Beloved ‘General Hospital’ Star Is Returning After More Than a Year

A General Hospital star is returning to Port Charles.

More than a year after exiting the long-running ABC soap opera, Kathleen Gati is coming back.

Soap Opera Digest confirms that Gati, who made her debut on GH in 2012 as Dr. Liesl Obrecht, is returning after 18 months. The news comes after Friday’s episode saw Finn Carr’s Rocco Falconeri send an email to Liesl, the mother of Kelly Thiebaud’s late character, Britt Westbourne. Rocco will indeed be getting a reply, and Liesel is coming back to Port Charles very soon.

“The love and loyalty expressed to me over this past year-and-a-half that I have not been on General Hospital has been overwhelming,” Gati told the outlet. “The fans have been faithful, loyal, begging me to return, continuously asking when, oh when will I return. I am truly grateful and so happy that I can bring some story and entertainment back to them again through Obrecht! It means a lot to me. This is why I became an actor, to entertain people through story and characters.”

“I have so much gratitude, appreciation, and love for all my fans! Over the past thirteen years, each individual message has meant so much, even if I don’t or can’t respond to them all,” she continued. “The love, the support, the loyalty, the excitement upon my possible return, it touches my heart in a way I cannot truly express.”

Liesl Obrecht had quite the run on General Hospital, starting out as the companion for the villainous Cesar Faison and helping him with his schemes. She also helped Britt carry out a scheme that led to her successfully impregnating herself with Lulu and Dante Falconeri’s embryo, which turned out to be Rocco. The rest of her family is another story that involves murders, deaths, long-lost relatives, and much more.

Meanwhile, General Hospital has seen a number of cast changes as of late. Kirsten Storms is taking an extended break as she moves, with Nicole Paggi taking over as Maxie Jones. Eva LaRue exited earlier this month after portraying Natalia Ramirez since February 2024, and Kin Shriner has bowed out of the role of Scott Baldwin after portraying the character off and on since 1977. As of now, it’s unknown when exactly Kathleen Gati will be making her General Hospital comeback, but fans will be excited to know that Dr. Liesl Obrecht will be coming back very soon.