Casting About: Adding fuel to those rumors of Georgie's demise on GH, sources say the much missed Kristina Wagner will return to the canvas. "There are plans to bring back at least one popular character back," confirms a setside source. (SOD 11/27/07)

Buzz:  Georgie's death wasn't the happiest storyline for GH's Kristina Wagner to come back to, but it did give her a chance to work with "new" onscreen daughter Kirsten Storms, who had just joined the show when Wagner left in 2005. "What a photographic memory she has," raves Wagner. "It's really wonderful. She can take all that material and just tap into every emotion, every little thing that needs to be there. I'm so impressed with her. She's really amazing to work with." Here's hoping they work together again soon." (SOW 1/1/08)

Update:  As previously reported, GH's Lindze Letherman is out next week, when Georgie falls victim to the Text Message Killer. Letherman joined the show in 2002 as Frisco and Felicia's newly aged younger daughter, who made her debut when Felicia gave birth to her under a table at Luke's in 1995. Felicia herself returns soon after to mourn her child's death. "I'm so sad to hear about Lindze's departure. That's too bad. But to be a part of the canvas again is exciting," Kristina Wagner told Weekly in last week's issue. "There's a lot to play here." (SOW 12/18/07)

Status Report:  Might fan favorite Kristina Wagner be making a return to daytime? It could happen... although she won't be back at her old show. The actress recently tested for a role on rival NBC sudser Days of Our Lives. (SID 10/25/05)

GH Recasts Felicia:  As first reported by TVGuide.com, the recast of General Hospital's Maxie Jones heralds a major story: The ABC sudser will revisit its classic 1994 transplant plot, in which Maxie inherited a new heart from her cousin, B.J. Jones, who perished in a school-bus crash. The fresh twist? Maxie needs another new ticker, but doesn't want to relinquish B.J.'s heart.
     Great idea, but there's a downside- our new Maxie (Kirsten Storms) is also getting a new mommy. Just when the underused Kristina Wagner is poised to return to the front burner, she has opted to quit playing Felicia Jones Scorpio. The reason? Despite assigning her a big story line, GH refused to take Wagner off recurring status and put her back on contract. As a result, her final airdate as Felicia is June 8. Actress Sandra Ferguson steps into the role on June 9. And that's that.
     "There's no animosity on either side," a show rep insists. "Kristina has decided to go back to school. She's going her way, we're going ours. We wish her well." Meanwhile, Ferguson should be a familiar face to soap fans: She has previously pinch-hit for Katherine Kelly-Lang as B&B's Brooke and played Amanda Cory No. 3 on Another World, not to mention Jade on Sunset Beach. Keep reading for more GH news related to Maxie's saga.  (TV Guide Online, 5/05)

Wagner Out! Here's Why Felicia Was Recast:  Kristina Wagner suddenly has been replaced in her role of Felicia, just weeks after Kirsten Storms took over as Maxie. GH Executive Producer Jill Farren Phelps explains why.
     The In Depth Story- GH's revisiting of its acclaimed heart transplant storyline, while admirable, now must go forth with not just a new Maxie but a recast Felicia as well. On Thursday, June 9, Sandra Ferguson (Amanda, AW; Jade, Sunset Beach) takes over the role.
     Why replace Wagner, who has played the Aztec princess for the better part of 21 years? Wagner reportedly wanted to be bumped up from recurring to contract status for the frontburner tale, and GH had to say no. "that role is not contract," boss Phelps tells Soaps In Depth, adding, "We are no longer in the position to be able to hire contractually. We just do not have the revenue. For us at ABC, it is an across-the-board problem. We cannot pay on a regular basis for those people who are not working regularly."
     "It is not at all about not valuing Kristina," she adds. "That we were fortunate enough to have Sandra come in is a wonderful thing, but under no circumstances were we trying to dishonor Kristina." (SID, 6/21/05)

