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Laura Wright’s Defining Legacy as Carly Corinthos: How She Transformed a General Hospital Icon Into Her Own

When General Hospital first cast Laura Wright as Carly Corinthos, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. The character wasn’t just another addition to the canvas — Carly was one of the show’s defining figures, a permanent fixture on the front burner, and a powerhouse role that had already been brought to life by some of daytime’s most celebrated actresses. Yet, from the moment Wright stepped into the role, she made it clear she was ready to make her own mark — and nearly two decades later, her portrayal remains one of the most acclaimed in General Hospital history.

The Weight of a Legacy

When Wright joined GH in 2005, she inherited one of soap opera’s most iconic characters — and one with a long, complicated lineage. Carly Benson Corinthos had first exploded onto the Port Charles scene in 1996, portrayed by three-time Emmy winner Sarah Joy Brown. Brown’s version of Carly was magnetic, fiery, and unpredictable — a woman whose mix of vulnerability and ruthlessness made her unforgettable.

After Brown’s departure, Tamara Braun took the reins, softening some of Carly’s edges and deepening her emotional core. Braun’s performance earned critical praise and a dedicated fanbase, and years later she would return to GH in a new role as Kim Nero. Following Braun came Jennifer Bransford, whose brief tenure as Carly failed to resonate with viewers, leading to the show’s decision to recast again.

That’s when Laura Wright — then best known for her role as Cassie Winslow on Guiding Light — was approached to take over. She’d just wrapped up her run in Springfield, playing a character who’d gone from stripper to princess, and within a day, she was in Port Charles stepping into the shoes of one of the most complex characters in soap history.

“Look Out, Here I Come”

Despite the immense pressure, Wright entered GH with fearless determination. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, she recalled her first day vividly:

“Look out, here I come. I had so much—not arrogance—but excitement and confidence. I felt like I couldn’t wait to play Carly.”

That enthusiasm would become the defining spirit of her portrayal. She didn’t arrive on set assuming she had “made it.” Instead, she showed up every day ready to earn it.

As she later told Michael Fairman TV:

“I showed up every day ready to kick ass. But as far as feeling like, ‘Ha-ha, it’s mine, I’ve made it,’ I’ve never felt that way.”

It was this blend of humility and grit that made her version of Carly so magnetic.

Honoring the Past, Creating the Future

Wright didn’t simply sweep away what came before her. She made a conscious effort to study her predecessors — particularly Sarah Joy Brown and Tamara Braun — to understand what fans loved about Carly.

“I watched as much as I could of my predecessor’s work,” she shared. “Because I did want to honor all the fans and what they loved about Carly.”

But from there, she built something uniquely her own. Wright’s Carly was sharper, more self-aware, and perhaps even more emotionally layered than ever before. She embraced the character’s contradictions — the blend of maternal warmth and reckless impulsivity, loyalty and vengeance — and infused her with a complexity that made her feel utterly real.

The Dysfunctional Trinity: Carly, Sonny, and Jason

One of Wright’s earliest challenges was stepping into Carly’s chaotic dynamic with Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Jason Morgan (then Steve Burton). The Carly-Sonny-Jason triangle was the emotional heartbeat of the show — a combustible mix of love, loyalty, and destruction.

Reflecting on that early period, Wright once said to Digest:

“I absolutely loved the dynamic between Carly, Sonny, and Jason. It was so unhealthy and destructive — and a perfect soap dynamic because it creates problems for every other relationship they have. They even know that it’s messed up, but the trio are nonetheless like, ‘Hey, it is what it is.’”

That acknowledgment of the dysfunction was key to Wright’s success. She didn’t shy away from Carly’s flaws — she embraced them, making the character both maddening and deeply sympathetic.

From Recast to Reigning Queen

In the years since her debut, Laura Wright hasn’t just played Carly — she’s become Carly. Her performance has earned her an Emmy Award and made her synonymous with the role. Fans who once swore allegiance to previous portrayals have long since accepted Wright as the definitive version of the character.

Under her watch, Carly has evolved from scheming vixen to fiercely protective mother, from mob wife to business mogul, and from volatile lover to resilient survivor. She’s lost and regained love, buried children and saved others, been betrayed and redeemed — all while remaining the emotional core of General Hospital.

Her layered performances have carried Carly through some of the show’s darkest and most dramatic storylines — from Morgan’s tragic death and Sonny’s mental health struggles to her own battles for identity and independence.

Maurice Benard’s Praise

Even Wright’s longtime co-star Maurice Benard — who has shared decades of volatile storylines with Carly’s character — has openly admitted that she changed everything for him.

In a 2021 episode of Benard’s State of Mind vlog, he recalled his reaction when Wright was cast:

“I was done with Carly as far as Sonny was concerned,” he confessed. “And despite that, Laura came in and said, ‘I don’t care. I’m going to do this to the best of my ability.’ And she’s made Carly the biggest thing around.”

That praise speaks volumes. Wright didn’t just inherit an iconic role — she reignited it, reshaping the entire dynamic of Sonny’s world and restoring the emotional pulse of Port Charles.

Carly, Reimagined and Reinforced

Today, Laura Wright stands as one of daytime television’s most respected veterans. She has taken a role many thought had already peaked and expanded it, redefining what Carly Corinthos could be.

From her fearless energy on day one to her deep respect for the legacy she inherited, Wright has made it clear that she wasn’t just replacing anyone — she was reinventing a legend.

Nearly two decades later, fans still tune in to see what Carly will do next, not because of who played her before, but because of what Laura Wright continues to bring to her now: heart, fire, and unapologetic truth.

And as both fans and co-stars will attest, there’s simply no General Hospital without Laura Wright’s Carly Corinthos — the woman who took one of daytime’s most daunting challenges and turned it into one of its most enduring triumphs.