A change of character: General Hospital's Laura Wright explains why Carly's not extremely selfish anymore

On General Hospital, Carly Spencer has been a force of nature ever since she first arrived in Port Charles to ruin her mother Bobbie Spencer’s (played by the late Jacklyn Zeman) life. Originally played by Sarah Joy Brown, the part was subsequently played by Tamara Braun, Jennifer Bransford, and ultimately, Laura Wright, who has played the character since 2005. In a recent interview, Wright explained Carly’s evolution as a character.

With age comes wisdom

Carly has always been known for her impulsive behavior, reacting from her heart rather than her mind and often acting without considering the consequences. But lately, viewers have noticed a subtle change in Carly. She seems to be more logical in her decision-making process and is starting to look before she leaps. Wright told Woman’s World, “I think age changes us all and life hands you a new set of issues. Carly has grandchildren now. And she’s supporting Jason as he steps into this father figure role. When he got in that fistfight with Drew, Carly was like, ‘Your actions have consequences that are going to affect Danny.’ ”

Wright was just as surprised as the audience at Carly’s mature approach to the combative brothers, remarking, “I mean, of all people saying that to him, Carly—that was rich!” When Carly was first in Port Charles, she was not only a schemer out to get what she believed the world owed her, but she was also like a person who can’t swim, flailing in the water, looking for help. She has made some peace with former rivals including Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst), and Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco) before the latter woman’s untimely death.

Carly can be super annoying on General Hospital by inserting herself into stories that are none of her business (which she continues to do). However, one of her best qualities is that she understands how the mafia world works, from her several marriages and divorces to Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), the don of the Northeastern Sea Front. She fully understands that Sonny, although a criminal, is an important element in the stability of Port Charles because he keeps the town safe and free from drugs, prostitution, and guns. She’s worked many a scheme to not only help preserve Sonny’s place in the hierarchy of things (like recently providing him with an alibi when he murdered FBI agent John “Jagger” Cates, played by Adam Harrington).

But Wright admits that Carly’s schemes are not as ruthless as they once were, remarking, “Carly used to crawl and fight for it, but her feet are planted more firmly to the ground and she has a little more faith that she can handle things without having to be cutthroat.” She also added her perspective on the almost 20 years she’s played the character: “I also don’t think her decisions are so self-serving, like they used to be. She’s still going to protect what’s hers, but her ‘mine’ has gotten bigger, in terms of who she cares about.”

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Currently, Carly is intervening in her son Michael Corinthos’ (Chad Duell) marital issues. This intrusion is not borne out of selfishness but love for her child and his well-being. What Carly does next is anyone’s guess, but she sure keeps things interesting!

You can watch new episodes of General Hospital on ABC and Hulu.

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