Hospital Shocker- Get Ready for a Brand-New Felicia:  There's been another casualty in Port Charles, only this time the mob has nothing to do with it. Just last week, we reported that GH fan favorite Kristina Wagner had finally landed a great story line after years of being ignored. Now comes word that the actress has quit and will play her final scenes June 8. Effective June 9, Felicia will be played by Sandra Ferguson, best known for her long run as Another World heiress Amanda Cory.
     What gives? Wagner was one of several ABC soap vets who had been placed on recurring status. She wanted to be put back on contract in order to play the highly emotional story, which will have both of Felicia's daughters lying near death. ABC wouldn't budge, so Wagner bolted.
     Sources say her decision wasn't all about money and status: Wagner recently went back to college to get the degree she abandoned when she joined GH in 1984 at age 21, and she wasn't about to delay her education yet again without a guarantee from the network.
     That's good news for Ferguson. She quit acting three years ago to work in real estate and was looking for a way back into showbiz- so much so that she agreed to join GH without knowing what character she'd be playing. "When AW was on the air, people were always making comparisons between me and Kristina," Ferguson notes. "I even told [GH casting director] Mark Teschner to give me a call if Kristina ever left- but as a joke! The fact I'm replacing her is just too bizarre!" (MIchael Logan, TV Guide 5/29/05)

Farwell, Felicia:  Kristina Wagner checked out of GH on June 8, and the soap vet was literally recast overnight with Sandra Ferguson (ex-Amanda, AW; ex-Jade, Sunset Beach).  What happened?
     "I wasn't on contract and I'm enrolled in college right now," explains Wagner, who joined GH in 1984. "I went full force into school and then they wrote this story about Maxie's heart. I think it was to intensify the relationship between the two daughters, because Felicia and Mac are peripheral characters now. They (the-powers-that-be) kept saying, 'Okay, there's another day and another day and another day coming up.' I went, 'Oh, my God!' because I had another life here."
     Plus, "I found that on those days I actually did work, I wasn't a core character," Wagner continues. "School is the priority now. If you're not going to be core, you've got to refocus- especially after 21 years of being a veteran on that show."
     Wagner tried her best to juggle both the show and school for a few weeks, "but then it was like, 'Whoa, wait a minute. I don't know if I can do both plus the Mom thing.' It was too much." She wanted to at least be locked into a contract if she was to continue in the storyline. "I said, 'If you can give me some kind of commitment, I can finish this story with you,'" and she would then take a break from her studies. "But they're not too accommodating now; they're on a tight budget. Their core characters are their core characters. I never once had a meeting with the current head writer."
     Ultimately, GH chose to recast the role with Ferguson. "A final came up and I said, 'I can't make it on that day,'" recalls Wagner. "Things were piling up. I would look at the scripts and there wasn't much there anyway. There wasn't a whole lot to hang on to. The history of that storyline is so wonderful- I loved that storyline- but it's a different show now, and the story will be [handled] in a different way.
     "So it was time to step out," she sighs. "Sometimes you just have to move on. I have all kinds of opinions [about how the situation was handled], but it is what it is. They've taken core characters and recast them before. My character is not a core character anymore, so it's probably going to be easier to recast. I don't know where they're going to take the role, but you may be surprised. It may turn into a whole other thing. When you have a new Maxie and you bring on a new mom... this may be another story that has a whole different dynamic."
     While many GH fans are second-guessing the show's decision to replace her, Wagner is not second-guessing her own decision to walk away. "I feel stimulated. That's ultimately what we want in life- especially when you're my age," she laughs. "I didn't finish school in '84 because I got the part of Felicia. So things are good, and my kids have inspired me to educate myself. Heck, I can't let them pass me!"
     Wagner is currently a junior, getting her degree in education with a concentration in science. As for the possibility of returning to GH someday, she will take an educated guess and say no way.
    "There's a recast," she points out. "That's pretty final." (SOW 6/21/05)

