudia and convinces him to confess, thinking that the judge will see Sonny as a detriment to Michael's well-being and pass a lenient sentence on Michael. However, the judge decides to pass a 5-year sentence in the Pentonville Adult Correctional Facility to teach both Carly and Sonny a lesson. Due to Lulu's support of Dante's decision, she and Carly have a fight and Carly swears to Jason that she will make BOTH of them pay.
In a moment of pain, Carly and Sonny have sex. Following preceding events, her marriage with Jax quickly falls apart, particularly after Jax admits to helping Dante bust Sonny, and she files for divorce, but asks him to adopt Morgan.
Brenda Barrett
, the ex-girlfriend of Sonny and Jax and ex-wife of Jason, returns to Port Charles to hide from an international crime figure known as the Balkan. Carly feels threatened by her, but soon learns that Brenda and Dante have a secret past connection. After some investigative work with help from Spinelli
and Johnny Zacchara
, she concludes that Brenda and Dante had a child together, and now plots to use this information to undermine them both.
After learning that Jax went to London to help Brenda out, Carly asked Spinelli to find out if that was true and then revealed to her husband that she wants a divorce because he lied to her and helped Brenda out. Jax and Carly fought about her relationship with Sonny and Jason despite his relationship with Brenda.
Carly attends Brenda and Sonny's wedding and threatens to expose Brenda unless she leaves town. However, Brenda admits the truth to Sonny herself, and Carly's plan blows up in her face when Dante reveals that, while Brenda was indeed pregnant, the father was someone else and he had merely pretended to be the father out of friendship. Sonny forgives Brenda immediately and makes a memorable speech about how much he loves her and doesn't want to lose her again; Sonny and Brenda marry and Carly respectfully accepts. When Brenda is captured after the reception by the Balkan, now revealed to be Theo Hoffman, Carly promises to help Sonny in any way she can, despite Jax's adamant resolve to only help the police. Carly also admits that she did try to break up Brenda and Sonny, but underestimated his love for Brenda. Carly reassures Sonny that he will find Brenda and genuinely states that she will be happy for him when he does.When Shawn Butler, a former hired gun for Theo who is now helping Jason, arrives after being injured by Theo, Carly treats his wounds only for Jax to return and assume the worst. Carly's involvement with Jason and Sonny leads Jax to decide to fight Carly for custody of Josslyn.
Though Michael is determined to help Sonny, Carly attempts to convince him not to, insisting that the best way to help Sonny is to choose a better path in life. When Michael decides to consummate his relationship with an ex-stripper named Abby, Kristina attempts to convince Carly to put a stop to it. Carly, however, chooses not to and correctly theorizes that Kristina is jealous of Abby and wants her brother back.
That same night, Jake Spencer, Elizabeth Webber
's son with Jason, is hit by a car. Despite Patrick and Robin's best efforts to save him, Jake dies on the operating table as Jason looks on. Meanwhile, Josslyn is diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer, and Carly and Jax decide to look for an organ donor rather than put her through chemotherapy
. Upon discovering that Jake is a match and that Josslyn does not have a lot of time for them to find a donor, Carly reluctantly asks Jason to do so. However, as the decision is not up to him, Jason passes on Carly's request to Elizabeth. Though she refuses, Lucky manages to persuade her to do so, and Josslyn's condition improves rapidly. However, both Carly and Jax have uncertain of how to be happy over the event; while Josslyn's life has been saved, it cost Jake his own.
When Franco sends Carly a threatening video message regarding Josslyn, Sam and Carly unanimously agree to inform Jason posthaste. Carly desperately begs Jason not to go after Franco in his condition, stating that trying to fight him at this time is suicidal, but Jason assures her that he only wants to make sure that Carly and Josslyn are together and safe. Jason subsequently hires Shawn to be Carly and Josslyn's bodyguard.
Having heard the news of Jake's death, Sonny and Brenda cut their honeymoon short and return to Port Charles to be there for Jason. Brenda approaches Carly with the hopes of negotiating a truce, but Carly immaturely refuses, stating that they will get along as long as Brenda stays away from her children. When Brenda's son, Lucian, is discovered to be alive and is returned to Brenda's care, Carly is quick to seize it as another opportunity to get under Brenda's skin by insulting her mothering skills.
Later, Dante, Michael, Morgan, Kristina, and Molly surprise Sonny with a birthday party at Kelly's. When Carly discovers that Brenda told them they couldn't have the party at Sonny's home because she didn't want Lucian to be overwhelmed, Carly is furious and immediately hightails it over there to blast Brenda, accusing her of trying to keep Sonny away from his kids and have him all to herself, despite Brenda's insistence that she would never do so and that Kristina merely got the wrong message.
While this is going on, Carly persuades Jason and Sam to have a baby to help Jason get over the pain of losing Jake. On May 5 2011 Carly tells Shawn that she and Jax are divorced.
Josslyn remains in the hospital for some time recovering from the operation. During this period, Carly attends the failed intervention of her allegedly-alcoholic uncle Luke
, and reluctantly accompanies Sonny and Dante to San Antonio in an effort to rescue Brenda's kidnapped child. Sonny and Carly eventually discuss their rocky marriage, and Carly tells Sonny that, while she does have regrets over their relationship, she has none about having Sonny adopt Michael or having Morgan, and reassures him that he is a loving and caring father.
Sonny learns that Jax bribed the court-appointed mediator to make suggestions about custody to the judge. Sonny (without Carly's knowledge) blackmails the mediator to frame Jax in a hotel room for her attempted rape after drugging him and planting illegal narcotics in the room. When the judge learns of these allegations against Jax, he awards full custody to Carly and states that Jax will have to pass a drug test whenever he wants to see Josslyn. Carly has mixed feelings about this, in that she is glad to have custody of Josslyn but she did not want Sonny to ruin Jax's life. Regardless, a devastated Jax leaves Port Charles for Europe in order to plan his next maneuver against Carly, whom he now claims to despise. Brenda accompanies him, having left Sonny after learning about his framing of Jax, but the pair appear to go their separate ways shortly after arriving in Europe.
