For the second time in two months, General Hospital has recast the role of Molly Lansing-Davis. The most recent recast has generated a lot of chatter among fans on social media -- and not necessarily for the right reasons.
In May, Emmy-nominated Haley Pullos was arrested on charges related to a wrong-way crash in Pasadena, California. The show tapped Holiday Mia Kriegel to take over the role on an emergency basis. Kriegel made her first appearance in May 25, just a day after Pullos' final airdate. On July 19, without any forewarning, Brooke Anne Smith was announced on-air as the show's new Molly.
Some fans took to social media to comment not on Smith's work as Molly, but rather her age. In real life, Smith is about 15 years old than Pullos. For additional context, the 25-year Pullos is about seven years old than the fictional Molly, who was born on-screen in November 2005.
Mark Smith, the brother of Brooke Anne Smith, took to a Facebook group for GH fans to defend his sister's casting.
"Brooke is a permanent recast, original Molly is not coming back," Mark Smith claimed. He claimed that the "only reason age is an 'issue' is because it's known. [Brooke] looks extremely young in real life it's quite freaky actually. Routinely gets carded almost every time. On the show Awkward she played 16 year old high school student at 30!"
Smith, who described himself as "a protective and proud brother," went on to ask GH viewers to give his sister a chance because "it's difficult for anyone trying to step into the shoes of someone that has been so integral to the show for so long."
General Hospital has yet to comment on whether Smith is, in fact, a "permanent recast" as her brother claimed.
What are your thoughts on the Molly recasts? Are you enjoying Brooke Anne Smith's work as Molly? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