GH Shocker:  Kristina Wagner Quits-  In a surprising move, 20-year GH vet Kristina Wagner, who has played the feisty Felicia from 1984-2003, then from 2004-2005, has quit, and her role has been recast with another daytime vet, Sandra Ferguson (ex Amanda, AW, 1987-1993 and 1998-1999).
     "It's a clean break," states a GH spokesperson regarding Wagner's departure. "Kristina is moving on in her own life, and the show is moving on, as well. We wish her all the best."  Sources say that Wagner, who reprised Felicia in 2004 on a recurring basis, was seeking a contract from the show; GH turned her down. "She's in school now," explains a GH insider. "She's taking college courses, and they wanted her to come back and do this and she said, 'Fine, but if I'm going to give up my summer and give up my studies, guarantee me for four-to-six months or whatever.' But they wouldn't. What would have been wrong with that?"
     The show wasted no time recasting the part with Ferguson, who has had experience stepping into someone else's shoes: She filled in as B&B's Brooke in 1997 when Katherine Kelly Lang went on maternity leave. "I know I'm taking over for someone who has been extremely popular," Ferguson offers. "[Wagner] was a fan favorite, but the last thing I want to do is imitate. I want to keep the character strong, keep all the good qualities, but really make her my own. I look forward to growing into the character."  Wagner's last air date is June 8. Ferguson takes over the role the following day. (SOD 6/14/05)

Summer Preview 2004- An old flame of Georgie's returns, as Sage continues to circle Dillon. The kids are going to be faced with a cataclysmic incident, which sends all of their lives spinning in opposite directions. Felicia and Mac reconnect as they try to deal with their well-meaning but prone-to-drama kids. Meanwhile, Felicia gets involved in some shady dealings as she resurrects her private investigating career. (SOW 6/8/04)

The Wagners reunited. Read more.

Kristina Wagner recently appeared on Soap Talk and showed the hosts how to make her rum cake. Read more on her appearance.

The True Story Behind Felicia's Return! Ever since GH announced Kristina Wagner's return to her role as Maxie and Georgie's mother, a million different tales have been spun as to how long she will be back. Well, here's the official word!
     The In Depth Story: When told that fans are wondering how long they can expect Felicia to stick around, GH co-headwriters Robert Guza Jr. and Charles Pratt Jr. are quick to dismiss talk that Wagner's return is only for a few days. Despite the actress' recurring status, Guza says, "You're going to see her all the time. We're going to play her quite frequently, like she's a regular. It's definately not a short run," he reiterates.
     Explaining the impetus for Felicia's homecoming (after a full year of tending to her ill grandmother), the scribes say that Mac's dire straits, along with the girls' assorted problems, demanded it. "You've got Mac terribly burned, and these two kids really without a parent in their lives at a time when they really need one," says Pratt. Adds Guza, "We've really built the kids up to this sort of crisis situation, and now are bringing Mom back to help with it."
     Then getting back to the matter of Mac, Guza has a reassuring message for fans of his portrayer, John J. York, "Mac is going to be okay." (SID 3/16/04)

