General Hospital confirms the return of a fan favorite character after more than a year offscreen, and they have a special message for their fans about what their loyalty has meant to them during their absence!

A General Hospital spokesperson has confirmed to Parade that Kathleen Gati, who plays Dr. Liesl Obrecht, is returning to GH. While no return date has been announced, Gati was filming before the show took its summer break, so she should show up onscreen since. The cast filmed to the end of August before going dark for the entire month of July. Gati was last seen onscreen on May 19, 2023.

Gati told Soap Opera Digest, “The fans have been faithful, loyal, begging me to return, continuously asking when, oh when will I return. I am truly grateful and so happy that I can bring some story and entertainment back to them again through Obrecht! It means a lot to me. This is why I became an actor, to entertain people through story and characters.”

“I have so much gratitude, appreciation and love for all my fans! Over the past thirteen years, each individual message has meant so much, even if I don’t or can’t respond to them all. The love, the support, the loyalty, the excitement upon my possible return, it touches my heart in a way I cannot truly express.”

Earlier this month Kelly Thiebaud, who played Gati’s onscreen daughter Britt Westbourne, was also confirmed as returning but there is a question about who she is returning to play since Britt was killed off onscreen very dramatically in 2023. There is little doubt their returns are entwined no matter who Thiebaud is portraying.

“GH is both the longest-running scripted drama and the longest-running American soap opera currently in production. GH continues its tradition of passion, intrigue, and adventure that has depicted the ongoing lives of the diverse and evolving citizens of the fictional town of Port Charles, set in upstate New York. The glamour and excitement of those who have come to find their destinies in this familiar seaport town intertwine with the lives, loves, and fortunes of beloved, well-known faces. As always, love, danger, and mind-blowing plot twists abound on GH with contemporary storylines and unforgettable characters.”