General Hospital Shocker: Avery Pohl Out as Esme

Michael Ausiello
·1 min read
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Nicholas Alexander Chavez‘ temporary General Hospital exit has triggered a permanent exit for one of his co-stars. An ABC spokesperson confirms that Avery Pohl — who since 2021 has played Esme Prince, the girlfriend-turned-nemesis of Chavez’ Spencer — has left the soap.

Pohl made her final appearance in the Jan. 31 episode when Esme — along with Spencer — were presumed dead following a maritime scuffle in Paris. The twist sets the stage for Chavez’ multi-month leave of absence to shoot Season 2 of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix anthology Monster (in which he’ll star as one half of the infamous Menéndez Brothers). But whereas Chavez’ exit was anticipated, Pohl’s was not.

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Soap Opera Digest broke the Pohl news.

Chavez’ temporary GH sabbatical and Pohl’s permanent departure come as the venerable sudser is navigating a major change behind the scenes. Earlier this week it was announced that head writers Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor have stepped down, replaced by current GH script editor Elizabeth Korte and celebrated soap vet Patrick Mulcahey (GH, Santa Barbara, Guiding Light).

GH‘s Tabyana Ali, whose Trina was long terrorized by Esme, tells Digest that Poh’s final day was “a very tearful” one, adding, “I am going to miss seeing her at work.”

A year after her arrival in Port Charles, Esme was revealed to be the daughter of legendary GH villains Ryan Chamberlain (also deceased) and Heather Webber (alive but incarcerated).

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