General Hospital has thrown Anna Devane into the fire. However, thanks to the amazing talents of her portrayer, Finola Hughes, the actress is making sure her character rises like a phoenix. The Daytime Emmy winner has taken viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions as she grappled with her latest enemy — a teenage girl and for that she has earned Soap Hub’s powerhouse performer for November.
Finola Hughes: Powerhouse Performer
It’s always been a treat to watch Hughes play Anna as she’s gone up against powerful adversaries including Olivia Jerome, Cesar Faison, and Peter August — and a host of others. However, when GH pitted troubled teen Charlotte Cassadine (Scarlett Fernandez) — who has been killing it — as Victor’s brainwashed hellion against Anna, Hughes brought her character to new heights.
Anna was introduced back in 1985 as a spy who’d double-crossed her espionage colleagues. The show has recently delved into the mysteries of that time in her life. Hughes plays Anna as a woman who won’t hide from her past or the truth. Despite all the good she’s done as a superspy and loving mother, Anna feels guilty about that time in her life. We saw her hesitate to put her own safety first as a result.
Anna, however, had every right to suspect that an unfriendly face had broken into her new apartment (Maxie’s old dwelling) when she saw a cloaked figure in her darkened living room. She fired a gun, thinking a flashlight was a weapon, not knowing the intruder was Charlotte. Hughes played Anna as remorseful. Could she ever forgive herself?
Anna spent the initial days after the shooting questioning her actions as she grappled with the horror of what she’d done. She was never going to get past this — even after she learned there was more to the story. After talking to Valentin (James Patrick Stuart), Anna realized she might never be able to forgive him.
Valentin confessed to Anna that not only was Charlotte stalking her but he knew of this for weeks and remained silent. He wanted to protect his daughter. In staying quiet, he played an indirect role in this shooting.
Finola Hughes played Anna as a woman who accepts responsibility for what she did. Anna also took on the pain that this all could have been avoided if the man she thought she loved had been honest with her. Anna went from feeling horrible over shooting Charlotte to feeling fury over the fact that it all could have been avoided.
Epic showdowns on GH have taken place in the hospital’s emergency room, the Quartermaine mansion, and at the Metro Court hotel, among other places. The stairwell where Anna and Valentin went to have a showdown can be added to those places for certain now.
As Valentin listed off Charlotte’s list of crimes against Anna and his efforts to cover them up, a confused Anna initially went into denial. Then, she asked, “You knew your daughter was terrorizing me and you just let her keep doing it?”
Hughes continued to show viewers the pallet of Anna’s emotions when she angrily queried of Valentin, “What about protecting me? Didn’t I have a right to know?”
Anna’s rage continued to grow — not just for herself but for Charlotte, too. “What did you think? That you could fix this?” the spy demanded to be told. Learning that Valentin and Charlotte had met with Dr. Kevin Collins (Jon Lindstrom) was the ultimate betrayal. Valentin was going to get others to help him but not tell Anna.
“Shut up! Shut up!” Anna screamed as she hauled off and smacked Valentin while they were in the stairwell. “If I’d known Charlotte was after me, I never would have pulled a gun! I shot a child! Your child! I have to live with that for the rest of my life. God, I’ll never forgive you.”
Anna walked away, disgusted with Valentin’s choice to exclude him from her life. He chose his daughter over her and that has cost not only Valentin and Charlotte a great deal of pain but it’s devastated Anna. We wouldn’t place bets on the two repairing this relationship. Though, it’s not one we’d mind losing someday.
Kudos to the GH writers for giving Hughes a variety of emotions to play. Next month, the actress will find out if she will win her second Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performance in a Drama Series: Actress. With performances like the ones she’s delivered throughout November, we expect her to have a powerful reel for next year’s awards, too.
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