Robin accuses Carly of driving Sonny to ruin Jax, and causing his breakup with Brenda, shortly after catching Carly possibly flirting with her husband Patrick. Later, Carly is furious to learn through Elizabeth that Jason and Sam are engaged, and that she wasn't the first to know. Rehashing her bad blood with Sam, she fears that their marriage would hurt Carly's friendship with Jason.
Shawn returns after a brief absence and confides to Carly that he turned down a teaching job offer in Washington, DC so that he could protect Carly from Jax, whom he believes will make a desperate move against Carly. She insists that he go back and accept the job, believing that Jax would never hurt her or Josslyn. However, when Skye Quartermaine, Jax's ex-wife, comes back to town, she informs Carly that Jax is back in town without letting Carly know. Carly, realizes Jax is here to take Josslyn away from Carly permanently and, panicked, runs to Jason for help. On the way to her house, Jason and Carly get in an accident with Elizabeth, who was trying to get Siobhan Spencer
to the hospital.
Jason ends up unconscious with a severe head injury, and when Sam finds out, she brutally attacks Carly for putting Jason in that position. Later, Carly admits to the unconscious Jason that she is overly dependent on him, but he is the only one she fully trusts. Carly calls Olivia, and asks her to go check on Josslyn, but she comes back and tells her that Josslyn's gone. She also lets Carly know that Sonny is trying to find them right now.
Carly gets treated for her broken wrist, and goes home to find Josslyn. When she gets there, Shawn arrives, and says he caught Jax when he took Josslyn away. Due to his PTSD, however, he couldn't stop Jax. Carly forgives him, and Shawn goes out to find Josslyn. He manages to find Jax and convince him to peacefully give up Josslyn.
When Jax apparently dies in a plane crash, Carly discovers from Dante that Sonny fixed the plane to do so. Outraged, Carly confronts Sonny at the police station and swears that he is out of her life, warning him to stay away from her and their kids. However, Michael sides with Sonny, much to Carly's shock. Carly is later relieved when Shawn reveals that their boat, the Silent Lady is missing from the dock, as Carly realizes that Jax took it, which means he's alive.
Carly turns to Alexis for help, hoping to convince her to help keep Sonny out of their respective children's lives. Alexis refuses, reminding Carly that her own efforts to keep Sonny out of Kristina's life led to Kristina using Johnny as a pawn to get Sonny's attention and nearly getting killed, and stating that she believes that their respective children are old enough to make their own decisions. Alexis proceeds to state that Jax's "death" is actually Carly's fault for setting Sonny loose on Jax in the first place, and that Carly never treated Jax with the respect he deserved and that she and her "bottomless pit of need" sucked all the good out of Jax and destroyed him. Carly reminds Alexis that she repeatedly attempted to compromise with Jax, but he wouldn't go for it and bribed the mediator to throw the case his way, and also that Alexis resigned from the case because she didn't want to play dirty. Alexis simply states that resigning from the case was a mistake and that Carly's refusal to accept responsibility for her share in the ordeal makes her no better than Sonny.
Sonny shows up at her house later, wanting to see Morgan. Though Carly tells him to go away, he refuses and comes into the house. There, Carly reveals that Morgan has been put into military school to keep him safe. Sonny is also only allowed to see him while Carly is there, under guard. Sonny ends up going to the school, anyway, trying to bribe and threaten the headmaster, but is unsuccessful. Carly hears about this, and later tells Sonny that she's done defending him to Morgan, and trying to keep peace between them. Sonny refuses to give up, and tells Carly that he's not done.
Carly also pressures Shawn to take a job at Port Charles High School until he reveals he is working for Sonny, as a replacement for Jason while he spends time with Sam. On September 20, Shawn cooks for Carly at Kelly's and they also slow dance together. Carly receives a package from Hawaii, addressed to Josslyn, and believes it's a gift from Jason, who's on his honeymoon with Sam. However, when she opens the card, it's revealed to be from Franco. Alarmed, Carly goes to Shawn, who in turn tries to get in touch with Jason or Sam. When neither of them answer, Shawn decides to go to Hawaii to check on them, and Carly ends up on the flight with Josslyn.
When they arrive in Hawaii, neither Jason nor Sam are happy to see them, but when they show Franco's message to Josslyn, they realize they're in danger. Carly is afraid he could be somewhere nearby, and wants Jason and Sam to get away from him. But Sam doesn't want to go back, saying that their honeymoon is important. Jason decides to stay there with Sam, much to Carly's dismay. Jason tells Carly he's going to respect his wife's decisions because she now comes first. Carly understands Jason respecting Sam's wishes, but wishes he would trust her. To prove that, she tells him Jax is alive. Carly and Shawn leave with Josslyn the next day back to Port Charles.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Benson; previously Quartermaine, and Alcazar) is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
. Originated by Sarah Brown on April 8, 1996, the role of Carly has been portrayed by Laura Wright
Laura Wright
Laura Wright is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Cassie Layne Winslow on Guiding Light , and since 2005, her portrayal of Carly Corinthos on General Hospital; the latter garnered her the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2011.-Filmography:* 1991 - 1995:...
since 2005. Wright is a soap veteran, previously known for her role as Ally Rescott Bowman on Loving
Loving (TV series)
Caden Grant Carlton loves Mika Ayako Ryan more.Loving is an American television soap opera which aired on ABC's daytime lineup from June 26, 1983 to November 10, 1995 for 3,169 episodes...
(1991-1995) and The City (1995-1997), and as Cassie Layne Winslow
Cassie Layne Winslow
Princess Cassandra Elizabeth "Cassie" Layne Winslow is a fictional character on the popular CBS daytime soap opera, Guiding Light...
on Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
(1997-2005).
