It’s been a year of court battles, major admissions, returns, and losses in Port Charles. These General Hospital stars blew us away in 2025, but only one earned the top spot as Soap Hub’s Performer of the Year.
Key Takeaways
- Giovanni Mazza played a lost young man.
- Katelyn MacMullen showed everyone what a heartbroken mother looks like.
- Genie Francis continued proving why she’s a GH legend.
- Jane Elliot earned the top spot when Tracy received blow after blow.
The Nominees
It was Gio’s second year in Port Charles, and his portrayer Giovanni Mazza was given a mother of a story. The actor showed daytime fans that he was far more than a violinist on a soap the moment Gio found out about his true parentage during the Nurses Ball. Mazza combined devastation with anger as he smashed his violin on the Nurses Ball stage, then allowed Gio to navigate the emotions that came with realizing the woman who raised him wasn’t his mother, Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) had given him up, and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) seemingly wanted nothing to do with him.
Willow may be full of bad decisions that landed her without her kids and married to Drew (Cameron Mathison), but her alter ego Katelyn MacMullen made every right decision while portraying Willow in 2025. Her feelings for Drew may be fake, but the love she feels for her kids is real, and MacMullen showed us all the heartbreak her character endured when Michael (Rory Gibson) wouldn’t let her see Wiley (Viron Weaver) and Amelia.
As one of GH’s most legendary characters, Laura wound up having a big year, and it was an even bigger year for her portrayer, Genie Francis. When Francis wasn’t remembering her late co-star Anthony Geary (Luke) or joining Maurice Benard (Sonny) for two episodes of State of Mind, she was putting herself in the middle of Laura’s fictional problems. Francis balanced celebrating Laura’s mayoral win with the fear of Sidwell’s (Carlo Rota) power over her in a way only she could.
The Top Spot
It was a hard year for Tracy. First, she gained a great-grandson she never knew. Then she lost Monica (the late Leslie Charleson), then was challenged by Ronnie (Erika Slezak) for ownership of the Quartermaine Mansion. Elliot’s performance allowed all of us watching to feel every ounce of grief, frustration, and ultimately, love that Tracy felt throughout the year, earning her our top spot.
