The Touching Gift General Hospital's Jacklyn Zeman Gave Brighton Hertford As A Child
Fans were pleasantly surprised when Brighton Hertford returned to "General Hospital" for the show's tribute episodes for the late Jacklyn Zeman and her character, Bobbie Spencer. She played a mysterious reporter named Angela Brighton, who turned out to be the ghost — or an angel, depending on your interpretation — of B.J. Jones, Bobbie's daughter who died as a result of a school bus accident in 1994. Her heart was subsequently transplanted into her cousin, Maxie Jones (then Robyn Richards).
In a January 11, 2024, interview posted by Soap Opera Digest, Hertford reminisced about being on the show as a kid. She explained the bonds she developed with castmates: "Brad [Maule, ex-Tony Jones] and Jackie [were] the biggest influences because I spent the most time with them on set." She further stated that when she got the call to return for Bobbie's funeral, she already had plans to be in Los Angeles and remarked that the timing was "serendipitous."
In a video posted on January 23, Hertford spoke more in-depth about her return to the sudser with Michael Fairman. She recalled that at age 8, Zeman gave her a gift she would never forget. "Jackie gave me a butterfly ring that has an opal in it," she explained, adding, "We had this really special moment where she gave it to me, and she talked to me about the significance of butterflies in her life."
Hertford was very humble upon her return
"General Hospital" star Brighton Hertford continued explaining to Michael Fairman what Jacklyn Zeman had said about the butterfly. "She told me that in order to make sure that the opals never crack, I'm supposed to take my pinky and rub it on the inside of my nose, where your natural body oils collect, and rub it on the opal." The token remained an important memento for her, noting that the opal hasn't broken so far. Whenever she sees someone who also has jewelry with an opal, she remarked, "I'm like, 'Oh, you have to remember to keep it like this.'" Wistfully, she stated, "Jackie gave it to me as a way of saying goodbye."
Hertford had also never met Kirsten Storms, who's played Maxie Jones since 2005, and it was a treat to work with her. "She was just so welcoming and offered to run lines with me in the green room because it is very fast-paced and high octane and wanted to make sure that I felt comfortable," she excitedly stated, remarking that the two exchanged contact info afterward.
In her Soap Opera Digest discussion, Hertford explained that she brought a level of humility upon her return, acknowledging the grief that everyone was experiencing after losing Zeman. She said, "I tried to approach it from a place of really understanding the situation that I was walking into. I didn't anticipate that I was going to walk in and everyone was going to be like, 'Huzzah, B.J.! Hello!'"
Hertford was pleased with Bobbie's sendoff
Brighton Hertford has continued to work over the years since departing "General Hospital" when she was a kid. She's been in several movies and TV shows, including "Dawson's Creek," "7th Heaven," and films such as the 1998 remake of "The Parent Trap" and "The Master of Disguise." She lives in Utah and has worked extensively with the local theater group Salt Lake Acting Company, appearing in such plays as "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Peter and the Starcatcher," among others. When she's not acting, she's an ed-tech consultant.
In talking with Michael Fairman about her "GH" return, she felt that the sudser handled everything nicely while summarizing the life of Bobbie Spencer, considering she had a troubled past. "I think there's so much beauty in telling the whole of the story and not just saying, 'Oh yeah, they were perfect,' and then move on," she remarked. Hertford added, "Because they have [a] past, because they have histories, it makes who they are all the more beautiful, not in spite of it."
Hertford noted that the B.J. Jones storyline was also important because it encouraged people to become organ donors, raising awareness about the issue. Now that she's portrayed B.J. as a ghost or angel, it opens the door for her to periodically check in on the many characters whose lives she touched from time to time.