General Hospital once again went back in time to explore the backstory of one of the show's most popular characters, only this time, instead of delving into the life of Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) in the 1960s, the show took viewers into the life of Carly Corinthos in the 1990s.
In order to give the special episode that aired on Wednesday, April 8, as much oomph as possible, the ABC soap opera asked Eden McCoy (Josslyn Jacks) to play the role of her on-screen mom, Carly, who is usually played by Daytime Emmy winner Laura Wright. It was a big request, but McCoy says the challenge was actually a lot easier than people might imagine.
"I grew up alongside Laura and watched her work. As a young kid, you inherit traits from people around you. That's how we all emulate our own parents. It's the same concept for me [as an actress]," she tells TV Insider. "I emulate Laura as Eden, and Carly as Eden. It's not necessarily on purpose. It was more like a fun, experimental experience."
However, the best thing about delving into the life of young Carly, she says, was learning more about what makes Carly tick and why she remains one of the most popular characters on the GH canvas.
"One of my favorite parts of this experience was seeing what Carly went through and where she came from and seeing her character now," McCoy explains. "The audience already knows Carly pretty much came from nothing. She didn't have parental support. She was very alone, but that's what made her the fighter that she is today."
She continues, "I dove into the script. I'd known a little bit about Carly, but I didn't know all the specifics. Now, everybody will have a new perspective. I know I did. As Josslyn, I can play with that now that I know a little more. I think as her daughter, Josslyn would know more about her mother's life than other people would."
In addition to McCoy stepping into the role of young Carly, Cynthia Watros (Nina Reeves) stepped into the role of Carly's adoptive mother, Virginia, while James Patrick Stuart (Valentin Cassadine) took on the role of her adoptive father, Frank -- and McCoy has a pretty strong opinion about their work as Carly's family. To find out what she thought, check out TV Insider's full interview with the actress here.
What did you think about GH's special episode delving into the backstory of Carly Corinthos? What are your thoughts on Eden McCoy's version of Carly? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
