Daytime TV Stars Who Have Been On More Than One Iconic Soap Opera

The world of soap operas is large and consistently expanding. There are always plenty of different actors dipping their toes in here and there over the years. But there are also some stars who have made their careers starring in soap operas. From "All My Children" to "General Hospital," including spinoffs and more, many actors have become big stars through their exciting roles in one of these shows.

But did you know that there are actually quite a few soap actors who have had major roles in more than one popular show? Sure, there have been crossovers of characters and storylines between related series. "General Hospital" exists in the same TV universe as both "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" did before they went off the air. Meanwhile, "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful" share the same world. Many characters have had story arcs on other shows before returning to their original series. But there have also been soap opera stars who have played completely different characters on two different shows.

So, which familiar faces have made their mark on more than one famous soap opera? Well, it turns out there are quite a few. Here are just a handful of examples of actors who've hopped from one soap to another over the years. 

Wally Kurth began his career in soap operas, and while he's gone off to try other projects over the years, he's still a huge soap actor. In fact, he has been pulling double duty and playing two roles in two different soap operas at the same time.

Kurth started playing the role of Justin Kiriakis in "Days of Our Lives" in the late 1980s, taking a long break between 1991 and 2009. During that time, he took on the character of Ned Ashton in "General Hospital." He stepped away from the latter role in 2007, only to return in 2013 and play both Ashton and Kiriakis ever since. 

While some people might know Kirsten Storms from the Disney Channel, she started acting in "Days of Our Lives" as Belle Black in 1999, playing the character until 2004. Not long after that, she was cast in her most well-known role, as Maxie Jones in "General Hospital."

She's been playing the character since 2005, with sporadic breaks over the years. She went on another hiatus in 2026 as she faced difficulties in her personal life. As of writing, her future on "General Hospital" is unclear, but Storms made it clear that the most important thing to her is her daughter.

Soap actor Jon Lindstrom has been on an impressive amount of shows over the years. He started off in the early '80s on "General Hospital" as Ryan Chamberlain, and later portrayed Kevin Collins, Chamberlain's twin, on the same show.

Not long after that, he took on a role in a soap opera called "Santa Barbara," while later playing his "General Hospital" character Collins in the spinoff "Port Charles." Lindstrom has since returned to "General Hospital," alternating between playing either (or sometimes both) twins. He's also fit in parts on other soap operas, like "As the World Turns" in the 2000s and "Beyond the Gates" starting in 2025.

Tamara Braun is a popular daytime television star who has won Daytime Emmy Awards for some of her many soap opera performances. Starting off on "General Hospital" in 2001 as Carly Corinthos, which earned her an Emmy nomination, she moved to new roles at both "Days of Our Lives" and "All My Children" in 2008.

She portrayed two characters on "Days of Our Lives," winning her Daytime Emmy for her performance as Ava Vitali, a character she returned to after several years away and played until 2025. In 2017, she started a two-year stint as Dr. Kim Nero on "General Hospital," winning an Emmy for that role as well. In 2025, she added "The Young and the Restless" to her resume too.

Most people know Steve Burton for his long-running role as Jason Morgan on "General Hospital," appearing as him in over 2000 episodes. First playing the character in 1991, it's been over three decades that he's portrayed him on the hit show. 

But Burton's first sudser back in 1988 was actually "Days of Our Lives," where he portrayed Harris Michaels. Burton played Michaels again in the 2022 "Beyond Salem" spinoff, rejoining "Days of Our Lives" the year after. He switched back to "General Hospital" in 2024. He also added Dylan McAvoy in "The Young and the Restless" to his repertoire in the 2010s.

Maura West, who has three Daytime Emmys under her belt for her work on soap operas, started with her role as Carly Tenney in "As the World Turns." She stayed with the show until its finale in 2010. 

That year, she joined "The Young and the Restless" as Diane Jenkins, only playing the character into 2011. But only two years later, in 2013, she joined "General Hospital" as Ava Jerome, a role she continues to play as of writing.

Maurice Benard's inclusion on this list might surprise some casual soap opera fans. He's been playing Sonny Corinthos on "General Hospital" for so long it's hard to think of him as any other role. 

But a few years before he booked his most well-known gig, Benard had a stint on another soap opera, "All My Children." He played the character Nico Kelly from 1987 to 1990, joining "General Hospital" in 1993. His character Sonny also made a short appearance on "Port Charles" in 2000. 

Popular soap opera star Kelly Monaco's path to her biggest daytime TV role was an interesting one. She started as the character Livvie Locke on the "General Hospital" spinoff series "Port Charles," playing her for three years.

Then, in 2003, she made the jump to "General Hospital," but not as the same character fans were familiar with. Instead, she took on a new role as Sam McCall, which she portrayed for 21 years. Monaco's 2024 exit from "General Hospital" was a major surprise for both fans and the actor.