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Interview

Inga Cadranel On Her GH Exit

Inga Cadranel, who joined GH in February 2019, has ended her run as Harmony Miller, who succumbed to her injuries after being struck by a vehicle driven by Sasha.

Cadranel says that when she was originally cast as Shiloh’s fixer, she did not expect such a long stay in Port Charles. “I had no expectations beyond a few episodes and having a good time trying a new medium of work,” she recalls. “I thought for sure my character was over when Shiloh died.”

Her stay was extended with the reveal that Harmony was Willow’s mother — and again with the reveal that Harmony had actually stolen Willow from her real birth mom, Nina. “I didn’t find that information out until I had been there for a little while. We tried to do this storyline a year ago during [the height of] Covid but I was shooting two shows in Toronto and flying back and forth was not an option. So when I returned to L.A., I was very surprised and grateful to Frank [Valentini, executive producer] for not recasting Harmony when I had declined, and was willing to bring me back to do this story when I returned.” The investment GH made in her character “really meant so much to me,” she beams. “It validated my time on GH and as an actor. [I] did not expect an amazing story to end my time on GH, and for that I’m grateful.”

In the lead-up to Harmony’s demise, the show revealed that she was responsible for the murder of Alexis’s lover, Neil, back in 2020. “I was 1,000 percent as shocked as everyone else was,” the actress reports. “To be honest, I didn’t like it because it didn’t really make enough sense to me as the ‘why’ Harmony would go as far as murder, but I did know they wanted her to have betrayed Alexis in a major way and I suppose that would be the worst way to have done that. So I understood it.”

Cadranel was also surprised to learn how the-powers-that-be had chosen to bring Harmony’s story to an end. “Frank let me know in advance that it was going to be a final, meaningful death,” she reports. “I knew my contract was coming to an end and that was fine because I have other projects I am working on, but I thought it may be the type of storyline that would have Harmony disappear or leave [town] so that door could always be open down the road. I was definitely surprised when he told me he and the writers decided that Harmony was going to die.”

As her storyline heated up, Cadranel embraced the challenge of playing an increasingly desperate and dangerous Harmony. “It was super-fun to play something other than warm, calm Harmony reassuring Alexis. I got to break out of the controlled energy I had for her. She was a hippie spiritual type, so when things started to unravel it was a blast to let loose. The workload was intense, to say the least. My last month was a whirlwind. The constant emotions and dialogue I had was like nothing I’d experienced on any show, even as a lead. It truly felt like they were working me to death [laughs]!”

Her performance im-pressed many fans on social media. “I was overwhelmed by the love for Harmony,” she smiles. “Literally got me weepy sometimes. So many fans would say things like, ‘I don’t care what Harmony did, I love Inga’s acting [as] this complicated character and I’m rooting for her to get away with everything!’ I couldn’t believe it…. I had the chance to bring her trauma and broken past with her while she did these awful things and the fans started to sympathize with her, or at least enjoy watching it unfold, and that’s the biggest compliment an actor can receive: ‘You’re doing awful things but we can’t help but love you anyway.’ Wow. I love these GH fans. Truly.”

Cadranel’s last day on set was an emotional one. “There were so many tears from so many people,” she recalls. “I didn’t know I had made that kind of impact with a lot of the crew and cast. My last scene was my deathbed scene, which was already emotional, so I was in that state. I couldn’t believe that I cried, too, when they announced my wrap and gave me flowers and applause. I don’t typically cry — I [only] cry in private or if I’m dropped into a scene that requires it — so I was shocked at how emotional I got. It was actually really beautiful.”

The Canadian-born actress says that her time on GH “meant so much. Obviously, I’m from another country where I have been on countless television shows. I have had a long career and never had to get a ‘real job’ since I started acting so I know I am fortunate as an actor, [but] moving to L.A. is a crapshoot for any actor who is not from here, and most of my friends and colleagues end up going back to Canada when it doesn’t work out. I am so grateful to have worked for ABC and Disney for these years in L.A. and feel honored to have been a part of a show that is a legacy in Hollywood. I just want to thank the fans for going on this journey with me/Harmony. I am floored by the support and love and hope that I did justice to this character and GENERAL HOSPITAL because I know that these fans have dedicated themselves for so many years, some for decades, and I took that very seriously each day I stepped onto set. Huge hugs and gratitude to you all!”

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