Virginia Benson on General Hospital is a name from history but part of a front burner storyline – who was she? And why is she so important to Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright) on the ABC soap?
Virginia Benson on General Hospital – Who was She to Carly Corinthos?
Since Carly got stranded in Jacksonville, Florida, the name Virginia Benson bubbled up out of nowhere. We saw Carly at a cemetery to visit her mother’s grave. Not her bio-mom — but her adoptive mom.
As most General Hospital fans know, Bobbie Spencer (Jacklyn Zeman) is Carly’s bio-mom. But Virginia and Frank Benson adopted her. By the time their adopted daughter was four, he took off. Later, Frank accepted money to adopt Nelle Benson (Chloe Lanier).
But Nelle and Carly never lived under the same roof. And Virginia wasn’t ever a mother to Nelle. But she was utterly devoted to the daughter she’d adopted and raised. Despite that love, Caroline (as she was named at birth) was a real troublemaker…
Who Played Virginia Benson on GH?
General Hospital introduced Lois Nettleton as Virginia in July of 1996. Her last credit in the role was in February of 1998. Luke Spencer (Tony Geary) knocked on her door with questions about her daughter way back in the day.
You’ll recall Carly showed up in Port Charles looking for payback on her bio-mom Bobbie. She seduced Tony Jones and wreaked havoc. Later, Bobbie also came to see the woman who adopted her daughter on the ABC soap opera.
Eventually, Virginia made her way North on General Hospital. Once in Port Chuck, she wasn’t pleased to hear about Caroline’s awful revenge antics and what she’d done to Tony and Bobbie. She argued with her adopted daughter and it turned nasty.
Carly’s Mom Died Mid-Argument on General Hospital
If you wonder why Carly hasn’t visited her mom’s grave in so many years, part of it is probably guilt. As she and her mom bickered about her revenge scheme, Virginia collapsed from a stroke. It was fatal because of a past stroke and its complications.
A couple of years ago on General Hospital, there were some flashback scenes of Virginia Benson with Cynthia Watros playing the role. And now, there’s a lot of talk about her. The city’s moving her grave and her daughter’s fighting it.
