The daytime community has been sending General Hospital's Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth Webber) an outpouring of love, gifts, support, and congratulations as she celebrates her 25th anniversary in Port Charles. The actress stepped into her iconic daytime role on August 1, 1997, and the GH canvas hasn't been the same since.
Often described as the heart and soul of Port Charles, Elizabeth has been integral to some of the ABC soap's most memorable storylines in the last quarter century -- and if fans have it their way, she'll be integral to decades more! Not only has there been a recent outcry from viewers to give Herbst the screen time that she deserves (outcry that prompted the actress to reassure everyone that she had not been fired), but there was also a similar situation back in 2011, when GH announced that Herbst had been let go; the fan outcry was so strong, the powers that be reversed their decision and signed the actress to a brand-new contract!
She's obviously very loved, and, as can be seen in her recent social media posts, she is aware of the support and is incredibly grateful. On the day of her anniversary, Herbst took to Twitter to express her gratitude for the gifts and flowers that she'd been sent by fans and colleagues marking her milestone moment.
"Ok, I haven't had the chance to peek at everything and I was told there's more to come. But what I know for sure is that I definitely feel loved," she shared. "It's like a party exploded in my dressing room! I'll jump back on in a bit...what a beautiful day... #GH #25"
Ok, I haven't had the chance to peek at everything and I was told there's more to come. But what I know for sure is that I definitely feel loved 🥰 It's like a party exploded in my dressing room! I'll jump back on in a bit...what a beautiful day...♥️ #GH #25
- RebeccaHerbst (@RebeccaLHerbst) August 1, 2022
Celebrating the milestone with the woman of the hour! 25 years strong. @RebeccaLHerbst #GH pic.twitter.com/1zIEMVD5Ad
- General Hospital (@GeneralHospital) August 2, 2022
True to her word, Herbst did jump back on to social media to share how moved she was by all the anniversary love. "And now I'm crying. Happy, overwhelming grateful tears," she shared, followed by, "You guys seriously spoil me."
And now I'm crying. Happy, overwhelming grateful tears. #GH #25
- RebeccaHerbst (@RebeccaLHerbst) August 1, 2022
You guys seriously spoil me ♥️♥️♥️ #GH #25
- RebeccaHerbst (@RebeccaLHerbst) August 1, 2022
In addition to countless messages from fans, Herbst received many congratulatory messages from her colleagues, as well. Cassandra James (Terry Randolph) shared, "Incredible! Congrats to my amazing scene partner!" Hudson West (Jake Webber) declared, "Congratulations! I love my TV mom so much!" And Eden McCoy (Josslyn Jacks) enthused: "Happy Anniversary, Becky! You're amazing and inspiring every day and in every way!"
Unfortunately, though GH sent Herbst a happy anniversary tweet, the show hasn't indicated that it will air a special anniversary episode in Herbst's honor, nor has the soap given any hints that it plans to amp up storyline for Elizabeth. The character is currently in the middle of a major psychiatric storyline that seems to have inexplicably taken a backseat, and Elizabeth and her son Cameron (William Lipton) have been puzzlingly absent from the storyline surrounding Trina's (Tabyana Ali) courtroom trial, despite the fact that Cam and his girlfriend, Joss, were Esme's (Avery Pohl) victims.
Despite her lack of screen time, Herbst continues to express how grateful she is to be a part of GH and even sat down with Soap Opera Digest to share her thoughts about sharing the screen with her Port Charles cohorts for such a long time.
"I have been so, so fortunate over the years to have worked with such incredible people," she enthuses. "In 25 years, there's been only a handful of people -- less than a handful, really -- that I didn't absolutely love working with."
Some of the co-stars that she praises include Jonathan Jackson (ex-Lucky Spencer), Genie Francis (Laura Webber), Rebecca Budig (ex-Hayden Barnes), Tyler Christopher (ex-Nikolas Cassadine), Amber Tamblyn (ex-Emily Quartermaine), Kimberly McCullough (ex-Robin Scorpio), Roger Howarth (Austin Gatlin-Holt/ex-Franco Baldwin), Kelly Monaco (Sam McCall), and more. To check it out, click here.
Would you like to wish Rebecca Herbst a happy 25th anniversary at GH? What have been some of your favorite moments from her time as Elizabeth Webber? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.