Within the General Hospital narrative, Carly is the best female friend of Jason Morgan.
Casting and awards
The role was originated on April 8, 1996 by Sarah Brown, who "quickly became an overnight sensation" and received three Daytime Emmy AwardDaytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
s for her portrayal of Carly. She won for Outstanding Younger Actress
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series has been given every year at the Daytime Emmys since the 12th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony in 1985. The award category was originally called the Outstanding Ingenue in a Drama Series...
in 1997 and 1998, was nominated in 1999, and won again for Outstanding Supporting Actress
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series has been given every year at the Daytime Emmys since the 6th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony in 1979....
in 2000. Brown appeared on the cover of Soap Opera Digest
Soap Opera Digest
Soap Opera Digest is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional information...
19 times during her run in the role, and won two Soap Opera Digest Awards in 1998 (Younger Lead Actress) and 2000 (Favorite Actress).
In January 2000, it was reported that Brown would be exiting General Hospital when her contract was over in March of that year. Brown's character was put in an important storyline and the show had already lost several of its actors, including Jonathan Jackson
Jonathan Jackson (actor)
Jonathan Stevens Jackson is an American actor, best known for playing Lucky Spencer, son of supercouple Luke and Laura on the American daytime drama General Hospital...
(Lucky) and Steve Burton (Jason). Brown agreed to stay for one year and General Hospital began to create an exit in December 2000 if Brown decided not to renew her contract. Gina Tognoni
Gina Tognoni
Gina Tognoni is an American actress.-Career:Tognoni has won Miss Rhode Island Teen USA in 1991 and Miss Rhode Island Teen All-American in 1993. In 1995, she was cast as Kelly Cramer on ABC's soap opera One Life to Live, a role she originated and portrayed to 2001...
was rumored to replace Brown. Brown decided to stay with the series for a month. "My contract expired today, but I will stay with the show 4 more weeks to wrap it all up for them," she said. "I am not leaving because of money issues or contract issues. I am leaving because my heart is telling me I'm done." She departed the series on April 23, 2001.
Fans protested Brown's departure, and sent emails to Jill Farren Phelps
Jill Farren Phelps
Jill Farren Phelps is an American television producer.-Career:Phelps has been the executive producer of many American television soap operas: Santa Barbara , Guiding Light , Another World , One Life to Live , and currently General Hospital .Phelps got her start...
in an effort to get the actress rehired. However, Tamara Braun
Tamara Braun
Tamara Braun is American actress. She is best known for her roles on General Hospital as Carly Corinthos from 2001 to 2005, along with her roles on Days of our Lives as Taylor Walker and Ava Vitali. She is also known for her role on All My Children as Reese Williams.-Biography:Braun was born in...
replaced her on May 2, 2001. In a November 11, 2001 interview with Soap Opera Digest, Braun commented on being a high profile recast: "I really didn't know about the uproar, which was good. But I was informed about it before I started working. I thought to myself, 'Holy guacamole ... I'm going into something here. But all I can do is the best that I can.' I think on some level, a lot of people were waiting for me to fail." During her tenure, Braun was the first actress to play Carly to take the character into the lead actress category, garnering herself a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Lead Actress. Braun didn't win, however, she did bring the character of Carly into a different strata in terms of the character's place on the soap. For the first time Carly would be considered in the same league as General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
's other lead females such as Laura Spencer
Laura Spencer
Laura Spencer is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. Laura was portrayed by Stacy Baldwin from 1974 to 1976, and since then has been played by Genie Francis, first from 1976–1982, and then from 1992–2002...
, Felicia Jones, and Bobbie Spencer
Bobbie Spencer
Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer is a fictional character and popular long running character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. She made her first appearance in 1978 and is the mother of popular character Carly Corinthos Jacks...
.
Braun departed the role on April 15, 2005, and on April 18, 2005, Jennifer Bransford
Jennifer Bransford
Jennifer Bransford is an American actress. She is known for her role as Georgie Phillips on One Life to Live and for her role as Carly Corinthos # 3 on General Hospital .-Personal life:...
assumed the role. Phelps released a statement on the recast: "[The audience] will eventually accept a new Carly, especially if Maurice is determined to make it work." During Bransford's tenure, Shayne Lamas
Shayne Lamas
Shayne Dahl Lamas is an American actress. She is known for her role as the Young Carly Corinthos on General Hospital and as the winner of the twelfth season of The Bachelor.-Personal life:...
also portrayed the role as a teenager in several flashbacks. On October 5, 2005, Bransford was released from her contract. A representative of General Hospital said, "Jennifer's casting in the role of Carly did not work out. She is a consummate actress and she's good at what she does. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors."
After Bransford's dismissal, rumors began circulating that Laura Wright
Laura Wright
Laura Wright is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Cassie Layne Winslow on Guiding Light , and since 2005, her portrayal of Carly Corinthos on General Hospital; the latter garnered her the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2011.-Filmography:* 1991 - 1995:...
, known for portraying Cassie Layne Winslow
Cassie Layne Winslow
Princess Cassandra Elizabeth "Cassie" Layne Winslow is a fictional character on the popular CBS daytime soap opera, Guiding Light...
on Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
, was being considered for the role. On November 4, 2005, Wright debuted as Carly. ABC Daytime
ABC Daytime
ABC Daytime is a programming block on the ABC Network which has historically encompassed soap operas, game shows and talk shows.-Schedule:...
president Brian Frons
Brian Frons
Brian Frons is an American television executive, and president of ABC Daytime.- Educational background :Frons holds a Master of Science degree in Communications from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the State University of New York at Fredonia.-Television...
stated: "Carly is a complex character, and we are excited to bring Laura's talent, beauty and intelligence to this role." In November 2009, Wright signed another 4 year contract, obligating her to stay with the series
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
until 2013. Wright won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series is an award which has been given every year at the Daytime Emmys ceremony since 1974...
in the role in 2011, becoming the second leading actress from the soap to do so.
