Avery Kristen Pohl Readies to Meet Fans, Talks Esme’s Mother

General Hospital’s Avery Kristen Pohl recently sat down with Soap Hub for a chat about her deliciously evil alter-ego, Esme Prince. Here, Soap Hub presents the second part of our talk with Pohl, which includes her thoughts on meeting fans for the first time in Graceland later this month, working with “Daddy” Ryan Chamberlin, and who Esme’s mom might be.

Avery Kristen Pohl Plays Wicked Esme Prince

Soap Hub: Will your visit to Graceland with GH cast members be your first big fan event?
Avery Kristen Pohl: Yes. It will be my first fan event ever. I’m excited to see how it goes. I’m a little nervous — not going to lie. But I think it will be a really fun experience. To get to do it at Graceland will be really special. I’m looking forward to getting to talk to people who’ve watched the show for 20-30 years. I can’t wait.

Soap Hub: Now that Esme is pregnant — ultimately, the father is unknown; there’s so much more she can get up to.

Avery Kristen Pohl: Yes. She’s quite the little troublemaker. I think that Esme is constantly someone who feels as if she’s owed something. She’ll do whatever she thinks is necessary to achieve whatever she believes is owed to her.

Soap Hub: Laura attempted to reach Esme and actually help her when they got together for a heart-to-heart, but…she just couldn’t break that wall down.

Avery Kristen Pohl: I do remember that scene. It was right before Esme so unfortunately posted the sex tape. It was, ‘Oh, here’s the Olive branch. No, the rug is still going to be pulled out.’ I loved that Esme, for once, was taken aback; she had a chance to have a conversation with someone who called her out — not in an aggressive manner, but a loving manner. I think Esme is going around with this lost sense of self. She is missing that parental guidance. Now, she’s getting that — but it’s from a serial killer [Ryan].

Soap Hub: When Esme called Ryan ‘Daddy’ — people started speculating whether that was a biological connection or …?

Avery Kristen Pohl: Sometimes you find out [storyline secrets] right before you shoot or when you get a script three weeks out. I asked director Gary Tomlin do you know what Esme and Ryan’s relationship is? He went and checked. About two and a half minutes before we counted down to do the scenes [I was told,] ‘Yes, [Ryan] is your dad.’ So, Esme traveled to Port Charles specifically to find her dad, not track down Spencer [Nicholas Alexander Chavez], although he was a large part of it. I know that those scenes are uncomfortable to watch and are off-putting. Working with Jon is fantastic. He’s such a great dude, so professional.

Soap Hub: We all want to know who Esme’s mother is. I imagine you are, too!
Avery Kristen Pohl: I am definitely looking forward to finding out her identity. Like others who are invested in the story, I am quite curious myself. I have a fairly good guess, but I will keep it to myself. I don’t want to be wrong.

In addition to Pohl, GH cast members set to attend the GH fan event at Graceland include Genie Francis, Maurice Benard, Donnell Turner (Curtis Ashford), Laura Wright, Cameron Mathison (Drew Cain), Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri), Brook Kerr (Dr. Portia Robinson), Tajh Bellow (T.J. Ashford), Katelyn MacMullen (Willow Tate), and Eden McCoy (Josslyn Jacks). Daytime Emmy Award-winning executive producer Frank Valentini will also be attending. Rick Springfield (ex-Dr. Noah Drake) will perform a concert.

The three-day event kicks off on Friday, October 28. The program includes six panels and photo/autograph opportunities with the stars. There will be numerous exclusive events held in various locations throughout the Graceland campus, including Elvis Presley’s Memphis entertainment and exhibit complex and the AAA-rated Four Diamond luxury resort The Guest House at Graceland.

There will be a themed Costume Party that the show’s talent will attend, a General Hospital Casting Call that allows lucky guests to act out scenes on stage with the stars, a Rick Springfield full concert, tours of Graceland, and the first-ever live audience taping of Maurice Benard’s State Of Mind YouTube series.

Fans can log on to Graceland.com/GH2022 and purchase tickets, which are on sale now.

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.