What Happened to Maxie on 'General Hospital'? The Role Has Been Briefly Recast

The Gist:

• The role of Maxie in General Hospital was briefly recast in a December 2023 episode.
• The character has been played by Kirsten Storms since 2004.
• This is not the first time that an actress has subbed in for Kirsten in portraying Maxie.

A recast for a show like General Hospital will hardly go unnoticed. The longest-running American soap opera in history follows the intricate drama of the people whose lives are tied to the same hospital located in the fictional city of Port Charles, New York. Though the series has been on since 1963, the show retains many characters over several decades. As such, it isn't uncommon for actors to get replaced in well-known roles, though it does become the center of attention for longtime viewers.

This especially rings true for a character like Maxie Jones. Having debuted in 1990, this General Hospital character has been recast on several occasions on both a temporary and semi-permanent basis as Maxie ages within the canon.

In fact, Maxie has been recast as recently as 2023. But what happened to the character that prompted this sudden change? Let's break it down.

Fans of General Hospital know Maxie as the eldest daughter of Frisco Jones and Felicia Cummings, two of the most prominent and affluent figures in Port Charles, though she has a true father figure in that of Max Scorpio. Naturally, she's no stranger to the drama and scandal that often plague the characters of the show.

Since 2004, Maxie has been portrayed by former Disney Channel star Kirsten Storms. In the Dec. 27, 2023 episode, however, fans were all too quick to notice her sudden and unexpected recast.

Maxie was played by Nicole Paggi, who previously appeared in shows like Pasadena and Hope & Faith. Interestingly enough, the recast was only temporary and Soap Opera Digest reported that Kirsten was back on the day following Nicole's appearance.

Despite her long-running and ongoing stint on General Hospital, Kirsten has been replaced in her role as Maxie, albeit temporarily. In fact, she's had to take multiple bouts of medical leave in the past. In 2011, Kirsten briefly stepped away from the show and was replaced by Jen Lilley. Kirsten returned to the role in 2012. However, actress Molly Burnett sporadically subbed in for her between 2016 and 2018.

In 2021, Kirsten took another medical leave as she recovered from brain surgery. At the time, Maxie was briefly written off the show as having visited Texas for an extended period.

This time, Kirsten's absence only lasted one episode, but this seems to be par for the course as far as her extended stay at General Hospital is concerned.