Claire Walsh
Encyclopedia
Claire Walsh is a fictional character
from the original American
daytime drama
, General Hospital
. She has been portrayed by Dahlia Salem
as a recurring character from February 24, 2010 to January 21, 2011.
and Helena Cassadine
. She is later hired by powerful businessman Jasper Jacks
to prosecute Sonny when he is put on trial for his late wife Claudia's
murder. Jax wants to put his longtime rival in prison for good. Claire immediately clashes with Jax's wife (and Sonny's ex-wife) Carly, and with Sonny's lawyer, Diane Miller.
(it is revealed shortly after she was in fact assaulted by her boyfriend Kiefer Bauer), Claire uses it to her advantage by having Johnny Zacchara
, Claudia's younger half-brother and Sonny's longtime rival, lie on the stand and claim Sonny regularly beat up and abused Claudia. Sonny loses his temper, calling Claudia despicable names and shouting she got what she deserved. Unfortunately, Kristina is in the back of the courtroom and witnesses the whole thing. By the time anyone notices her there, Kristina has become convinced Sonny is a physically abusive monster. When Sonny's longtime friend, Robin Scorpio
, is called in to testify, she initially paints Sonny in a positive light by telling how he had helped to found the hospital's HIV
wing. Claire turns things around by forcing Robin to admit Sonny had demeaned Claudia and swore it would be the last time she ever lied on the night of the murder.
As Claire prepares to push Sonny to the limit to get a conviction, she enlists Sonny's long-lost son Dante Falconeri
, recently shot by Sonny, to put the first nail in the mobster's coffin. Despite Claire's faith he will tell the truth, Dante perjures himself on the witness stand, claiming he accidentally shot himself. Claire, suspecting Dante's younger brother Michael Corinthos has information about Claudia's death, then begins pressuring the cop to find his recently-disappeared brother and bring him back to Port Charles
to testify against Sonny. Dante refuses to do so. Claire takes Sonny's youngest son, Morgan Corinthos, out of school under false pretenses without Carly's knowledge to question him. Dante's attempts to vouch for Morgan only result in him being temporarily imprisoned for contempt of court
. When it is Carly's turn to testify, she brings her infant daughter Josslyn with her; Carly's convincing, albeit false, testimony greatly weakens Claire's case against Sonny. Meanwhile, Dante has finally broken down and gone to search for Michael, locating him and bringing him back to Port Charles. However, Dante doesn't turn Michael in right away, leaving him alone long enough to escape.
Moments before the jury is about to deliver a verdict, Dante walks in and exposes Michael as Claudia's true killer. Upon discovering Jax knew all along, Claire is furious he misled her and her superiors from the start. She vows to bring him down with her if the case tanks her career. After Michael confesses to the crime, Judge Carroll, angry the trial had been a farce and determined to show everyone the legal system cannot be manipulated or circumvented, decides to make an example of Michael by giving him the particularly harsh sentence of two-to-five years in Pentonville Prison
. Claire, like everyone else involved, feels guilty for her role in the tragedy. She had always believed it was Sonny who killed Claudia and never expected for anything to happen to Michael. To protect Michael, Jason Morgan, Sonny's lieutenant and best friend, makes a deal with Claire and is sent to prison along with him. When Sonny and Diane put their heads together to find out how to get Michael out of Pentonville, Claire decides to help them, explaining she was after Sonny and not Michael.
Claire and Jax then put their heads together to figure out how they can get Michael out of jail. With little luck, she goes to Dante and asks him to help dig up dirt on Judge Carroll. They plan to use the judge's dirty laundry to blackmail him into changing his verdict. Eventually, Dante convinces the judge to release Michael on the grounds he live with Dante and have minimal contact with Sonny.
at the park with his two sons, Cameron and Jake. Claire reveals she has always wanted children. In a sort of emotional meltdown, tells Lucky her "biological clock is ticking." Lucky cautions her raising children isn't as easy as it looks, but making his sons happy is what is really important. Claire tells him he is sorry for "unloading" on him but says if he ever wants any more children, to call her. Not long afterward, she asks Lucky to team up with her in an effort to put Sonny and mobster Johnny Zacchara
behind bars once and for all. Lucky agrees to help. After they have spent more time together professionally, Claire asks Lucky out on a date.
In the meantime, in an attempt to revive her career after the embarrassing Michael Corinthos debacle, Claire makes it her mission to put Sonny in prison, permanently. Sonny offers to help her in putting Johnny away, by pushing Johnny into taking action against him. Claire agrees, but she later confides in Lucky she is merely playing Sonny, and plans to double cross him; Sonny is a "bigger win" than Johnny.