Characterization and creation
Carly represents a modern archetype in soap opera, of mysterious outsiders with secret blood ties to core characters. To drive the plot forward, they often ingratiate themselves to their birth parent's family, only to cause destructive havoc later on, as revenge for their perceived abandonment. Her predecessors in this can be seen first in Donna LudlowDonna Ludlow
Donna Ludlow is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Matilda Ziegler between 1987-1989. Donna was scripted as a troubled individual, desperate for attention, but shunned by almost all who encountered her...
of EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, and then Kendall Hart
Kendall Hart
Kendall Hart Slater is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. The character was portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar from 1993 to 1995, and by Alicia Minshew from 2002 to 2011....
of All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
.
In 1999, writer Patrick Mulcahey
Patrick Mulcahey
Patrick Mulcahey is an award-winning American television writer who graduated from Yale University.-Career:Among his accomplishments, Mulcahey wrote The Bold and the Beautifuls 5,000th episode. In a recent interview, he acknowledged his close friendships with CBS Daytime's Senior Vice President...
noted that the character of Carly had been somewhat of a work in progress at first. "Worse yet, we the writers didn't really know what Carly was supposed to be," he said. "That may sound like a horrifying confession, but in daytime, a successful character is always a collaboration between the writers and the actor." Mulcahey said the writers discussed who they felt Carly, as a character, is and that "the actor finds certain other decisions have to be made and makes them, sparks fly between the actor and another actor, we see what's happening on-screen and start playing around with it in the writing- that's how a character takes shape". He further stated:
Carly was different. We were afraid of her. I started [on the show] right around the time Sarah did, but it's my understanding that there was quite a hullabaloo about Carly before she was ever cast. I was told a writer (the one I think I replaced) had even quit over it. The issue was this: Carly was coming to Port Charles for the purpose of haunting Bobbie and making her life miserable, out of supposed anger at having been 'abandoned' by her. But of course, she wasn't abandoned, she was given up for adoption, and the network and producers were rightly concerned that we might be 'sending the message' (that phrase that soap writers dread) either that adopted children were hateful and full of rage, or that their adoptive parents were neglectful or otherwise inadequate enough to instill this smoldering resentment of being adopted in their kids... I need not go on. The pitfalls are obvious, and I imagine Bob [Guza, the headwriter] promised Wendy [Riche, the executive producer] and ABC that we had no intention of falling into them.
Storylines
Arrival
Longrunning heroine Bobbie SpencerBobbie Spencer
Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer is a fictional character and popular long running character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. She made her first appearance in 1978 and is the mother of popular character Carly Corinthos Jacks...
's past as a teen prostitute had long been established when a young woman named Carly Roberts comes to Port Charles
Port Charles, New York (Fictional City)
Port Charles, New York is the fictional setting of the ABC Daytime soap operas General Hospital and its spin-offs Port Charles and General Hospital: Night Shift. It was later retroactively revealed as the setting of The Young Marrieds, a short-lived series which ran between 1964 and 1966...
in 1996 with the single intent to ruin Bobbie's life. Carly is currently scripted as having been born November 5, 1973 in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
where Bobbie was a prostitute. She is later adopted by the Bensons in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
. She is Bobbie's biological daughter Caroline Leigh Benson, given up for adoption by the teen when Bobbie was unable to care for the child herself. To conceal her identity, Caroline assumes the name of her best friend, Charlotte "Carly" Roberts, who had died in a car accident when they were teenagers. As revenge for being "abandoned" by her birth mother, Carly seduces Bobbie's husband Dr. Tony Jones. Carly begins a friendship and sexual relationship with Jason Morgan, and after fighting with Tony, she sleeps with a drunk A.J. Quartermaine, Jason's brother. She discovers she is pregnant, and asks Jason to claim to be the father of her child. The baby is later named Michael Morgan, after Jason's friend and boss, gangster Michael "Sonny" Corinthos
Sonny Corinthos
Michael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr. is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera General Hospital. Maurice Benard has played the role, that of a manic depressive Mob boss living in Port Charles, since the character's storyline originated on August 13, 1993...
.
Carly reveals her true identity to a horrified Bobbie and Tony kidnaps Michael to protect him from Jason and Sonny's mob lifestyle. When Tony is not jailed for the crime, Carly shoots him and is sent to a mental institution. Jason secures her release, and Carly and Michael move in with Jason and his girlfriend Robin Scorpio
Robin Scorpio
Dr. Robin Scorpio-Drake is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera General Hospital and its prime time SOAPnet spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift, originated and portrayed by Kimberly McCullough since 1985. The character came to mainstream attention when she was diagnosed as HIV-positive...
. Robin tells A.J. that he is Michael's real father, earning Robin Carly's hatred forever. A.J. blackmails Carly into moving into the Quartermaine mansion with threats to have her institutionalized again, and she and A.J. wed on May 26, 1999 though she plots a future with Jason. After Carly misreads a moment between Jason and Elizabeth Webber
Elizabeth Webber
Elizabeth Spencer may refer to:*Lady Elizabeth Spencer , wife of Henry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke*Elizabeth Spencer, Baroness Hunsdon*Elizabeth Spencer , American novelist...
, she sleeps with Sonny and becomes pregnant with his baby.
