Ayla Bullington Steps In as General Hospital’s New Avery Corinthos

By Daniel Okafor

Ayla Bullington began playing Avery Corinthos on General Hospital on Monday, November 9. The actress, new to the soap format (daytime serial drama), won the part after a taped audition impressed producers and earned a flight to Los Angeles for an in-person tryout, Soap Opera Digest reported.

“I truly never thought something like this would happen to me,” Bullington told TV Insider. “It’s so crazy and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”

What happened to the previous Avery?

Avery was born on screen on November 4, 2014, with Ava and Grace Scarola playing the role. Soap Opera Digest reported that the twins last appeared as Avery in March 2025. The October 8 episode referred to Avery as a teenager, preparing viewers for an older recast.

The role has now moved from the Scarola twins to a newcomer from Tennessee, and Bullington now plays a teenager inside a family conflict already in progress. The character came with family history and an age jump.

What did she learn from her new parents?

Soap Opera Digest identifies Bullington’s new on-screen parents as Maurice Benard, who plays Sonny Corinthos, and Maura West, who plays Ava Jeorme. Both are Daytime Emmy winners.

Bullington credited Benard with showing her how to master dramatic tags (the emphatic beats that close a soap scene). West helped her realize that mistakes on set were part of learning, Bullington said. She described both actors as exceptionally talented and skilled at their work.

Her introduction demanded that range immediately. It opened with a heated argument between Sonny and his daughter, with criminal history at the center.

Her debut worked like a one-witness trial, with Avery overhearing the case against her father while Josslyn denounced the retired mobster for his various crimes. Josslyn Jacks, played by Eden McCoy, is Avery’s former stepsister, according to Soap Opera Digest.

Bullington said Avery is emotional and curious. The teenager also feels confused about what is happening and what to believe. That uncertainty anchors the character’s early scenes.

How much has Bullington already played?

After one month as Avery, Bullington had already covered screaming, crying, happiness and action, a range that extends beyond the heightened scenes of her introduction. She predicted she would never get bored while working on General Hospital.

Not every scene will match the drama of her introduction, but the first month has established that Bullington can vary her performance within the role.

Soap Opera Digest reported that viewers can expect Avery to play a key part in the conflict between her warring parents, Sonny Corinthos and Ava Jeorme. That places Bullington between the two actors who introduced her to the show’s working methods.

Benard offered a teaser for what lies ahead. “We have a story coming up that could be very, very important,” he told TV Insider.

Bullington has covered crying, shouting, happiness and action in her first month. Benard’s hint leaves the next plot point unspecified, but it places the consequential part of Avery’s story ahead. The recast has begun; the next storyline will show whether Bullington can carry the role.