Claire also finds herself drawn into the return of the crazy psycho Robert Frank
, who has reappeared in Port Charles to resume his feud with Jason. Jason makes a deal with Claire. He is temporarily released from Pentonville to draw Franco out of hiding. After causing havoc throughout Port Charles for many weeks, Franco departs again. Jason is sent back to prison. However, on August 16, 2010, Claire acts on a loophole
she had secretly inserted in Jason's plea bargain to get him permanently released from Pentonville in order to gain Sonny's trust. Though her superiors are anything but pleased she put Jason back on the streets, Claire makes it clear to both them and Sonny she will build her career up her own way.
On July 27, 2010 Claire discovers Warren Bauer went on a rampage and tried to murder Kristina at the hospital out of revenge for the death of Kiefer, whom Alexis
accidentally killed in a hit and run on April 2, only to be killed by Mac Scorpio
. Claire is not entirely surprised by this news. She reveals Warren has been pestering and blackmailing her twice a day for the past month in an attempt to pressure her into reopening the investigation into Kristina's abuse. Claire subsequently asks Sonny to be her sperm donor, but he refuses.
The pair's love-hate relationship intensifies. Sonny is surprised when she tape records a conversation with him and proposes to use it as evidence his later shooting of Johnny was done in cold blood. She is soon rightly convinced the shooting was self-defense, and after Sonny and Johnny proctor a peace agreement. Claire and Sonny engage in a casually romantic relationship. Claire soon admits she has genuine feelings for Sonny. Sonny secretly admits to Dante he is only romancing Claire because he is on the rebound. Claire removes herself from the government's ongoing case against Sonny due to conflict of interest. Many people warn her this is a foolish idea, but Claire responds it is her choice.
In September 2010, she accompanies Sonny on a tropical romantic getaway.
Claire and Sonny get back together late October. Claire and Sonny's romantic moment is cut short when they learn Brenda has been brought in to the PCPD. Claire chooses between career and love when Ronnie hands her proof of Sonny's culpability in the car-bombing. Sonny demands Claire tell the truth. Claire ultimately disposes of the evidence upon discovering Ronnie had obtained it without a warrant. When Kristina arrives to talk to Sonny, Claire allows her to do so and watches as the two finally make peace with one another.
Sonny ultimately decides to break things off with Claire to help her salvage her career and because of his longtime love for Brenda. She does him one last favor. Deciding Michael has been punished enough, she convinces the judge to lift the restrictions on Michael's release, allowing Sonny and Michael to see one another at any time. Claire reassures Sonny she has accepted he has moved on and tells him to follow his heart.
On November 23, 2010, Claire meets up with Diane and Alexis, asking to join their firm because her superiors are planning to transfer her. Though Alexis thinks it would be a good idea, Diane initially refuses because she believes they have enough "Sonny drama" at the office. On December 15, 2010, Claire reveals to Sonny her superiors are going to transfer her to Alaska. She asks to join Diane's firm again. Diane relents and tells Claire, while she believes it would be best for her to leave town, she will give her the job if she really wants it. On January 17, 2011, Claire visits Sonny to inform him she is now partners with Diane and Alexis at their firm. However, she has not been seen or mentioned since then.
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...
from the original American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
daytime drama
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....
. She has been portrayed by Dahlia Salem
Dahlia Salem
Dahlia Salem is an American actress. She played Sofia Carlino on Another World and Claire Walsh on General Hospital.-Filmography:* Another World .... Sofia Carlino...
as a recurring character from February 24, 2010 to January 21, 2011.
Early history
As the daughter of a federal agent, Claire moved around often as a child. At age eleven, she developed a slight crush on her seventeen year-old distant cousin, who taught her how to deep-sea fish. This cousin was killed shortly afterwords while trying to prevent a store robbery. The shooter was acquitted on a technicality. Claire vowed to uphold the law as a prosecutor ever since.Arrival in Port Charles
The Federal attorney Claire Walsh is brought to Port Charles along with Agent Thomas Rayner to investigate the criminal activities of mob boss Sonny CorinthosSonny 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...
and Helena Cassadine
Helena Cassadine
Helena Cassadine is a fictional character on the American soap opera General Hospital, famously originated by film actress Elizabeth Taylor in November 1981...
. She is later hired by powerful businessman Jasper 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...
to prosecute Sonny when he is put on trial for his late wife Claudia's
Claudia 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...
murder. Jax wants to put his longtime rival in prison for good. Claire immediately clashes with Jax's wife (and Sonny's ex-wife) Carly, and with Sonny's lawyer, Diane Miller.