Sonny Corinthos
Sonny is able to force A.J. to sign over his rights to Michael, and Carly moves in with Sonny as she divorces A.J. in July 2000. Carly and Sonny bond over their pregnancy and agree that they would get along for the sake of the child. Carly miscarries after a fight with A.J., and marries Sonny on September 18, 2000 so she will not be forced to testify against him about a crime she witnesses him committing. The two soon bond over the loss of their unborn baby, and renew their wedding vows out of love in February 2001. On April 20, 2001, Carly and Sonny celebrate his birthday, and she learns of Sonny's constant abuse as a child by the hands of his stepfather. Their marriage is troubled, and it deteriorates to the point that Sonny sleeps with his attorney, Alexis DavisAlexis Davis
Alexis Davis is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. Nancy Lee Grahn originated the role in April 1996. She is the daughter of Mikkos Cassadine and Kristin Bergman. She is also the mother of Sam McCall, Kristina Davis and Molly Lansing...
— and gets her pregnant. Carly and Sonny divorce in November 2001, but after almost losing her, Sonny remarries Carly on June 28, 2002. Alexis pretends her former fiancé Ned Ashton is the father of her child and gives birth to baby Kristina later that year.
In 2003, Sonny's half-brother Ric Lansing
Ric Lansing
Richard "Ric" Lansing was a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. The character was played by soap opera veteran Rick Hearst from 2002 to 2009.- Casting and background :...
drugs Carly and tricks her into believing they had slept together. Carly learns she is pregnant, but Sonny is revealed to be the father. Ric marries Elizabeth, who is pregnant with his child, but she has a fight with Faith Roscoe and loses the baby after Faith pushes her down the stairs. Ric kidnaps Carly, keeping her in a panic room at his house and planning on faking an adoption. Sonny's nemesis Lorenzo Alcazar
Lorenzo Alcazar
Lorenzo Alcazar is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital, originated by actor Ted King, who previously played Lorenzo's deceased brother Luis Alcazar...
— with whom Carly shares a mutual attraction — finds and "kidnaps" Carly; finding Alcazar helping Carly give birth, Sonny shoots Alcazar on October 24, 2003. However, the bullet goes through him, and hits Carly as her son Morgan is being born. Carly goes into a coma, and later awakens to find herself desiring a life with Alcazar as Sonny is now sleeping with Sam McCall but the two reconcile after realizing their family is what matters.
Months after discovering a secret from Alexis, Carly reveals to Sonny that Kristina is his daughter, but their marriage ends because Carly had held on to the secret for so long. Carly stands up to be Kristina's Godmother Christmas 2004. Carly and Sonny divorce in January 2005, but when Faith Roscoe and A.J. kidnap Michael, Carly suffers a breakdown and is again committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2005. Soon after, a newly-arrived Reese Marshall is revealed to be Carly's presumed-dead childhood friend Charlotte "Carly" Roberts, whose name Carly had adopted before her own arrival in Port Charles. Having survived the car crash, Reese/Charlotte seeks revenge against Carly for her part in the divorce of Charlotte's parents. While Carly had indeed slept with Charlotte's father Dan, it is revealed that she had been pressured. As a result of her breakdown, she marries Alcazar in June 2005 to hurt Sonny, though the union is short-lived due to her ties with Sonny and ends on December 5, 2005.
Jasper Jacks
After a mental breakdown that results in her being committed to a treatment facility, Carly begins to rebuild her life, starting with a new job at the Metro Court Hotel. Carly's best friend (and Sonny's sister) Courtney MatthewsCourtney Matthews
Courtney Matthews was a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. She was the daughter of Mike Corbin and Janine Matthews, and the half sister of mobster, Sonny Corinthos. Courtney was portrayed by Alicia Leigh Willis from December 20, 2001 until February 21, 2006...
dies on February 21, 2006, soon after giving birth to a baby boy named John, and Carly offers to help raise this child with Courtney's husband, Jasper "Jax" Jacks
Jasper Jacks
Jasper "Jax" Jacks is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera General Hospital. He has been played by actor Ingo Rademacher from January 1996 to August 2000, and from August 2001 to July 2011. In January 2008, the role was temporarily filled by Gideon Emery...
. However, Robin reveals that John's real father is Nikolas Cassadine
Nikolas Cassadine
Prince Nikolas Mikhail Stavrosovich Cassadine is a fictional character on the long-running American soap opera General Hospital. The role was originated by Tyler Christopher, who played the character from 1996–1999, and then after a four-year hiatus resumed the role in 2003 and left the show in 2011...
, who takes custody. Carly's biological father John Durant, who had reappeared in 2004, is killed on May 5, 2006 defending her from a psychopathic killer.
Carly and Jax fall in love and become engaged, but Carly marries Sonny in January 2007 to prevent herself from being called into court to testify against him. Jax's brother Jerry Jacks
Jerry Jacks
Jerard Aloysius "Jerry" Jacks was a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. He was portrayed by Julian Stone from April 10, 1998 to December 14, 1999. In January 2007 the role was resumed by Sebastian Roché with the in-universe explanation that character James Craig ...
and a team of mercenaries hold party-goers (including Sonny and Carly) hostage at the Metro Court, and after the crisis, Carly sleeps with Sonny. However, she decides to divorce Sonny in April 2007 and soon marries Jax. When a mysterious killer begins stalking the women in Port Charles, Carly finds her children's longtime nanny Leticia's strangled body in her house. Believing that she had been the intended victim, Carly begins a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the man dubbed the "Text Message Killer," using text messages to lure him out of hiding at Nikolas's Black and White Ball. After Jason's sister Emily Quartermaine is strangled to death at the ball, the killer attacks Carly, but escapes unharmed. The killer is eventually revealed to be Carly's former stepson Diego Alcazar
Diego Alcazar
Diego Alcazar was a fictional character on the popular ABC daytime drama, General Hospital. Diego is the son of Lorenzo Alcazar and Maria Sanchez. Ignacio Serricchio originated the role of Diego in October 2004 and portrayed him until the character's "death" in November 2006...
, who is attempting to avenge the deaths of his father and cousin Sage.