Soap Dish- Felicia Rechecks into "Hospital" Felicia comes home to "General Hospital" next week in the form of actress Kristina Wagner.
     "Mac has been hurt, so Felicia wants to be there for the kids," says Wagner of Felicia's ex-husband and their daughters. "She sees Maxie first, and then Georgie. Maxie is distraught over Mac's turn for the worse. All of a sudden there's a hand on her shoulder and it's her mother."
     Wagner was written off "GH" last year (after almost 20 years with the show) after Felicia's story dried up and the actress elected not to renew her contract. Consequently, "GH" had to hastily write a story to address the character's absence.
     "She's been with her grandmother in Texas," says Wagner, acknowledging that it wasn't the most plausible exit, given Felicia's long history as such a good mom. "I think the scripts have been left vague on purpose, but I've been playing it like I was off aborting some kind of mission."
     Because of her abrupt exit, Wagner didn't enjoy a real goodbye with her cast mates. She made up for that this time around. "I have to tell you, [my first day back] was a very warm, welcoming day," she says. "When I left, no one knew I was leaving, so it was just the warmest reunion. My car was full of flowers! I'm so amazed."
     As for Felicia's story, "It's more about the girls at this point," says the actress. "Georgie is very receptive to Felicia, but Maxie is not. So that creates a dynamic that makes it interesting. Maxie is like, 'It's not okay that you were gone so long.'"
     It will take a while for Felicia and Mac to share scenes. "He's still in the hospital literally wrapped up in bandages," Wagner explains of the injuries Mac suffered in the fire.
     She's also not on contract, so it remains to be seen how big that story will be anyway. "I don't have a lot of expectations, and I don't mean that in a negative way," she says. "I'm just going to go with it and see how it feels."
     In fact, Wagner confesses to only one problem so far. "They put me in the dressing room right next to my old one," she says. "I went to the wrong room four times!" (Caroline Hinsey for New York Daily News, 2/27/04)

Wagner Back on GH- There will be no more wild romps for General Hospital's Georgie and Maxie now that mom is returning home. Soap opera vet Kristina Wagner has agreed to reprise her role as Felicia Jones, Maxie's and Georgie's M.I.A. mother, beginning March 1. GH's executive producer Jill Farren Phelps states that "an upcoming main storyline of the series afforded an opportunity to bring back the core character of Felicia ... with an industry veteran who portrayed the character so decliciously in the past." Wagner, who joined GH in 1984, left the show after a 18 year run to pursue her own development projects, but said in several interviews that she wouldn't rule out a return to the soap that made her famous. "There are so many faces I'm anxious to see again," Wagner shares in an official statement. (TVGuide.com, 1/16/04)

Why Kristina Wagner Really Left GH... and What Keeps Her Away Today- Six months after her surprise exit from GH, Kristina Wagner, who created the role of Felicia in 1983, is finally talking. And she wants to set the record straight- she didn't quit. 
     "My contract was up, so it wasn't like I walked out," she clarifies. "It was about trying something new and branching out, exploring new characters. You can really fall into a trap with yourself if you stay somewhere too long. I may have done that. It may be too late. I needed to change my environment. But I love that show. I love soap operas."
     Would she ever return to GH? "I don't know," replied Wagner. "I can't honestly say I wouldn't. But not this year. Down the road, maybe. How many times have you heard that from a soap actor?!"
     A GH setside source adds, "Felicia's legacy is still evident in storyline, and she will always be a part of the GH family." 
     As for what keeps Wagner busy these days, "I've been working on my own idea for something," she confides. "To sit here and tell you about it knowing that it's all speculation feels a little foolish. It's a project that has occupied a lot of my time, and it's something I have a passion for. I haven't been around casting offices, I've been more around development offices." (SOW 8/12/03)

Wagner Out as York Inks Deal!  Calling the move "mutual" and "amicable," a GH rep confirms that Wagner, after nearly 19 years of playing Aztec princess-turned-private eye Felicia, has opted to leave GH. She last aired February 13.  When Wagner made her debut in 1984- her first scene had Felicia trying to steal from Frisco (played by future hubby Jack Wagner) an heirloom ring belonging to her ancestor- she was cast as half of what was to become one of GH's most popular couples ever. Setsiders scoff at talk that Felicia will be recast any time soon; rather SID hears the character will travel out of town, leaving ex-hubby Mac to watch her daughters, Maxie and Georgie. 
     As such, John J. York has inked a new deal with GH, reversing ABC's decision last year to reduce him to day player status. "I'm just thrilled," he tells SID. As for what storyline (aside from adventures in babysitting) awaits him, York says, "I like being surprised. [But] there are a lot of things that could happen. Mac has a lot of history." (SID 4/1/03)