General Hospital Recasts Emma With Braedyn Bruner!

That holiday surprise in store for Anna General Hospital teased in its weekly spoilers is none other than the return of her granddaughter, Emma, the beloved firstborn of Robin and Patrick. Since 2011, the role has been played by Brooklyn Rae Silzer, who last appeared on the show in 2023. But when Emma hits Port Charles on December 23, she’ll have a new look, as the character will now be played by daytime newcomer Braedyn Bruner.

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In a new interview with TV Insider, Bruner described how excited she was to be joining the cast of a show that both her mom and her dad watched in the ’80s and ’90s. A native of Texas, she began her acting career as a 5-year-old, appearing in commercials, and decided at the age of 17 to dedicate herself to pursuing the profession more seriously. To that end, she made the full-time move to Los Angeles in 2023.

Prior to landing her GH gig, Bruner shot two upcoming films, the coming-of-age story Break, in which she had a lead role, and a horror film co-directed by actor Justin Long and his brother, Christian Long. To win the role of Emma, she screen-tested opposite Finola Hughes (Anna), who plays her grandmother, and Bruner sang her new co-star’s praises. “I think we operate on the same level, approaching scenes with a lot of play, which is really exciting and fun,” she told the publication, adding that Hughes “is obviously incredibly versed and experienced in this universe, so she has shown me the ropes for sure.”

Bruner noted that to prepare to play Emma, she did a YouTube deep-dive into the character’s history, as well as the romance of Emma’s parents, Robin and Patrick. As long-time fans know, Emma made a dramatic entrance in 2008 after a very pregnant Robin went into labor at her wedding to Patrick, causing it to be postponed. As a youngster, Emma interacted with other characters in her age group like Josslyn, Cameron and Spencer (indeed, Cameron and Spencer vied for her affections when they were grade school-aged). She lived in Port Charles full-time until early in 2016, when her parents remarried and the family moved to Berkeley, CA. Off-camera, the clan expanded to include a younger brother for Emma, who is named Noah.

While Emma has made Port Charles visits periodically since becoming a California girl, expect her to stay around longer this time and mix it up with the show’s younger set. Fans should also expect the spirited pluck Emma was known for when played by Silzer to be present in Bruner’s version of the character, as Bruner described her new alter ego as “confident. She’s bold, she’s unruly, you could call her rebellious. But I think underneath all that tough exterior, she’s really quite compassionate.”

Are you excited that Emma will be back on the GH canvas? Sound off in the comments below!