Michael wakes up
Though Carly struggles with fertility issues, she is able to become pregnant with Jax's daughter, but loses the baby when she and Michael are caught in a warehouse explosion. Michael is later shot in a plan orchestrated by Sonny's mob nemesis Claudia ZaccharaClaudia Zacchara
Claudia Antonia Corinthos is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital. The daughter of New York City mob boss Anthony Zacchara, Claudia was portrayed by Sarah Brown beginning January 31, 2008. She left the role of Claudia on November 6, 2009 to join the cast of The...
(played by Carly's original portrayer Sarah Brown), leaving him in a coma. While taking Michael to a special care institute, a distraught Carly has sex with Sonny in the back of a limo, then asks him to sign a paper giving up his parental rights to Michael. Weeks later she begins to suspect that she is pregnant. Jax discovers the tryst and leaves Carly, but the two reconcile, even though she nursed an injured Sonny and Jax slept with Kate. They renew their wedding vows and consummate their new start, after which Carly discovers she is pregnant, but the child she carries could lead her to have a stroke. She finally confesses to Jax, who urges her not to abort. In late spring 2009, Dr. Patrick Drake performs surgery on a suddenly SORASed Michael and he awakes from his year-long coma as a rebellious teen. His younger brother Morgan, who is also SORASed, and others around Carly worry about how the stress might hurt her health, leading her to send Michael to live first with Sonny, then later to place him under the care of the Quartermaines, until her child is born.
After Claudia Corinthos was run off the road, causing her to lose her baby, Michael panics in the belief that he is responsible. Carly pulls Claudia out of the burning car and ends up being hospitalized herself. Following her release, both Michael and half-sister Kristina Davis go on the run to Veracruz, Mexico
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
. After Jason and Sam bring them back home, Kristina reveals she was the driver who caused Claudia's accident. Michael agrees to live with his mother and Jax rather than with the Quartermaines.
Pregnancy
Carly and Jax announced in April 2009 that she was pregnant. In late October, at a birthday party Sonny throws for Claudia at the Metro Court, it is revealed that Claudia was behind Michael's shooting. Cornered, Claudia pulls a gun on Carly, forcing her into a stolen car. As the women speed toward the Canadian border, the car crashes. Carly, with Claudia's assistance, gives birth to her daughter, Josslyn Jacks. A mentally ill Claudia grabs the baby, and heads for the door. Michael arrived at the cabin, beating Claudia to death with an axe handle to prevent her from taking the baby. Sam and Jason arrive, and put a cover-up into motion, first how to dispose of Claudia's body. Weeks later, Carly learns that Jax knew about Claudia's involvement for months. She forces Jax to move into the Metro Court, rarely allowing him to see his daughter.Sonny's trial
With Jax determined to bring down Sonny, Jax brings federal prosecutor Claire Walsh to town. Along with Dante FalconeriDante Falconeri
Dante Angelo Falconeri is a fictional character on the popular daytime soap opera General Hospital. Dante is the son of the popular character Sonny Corinthos and his old flame Olivia Falconeri. He has been portrayed by contract player Dominic Zamprogna since June 22, 2009.-Character description...
, Sonny's illegitimate child with Olivia
Olivia Falconeri
Olivia Falconeri is a fictional character on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital. She has been portrayed by Lisa Lo Cicero since September 19, 2008...
, Claire sets Sonny's trial for Claudia's murder into motion. Dante suspects that Michael may be the one who killed Claudia and convinces him to confess, thinking that the judge will see Sonny as a detriment to Michael's well-being and pass a lenient sentence on Michael. However, the judge decides to pass a 5-year sentence in the Pentonville Adult Correctional Facility to teach both Carly and Sonny a lesson. Due to Lulu's support of Dante's decision, she and Carly have a fight and Carly swears to Jason that she will make BOTH of them pay.
In a moment of pain, Carly and Sonny have sex. Following preceding events, her marriage with Jax quickly falls apart, particularly after Jax admits to helping Dante bust Sonny, and she files for divorce, but asks him to adopt Morgan.
Brenda and Dante
Carly and Jax soon reconcile and reunite their family. Carly seeks revenge on Dante, believing him to be responsible for Michael's conviction, even though Dante gets his sentenced reduced significantly. She also resents Lulu for choosing to stand by Dante in light of what happened to Michael and initially wants her to suffer as well. However, her focus shifts primarily to Dante and she makes valiant efforts to make his life miserable, but he never catches on. She decides to make nice with Lulu and act candid toward her, thus keeping Lulu from catching on to Carly's upcoming plans to take Dante down. Carly is determined further to make Dante suffer when she discovers that Michael was raped during his prison stay.Brenda Barrett
Brenda Barrett
Brenda Veronica Barrett is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera, General Hospital. The role was originated by Vanessa Marcil on September 18, 1992. After a six-year run with the show, the character of Brenda was believed to have died after her mentally ill mother drove their car...
, the ex-girlfriend of Sonny and Jax and ex-wife of Jason, returns to Port Charles to hide from an international crime figure known as the Balkan. Carly feels threatened by her, but soon learns that Brenda and Dante have a secret past connection. After some investigative work with help from Spinelli
Spinelli
Spinelli is a surname, and may refer to:* Altiero Spinelli , Italian advocate for European federalism and founding father of the European Union* Ashley Spinelli, a character in the cartoon Recess....
and Johnny Zacchara
Johnny Zacchara
John "Johnny" Anthony Zacchara is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital and the contract role has been portrayed Brandon Barash since 18 September 2007. Within the series, he is known as the son of mobster Anthony Zacchara.-Arrival:...
, she concludes that Brenda and Dante had a child together, and now plots to use this information to undermine them both.
After learning that Jax went to London to help Brenda out, Carly asked Spinelli to find out if that was true and then revealed to her husband that she wants a divorce because he lied to her and helped Brenda out. Jax and Carly fought about her relationship with Sonny and Jason despite his relationship with Brenda.
