Kate Mansi has aired her final scenes as Kristina on “General Hospital” after three years in the role. After her scenes aired, Mansi got real about saying goodbye to her on-screen father, soap icon Maurice Benard (Sonny). It turns out the actress didn’t tell him she was leaving until her final scenes with him and Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis).
‘General Hospital’ Star Kate Mansi Speaks Out On Maurice Benard Goodbye
Speaking with TV Insider, Mansi admitted she didn’t tell Benard about her exit from the ABC soap because they are extremely close in real life. Instead, Benard figured it out during rehearsal for the scenes in which Sonny and Alexis learn that Kristina is headed to medical school in California.
“I couldn’t bear telling Maurice in advance because we have such a close relationship. So, I waited until our last episode, and it gave us such beautiful scenes together,” she expressed to the outlet. “He was crying, and he asked me in rehearsal, ‘Is this it, kid? Are you really leaving?’ And I said, ‘Yes.’ He gave me a big hug, and we both cried.”
Mansi revealed that not telling Benard in advance provided them with touching real-life emotion in their last scenes together. The soap star is convinced the secret helped develop the emotional father-daughter goodbye, but it wasn’t easy on her or Benard.
“During taping, it was a very meaningful, authentic reaction we both had saying goodbye to each other, which is what I really wanted, because the father-daughter relationship for Kristina and Sonny, and for Maurice and me, has been so special and unique. But it was really hard,” Mansi declared.
The actress detailed that her last day on set was filled with good memories, sadness, and some of her co-stars going above and beyond, like her on-screen siblings Kristen Vaganos (Molly) and Rory Gibson (Michael).
Vaganos left Mansi flowers and her favorite drink in her dressing room to see when she arrived at work. Gibson, who wasn’t working that day, surprised Mansi after she taped her final scene by being in her dressing room with flowers and walking her out of the studio.
Kate Mansi Reflects On Her Time On ‘General Hospital’
Mansi played Abigail on “Days of Our Lives” on and off for years. In 2023, Mansi shocked soap fans when she joined “General Hospital”. The actress is so glad she took a chance on a new character and a new show.
“General Hospital came to me at a really special time in my life. It was right after COVID, and it was right before the writers’ strike, and I was at a time in my life when I was really redefining who I was as a woman and an artist,” the actress explained.
Mansi’s grateful to have gotten to play Kristina for three years and to have dipped her toe into the directing world under executive producer Frank Valentini. She directed two episodes during her time on the ABC soap.
All in all, Mansi feels so lucky for her time on “General Hospital”. Mansi knew that coming in as a recast, the character was previously played by fan favorite Lexi Ainsworth, could be a challenge. However, she confirmed that the welcome she received from fans on the ABC soap was so warm, and is another thing she’s grateful for.
Even though she just left, Mansi hasn’t ruled out a return to “General Hospital” in the future. Right now, though, she’s focused on splitting her time between Europe, where her husband, Matt McInnis, is working, and Los Angeles as she embraces this new chapter in her life.
