GENERAL Hospital fans have slammed the show for its “odd” choice to recast longtime character Alexis Davis with a new actress.
In Tuesday’s episode, original star Nancy Lee Grahn, who has played the role for over 25 years, was replaced by Stephanie Erb.
Fans took to social media to share how “shocked” they were to turn on General Hospital to see that the fan-favorite character was all of a sudden being portrayed by a new star.
Nancy, who turns 66 on Thursday, has been starring as Alexis Davis since 1996, but the role has been temporarily taken over by a new actress, Stephanie.
The Sun previously shared that the recasting was done after Nancy had to take a bit of time off from work due to having back surgery.
As not all viewers knew this change was coming, they noted how surprised to learn about it while watching the new episode.
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One fan wrote: “This Alexis recast shocked me!”
Another confused user asked: “Who is this Alexis, she’s really looking and sounding different today.
“Where’s Nancy Lee Grahn at?”
Many blasted the decision to recast as “odd” and said they wished General Hospital had just waited until Nancy could return.
“No offense to tempAlexis, but I wish they would have postponed these Alexis/Harmony scenes until @NancyLeeGrahn is back,” wrote one upset fan.
They added: “I hope you feel better soon NLG.”
Another wrote: “Dang that women is playing Alexis? I’m sorry but bring @NancyLeeGrahn back fast, some roles just can’t be recasted.”
A third tweeted: “That’s not Alexis!!!! @NancyLeeGrahn get better soon and come back!!!”
Others said they understood the predicament that all invovled were in and wished nothing but the best for both Nancy and her temp replacement, Stephanie.
“Hope Nancy makes a full recovery, i know what it’s like dealing with a bad back,” one fan wrote. “New Alexis seems pretty okay though.”
A second said: “I find it Sad that #GH fans are having issues of the Temp Alexis finding out about Harmony & Neil.
“Nancy had surgery and it takes time to recover and #GH just cant reschedule anything they want.
“And stop crapping on Stephanie Erb for taking a job & filling in.”
A third echoed that sentiment and begged other fans: “Give Stephanie a chance as the temporary Alexis. Nancy will be back soon.”
An official date for when Nancy will return to General Hospital as Alexis has not yet been revealed.
Though, she told fans in late March, after having the surgery, that she was going to be “off for another week,” which would make it “2 1/2 in all.”
She revealed to fans on Facebook in early March that she had “been working- ish for the last few months” and just as she’d started to do so every day, she learned she needed “minor outpatient surgeries.”
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Nancy explained that she needed the operations for “a stubborn benign thing that decided to park itself on a nerve in my back.”
Toward the end of her post, she thanked General Hospital’s “wonderful” producers for “graciously navigating around it,” which fans later learned involved the Stephanie temporarily replacing her.
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