General Hospitalstar Eva LaRue, who played Natalia Ramirez on the soap, has reflected on leaving the show following her unexpected and increased role. Natalia was introduced in the show in February 2024 as the homophobic mother of Blaze, who disapproved of her same-sex relationship with Kristina Davis.
The character was originally intended to only be in Port Charles for a few months, but her arc was extended, and LaRue wound up playing the role for over a year. With her exit imminent, the formerAll My Childrencast memberhas discussed Natalia’s reception on the show, and her experiences onGeneral Hospital.
PerSoap Opera Digest, LaRue discusses her character’s time on General Hospital, and reception from audiences, following confirmation that her character will be leaving.
Natalia was a controversial addition toGeneral Hospital, and LaRue talked about how the show unsuccessfully attempted to rehabilitate her character, but accepted that viewers hated the character, and she understood her time on the show had come to an end. Check out LaRue’s comments below:
“I started to feel it in January. They tried to rehabilitate my character and then all of a sudden, I have these scenes in January where, because Natalia had lied about her ex-husband [Sidwell] and broken his trust, Sonny was like, ‘We can’t be friends anymore.’ And I thought, ‘Uh-oh, there we go,’ because that [relationship with Sonny] was kind of my character’s only lifeline.”
“People just weren’t buying it, because they just hated my character so much. I was so vilified that no matter what [the writers] did, it just wasn’t a solid enough rehabilitation that they were gonna buy me with Sonny. And so when they finally let that idea go, I realized, ‘Okay, I’m probably not much longer for this world.’”
What This Means For Natalia’s General Hospital Legacy
The Character Will Not Be Missed, But Will Not Be Forgotten In A Hurry
Natalia was simply one of those characters that viewers just didn’t connect to or resonate with, and her bigoted views would not have helped matters. While there were attempts to make the character more likely, and to humanize her more, it seems that the damage has already been done at this point.
This week onGeneral Hospitalsaw Natalia ingest a cocktail of pills and alcohol, which appears to be setting up an overdose storyline for the character. Wracked with despair over her impending fate at the possibility of being shipped off to Belize by Sonny, Natalia has chosen the most extreme way out.
LaRue’s brief but memorable stint on the show is not quite as iconic as her appearance onAll My Children, but her performance as Natalia has definitely contributed to the evolution ofGeneral Hospitalover the past year. Natalia’s set to exit the show in tragic circumstances, which could open the door for a Blaze return to the show.
Our Take On LaRue’s General Hospital Stint
She Did A Lot With A Difficult Character
While Natalia’s run on the show may not rank amongGeneral Hospital’s craziest storylines, she was a memorable character, who will be remembered for largely the wrong reasons. Her homophobic nature made it very difficult for audiences to connect with her character, and a redemption arc was seemingly off the table.
There are many ways the show could have taken Natalia as a character, and there is no doubt that she has made a strong antagonistic character for the show. It seems like LaRue has enjoyed her stint on the show, and reuniting with some of her formerAll My Childrenco-stars would have made her time onGeneral Hospitalmore memorable.
General Hospital
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General Hospital, a series released in 1963, weaves narratives of families, friends, adversaries, and lovers in the bustling city of Port Charles, New York. Set against the backdrop of a busy hospital, upscale hotel, and crime-ridden waterfront, it explores life-altering events in this intricate social tapestry.
