‘General Hospital’: Avery Pohl Speaks Out After Shocking Exit From Soap
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More changes are happening in Port Charles as Avery Pohl, who has played Esme Prince since 2021, has exited General Hospital. Her last episode aired on Wednesday, January 31.
As reported by Soap Opera Digest, an ABC spokesperson confirmed Pohl’s departure, which came as a surprise to many viewers. In Wednesday’s episode, Pohl’s Esme and her ex-boyfriend Spencer (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) were presumed dead after a scuffle in Paris.
It was already known that Chavez would be taking a hiatus from the long-running soap as he is currently filming Season 2 of Ryan Murphy’s hit Netflix anthology series Monster. Chavez is set to play Lyle Menendez, one of the infamous Menendez brothers, who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents.
However, while viewers expected Chavez’s exit, Pohl’s came as a shocker. It’s not yet known if Pohl will reprise her role in the future, but how things ended for her character certainly leaves the door open.
In her final moments, Esme was involved in an intense fight with her on-screen nemesis, Trina (Tabyana Ali), which ended with Esme and Spencer falling overboard from a private yacht. While presumed dead, no bodies were found, so, in true soap fashion, there is always the chance of a return.
Nicholas Chavez, Avery Pohl and Tabyana Ali on General Hospital; ABC/Nick Argo
“You could just feel the tension in the air, feel the thickness of it when Trina sees Esme in Paris,” Ali told Soap Opera Digest regarding those final scenes. “It’s like, ‘You know what? I gave you a chance the last time. This time, I’m doing something about it. This time, we’re gonna dance and it’s not gonna be pretty!’ I thought it was riveting.”
Pohl debuted on the soap on August 16, 2021, and was eventually revealed to be the daughter of iconic General Hospital villains Ryan Chamberlain (Jon Lindstrom) and Heather Webber (Robin Mattson/Alley Mills). Much like her parents, Pohl’s Esme proved to be a conniving baddie who caused chaos around Port Charles.
“At the end of the day, my job is to help tell a story and to entertain people, and if people are entertained by the fact that they love to loathe me, then I guess my job is done,” Pohl previously told Soap Opera Digest.
Despite their rivalry on-screen, Pohl and Ali formed a close friendship behind the scenes, which made for an emotional farewell.
“With Avery, it’s a little different because she lives right across the street from me and I talk to her all the time,” Ali shared. “But I was still like, ‘Dang, I’m not going to see you at work! But I will see you in the neighborhood!’ We talk and hang out frequently, but I hate that I’m not going to see her at work.”
She added, “I’ll still call her every day but I am going to miss seeing her at work. The day that Avery left was a very tearful day. We all gave her hugs and flowers and gifts. It was a bittersweet thing.”
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