Five Things That Happened On November 19 In Soap History

In 1999, Days of Our Lives's Mike Horton (Roark Critchlow) and Carrie Brady (Christie Clark) got engaged and rode off into the sunset, with both actors wrapping up their runs. Clark, who originally played Carrie from 1986-91, returned in 1992. After the conclusion of her seven-year run, she returned again from 2005-06, 2010-12, 2017-19 and in 2021. Critchlow played Mike from 1994-99 and popped back in to the show in 2010 and 2022.

In 2001, Matt Bomer debuted as Guiding Light’s Ben Reade. He had previously appeared on All My Children in the short-term role of Ian Kipling, which marked his television debut. He played Ben until 2003, when the character died by suicide. Bomer went on to massive success in prime-time and film, winning a Golden Globe and two Prime-time Emmys along the way. He is perhaps best known for his roles in Magic Mike and White Collar.

In 2002, Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) gave birth to her daughter with Sonny Corinthos, Kristina, on General Hospital. Alexis had gone into labor in the park and Cameron Lewis found her doubled over in pain in the snow. He got her to the hospital, and soon, he was by her side in the delivery room alongside Ned Ashton. Alexis begged the doctor to delay Kristina's premature birth, scared that her child was being born too soon, but the doctor made it clear that the baby was coming — or else neither the child nor Alexis would survive. Ned's words of encouragement helped Alexis through the final stages of labor, and little Kristina made her debut, then was whisked away to the NICU.

In 2009, James Franco debuted as Franco on General Hospital. At the time, the show's head writer, Robert Guza, Jr., told Soap Opera Digest, "Franco is fascinated with death, crime scenes and murder. He sees Jason as an expert in the field and wants to compare notes with him." The controversial character's obsession with Jason continued throughout Franco's run as the character, who was presumed dead at Jason's hands in 2012 before returning in the form of actor Roger Howarth in 2013.

In 2019, Tamara Braun last aired on General Hospital as Kim Nero. Braun told Soap Opera Digest that when she was informed of the show's decision to write out Kim, "I was a little surprised, because weeks before, Frank [Valentini, executive producer] had told me that I had really big story coming up that he was excited about. So it was a little shocking, yeah." Asked about what she considered to be the highlight of her two-year run on the show (she had previously starred on GH from 2001-05 as Carly), Braun said, "I am really proud of the work that I did on the storyline of Oscar dying. I think that the writers did a wonderful job of telling that story. I think it was honest, it was loving and painful and truthful and I really think they need to be applauded. I feel good about playing that story, and grateful for it. I’ve had a lot of people share with me the impact of that storyline on them, and some of these people are parents who have lost a child. They have shared with me how much it touched them because it really spoke to their experience with their child. When you get that kind of feedback, you’ve done something right, so I applaud the writers and I’m grateful to have been part of that and to have shared that."