Sonny's Trial and Michael's Imprisonment
Claire sees prosecuting Sonny as an opportunity to boost her career. She soon resorts to ethically-questionable tactics in order to get a conviction. After witnessing Sonny go off on a murderous tirade over how his estranged daughter, Kristina Davis, had recently dropped assault charges against Ethan LovettEthan Lovett
Ethan Lovett is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital, portrayed by Nathan Parsons since January 30, 2009...
(it is revealed shortly after she was in fact assaulted by her boyfriend Kiefer Bauer), Claire uses it to her advantage by having 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:...
, Claudia's younger half-brother and Sonny's longtime rival, lie on the stand and claim Sonny regularly beat up and abused Claudia. Sonny loses his temper, calling Claudia despicable names and shouting she got what she deserved. Unfortunately, Kristina is in the back of the courtroom and witnesses the whole thing. By the time anyone notices her there, Kristina has become convinced Sonny is a physically abusive monster. When Sonny's longtime friend, 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...
, is called in to testify, she initially paints Sonny in a positive light by telling how he had helped to found the hospital's HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
wing. Claire turns things around by forcing Robin to admit Sonny had demeaned Claudia and swore it would be the last time she ever lied on the night of the murder.
As Claire prepares to push Sonny to the limit to get a conviction, she enlists Sonny's long-lost son Dante Falconeri
Dante 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...
, recently shot by Sonny, to put the first nail in the mobster's coffin. Despite Claire's faith he will tell the truth, Dante perjures himself on the witness stand, claiming he accidentally shot himself. Claire, suspecting Dante's younger brother Michael Corinthos has information about Claudia's death, then begins pressuring the cop to find his recently-disappeared brother and bring him back to Port Charles
Port Charles
Port Charles was a daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from June 2, 1997 to October 3, 2003. It is a spin-off of the serial General Hospital, which has been running since 1963 and takes place in the fictional city of Port Charles, New York...
to testify against Sonny. Dante refuses to do so. Claire takes Sonny's youngest son, Morgan Corinthos, out of school under false pretenses without Carly's knowledge to question him. Dante's attempts to vouch for Morgan only result in him being temporarily imprisoned for contempt of court
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
. When it is Carly's turn to testify, she brings her infant daughter Josslyn with her; Carly's convincing, albeit false, testimony greatly weakens Claire's case against Sonny. Meanwhile, Dante has finally broken down and gone to search for Michael, locating him and bringing him back to Port Charles. However, Dante doesn't turn Michael in right away, leaving him alone long enough to escape.
Moments before the jury is about to deliver a verdict, Dante walks in and exposes Michael as Claudia's true killer. Upon discovering Jax knew all along, Claire is furious he misled her and her superiors from the start. She vows to bring him down with her if the case tanks her career. After Michael confesses to the crime, Judge Carroll, angry the trial had been a farce and determined to show everyone the legal system cannot be manipulated or circumvented, decides to make an example of Michael by giving him the particularly harsh sentence of two-to-five years in Pentonville Prison
Pentonville (HM Prison)
HM Prison Pentonville is a Category B/C men's prison, operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. Pentonville Prison is not actually within Pentonville itself, but is located further north, on the Caledonian Road in the Barnsbury area of the London Borough of Islington, in inner-North London,...
. Claire, like everyone else involved, feels guilty for her role in the tragedy. She had always believed it was Sonny who killed Claudia and never expected for anything to happen to Michael. To protect Michael, Jason Morgan, Sonny's lieutenant and best friend, makes a deal with Claire and is sent to prison along with him. When Sonny and Diane put their heads together to find out how to get Michael out of Pentonville, Claire decides to help them, explaining she was after Sonny and not Michael.
Claire and Jax then put their heads together to figure out how they can get Michael out of jail. With little luck, she goes to Dante and asks him to help dig up dirt on Judge Carroll. They plan to use the judge's dirty laundry to blackmail him into changing his verdict. Eventually, Dante convinces the judge to release Michael on the grounds he live with Dante and have minimal contact with Sonny.
Pursuing Sonny
Claire meets Dante's partner, Lucky SpencerLucky Spencer
Lucas Lorenzo "Lucky" Spencer, Jr. is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. He is the son of legendary super couple Luke Spencer and Laura Webber.-Casting:...
at the park with his two sons, Cameron and Jake. Claire reveals she has always wanted children. In a sort of emotional meltdown, tells Lucky her "biological clock is ticking." Lucky cautions her raising children isn't as easy as it looks, but making his sons happy is what is really important. Claire tells him he is sorry for "unloading" on him but says if he ever wants any more children, to call her. Not long afterward, she asks Lucky to team up with her in an effort to put Sonny and mobster 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:...
behind bars once and for all. Lucky agrees to help. After they have spent more time together professionally, Claire asks Lucky out on a date.
