Audrey March Hardy

Infobox soap character
series = General Hospital
name = Audrey Hardy


caption = Rachel Ames as Audrey Hardy.
first= February 23 1964
last= March 23 2007
cause= Written off canvas.
gender = Female
occupation = Nurse (retired)
residence = 453 Maple Avenue
Port Charles, New York
born =
Parents =
siblings = Lucille Weeks (sister; deceased)
Edith Logan (sister)
children =Thomas "Tom" Hardy Sr. (son, with Thomas "Tom" Baldwin, adopted by Steven "Steve" Hardy)
Jeffrey "Jeff" Webber (step-son)
grandchildren =Thomas "Tommy" Hardy Jr. (grandson, via Tom)
Steven Webber (step-grandson, via Jeff)
Sarah Webber (step-granddaughter, via Jeff)
Elizabeth Webber (step-granddaughter, via Jeff)
[Cameron Webber] (step great-grandson, via Elizabeth)
Jacob "Jake" Spencer (step great-grandson, via Elizabeth)
nieces/nephews = Anne Logan (niece)
spouse = Stevn "Steve" Hardy (divorced; first time)
Thomas "Tom" Baldwin (divorced)
James Hobart (invalid)
Steven "Steve" Hardy (invalid; second time)
Steven "Steve" Hardy (dissolved; third time)
romances = Randy Washburn (engaged)
portrayer = Rachel Ames
creator = Frank and Doris Hursley

Audrey Hardy (née March; previously Baldwin and Hobart) was a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, "General Hospital". She was portrayed by Rachel Ames on a contract basis from 1964 to 2002, and on a recurring basis from 2002 to 2007.

In the pre-Luke and Laura years of the soap, Audrey was one of the leading characters of the show, and a 1971 storyline in which she was accused of murder sent "General Hospital" to the number one spot in the daytime ratings for the first time. (SEE: Daytime TV ratings)

Audrey also crossed over to "General Hospital"'s spinoff series "Port Charles" in 1997 on several episodes, most notably in the pilot episode where she was bludgeoned by a psychopath, and underwent brain surgery.

In 2007, actress Rachel Ames retired after 43 years on GH. Her final airdate aired in March 2007. However, an ABC spokesperson has said that the door will always been open for her to return. [http://www.soaps.com/generalhospital/comings_and_goings/]

Character history

1964-1969

Audrey March arrived at General Hospital in 1964 in order to visit her sister, Lucille. Even though she was a registered nurse, Audrey had forsaken the profession for the more glamorous lifestyle of an airline stewardess. However, after noticing Dr. Steve Hardy, the chief of Internal Medicine at General Hospital, Audrey decided to stick around and became a private nurse. Eventually, Steve and Audrey got engaged, but Audrey broke it off in order to accept a proposal from one of her clients, Randy Washborn. However, Audrey was soon diagnosed with lymphoma, and Randy deserted her in her hour of need, she got back together with Steve and married him in 1965 after fully recovering from her illness.

Audrey later began working on a book with Dr. Phil Brewer, but the experience ended badly when Phil tried to seduce her. After some years of marriage to Steve, Audrey became concerned when she did not conceive. Believing that Steve was sterile, Audrey had herself artificially inseminated without Steve's knowledge and became pregnant. When Steve found out, he was angry, but the two sorted out their differences and were looking forward to having a baby when Audrey was in a car accident and miscarried. Audrey was devastated and separated from Steve. Audrey soon flew off to Vietnam in order to help war orphans.

When Audrey returned from Vietnam, she continued to push Steve away and shortly after their divorce was finalized, Audrey married Tom Baldwin in an effort to prove that she was over Steve. However, Audrey couldn't bring herself to sleep with Tom, and he ended up raping Audrey. After finding herself pregnant with Tom's child, Audrey filed for divorce and fled town, determined to protect her unborn child from her violent husband.

1970-1989

Audrey returned in 1971, and informed Lucille that her son had died at birth. Audrey soon reconnected with Steve, but it was quickly revealed that Audrey was lying about her son. Audrey's son, whom she named Steve, was still alive and in hiding. Audrey believed that if Tom found out about the baby he would contest the divorce, and so she had come up with a convoluted plot in which she would claim her child was dead, remarry Steve, and then convince him to adopt a baby which was in reality her 'dead' son. However, Mrs. Peggy Nelson, the woman who was looking after young Steve, soon realized what was going on and blackmailed Audrey. Peggy Nelson was murdered and Audrey accused of the crime. Thanks to Steve, Audrey was acquittedm but her worst fears quickly came true when Tom reclaimed baby Steve (who was renamed Tommy), forcing Audrey to resume her marriage to him. Predictably, Tom and Audrey's marriage quickly became unstuck, and Tom kidnapped young Tommy and fled to Mexico. Tom was later presumed dead and Tommy was returned to Audrey.

During the kidnapping ordeal, Tommy had become ill with a heart ailment, and heart surgeon Jim Hobart was quickly enlisted to perform the surgery. Tommy recovered and Audrey felt an enormous amount of gratitude towards the doctor. After Jim injured his hands in an accident and feared he would never be able to operate again, Audrey felt sorry for him and ended up marrying him, even though she still loved Steve. Predictably, Audrey was once again trapped in a loveless marriage, as Jim turned to alcohol to drown his sorrow over not being able to operate.

Jim and Audrey remained married for several years. In 1976, Jim eventually cleaned his act up and ended up leaving Audrey for a younger woman. Audrey was despondent and attempted suicide, but Steve saved her. Sensing his chance, Steve quickly proposed to Audrey who accepted. The couple were finally set to marry, however in his excitement, Steve ended up falling down a flight of stairs. Audrey helped him recuperate, and the two were finally remarried, only for Tom Baldwin to turn up alive!

