General Hospital’s Van Hansis Debuted as Lucas and Other Big Moments From October 4

In 1976, Maureen Garrett (pictured with Michael Zaslow, ex-Roger Thorpe) debuted on Guiding Light as Holly Norris Bauer (who, by the time the show went off the air in 2009, was Holly Norris Bauer Thorpe Lindsey Reade). Garrett assumed the role of Holly from Lynn Deerfield, who had played her from 1970-76. Garrett exited the show in 1980, but returned from 1988-2006 and in 2009. Holly was a central Springfield player known for her tortured relationship with Roger, which begat a daughter, Christina Blake Thorpe, known as Blake; as an adult, Blake seduced and married Holly's former flame, Ross Marler. A later marriage between Holly and Fletcher Reade produced another child, daughter Meg.

In 2010, Camila Banus debuted as Gabi Hernandez on Days of Our Lives. The actress was the second one to play Gabi, succeeding the role's originator, Gabriela Rodriguez. Banus had previously played Lola Montez on One Life to Live. On the occasion of her 10th anniversary in 2020, Banus declared to Soap Opera Digest of her time as Gabi, “I’m really proud to be playing a Latina on daytime television for 10 years. Portraying Gabi Josephina Hernandez to the best of my abilities, being able to go in there and meet so many amazing people and learn from so many people, but also to carry just Latinas in general for little girls that would be able to watch the show and say, ‘There’s somebody on there who looks like me and speaks Spanish,’ means a lot. It’s really nice to carry that for Latinos in general, for being somebody whose mother is from a really terrible communist regime in Cuba, who came to this country to become a better person and provide for her family, and for me to be the first generation is really amazing.” Banus exited the show in 2023.

In 2017, Chad DiMera (Billy Flynn) and Abigail Deveraux (Marci Miller) remarried at St. Luke's on Days of Our Lives. It was originally planned as a double wedding, with Paul Narita and Sonny Kiriakis also marrying, but after Abigail's former tormentor, Ben Weston, burst into the church (and got slugged by Abigail) with news that Will Horton (Sonny's husband, who had seemingly been murdered by Ben) was actually alive, those nuptials were called off. Sonny encouraged Chad and Abigail to proceed, and they exchanged touching vows and were pronounced husband and wife once again.

In 2024 on Bold and Beautiful, Taylor Hayes (Rebecca Budig) was left reeling when Dr. Grace Buckingham informed her that she likely did not have heart failure, but rather was suffering from Broken Heart Syndrome. “You’re wrong!” insisted Taylor. Growing more upset, she scoffed, “Broken Hearst Syndrome? What a joke,” then walked out. Later, she and Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) discussed the diagnosis, with Ridge stressing that the mind/body connection is very real and urging her not to ignore what Grace was saying. Taylor felt that Grace was insinuating that she was still in love with Ridge and that her physical symptoms were a result of losing him to Brooke. Ridge consoled her and agreed not to tell anyone, Brooke included. “I’m here with you, always,” he assured her, and they shared a tight embrace.

In 2024, Van Hansis assumed the role of Dr. Lucas Jones on General Hospital. The character, who was born on-screen in 1989, had been played by a succession of actors over the years, most recently by Ryan Carnes (who had popped back onto the canvas in 2023 when Lucas's beloved adoptive mother, Bobbie Jones, passed away). Hansis had cut his teeth as a professional actor playing the groundbreaking role of gay teen Luke Snyder on As the World Turns, but had not appeared on a soap opera since that show went off the air in 2010. In his first interview with Soap Opera Digest since making his GH debut, the actor shared that when he had first started talking to the powers-that-be about joining the show and met with Executive Producer Frank Valentini over Zoom, "One of the things Frank asked me was, ‘So, how are you medically?’ And I thought he meant, like, [how was my health]! Thank God I didn’t say this, but I was almost like, ‘Well, I tore my meniscus a couple of years ago, but besides that, I feel good [laughs].’ But then I realized he meant, like, ‘How are you with medical jargon?’ And he explained, ‘[I’m asking] because you’d be a doctor.’ ”