Kate Mansi wrapped up her three-year run as Kristina Corinthos on General Hospital on Friday, June 12, as the character left Port Charles for medical school.
Mansi says the choice to step away from the ABC soap was not an easy one. “It was such a difficult decision for me to make,” she shares. “I love Kristina and the family she’s a part of. I love the family that I’ve created at General Hospital. And working with Frank [Valentini, executive producer] has been such an incredible experience.”
With her husband, producer Matt McInnis, working abroad, however, Mansi needed flexibility in her schedule, so she let the powers that be know in advance that she wouldn’t be signing a new deal. “I knew my contract was up in April and I wanted to give them the proper notice so that they could plan their future storytelling,” she explains.
Once her decision was final, Mansi kept the news largely to herself. “The truth is, I was afraid to tell people and feel sad talking about it,” she confesses. “And then, Nancy [Lee Grahn, Alexis Davis], Kristen [Vaganos, Molly Lansing] and Rory [Gibson, Michael Corinthos] were the first people I told because it directly affected my family, and I wanted to give them a heads up. So, we had time to process it together.”
One person she didn’t tell was on-screen dad Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos). “I couldn’t bear telling Maurice in advance because we have such a close relationship,” Mansi notes. “So, I waited until our last episode, and it gave us such beautiful scenes together.”
When Benard realized that Mansi was exiting, the moment proved emotional for both actors. “He was crying, and he asked me in rehearsal, ‘Is this it, kid? Are you really leaving?’” she shares. “And I said, ‘Yes.’ He gave me a big hug, and we both cried. During taping, it was a very meaningful, authentic reaction we both had saying goodbye to each other, which is what I really wanted, because the father-daughter relationship for Kristina and Sonny, and for Maurice and me, has been so special and unique. But it was really hard.”
Reporting to work on her last day was equally bittersweet. “I brought doughnuts that morning for the crew,” she says. “Knowing it was my last show, every day-to-day, normal experience felt heightened. So, walking in, picking up my wardrobe, going through hair and makeup, going to blocking, all felt so much more heightened and emotional. I really tried to soak it up with everyone in each department. After blocking, I found that Kristen [Vaganos] had left me my favorite drink, an Arnold Palmer, and some flowers that were dried flowers because she knew I was flying to London the next day. That was a really sweet moment.”
Once filming wrapped, the cast and crew gathered on set to send Mansi off. “After I finished my last scene, all the producers came out,” she says. “I made a little speech, and I said how recently I had lost a very good friend, Patrick Muldoon [ex-Austin Reed, Days of Our Lives], and that experience made me very aware of the friendships we create in these jobs on shows like this every single day and how much I cherish them. And so, I said to everyone how grateful I was and how much I appreciated every single person in all the departments. I had the privilege of getting such an intimate look at what every person’s artistry is from that level and that lens, and it was really special for me.”
One final surprise awaited Mansi in her dressing room. “I walked downstairs, and before I could cry, I opened up my door and Rory [Gibson] was inside with flowers and a card, and he brought a camera to take pictures,” she reveals. “He wasn’t working that day, so that was so nice of him. We’ve developed a really close friendship, and we have such a brother-sister relationship. I actually took him to try on his wedding tux. Afterwards, I gathered my things, and I walked out, and Rory took a couple of sweet pictures of me under the General Hospital sign, and we just stood there in the parking lot talking about how surreal it was and making promises of how we’re going to stay close.”
ABC
Looking back on the show she joined in 2023, Mansi is filled with gratitude. “General Hospital came to me at a really special time in my life,” she shares. “It was right after COVID, and it was right before the writers’ strike, and I was at a time in my life when I was really redefining who I was as a woman and an artist. I just feel so lucky that I was able to be Kristina for that time and also to have had the opportunity to learn how to direct under Frank and to really grow in that experience. I love General Hospital. They really care about the stories that they tell, and I was fortunate enough to have that care put into some really powerful stories with Kristina.”
In terms of what’s next, Mansi is embracing uncertainty. “I’m generally not someone who’s very good at winging it and being spontaneous in my life,” she admits. “But given that my husband is working in Europe predominantly and I’ll be traveling so much, that’s what this next chapter of my life will be.”
But acting remains a priority. “I’m excited to have booked a short-term project in the fall that works within my schedule,” she teases.
Mansi remains thankful for the fans who have followed her soap journey, including many who first watched her as Abigail Deveraux on Days of Our Lives. “Daytime fans are so diehard,” she praises. “I know I was coming in as a recast and I’m so grateful to have been accepted with such a warm welcome as Kristina, and to hear from some of my Abigail fans that they’ve enjoyed Kristina as well is so wonderful. I’m grateful for their loyalty and how much they willingly show support in ways that really moved me.”
While she’s turning the page on this chapter, Mansi isn’t ruling out a return. “It’s Port Charles. Anything is possible,” she winks.
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