‘General Hospital’ star Maura West talks Ava, Sonny and Redemption
Plus, the soap star mom of five shares her old-fashioned take on the empty nest
Maura West’s General Hospital character Ava Jerome has proven she’ll go as low as any soap opera bad girl can go. Armed with a seriously vicious streak, the recovering mob boss has killed, conned, backstabbed, and even fought dirty with her own daughter. While Ava is trouble, she also possesses a vulnerability and heart that can keep General Hospital fans guessing about her motives – especially since she moved in with Sonny!
Here, Woman’s World catches up with the soap vixen who’s also caused trouble as As the World Turns’ Carly Tenney and The Young and the Restless’ Diane. With three Daytime Emmys for Lead Actress to her name, West reflects on her General Hospital character’s villainy, Ava and Sonny’s relationship, and battling with Maurice Benard.
Plus, the mother of five reveals her secret to combatting empty nest syndrome.
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Soap star Maura West isn’t looking for redemption on General Hospital
General Hospital’s Ava has a tendency to perpetrate the kind of schemes that would trap your average soap character in a corner. West’s character didn’t just fall hard for young Bryan Craig’s Morgan, for example, she also battled her daughter Kiki for him – twice! And ultimately, that love story didn’t stop her from swapping Morgan’s psych meds and sending him into the manic frenzy that led to his death.
Each time Ava goes too low, General Hospital seems to set her on a path to redemption. Her recent relationship with Nikolas Cassadine actually hinted at redemption for both of them, repeatedly, but that fantasy ended long before she accidentally “killed” her no-so-dead ex-husband.
No matter how close Ava comes, she always backslides – and that’s just fine with Maura West.
“I don’t think that redemption is necessary for a bad girl or a borderline villain,” she says. “Ava does not exist to be nice and friendly and get along with everybody and be like, ‘Hi, Carly! How’s life?’ No, I’m here to be the bad girl. That’s what I do.”
Daytime Emmy-winner considers Ava’s bumpy year on General Hospital
These days, Ava hasn’t been swapping any meds… but for some reason, she still hasn’t told Sonny that someone else is messing with his! And the truth is, it’s been harder than ever to know what’s going on in that pretty, complicated little head of hers.
Though Ava and Sonny share a daughter, Avery is the product of hate sex and until now, her custody came down to which parent held the upper hand – so viewers couldn’t help but wonder what she was up to when they started cohabitating like a happy family, last year.
While many General Hospital viewers still believe Ava’s been playing a long con, some are now starting to worry about her.
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She recently betrayed enemy-turned-bestie Nina, had words with Alexis and Joss, and has Sonny’s family concerned about her influence on him. Tack on Sonny’s own erratic behavior and some are speculating she’s being set up to go down in a classic Who Done It? murder mystery!
“It is a lot, right?” Maura West says of Ava’s antics of late. “It’s what I would tell my kids is called ‘piling on.’ It’s just a lot of, ‘This happens, and then this happens, and then… What? She did what to Alexis?’
“But that’s much better than being stagnant and doing nothing,” she adds. “Or being a good guy, just standing there being nice to people – which we have to do in real life, but that’s no fun to do on the show!”
GH star Maura West talks Ava, Sonny, and fighting with Maurice Benard
Perhaps the most shocking turn of late was that it looked like two of Port Charles’ darkest enemies might be falling for each other. Sonny put the kibosh on that when he started flirting with Natalia, but West contends this unholy pairing could have legs.
“100%,” she insists. “I think both of those characters could work with almost anyone!”
It’s been fun to play nice with Sonny, but now, West is back to sparring with portrayer Maurice Benard… and then making nice.
“When something happens on the show and someone is saying something nasty, Maurice and I are always sure to re-connect as coworkers and friends before we leave set,” she explains. “I’m someone who always thanks my scene partner, but when you’re attacking someone, you need to clear that energy, and that’s what we do.”
General Hospital star talks working with Tabyana Ali
Amid all of Ava’s big drama, the gallery owner’s relationship with young Trina is one of her least complicated and most grounding. Being a sounding board and mentor allows Ava to tap into her maternal instincts and show off that oft-shrouded heart of hers.
“I love getting to play that, and I love Tabyana Ali, and Sydney Mikayla who came before her,” she says of Trina’s portrayers. “I always get a kick out of watching young actors discover their own talents and how far they can go.”
West is quick to add that she also learns plenty from them.
“Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I don’t,” cracks the 52-years-young actress. “They have a fresh perspective on the world and humanity that I really like. So I really love working with the young actors, and Tabyana particularly.”
Soap opera star Maura West refuses to embrace the empty nest
One would think with four out of five kids still living at home, West and husband Scott DeFreitas – who fell in love as costars on As The World Turns – would get all the youthful perspective a person could need.
West’s eldest, Benjamin Knight, is now 27 and her youngest, Birdie and Basil, are now 15 and 17, respectively. Her daughter Kate, 22, just graduated with a BFA in acting and musician Joe, 24, has done time on Broadway. With her talented brood growing up, West has a lot more time on her hands these days.
“It’s so great,” she cheers. “I have a new dog, Foxy, that I’m obsessed with, so I spend a lot of time with her. I hike like six times a week. I’m in a book club. I’m in a book club? Me! It’s nice.”
While she’s enjoying her freedom, she’s not planning to kick anyone out of the nest.
“I don’t want them to go anywhere,” West insists. “I want to go back to the way people used to do it, where they had big, big houses and everybody would just stay. Who said we need to move out? I told my kids, ‘You don’t ever have to.’ It’s so good for the kids to have a real home.”
What’s coming for Ava this summer on General Hospital?
It sounds like Ava could learn a thing or two from her portrayer – but after talking to Maura West, Woman’s World is confident the Daytime Emmy-winner would keep her secrets to herself. After all, the sometimes vile Ava keeps General Hospital on its toes, and she’s just the type of complicated and delicious vixen West loves to play.
As for Ava’s future with Sonny, today’s episode of General Hospital is sure to shed new light on the situation and hopefully offer hints about what’s next.
The big question hanging over Port Charles has been which mystery castmember is returning to the fold this summer. Good Trouble and Grand Hotel alum Bryan Craig, who earned three Daytime Emmys for playing now presumed-dead Morgan, sent fans into a tizzy of excitement by sharing a shot from the General Hospital stages via his Instagram story last week.
And after and much speculation, Bryan Craig’s return has been confirmed for one episode only. A quick pop in visit could reveal if he’s alive or, more likely, a ghostly dream sequence. But will this visit be to Sonny… or the woman he once loved?
Whether playing a part in Morgan’s Port Charles return this summer, Maura West and Ava are sure to keep it interesting on General Hospital.