Carly attends Brenda and Sonny's wedding and threatens to expose Brenda unless she leaves town. However, Brenda admits the truth to Sonny herself, and Carly's plan blows up in her face when Dante reveals that, while Brenda was indeed pregnant, the father was someone else and he had merely pretended to be the father out of friendship. Sonny forgives Brenda immediately and makes a memorable speech about how much he loves her and doesn't want to lose her again; Sonny and Brenda marry and Carly respectfully accepts. When Brenda is captured after the reception by the Balkan, now revealed to be Theo Hoffman, Carly promises to help Sonny in any way she can, despite Jax's adamant resolve to only help the police. Carly also admits that she did try to break up Brenda and Sonny, but underestimated his love for Brenda. Carly reassures Sonny that he will find Brenda and genuinely states that she will be happy for him when he does.When Shawn Butler, a former hired gun for Theo who is now helping Jason, arrives after being injured by Theo, Carly treats his wounds only for Jax to return and assume the worst. Carly's involvement with Jason and Sonny leads Jax to decide to fight Carly for custody of Josslyn.
Though Michael is determined to help Sonny, Carly attempts to convince him not to, insisting that the best way to help Sonny is to choose a better path in life. When Michael decides to consummate his relationship with an ex-stripper named Abby, Kristina attempts to convince Carly to put a stop to it. Carly, however, chooses not to and correctly theorizes that Kristina is jealous of Abby and wants her brother back.
Josslyn's illness
Carly catches Robin Scorpio looking through her house and demands to know what she is doing there, discovering that it is part of a game that Johnny has set up for Robin and Lisa to find the syringe that Lisa had earlier used in an attempt to kill Robin. After some persuasion, Carly allows Robin just enough time to find the next clue. Shortly afterwards, Carly receives a call from Jax, who tells her that Josslyn is sick and has been hospitalized.That same night, Jake Spencer, Elizabeth Webber
Elizabeth Webber
Elizabeth Spencer may refer to:*Lady Elizabeth Spencer , wife of Henry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke*Elizabeth Spencer, Baroness Hunsdon*Elizabeth Spencer , American novelist...
's son with Jason, is hit by a car. Despite Patrick and Robin's best efforts to save him, Jake dies on the operating table as Jason looks on. Meanwhile, Josslyn is diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer, and Carly and Jax decide to look for an organ donor rather than put her through chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
. Upon discovering that Jake is a match and that Josslyn does not have a lot of time for them to find a donor, Carly reluctantly asks Jason to do so. However, as the decision is not up to him, Jason passes on Carly's request to Elizabeth. Though she refuses, Lucky manages to persuade her to do so, and Josslyn's condition improves rapidly. However, both Carly and Jax have uncertain of how to be happy over the event; while Josslyn's life has been saved, it cost Jake his own.
When Franco sends Carly a threatening video message regarding Josslyn, Sam and Carly unanimously agree to inform Jason posthaste. Carly desperately begs Jason not to go after Franco in his condition, stating that trying to fight him at this time is suicidal, but Jason assures her that he only wants to make sure that Carly and Josslyn are together and safe. Jason subsequently hires Shawn to be Carly and Josslyn's bodyguard.
Having heard the news of Jake's death, Sonny and Brenda cut their honeymoon short and return to Port Charles to be there for Jason. Brenda approaches Carly with the hopes of negotiating a truce, but Carly immaturely refuses, stating that they will get along as long as Brenda stays away from her children. When Brenda's son, Lucian, is discovered to be alive and is returned to Brenda's care, Carly is quick to seize it as another opportunity to get under Brenda's skin by insulting her mothering skills.
Later, Dante, Michael, Morgan, Kristina, and Molly surprise Sonny with a birthday party at Kelly's. When Carly discovers that Brenda told them they couldn't have the party at Sonny's home because she didn't want Lucian to be overwhelmed, Carly is furious and immediately hightails it over there to blast Brenda, accusing her of trying to keep Sonny away from his kids and have him all to herself, despite Brenda's insistence that she would never do so and that Kristina merely got the wrong message.
While this is going on, Carly persuades Jason and Sam to have a baby to help Jason get over the pain of losing Jake. On May 5 2011 Carly tells Shawn that she and Jax are divorced.
Josslyn remains in the hospital for some time recovering from the operation. During this period, Carly attends the failed intervention of her allegedly-alcoholic uncle Luke
Luke Spencer
Lucas "Luke" Lorenzo Spencer, Sr. is a fictional character in the American television soap opera General Hospital, and has been played by Anthony Geary since 1978.-Early years :...
, and reluctantly accompanies Sonny and Dante to San Antonio in an effort to rescue Brenda's kidnapped child. Sonny and Carly eventually discuss their rocky marriage, and Carly tells Sonny that, while she does have regrets over their relationship, she has none about having Sonny adopt Michael or having Morgan, and reassures him that he is a loving and caring father.
Custody hearing & Relationship with Shawn
Shortly after she returns, Carly and Jax fight for custody over Josslyn. Jax seeks full custody, claiming he can't trust Josslyn's safety in Carly's care as long as she remains in the same circle as criminals Sonny and Jason. Carly wants joint custody, and believes that Jax is motivated by jealousy over her continued connection with her two exes. Jax has Alexis subpoena Carly's sons and Brenda to testify that Carly is unfit. Carly pleads to Alexis to leave the case, and Alexis agrees, having had issues with Jax's motives and methods from the beginning.Sonny learns that Jax bribed the court-appointed mediator to make suggestions about custody to the judge. Sonny (without Carly's knowledge) blackmails the mediator to frame Jax in a hotel room for her attempted rape after drugging him and planting illegal narcotics in the room. When the judge learns of these allegations against Jax, he awards full custody to Carly and states that Jax will have to pass a drug test whenever he wants to see Josslyn. Carly has mixed feelings about this, in that she is glad to have custody of Josslyn but she did not want Sonny to ruin Jax's life. Regardless, a devastated Jax leaves Port Charles for Europe in order to plan his next maneuver against Carly, whom he now claims to despise. Brenda accompanies him, having left Sonny after learning about his framing of Jax, but the pair appear to go their separate ways shortly after arriving in Europe.
