It’s been almost two years since “General Hospital” made the unfortunate decision to release Rebecca Budig from her contract and send her character, Hayden Barnes, packing from Port Charles. Thankfully, the soap has corrected its mistake. The actress is set to reprise the role later this summer when Hayden returns to town, presumably with Finn’s (Michael Easton) baby in tow.
According to Entertainment Weekly, which first reported the news, producers and the network are keeping quiet on the specifics of Hayden’s return. But when we last saw the character in September 2017, a still clearly pregnant Hayden had written a goodbye letter to Finn apologizing for leaving him at the altar. Previously, Hayden let Finn believe their baby had died.
In recent episodes, fans had been hearing Hayden’s name dropped by a few characters leading viewers to wonder if she’d be returning since soaps rarely drop a name in dialogue without reason. Clearly, that was the case here.
Prior to joining “GH” in 2015, Budig had portrayed the role of Greenlee Smythe on “All My Children” off-and-on from August 1999 through the soap’s final episode on ABC in September 2011. Prior to “AMC,” Budig portrayed Michelle Bauer on “Guiding Light” (1995-1998).
In between soap stints, Budig has appeared in episodes of “Hope & Faith,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Castle” and “Blue Bloods,” among others. Budig was a contestant on ABC’s “Skating with the Stars,” a winter 2010 competition series that tested celebrities and their skating skills. Budig eventually won the competition at its conclusion.
Budig can next be seen in an upcoming episode of “L.A.’s Finest,” starring Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union. The series launches on Monday, May 13 via Spectrum’s On Demand service. She’ll play a character named Carlene Hart in the show’s second episode.