General Hospital fans first saw Kathleen Gati originate the role of Liesl Obrecht 10 years ago.
She was tied into the October sweeps story in 2012, the year Robin (Kimberly McCullough) was brought back from the dead.
Liesl was supposed to be a one-off character, used as a German doctor in the clinic where Robin was being held.
However, everyone was impressed with Kathleen’s portrayal of Liesl, especially Anthony Geary, who played the legendary Luke Spencer.
While the early years of Liesl in Port Charles were sporadic, the writers built a whole connection for her, which included a daughter, Britt (Kelly Thiebaud), a son Nathan West (Ryan Paevey), and a sister, Madeline Reeves (Donna Mills). She was also the love interest of Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), with whom she had Britt. Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) is her niece, and Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms) is her daughter-in-law and the mother of her grandson, James.
The last 10 years have been a whirlwind, with some of the craziest storylines thanks to Kathleen’s portrayal of Liesl.
Kathleen Gati reflects on 10 years of General Hospital
On Instagram, Kathleen Gati announced the milestone event with a photo of her outside the General Hospital studio while holding up her 10 fingers.
She wrote, “Ten years this week @GeneralHospitalabc ?? First day at this studio was July 31, 2012 for a quick stint! Thank you @fvalentinigh @MarkTeschner and to all cast and crew, and of course to all you amazing #GH fans for the ten years of love and kindness!?❤️ #gratitude #actorslife”
Some favorite Kathleen Gati as Liesl Obrecht moments on General Hospital
The feud between Liesl Obrecht and Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) is one for the books. One of the storylines included Liesl wearing an Anna mask to break Cesar out of prison to give him the chance to meet their “grandson” Ben. When he was disappointed, she was heartbroken. To make matters worse, he wanted her to wear the Anna mask while the two slept together.
Meanwhile, Ben wasn’t even the pair’s grandson. He was the biological baby of Lulu (Emme Rylan) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) via a stolen embryo. That was a whole fiasco and one that caused damage to many lives in Port Charles.
Liesl as Krampus for the kids at the hospital during Christmas was also a hit. She plays evil so well, and it was scary and creepy, as it should be.
Also notable has been many of Liesl’s appearances at the Nurses Balls. Her singing voice is amazing, and she outshines several other acts.
Kathleen Gati has given her all to the role of Liesl Obrecht, and General Hospital fans love to root for her.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.