For Laura Wright, the annual "General Hospital" Fan Celebration is more than a weekend away from Port Charles. It's an opportunity to connect with the fans who have helped make the daytime drama a television institution.
For the seventh consecutive year, the Daytime Emmy-winning actress, who has portrayed Carly since 2005, traveled to Memphis for the Oct. 23-25 celebration at Graceland.
Once again, Wright took center stage, not only as one of the show's biggest stars but as the moderator guiding conversations between cast members and the fans who follow their every duplicitous, super dramatic move.
During one of the weekend's conversations,
Wright even acknowledged a familiar fact about daytime television: She wasn't the first person to play Carly on "General Hospital."
Since the character debuted in 1996, four different actresses have portrayed her. Wright took over the role 21 years ago and has since become the longest-running actress to play Carly.
Her popularity was evident throughout the weekend as fans eagerly gathered to meet her and the rest of the cast. Attendees traveled everywhere from New Mexico to Vermont to celebrate their No. 1 show, and meeting "Carly" was high on many fans' lists.
Wright's connection with those fans was on full display as she moderated the question-and-answer sessions throughout the three-day celebration, helping bring together the actors who bring Port Charles to life and the devoted viewers who have welcomed them in their living rooms for decades.
(There were even a few people in the audience who have watched from the very beginning. "General Hospital" premiered on ABC in 1963.)
So why make the trip from Los Angeles to Memphis for the seventh year in a row?
“I just love being with the fans," Wright told us. "Hanging out with them talking to everybody, hearing their questions, always hearing how excited they are. You know, people that travel and take the time out of their life to come spend a weekend at Graceland. They really do love the show. And they're so excited to always tell you.”
Wright continued, explaining that the opportunity to hear directly from viewers is especially meaningful for a show that doesn't get immediate feedback from fans.
“We don't have a live audience. So, this is the response you get when you meet people and they tell you. And they tell you what they don't like, too. That's fun.”
For Wright, those conversations don't end when the Q&A sessions wrap up. Fans also have opportunities to meet the actors face-to-face during autograph sessions, sharing stories, getting memorabilia signed and snapping selfies with the stars they've been watching for years.
“That's really what's so funny about the autograph session, too, because you get to talk to them one week. They come up, they share, they have their daughters, their mothers, their sisters are with them, families come. It's amazing.”
That sense of connection was easy to see throughout the event. Among the fans we met were multiple mother-daughter duos who had traveled across state lines for the chance to meet the talented people behind their favorite characters.
Lynn and Laura Guenther, who traveled all the way from Norfolk, Nebraska, were one such pair. Lynn had introduced her daughter Laura to the daily drama of Port Charles when Laura was a little girl, creating a shared interest that has lasted to this very day.
Their favorite characters?
“Carly and Sonny,” they said, without missing a beat.
Played by Wright and Maurice Benard, respectively, Carly and Sonny remain one of the show's most enduring couples, even though they are not currently a couple.
Although their characters officially divorced in 2022, their children, shared history and complicated feelings continue to keep them connected, much to viewers' delight.
Wright even offered a brief tease of what's ahead for the pair, revealing that she and Benard have some “fun stuff coming up” in future episodes — “just not in the bedroom.”
Wright has also had some memorable scenes over the summer with another high-profile guest star: Emmy-winning comedian and late-night host John Oliver, who guest-starred as Z, the head of a World Security Bureau.
Most of Oliver's scenes were with Wright’s Carly, including a tense moment when she slapped his character. (This was a specific requestby Oliver.)
But did the celebrated comedian enjoy his time in Port Charles?
“He's a huge fan now of what we do. He was really blown away with what we do and what we create and the amount of content we make in a day and how efficient it is.”
It’s a demanding production schedule, and Wright's comments underscore just how much work goes into producing a daily television drama. With tight deadlines, script pages full of dialogue and a steady stream of new episodes, daytime actors and crew must work quickly while keeping the characters and stories audiences love moving forward.
Of course, part of the appeal of this annual fan celebration is its setting. At Graceland, the legacy of Elvis Presley meets the enduring appeal of Port Charles, bringing together two passionate fan communities in a distinctly Memphis setting.
Wright has visited Memphis many times over the years, although her trips have largely centered on the celebration itself. Asked what she thinks of the Mid-South, she was enthusiastic.
“I love it. I mean, I've only seen small amounts of Memphis. I've been here, and Graceland, and then Downtown to a couple really amazing restaurants.”
And what about Carly? Would Wright's strong-willed alter ego enjoy a visit to Graceland?
“Oh, yeah, she'd have a good time. OK, good, good, good, good. She'd probably have more fun with it than I do.”
And because the weekend takes place entirely at Graceland, there was one final question worth asking: What is Wright’s favorite Elvis Presley song of all time?
"Can't Help Falling in Love."
It's a fitting choice for a weekend built around the enduring connections between performers and the fans who love them. For seven years, Wright has returned to Memphis to celebrate "General Hospital" alongside the people who have made the series a part of their lives — and who continue to remind her why the stories of Port Charles matter.
Brian Strickland is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. Contact him at brian.strickland@commercialappeal.com.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Laura Wright on Carly, Sonny and ‘General Hospital’ fans | Exclusive
