Why Kathleen Gati Is So Beloved As General Hospital’s Liesl Obrecht

While she was introduced to General Hospital as a ruthless villainess known for over-the-top schemes, Liesl Obrecht has managed to endear herself with fans over the years since she first arrived on the Port Charles scene in 2012. At the time, she was nothing but the evil mother of hospital manipulator Britt Westbourne and involved with kidnapping Robin Scorpio, but thanks to Kathleen Gati’s bright-yet-devious smile combined with amazing comedic timing, Liesl is so much more than a comic book villain today.

Kathleen Gati Makes Us Root For The Underdog

Despite all her scheming and manipulations, as well as dirty dealings that have landed her behind bars more than once, Gati’s Liesl also has heart, as the actress has injected a vulnerability into the character that comes out the most when she is with her family members, including daughter, Britt (Kelly Thiebaud), and daughter-in-law, Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms), as well as Maxie’s children, who were beloved to her late son, Nathan West (Ryan Paevey). She is also always there for her niece, Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros), no matter what crazy thing Nina gets herself involved in.

As Gati does not have an accent, Liesl’s is one she created on her own, and as she injects bits of German into her English, she makes us laugh as this is a trait you don’t see in any other of your Port Charles pals. Liesl can always figure out people’s secrets and is good at keeping bevies of her own, always with a twinkle in her eye at what she can get away with.

Pairing Liesl with longtime GH fave Scott Baldwin, as played by Kin Shriner, was an absolute genius move on the show’s part. These were two lonely characters who can always make us laugh and they found one another so now we get double the laughter as Scott tries to learn German and keep up with his ‘Schnitzel.’

Currently, Liesl is not involved with a front-burner story, but she still makes us chuckle and smile as she does everything in her power to make sure her ‘Britta’ finds a man to love. After all, Liesl is in love, so everyone else should be too. But, just because she is sentimental now, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a few more sneaky tricks up her sleeve.

General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Port Charles, check out all the latest that’s been posted on GH spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.

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