General Hospital Star Finola Hughes Celebrates 35 Years as Anna Devane

Fan-favorite Finola Hughes is celebrating 35 years as General Hospital’s intrepid Anna Devane. Originally introduced as a catalyst in one of the show’s greatest love stories, Anna has evolved into one of GH’s — and daytime’s-  most memorable leading ladies!

Introducing Anna Devane

Head writer Pat Falken Smith created Anna in 1985 as a foil to supercouple Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers) and his wife Holly (Emma Samms). Revealed as Robert’s ex-wife, Anna had a disfiguring scar on her face, which turned out to be fake. Anna revealed she wore it as “penance” for having been a double agent.

Till Death Do Us Part

Robert was about to leave town to join Holly, but he discovered little Robin (Kimberly McCullough) in his living room one day. It turned out that Anna had given birth to Robert’s daughter and kept him from him. Robin has forever tied Anna and Robert together, but the great love of her life was Duke Lavery (Ian Buchanan).

After Duke’s presumed death, Robert and Anna re-married. They were presumed killed along with longtime foe, Cesar Faison (Anders Hove). in an explosion in 1992. Anna returned as a figment of Robin’s imagination in 1995 after she’d tested positive for HIV.

How Green Was Her Pine Valley

While Hughes is celebrating 35 years as Anna, not all of those years were spent in Port Charles — or even as Anna! Hughes popped up in Pine Valley, the locale of GH sister soap All My Children, in 2001 where she played not only Anna but also her twin Alexandra. Anna fell in love with Dr. David Hayward (Vincent Irizarry) but their relationship ended after the tragic death of their daughter, Leora. On AMC, Anna and Robin reunited.

Back In Action

Hughes returned to Port Charles in 2006 in an adventure that involved GH legendary characters Robert, Holly, and Luke (Anthony Geary). Later, she returned again after Robin had been presumed dead in a lab explosion. Anna failed to find Robin, but Duke (actually, Faison in disguise) came back into her life.

Later, the real Duke showed up alive and well. He and Anna tangoed again, this time at the Nurses Ball. Sadly, Duke was murdered. Anna spread his ashes in Scotland. Today, she’s entered a romance with Dr. Hamilton Finn (Michael Easton) and has been reunited with her alleged long-lost son Peter August (Wes Ramsey). Robert remains a constant in her life.

Finola Hughes: Star Power

Hughes scored a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1991. She played a soap character in the feature film Soapdish and brought the X-Men character Emma Frost to the small screen in 1996 in the TV-movie Generation X. She also played Anna in GH spinoff General Hospital: Night Shift. Hughes has stepped behind the camera, directing the films The Bet and Byrds and the Bees.

Soap Hub congratulates Finola Hughes on her remarkable anniversary and for always delivering intriguing performances. General Hospital airs weekdays on CBS. Check local listings for air times.