'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEF/8QAIxAAAQMDAgcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDEQAEBQYhBxITFTFxof/EABUBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQF/8QAGREAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAxHw/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwCcMMy/qjG3TZSEN9tLqAo+IdUkpMbQY+1sWuDumrZlvrsjkQE7IEbD1SlCclTglOmpHXWHZP/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
General Hospital fans got a big surprise on the Thursday, July 3, 2025, episode when Maxie Jones suddenly had a different face when she knocked on the Quartermaine door. Nicole Paggi was playing the role that Kirsten Storms has played for most of the last 20 years.
A new General Hospital Maxie...for now
Trending
Paggi, who filled in for Storms in December of 2023, will be around for a handful of episodes, according to Soap Opera Digest. Storms was unable to film today's episode, as well as several upcoming ones, due to scheduling conflicts.
Paggi has multiple primetime credits to her name and even worked with former soap stars Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley Santos, All My Children) and Faith Ford (ex-Julia Shearer, Another World) on the sitcom Hope and Faith.
Storms has been replaced several times in the past, with the first temporary recast taking place in 2011. That's when Jen Lilley played Maxie for nearly a year before landing the role of Theresa Donovan on Days of our Lives. At the time, Storms was suffering from debilitating endometriosis.
In 2016, Molly Burnett (ex-Melanie Jonas, DAYS) stepped in when Storms was suffering from skin issues. In 2018, Burnett was back when Storms had another medical crisis. In 2021, brain surgery took Storms off the canvas again, but this time, GH chose to write Maxie out of the story for several months.
Maxie's current quest
When Paggi made her debut as the 2025 version of General Hospital's Maxie, the character learned that Deception could be in trouble due to Sonny's (Maurice Benard) investment. What they thought was clean money turned out to be dirty money, and now Maxie and Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) fear they are going to lose their company.
Maxie is determined to save Deception, even if that means upsetting her partner, Spinelli (Bradford Anderson), by hurting Sonny. While she likes Sonny as a person, she has to look out for herself and her children. If Sonny threatens Maxie's livelihood, then she will do whatever it takes to save herself and her job. Sonny might be collateral damage, but that is a chance that both Maxie and Brook Lynn are willing to take.
While we do not know the exact date of Storms' return to the role, we know Maxie will be in good hands until then.
Catch all-new episodes of General Hospital weekdays on ABC and Hulu.
Reply