In the meantime, in an attempt to revive her career after the embarrassing Michael Corinthos debacle, Claire makes it her mission to put Sonny in prison, permanently. Sonny offers to help her in putting Johnny away, by pushing Johnny into taking action against him. Claire agrees, but she later confides in Lucky she is merely playing Sonny, and plans to double cross him; Sonny is a "bigger win" than Johnny.
Claire also finds herself drawn into the return of the crazy psycho Robert Frank
Franco (General Hospital)
Robert "Franco" Frank is a fictional character on ABC's daytime drama General Hospital. He has been portrayed by James Franco since November 19, 2009 and was listed as special guest star before the opening credits. Franco left the role for a short time on January 11, 2010.James Franco returned to...
, who has reappeared in Port Charles to resume his feud with Jason. Jason makes a deal with Claire. He is temporarily released from Pentonville to draw Franco out of hiding. After causing havoc throughout Port Charles for many weeks, Franco departs again. Jason is sent back to prison. However, on August 16, 2010, Claire acts on a loophole
Loophole
A loophole is a weakness that allows a system to be circumvented.Loophole may also refer to:*Arrowslit, a slit in a castle wall*Loophole , a short science fiction story by Arthur C...
she had secretly inserted in Jason's plea bargain to get him permanently released from Pentonville in order to gain Sonny's trust. Though her superiors are anything but pleased she put Jason back on the streets, Claire makes it clear to both them and Sonny she will build her career up her own way.
On July 27, 2010 Claire discovers Warren Bauer went on a rampage and tried to murder Kristina at the hospital out of revenge for the death of Kiefer, whom Alexis
Alexis 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...
accidentally killed in a hit and run on April 2, only to be killed by Mac Scorpio
Mac Scorpio
Malcolm "Mac" Scorpio is a popular long running fictional character on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital. The role was originated by John J. York in February 1991 and is still currently portrayed by him. He is the ex-husband of Felicia Cumming Scorpio-Jones and the adoptive father of...
. Claire is not entirely surprised by this news. She reveals Warren has been pestering and blackmailing her twice a day for the past month in an attempt to pressure her into reopening the investigation into Kristina's abuse. Claire subsequently asks Sonny to be her sperm donor, but he refuses.
The pair's love-hate relationship intensifies. Sonny is surprised when she tape records a conversation with him and proposes to use it as evidence his later shooting of Johnny was done in cold blood. She is soon rightly convinced the shooting was self-defense, and after Sonny and Johnny proctor a peace agreement. Claire and Sonny engage in a casually romantic relationship. Claire soon admits she has genuine feelings for Sonny. Sonny secretly admits to Dante he is only romancing Claire because he is on the rebound. Claire removes herself from the government's ongoing case against Sonny due to conflict of interest. Many people warn her this is a foolish idea, but Claire responds it is her choice.
In September 2010, she accompanies Sonny on a tropical romantic getaway.
The Break up and trying to Move on
In early October 2010, Sonny breaks up with Claire because of Brenda. Claire is bent on getting revenge at Sonny for leaving her. To this end, she confronts Jason in Sonny's offices, threatening to send Michael back to Pentonville unless Jason testifies against Sonny. Sonny arrives to do damage control. Jason decides to call Diane in. Claire admits she was bluffing and never had any intention of turning Michael in.Claire and Sonny get back together late October. Claire and Sonny's romantic moment is cut short when they learn Brenda has been brought in to the PCPD. Claire chooses between career and love when Ronnie hands her proof of Sonny's culpability in the car-bombing. Sonny demands Claire tell the truth. Claire ultimately disposes of the evidence upon discovering Ronnie had obtained it without a warrant. When Kristina arrives to talk to Sonny, Claire allows her to do so and watches as the two finally make peace with one another.
Sonny ultimately decides to break things off with Claire to help her salvage her career and because of his longtime love for Brenda. She does him one last favor. Deciding Michael has been punished enough, she convinces the judge to lift the restrictions on Michael's release, allowing Sonny and Michael to see one another at any time. Claire reassures Sonny she has accepted he has moved on and tells him to follow his heart.
On November 23, 2010, Claire meets up with Diane and Alexis, asking to join their firm because her superiors are planning to transfer her. Though Alexis thinks it would be a good idea, Diane initially refuses because she believes they have enough "Sonny drama" at the office. On December 15, 2010, Claire reveals to Sonny her superiors are going to transfer her to Alaska. She asks to join Diane's firm again. Diane relents and tells Claire, while she believes it would be best for her to leave town, she will give her the job if she really wants it. On January 17, 2011, Claire visits Sonny to inform him she is now partners with Diane and Alexis at their firm. However, she has not been seen or mentioned since then.