General Hospital Celebrates 35 Years of Finola Hughes As Anna Devane

Thirty-five years ago, Robert Scorpio’s life and backstory needed some shaking up on General Hospital. So, the show’s head writer at the time, Pat Falken Smith, created and introduced the secret agent’s ex-wife, Anna Devane, played by Finola Hughes.

Happy Anniversary, Finola Hughes

Hughes made her GH debut on April 10, 1985. The show was set to honor the Daytime Emmy-winning actress at the studio with a celebration however, due to the coronavirus, the studio went dark. Now, the cast and crew of GH has gathered to honor Hughes on the anniversary of her 35 years as Anna.

“We would have preferred to celebrate @finolahughes’ 35th Anniversary in April, but COVID-19 had other plans,” the GH’s official handle tweeted. “The cast & crew surprised her with a belated celebration this past week, just in time for her birthday. Please help us congratulate Finola on 35 years as Anna Devane! #GH.”

Check out the group photo in which Hughes’ colleagues are wearing masks that read “FIN 35” above.

Veteran GH viewers recall that Anna was Robert’s (Tristan Rogers) secret agent ex-wife. Through newly-created flashbacks, fans saw their life together as secret agents and learned later how Anna betrayed Robert working as a double agent. Pretending to be a jewel thief, Anna came to Port Charles with a disfigured face. Later, it was revealed that her “scar” was a fake; Anna wore it as a “penance” due to the guilt she felt for her past actions.

As Robert was about to leave town to join Holly (Emma Samms) overseas, he discovered Robin (Kimberly McCullough) — the daughter Anna never told him he had. Later, Anna fell in love with Duke. After he was presumed dead, Robert and Anna fell in love again and remarried.

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Then, they were believed killed in a boat explosion along with Cesar Faison (Anders Hove). Both Anna and Robert returned to GH in 1995 not in the flesh but as figments of Robin’s imagination as she was going through a crisis, having lost Stone (Michael Sutton) and learning that she was HIV-positive.

Finola Hughes returned to ABC in 1999 not on GH but on sister soap All My Children. First, she played Anna’s twin Alex; then, she reprised Anna. There, Anna and Robin were reunited. After a romance with David Hayward (Vincent Irizarry) and the death of their daughter, Leora, Anna returned to London and the WSB. She popped up next on GH in 2006, reconnecting with Robert and met Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary).

Anna returned to Port Charles on a more permanent basis in 2012, mistakenly believing that Robin had died. Robin, of course, turned out to be alive; Duke turned up alive, too. Alas, Duke was killed off again in 2015, presumably this time for good.

More recently, Anna has fallen in love with Dr. Hamilton Finn AKA Finn (Michael Easton). The couple is engaged and while Anna may be gaining a husband, she’s lost a son, having recently discovered that Peter August (Wes Ramsey) is not her son.

Soap Hub joins General Hospital and all of Hughes’ fans in congratulating Finola Hughes on 35 years of playing the dynamic Anna Devane. General Hospital airs weekdays on CBS. Check local listings for air times.