Kirsten Storms is taking an extended trip outside the town of Port Charles.
The General Hospital star, who first appeared as Maxie Jones on the long-running soap opera in 2005, revealed she is “taking a break” from the show and moving to Tennessee.
As she explained, she began having conversations about both her move and extended absence with executive producer Frank Valentini in March.
“I really want to thank GH, the ABC network executives, the writers for agreeing to let me take this time,” Kirsten said in a July 7 Instagram video. “I know Frank and the producers there know my reasons, and I am so grateful that they understand and are supportive.”
Though she didn’t give specifics behind her decision to take time off, the Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century star emphasized that she wasn’t asking to leave the show for good.
“When you approach a job like this, they can always be like, ‘Forget it. We'll let you out of your contract if you're gonna leave the state,’” Kirsten continued. “GH did not do that, which was kind of amazing, because I also asked for some time off.”
While sharing her update, the Days of Our Lives alum—who shares daughter Harper, 11, with ex Brandon Barash—warned her followers to be weary of any information about her absence that isn’t directly from her.
“If you don't read about it or watch a video on it from my page, take it with a grain of salt,” she cautioned. “People like to say a whole bunch of stuff.”
And even though Kirsten revealed that she has already filmed her final scenes for the year, she promised General Hospital fans that they are still in for a real treat in her absence.
“I promise you the storyline they have going on until my return to Port Charles is kind of [incredible],” she shared. “You guys are gonna freak out, actually. Can't wait to see the comments online about that.”
Ahead of Kirsten’s return, read on to see stars who appeared on soap operas before they were a household name.
Brad Pitt
Ah yes, one of the world's biggest movie stars landed his first speaking role on Another World. It was for only two episodes that he played a young basketball player. Everyone has to start somewhere and then end up an Academy Award winner.
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks appeared only in one scene of All My Children as none other than a waitress that Josh Duhamel's character is flirting with. The episode aired in 1999, two years before Banks starred in cult star-studded classic Wet Hot American Summer.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio is Hollywood gold, but few know he was on sitcoms like Roseanne and Growing Pains before his Titanic fame. He even made an appearance in soap opera Santa Barbara in a brief flashback sequence in 1990.
Demi Moore
Before becoming a screen icon, Demi Moore did her her time (1982-83, to be exact) on General Hospital. She played Jackie Templeton, an investigative reporter from New York City trying to track down her missing sister.
Julianne Moore
The Academy Award winner also landed a Daytime Emmy Award in 1988 for her portrayal of long-lost half-sisters Frannie and Sabrina Hughes on As The World Turns.
Kelly Ripa
The Live With Kelly and Ryan host played Hayley Vaughan on All My Children from 1990 to 2002. It was here that she met her real husband, Mark Consuelos—who also played her husband on the series.
Mark Consuelos
Prior to being a famed baddie mob boss on Riverdale, Mark Consuelos got his first big break on All My Children in 1995.
John Stamos
Prior to being Uncle Jesse on Full House, heartthrob John Stamos played teen rocker Blackie Parrish on General Hospital.
Josh Duhamel
The Jupiter's Legacy star started out in soaps with the role of Leo du Pres on All My Children; his character eventually perished in a freak waterfall accident.
Eva Longoria
There's nothing like playing a crazy wife who was put away in a mental hospital after trying to kill her lover's first wife to kick off a career. At least, that's how Eva Longoria made it happen on The Young and the Restless from 2001 to 2003.
Lindsay Lohan
Before capturing hearts with Parent Trap, a young Lindsay Lohan played the adorable Alli Fowler on Another World from 1996 to 1997.
Ryan Phillipe
A then-18 year old Ryan Phillipe's role on One Life to Live as Billy Douglas made history as the first only gay teenager on daytime TV.
Hayden Panettiere
From 1996 to 2001, the Nashville star played the first incarnation of Guiding Light's Lizzie Spaulding.
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon was the leading actress on A World Apart from 1970 to 1971, with a whopping 325 episodes total—and Sarandon appeared in every single one as main character Patrice Kahlman.
Justin Hartley
Justin Hartley is heartbreaker actor Kevin Pearson in This Is Us and it seems art does imitate life: Hartley first got his start on Passions before wooing audiences in The Young and the Restless.
Chrishell Strause
The former Mrs. Justin Hartley is now a real estate agent on Selling Sunset, but before earning her realtor license, Chrishell Strause sold every line on The Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless.
Naomi Watts
Naomi Watts may be best known for thriller Mulholland Drive yet the talented star first started on Home and Away.
Michael B. Jordan
Michael B. Jordan proved his talent on critically-acclaimed drama The Wire before landing a coveted role on All My Children as teen Reggie Montgomery. Chadwick Boseman originally was cast as Reggie but famously left following claims of perpetuating a stereotype. Jordan parted ways with AMC in 2006 and went on to star in Parenthood before captivating audiences with turns in Black Panther and Creed.
Nathan Fillion
You fell in love with him as Castle's sexy crime-solving mystery writer Richard Castle, but the fan-fave Canadian first made his name as favorite son Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live from 1994 to 1997.
Christian Slater
The Dr. Death star was a high schooler with a secret in Ryan's Hope for 20 episodes in 1985.
Marcia Cross
Before she was a Desperate Housewife, before she was Linda on Everwood, heck, before she was eccentric Kimberly Shaw on Melrose Place, the redhead played a feisty archeologist named Katheryn "Kate" Sanders who came between Cord and Tina on One Life to Live from 1986 to 1987.
Laurence Fishburne
Morpheus began as a teenager with a three-year stint on One Life to Live, playing the role of Joshua Hall.
Heather Locklear
The Melrose Place star first captivated audiences as Sammy Jo Dean in Dynasty from 1981 to 1989.
Tommy Lee Jones
Before he was married to a Coal Miner's Daughter or schooling aliens with Will Smith in Men in Black, the Harvard-educated actor played sneaky Dr. Mark Toland on One Life to Live from 1971 to 1975.
Taye Diggs
Taye Diggs already had found Broadway fame with Rent and Chicago but he made his TV debut with Guiding Light in 1997.
Lacey Chabert
Pre-Mean Girls, Lacey Chabert was a famed child star in Party of Five and soap opera All My Children.
Colin Egglesfield
He may have wooed both Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin in Something Borrowed, but Colin Egglesfield was well-known to soap opera fans long before the hit 2011 romantic comedy. Egglesfield played Joshua Madden in All My Children from 2005 to 2009.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
During her time at All My Children, Sarah Michelle Gellar played Erica Kane's long-lost daughter, Kendall Hart. Now, Kendall had anger issues because she was the product of rape and pissed that her mom left her, so she was all about vengeance—locking her little sister in a crypt and trying to seduce her stepfather. In 1995, Gellar left along—with her Daytime Emmy.
Morgan Freeman
The iconic film star began his career in TV, with soap operas Ryan's Hope and Another World.
Ted Danson
Mr. Mayor found his Good Place on soap operas! Ted Danson wowed on Somerset and The Doctors for years.