There’s Dorian Lord from One Life to Live, Cecile DePulignac from Another World, Phyllis Summers (in her original incarnation) from The Young and the Restless, and yes, even Delia Ryan from Ryan’s Hope, who just so happens to be Ava’s mother.
All of these characters were a joy to watch because they were written with so many layers but also played by incredible performers. Maura West is one of those performers who has made a career out of bringing strong, yet manipulative, women to life.
She began her career as Carly Tenney on As the World Turns and also had a short run as Diane on The Young and the Restless.
She now brings us Ava Jerome, who is never, EVER boring, always fierce, infinitely clever, delicately human, and absolutely horrible all at the same time.
Plus, West has ALL the facial expressions, which offers a window into the character’s fascinating, flawed, and devious mind.
Ava is also a mother, and it was sure hard for my own heart not to break for her as West’s Emmy-worthy performance aired on Thursday. (There’s a reason she has three statuettes already.)
Mothers and daughters have complicated relationships. When the mother is Ava Jerome, it’s bound to be even more complicated, but it doesn’t erase the love a mother feels for her child.
Hate what Ava does, but don’t hate Ava. She’s a villain. She’s supposed to do bad things. She messes up. She doesn’t think. She sleeps with serial killers. (Paul Hornsby, anyone? Oh, yeah, and Franco.) And many of us relish every moment.
Ava Jerome is a classic soap character, played by a classic soap actress who delivers flawlessly and consistently with every last scene. So, let’s just sit back and enjoy the ride.
General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.
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