Lexi Ainsworth, who made a handful of appearances early in 2022 as Kristina, is thrilled to be back in the Port Charles mix once again.
“I’m really happy about it — and I’m very excited that it seems like I’m sticking around for a while,” says the actress, who first assumed the role of Alexis and Sonny’s headstrong daughter back in 2009. “I feel like I’m such a tease; I come on for a few days, a few episodes, and then I disappear for a few months! But I never know when they’re going to call me.”
While Kristina has been keeping a low profile, it’s been an eventful year for Ainsworth. “So much has happened,” she begins. “I’ve been traveling all over. I booked a one-way ticket to Rome and just didn’t know how long I’d be gone. I went from Rome to Milan to Paris and took the train to London and then I went to Turkey and France. I went to the Cannes Film Festival. I had gone through a breakup back in March and I was like, ‘I just need to get out of the country!’ I needed to have, like, an Eat, Pray, Love moment, which is exactly what I did. But I needed to be back in L.A. for my sister’s wedding, and when I went back, GENERAL HOSPITAL called me up, so timing-wise, it worked out really well. I did a few episodes and I’ve got another one booked, so I do plan on coming back and doing more.”
Ainsworth had no trouble getting into the groove with her on-screen family members. “Every time I come back, it’s like no time has passed,” she observes. “We always kind of just pick up where we left off. It was great to catch up with Nancy [Lee Grahn, Alexis] and Kelly [Monaco, Sam] and Haley [Pullos, Molly]. I always love having scenes with them, especially because the scenes with the Davis girls tend to be pretty light and have humor involved, which is refreshing. And, of course, I love working with Maurice [Benard, Sonny]. We just have this real-life connection with each other and I think people can see that on screen. It’s just heartfelt and real; I just look into his eyes and I can cry or laugh. It’s always great getting to work with him.”
Ainsworth was pleased to discover that an old pal of hers, Evan Hofer, joined the GH cast as Dex in her absence. “We worked together before; we did a project with a friend of ours [a 2014 short film called My Friend Jenkins] and we were love interests. That was years ago, though, and I haven’t actually seen him since, which is crazy. It’s been fun reconnecting with him and he’s a great addition to the show. I’m really excited to see where they go with his character.”
The actress was touched by how warmly her comeback was received by viewers. “I love my fans,” she smiles. “I’ve missed interacting with them and I just really want to thank them for being patient and persistent! There is something so special about the connection between actors and fans in this medium and I really appreciate everyone who has reached out and commented on my posts. I feel all of the support.”
