Actress Laura Wright reveals shocking past when she worked as a gas station attendant and met the director of ‘General Hospital’
She may be the fourth actress to have played Carly Spencer, but General Hospital has been Laura Wright’s daytime home since November 4, 2005, which proves she’s a keeper. She took home her first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2011 and has been nominated numerous times ever since.
Before She Was a Soap Star
Born in Washington, D.C., Wright was raised in Maryland and started acting in high school, where she appeared in plays such as Gypsy, Our Town and You Can’t Take It With You. It was also there that she tried her hand at directing a production of Father Says No. Though she turned up in a couple of commercials and various fashion shows, she only briefly attended college before deciding to work full-time at the family’s gas station.
Her Big Break
While still working for her dad, the former Laura Sisk took an acting class and was included in a tape sent by her teacher to Loving. A trip to New York City and a screen test later, in 1991, she was cast on the ABC soap as Ally Rescott. “I was working at my dad’s gas station in Chesapeake, Md., and received the phone call that changed my life,” she stated back in 2021. From there, she crossed her character over to All My Children, then took the role to The City after Loving’s cancellation in 1995. Wright would spend two years there before originating the role of Reva Shayne’s surprise sister Cassie Layne on Guiding Light in 1997. However, in 2005, she left the CBS soap and stepped into the shoes of Carly, where she has remained ever since.
Life After Carly
While we couldn’t imagine anyone else playing the role, back in 2010, Wright answered a few fan questions for Soaps.com — one being, if she ever decided to leave, would she want Carly to die in a highly dramatic manner, be recast or leave the door open for a return. “Well, you know you always want it left open for ya,” she laughed. “But I think if I ever decided to truly leave and I was really done, I would have to say you have to have it recast because she’s such a great part and look how lucky the actresses have been to play her. You have to keep that going. She’s too great of a role. Another great actress could step in and be fantastic.”
All in the Family
Wright’s not only a legendary actress in the genre, she’s a mom to daughter Lauren and son John, whom she shares with ex-husband John Wright. Since 2017, she’s been in a relationship with Wes Ramsey. They met years and years ago when they were both on Guiding Light but didn’t begin dating until much later. Ironically, they eventually became co-stars again when he was cast as the nefarious Peter August on General Hospital. Anyway, with both of her kids all grown up, Wright and her honey spend their downtime going on one adventure after another — and of course, spoiling their pup Kimba.
One of Daytime’s Strongest Female Characters
Over the years, Carly has faced many trials and tribulations, and when it comes to her kids, she’s proven to be a protective mama bear at all costs. After all, when you’ve been married to the Mob, you learn a thing or two along the way. Open up our photo gallery below to look back at the life and times of Carly.
