Kelly Kruger is back in the daytime world, portraying Serena Baldwin on General Hospital. It’s the third soap role for the actress, who previously played Mackenzie Browning on The Young and the Restless and a publicist named Eva on The Bold and the Beautiful.
Here’s What You Should Know
Performing since the tender age of three, Kruger started out dancing, playing piano, figure skating, doing gymnastics, and appearing in local theater productions. She eventually realized acting was her calling, and upon moving to Los Angeles, finally realized her dream. In 2002, she landed the lead in the independent film Vampire Clan and followed that up by nabbing the contract role of Mac on Y&R. She’s also appeared in several movies and made guest appearances in prime time hits like Entourage, Bones, Criminal Minds, Rizzoli & Isles, and Castle.
Want to learn more about the actress? Here are seven things to know about Kelly Kruger.
1. Kruger was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, and speaks French fluently.
2. She was discovered by a hip hop group at the age of 12 and performed with them on weekends. When a local news station learned that she was the only young Caucasian person in the adult break dancing group, they did a feature on her. The piece caught the eye of Sur La Piste, a Canadian variety show, which asked Kruger to appear in one of their dance episodes.
3. Kruger relocated to LA at 17, after being discovered and signed by Elite Models. During her two-year stint with the agency, Kruger was featured in campaigns for Macy’s and Sebastian. She also appeared in multiple teen magazines.
4. Did you know that Kruger is a successful beauty influencer? She was named TikTok Shop’s Beauty Creator of the Year in 2025.
5. Kruger wed fellow daytime star Darin Brooks, who played Max Brady on Days of our Lives and currently portrays Wyatt Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful, in 2016. The pair have two daughters, Everleigh and Gemma. Sadly, the couple announced their separation and plans to divorce in 2026.
6. During the pandemic, Kruger began cooking every meal at home and really enjoyed it. It inspired her to launch “Kelly’s Kitchen” on her lifestyle blog and social media channels. Her goal was to take classic dishes and turn them into healthier gluten-free versions that are quick and easy to make. Check out her blog and many recipes here.
7. Kruger created her own brand of beauty oils, Madison Charles, named after her two late dogs, Maddy and Charlie. “The mission of the brand is to educate people on the benefits of clean, non-toxic, non-GMO products so they can move away from products with synthetic fragrances wherever possible,” she explained in an interview with Morning Honey. “We take pride in the fact that our oils are guaranteed to be pure, going from seed to seal with no shortcuts. There are no fillers or pesticides, and I really believe that is why they work for so many people.”