Tom's return invalidated Steve and Audrey's marriage, and Tom immediately set about reclaiming both Audrey and his son. However, he came to the realization that both Audrey and Tommy did not want him around and eventually left town. Steve and Audrey were married for the third and last time in 1977, and Steve officially adopted Tommy, making him a Hardy. Audrey had also become head of student nurses at General Hospital, and as a result became a mentor to nurses such as Bobbie Spencer.

Terry, Rick and Jeff Webber, the children of Steve's old friend Lars Webber, had arrived in Port Charles some time before Steve and Audrey's reconciliation, and Steve and Audrey found themselves embroiled in their various dramas, including Jeff's disastrous marriage to Monica Bard. Jeff ended up shooting himself and as he lay in hospital, Terry informed Steve of the existence of a letter from Helene Webber, Terry, Rick and Jeff's mother. Steve found the letter and was shocked to learn that Jeff was in fact his son, conceived when he had had an affair with Helene many years before. Steve informed Audrey and the two agreed to keep the truth about Jeff's parentage to themselves.

Two years passed and in the winter of 1979, Port Charles was hit by an epidemic of Lassa Fever. General Hospital was placed under quarantine as Steve worked tirelessly for a cure. As Steve began to fall victim to the disease, Audrey decided to tell Jeff the truth. Shortly afterwards, the cure was formulated and everyone afflicted by the disease was cured. Both Rick and Jeff were angry at Steve and Audrey, and it took many months before everyone was reconciled.

Steve and Audrey were overjoyed when it was revealed that Jeff's son Steven Lars was still alive, but heartbroken when Jeff decided to leave town with him. Some years later, Tommy (now known as just Tom) also left Port Charles to attend college. Tom returned in 1987, and Steve and Audrey were thrilled. However Audrey had doubts when Tom married an African-American doctor, Simone Ravelle, fearing that her son's interracial marriage would not be accepted. (The union of Tom Hardy and Simone Ravelle was the first interracial marriage on a daytime soap opera.)

1990-2007

In time, Audrey and Simone grew close, and Simone even confided in Audrey when she fell pregnant following an affair with Harrison and didn't know if the baby's father was Tom or Harrison. Audrey was overjoyed when she learned that Simone's baby, Tommy, was indeed Tom's.

In 1993, Audrey organized a surprise party for Steve's 30th anniversary at General Hospital. However, tragedy later struck Audrey when she was attacked by psychopath Ryan Chamberlain, who in his delusional state, had mistaken her for his abusive mother. Fortunately Audrey quickly recovered.

Audrey was disappointed when Tom and Simone divorced in 1995, and did not approve of Simone's relationship with Justus Ward. The following year, Audrey was devastated when Steve died of a heart attack. In the aftermath, General Hospital went bankrupt, and it was revealed that Steve had known about the hospital's financial situation for months. Steve's fatal heart attack was quickly attributed to the stress which Steve had been under in trying to deal with the worsening crisis. This caused considerable strain between Tom and Audrey, because Tom believed that the Cassadines were responsible for bankrupting the hospital and joined forces with Luke Spencer in a vendetta to bring the Cassadines down. Audrey, however, refused to believe that the Cassadines were responsible. Tom eventually left town. Audrey, meanwhile, was thrilled to learn that one of her closest friends, Lesley Webber (Rick Webber's former wife), was still alive.

In 1997, Audrey was attacked during a hostage crisis at General Hospital. Jeff's daughter, Sarah Webber, came to help Audrey while she recovered, and Sarah was followed quickly by her younger sister Liz. While Sarah was the perfect granddaughter, Liz was more rebellious and quickly gained a reputation as a troublemaker. However, Liz was raped on February 14, 1998 by a seedy man named Tom Baker. The situation caused great anguish, especially as Audrey refused to acknowledge the rape and continually told Liz that she should just try and move on with her life. Eventually Sarah confronted Audrey and Audrey ended up revealing to Liz the details of her own rape at the hands of Tom Baldwin decades before. In the end, Audrey and Liz became closer, and Audrey was finally able to lay the demons of her past to rest.

As Liz matured, Audrey argued with her about her choice of friends, first with Lucky Spencer and later with Jason Morgan. Liz grew tired of Audrey's interference in her life and moved out, but the two later reconciled. Audrey would later support Liz, as Liz's life came in many ways to resemble Audrey's. Liz married and later divorced Ric Lansing, and became a single mother to Cameron following a one night stand with Zander Smith. Audrey was thrilled when Liz announced her intention to become a nurse.

On April 17, 2002 "General Hospital" aired its 10,000th episode. The show commemorated this event by having the staff of the hospital throw a surprise party for Audrey, in honor of her 10,000th shift as a nurse at "GH". The episode featured clips and montages from the show's previous 39 years. But the plot device of a major party in Audrey's honor also served as recognition of Audrey's status as the show's longest-running character, and Rachel Ames' status as the show's senior cast member.

After Rachel Ames was put on recurring status in 2003, Audrey was seen much less often. Audrey later went on a cruise for most of 2005, but returned to Port Charles when Liz finally married her longtime love Lucky Spencer. However, in 2006 Liz and Lucky separated, and Liz moved in with Audrey once again.

Audrey's final appearance on "General Hospital" was March 23, 2007, after actress Rachel Ames retired. [http://www.soaps.com/generalhospital/comings_and_goings/]

* =See also=

*History Of General Hospital
*List of General Hospital characters

References

* [http://www.soapcentral.com/gh/whoswho/audrey.php Audrey March Hardy Profle] at SoapCentral.Com