Robin accuses Carly of driving Sonny to ruin Jax, and causing his breakup with Brenda, shortly after catching Carly possibly flirting with her husband Patrick. Later, Carly is furious to learn through Elizabeth that Jason and Sam are engaged, and that she wasn't the first to know. Rehashing her bad blood with Sam, she fears that their marriage would hurt Carly's friendship with Jason.
Shawn returns after a brief absence and confides to Carly that he turned down a teaching job offer in Washington, DC so that he could protect Carly from Jax, whom he believes will make a desperate move against Carly. She insists that he go back and accept the job, believing that Jax would never hurt her or Josslyn. However, when Skye Quartermaine, Jax's ex-wife, comes back to town, she informs Carly that Jax is back in town without letting Carly know. Carly, realizes Jax is here to take Josslyn away from Carly permanently and, panicked, runs to Jason for help. On the way to her house, Jason and Carly get in an accident with Elizabeth, who was trying to get Siobhan Spencer
Siobhan McKenna (General Hospital)
Siobhan Mary Francis Spencer was a fictional character on the popular daytime American soap opera General Hospital. The character has been portrayed by Erin Chambers since September 15, 2010. She began on a recurring status and was updated to a contract status in January 2011...
to the hospital.
Jason ends up unconscious with a severe head injury, and when Sam finds out, she brutally attacks Carly for putting Jason in that position. Later, Carly admits to the unconscious Jason that she is overly dependent on him, but he is the only one she fully trusts. Carly calls Olivia, and asks her to go check on Josslyn, but she comes back and tells her that Josslyn's gone. She also lets Carly know that Sonny is trying to find them right now.
Carly gets treated for her broken wrist, and goes home to find Josslyn. When she gets there, Shawn arrives, and says he caught Jax when he took Josslyn away. Due to his PTSD, however, he couldn't stop Jax. Carly forgives him, and Shawn goes out to find Josslyn. He manages to find Jax and convince him to peacefully give up Josslyn.
When Jax apparently dies in a plane crash, Carly discovers from Dante that Sonny fixed the plane to do so. Outraged, Carly confronts Sonny at the police station and swears that he is out of her life, warning him to stay away from her and their kids. However, Michael sides with Sonny, much to Carly's shock. Carly is later relieved when Shawn reveals that their boat, the Silent Lady is missing from the dock, as Carly realizes that Jax took it, which means he's alive.
Carly turns to Alexis for help, hoping to convince her to help keep Sonny out of their respective children's lives. Alexis refuses, reminding Carly that her own efforts to keep Sonny out of Kristina's life led to Kristina using Johnny as a pawn to get Sonny's attention and nearly getting killed, and stating that she believes that their respective children are old enough to make their own decisions. Alexis proceeds to state that Jax's "death" is actually Carly's fault for setting Sonny loose on Jax in the first place, and that Carly never treated Jax with the respect he deserved and that she and her "bottomless pit of need" sucked all the good out of Jax and destroyed him. Carly reminds Alexis that she repeatedly attempted to compromise with Jax, but he wouldn't go for it and bribed the mediator to throw the case his way, and also that Alexis resigned from the case because she didn't want to play dirty. Alexis simply states that resigning from the case was a mistake and that Carly's refusal to accept responsibility for her share in the ordeal makes her no better than Sonny.
Sonny shows up at her house later, wanting to see Morgan. Though Carly tells him to go away, he refuses and comes into the house. There, Carly reveals that Morgan has been put into military school to keep him safe. Sonny is also only allowed to see him while Carly is there, under guard. Sonny ends up going to the school, anyway, trying to bribe and threaten the headmaster, but is unsuccessful. Carly hears about this, and later tells Sonny that she's done defending him to Morgan, and trying to keep peace between them. Sonny refuses to give up, and tells Carly that he's not done.
Carly also pressures Shawn to take a job at Port Charles High School until he reveals he is working for Sonny, as a replacement for Jason while he spends time with Sam. On September 20, Shawn cooks for Carly at Kelly's and they also slow dance together. Carly receives a package from Hawaii, addressed to Josslyn, and believes it's a gift from Jason, who's on his honeymoon with Sam. However, when she opens the card, it's revealed to be from Franco. Alarmed, Carly goes to Shawn, who in turn tries to get in touch with Jason or Sam. When neither of them answer, Shawn decides to go to Hawaii to check on them, and Carly ends up on the flight with Josslyn.
When they arrive in Hawaii, neither Jason nor Sam are happy to see them, but when they show Franco's message to Josslyn, they realize they're in danger. Carly is afraid he could be somewhere nearby, and wants Jason and Sam to get away from him. But Sam doesn't want to go back, saying that their honeymoon is important. Jason decides to stay there with Sam, much to Carly's dismay. Jason tells Carly he's going to respect his wife's decisions because she now comes first. Carly understands Jason respecting Sam's wishes, but wishes he would trust her. To prove that, she tells him Jax is alive. Carly and Shawn leave with Josslyn the next day back to Port Charles.
See also
- Spencer family
- Corinthos familyCorinthos familyThe Corinthos family is a fictional family on the soap opera, General Hospital.-First generation:* Mike Corbin* Adela Corinthos* Trevor Lansing* Janine Matthews-Second generation:* Michael "Sonny" Corinthos Jr...
- Sonny Corinthos and Carly BensonSonny Corinthos and Carly BensonMichael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr. and Caroline Leigh "Carly" Benson are fictional characters the long running ABC daytime soap opera, General Hospital and also a supercouple. Sonny is the most powerful mobster in Port Charles, New York and Carly is the daughter of one of the show's popular...