General Hospital actors are wishing Lynn Herring a happy 40th anniversary! The actress made her debut on GH on April 11, 1986, as timid librarian Lucy Coe, who provided an alibi for an accused killer. Viewers soon learned that there was far more to the character of Lucy than met the eye!
Happy 40th Anniversary, Lynn Herring
Herring’s castmates turned out in droves to wish the actress a happy anniversary. “Happy 40th anniversary, Lynn,” began Giovanni Mazza (Gio), who performed a tune on his guitar in honor of Herry’s anniversary.
“You are a gem, and we love you so much,” added Katelyn MacMullen (Willow). Shared Nancy Lee Grahn: “Happy 40th, my gal pal!”
“Happy anniversary, Lynn Herring,” said Maurice Benard (Sonny). “You’re the best.” Added Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth): “You know how much I love and adore you, and I’m just so very happy to have you in my life!”
“Happy anniversary, Lynn. I will never forget you and the llama,” said Brook Kerr (Portia), recalling the time that Herring brought Sebastian, a real-life llama from her farm, to GH’s Nurses Ball.
“Happy anniversary, Lynn. I love you,” said Jane Elliot (Tracy). Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) called Herring, “a beacon of positivity.” Genie Francis (Laura) said with a smile, “Happy anniversary, Lynn.”
Other well-wishers include Lisa LoCicero (Olivia), Kelly Thiebaud (Britt), Eden McCoy (Josslyn), Kristen Vaganos (Molly), Kate Mansi (Kristina), Carlo Rota (Jenz), and Maura West (Ava).
Lucy’s origins
Following the Laurelton murder mystery storyline that brought Lucy to the canvas, the character quickly moved on and married widowed Dr. Tony Jones (Brad Maule), becoming BJ’s (Brighton Hertford) stepmother.
Next, she moved on to another doctor, Alan Quartermaine (Stuart Damon), following his split from Monica (Leslie Charleson). Their union was brief and is remembered for the red dress Lucy wore on her wedding day.
In a shocking twist, Herring exited GH in 1991 and soon joined the cast of Days of our Lives as L.B. Gardner. (Frances Reid’s Alice once quipped that “The ‘L’ is for ‘Lisanne’ — I’m not sure what the ‘B’ is for.”)
Herring’s move to the NBC serial led to her being on the same soap as her late husband, Wayne Northrop (ex-Roman). Lisanne’s tenure was brief as the character was accidentally killed off, paving the way for Herring to return to where she belonged — Port Charles.
In 1994, Lucy became the host of GH’s Nurses Ball. Her compassion for those afflicted by AIDS/HIV shone a new light on the sometimes selfish character, endearing her somewhat to even her harshest critics. Lucy was heartbroken when BJ, her former stepdaughter, was declared brain dead following a school bus accident.
In 1997, ABC selected Herring to headline Port Charles, the GH spinoff. Herring, along with Kin Shriner (Scotty) and Jon Lindstrom (Kevin), and a band of General Hospital interns. The show lasted until 2003.
A year later, Herring reprised Lucy on GH for the on-air memorial for Lila Quartermaine, played by Anna Lee. She wore, in honor of “Mother Quartermaine” and her time in the Q family, a red dress!
Herring returned in 2012 when nurse Sabrina Santiago (Teresa Castillo), wanting to honor the “late” Robin Scorpio-Drake (Kimberly McCullough) and revive the dormant Nurses Ball.
Herring and Lucy returned for the 2013 gala, which featured the singing, dancing, and other talents of the GH characters and cast. The actress has continued to recur on GH ever since. Three years ago, Lucy, needing to don a disguise, once again dressed up like a mousy librarian! She remains a force of nature in Port Charles, keeping an eye on the local real estate scene, and she will officiate a wedding if required to do so!
Soap Central congratulates Herring on her 40th anniversary!
