The actress Kirsten Storms is stepping away from her soap opera General Hospital — but not for long.
Storms was absent from the long-running show on Wednesday, December 27, marking the start of her absence.
However, the move is only temporary, according to Soap Opera Digest.
Storms, 39, is only set to be away from the show for a ‘couple days,’ TVLine subsequently reported.
Stepping in for the former Disney Channel star was fellow actress Nicole Paggi, whom the outlet reported would be filling the role of Maxie Jones until Storms returns.
The actress Kirsten Storms is stepping away from her soap opera General Hospital — but not for long. Storms was absent from the long-running show on Wednesday, December 27, marking the start of her absence
The move is only temporary, according to Soap Opera Digest. Storms, 39, is set to be away from the show for a ‘couple days,’ TVLine reported, with Nicole Paggi (seen in 2006) filling in
Paggi is best known for her appearances on Hope & Faith, in which she played the daughter of Faith Ford’s character and the niece of Kelly Ripa’s character.
Storms previously established herself as an in-demand soap star when she starred on Days Of Our Lives from 1999 to 2004 as Isabella ‘Belle’ Black.
She then moved over to General Hospital beginning in 2005.
The latest short absence is just the latest for Storms, who appears to have first been temporarily recast on the show from 2011 to 2012, when Jen Lilley covered her role while she was away.
Molly Burnett later became her go-to replacement during a 2016 absence to treat skin issues, as well as later stints off the show in 2017 and 2018.
Storms has left the show for periods as brief as a few days and as long as several months.
That’s not uncommon in the fast-paced and unstopping world of soap operas. The shows typically shoot one show per day, five days a week, and the show’s don’t stop when one actor can’t appear on screen for whatever reason.
However, soap opera fans have also gotten used to their favorite characters being recast, either temporarily or permanently.
It’s unclear why Storms was absent, but she has been temporarily recast previously in 2016–2018 and again in 2021
The actress’ most recent absence was for brain surgery to repair damage from a split cyst. She returned to set in July of 2021; seen on General Hospital
Paggi has most recently appeared on The Rooke: Feds and 9-1-1, and she also starred on the UPN sitcom One And One
In 2021, Storms revealed that she had temporarily stepped away from General Hospital to undergo brain surgery after she sought treatment for severe neck pain and her doctor discovered she was suffering from a ‘very large cyst that had split into two.’
She returned to set in July of that year.
Prior to her career in soaps, the actress was best known for playing the title character in the 1999 Disney Channel TV movie Zenon: Girl Of The 21st Century, along with its two sequels.
Paggi has most recently appeared on The Rooke: Feds and 9-1-1, and she also starred on the UPN sitcom One And One.
