Here's Everything We Know About Tabyana Ali, General Hospital's New Trina
Actress Sydney Mikayla made her mark on "General Hospital" from 2019 to 2022 as smart-as-a-whip teenager Trina Robinson (via IMDb). She took Trina from Josslyn Jacks' (Eden McCoy) best friend and sidekick to a young leading heroine involved in a star-crossed love story with Spencer Cassadine (Nicholas Alexander Chavez).
But, soon, Mikayla left Trina behind to devote herself to her studies at UCLA (via Soap Opera Digest). That meant "General Hospital" had to search for a new actress to play Trina as she's involved in one of the hottest stories on the show.
The casting department seems to have hit paydirt with Tabyana Ali, another talented young actress who came onto the scene just as Trina was being arrested for a crime she didn't commit. Ali didn't miss a beat and jumped into a meaty storyline, endearing her to fans almost instantly.
Who is this new young actress, and how did she finally land the role of Trina after trying for it once before?
Tabyana Ali could have been the first full-time Trina
When "General Hospital" was first looking for an actress to play Trina on a regular basis, as she was a recurring character played by Tiana Le in 2018 (via Soaps In Depth), Tabyana Ali auditioned for the part, but it ultimately went to Sydney Mikayla. However, Ali was a finalist, and, when she got the chance to try out for the part again, she was ready to make it her own.
"The audition process for Trina was really exciting for me, because it was the second time General Hospital called me," Ali told Soap Opera Digest.
"The first time was about three years ago, and I actually went out for Trina. It came down to me, Sydney, and I believe one or two other girls, so when I got the call three years later, I was ecstatic, thinking this would be another chance to be on General Hospital and hoping I would make it to the producer session."
However, nobody told her she was going for the same exact role she almost landed three years ago; the script contained a fake character name.
"I actually didn't know I was going out for the role of Trina," Ali said. "I thought it was for a character named Natalie. It wasn't until the very end that I realized I was going to be playing Trina. It was blowing my mind. I was just speechless."
The actress is also a children's book author
It's been 10 years since Tabyana Ali started acting professionally, using the name Tabyana Ford when she first began her career, according to IMDb. Her first on-screen appearance was as a contestant on the game show "Win, Lose, or Draw," but she's also appeared on several other television series, including "New Girl," "Shimmer and Shine," and "The Big, Big Show."
Not only is Ali a talented actress, but she is also an author who wrote a children's book, "My Flower Child," which she spoke of on her Instagram in October 2020.
"I am so happy to announce that my first children's book 'My Flower Child' is now out on Kindle ebooks and will soon be ready for paperback! Go to Kindlestore.com to purchase," Ali wrote next to a snap of the book's colorful cover.
"This book is for mothers and daughters everywhere of all ages. It doesn't matter if you're 2 or 102. This book is about the bond between a mother and her daughter and the experiences shared together. I hope you enjoy My Flower Child and if you do read it let me know what you think of it!"
Tabyana Ali is a longtime General Hospital fan
For many, love for a soap opera gets passed down from generation to generation. Longtime fans begin watching when they're young because their mothers watch a soap, just like their grandmothers before them. The same can be said for Tabyana Ali's experience with "General Hospital," the soap she now calls home.
"My aunts and my mom and my grandmothers, they just passed it down to me," Ali explained to Soap Opera Digest. "I have a lot of memories of them talking about General Hospital, about Luke and Laura. So, my family, they're literally going insane. This show has been around since they were kids, so they're like, 'One of our own is going to be on General Hospital? That's amazing!'"
Being devoted fans, Ali's family members helped her catch up on some storylines she might have missed so she'd be prepared to jump into scenes and bring college freshman Trina to life right from the start.
Trina fans were so excited about her arrival on the Port Charles scene that they sent her a gift before her first shows aired. "Next Week: ABC General Hospital!" Ali wrote on Instagram alongside several bouquets of flowers. "Thank you so much to the Sprina/Trina fans and my agents @a3artistsagency for the flowers! They are beautiful and a great addition to my garden."
She walked into a frontburner storyline
Sadly, Trina Robinson is getting pretty rough treatment on "General Hospital" at the moment. She has been accused of recording Cameron Webber (Will Lipton) and Josslyn having sex for the first time and blasting it all over the internet. But the audience knows that Trina was set up by Esme Prince (Avery Kristen Pohl), and her friends are rallying around her to try to prove it.
Neither Trina nor her friends and family know that Esme also drugged Trina the night that she made the video. With Trina not remembering much about that night, it makes it harder for her to defend herself, according to Soaps In Depth.
With so much heavy material, Ali is grateful for her co-stars taking her under their wing. "The cast made it really easy for me to get comfortable and pick up everything. They were very supportive and encouraging," the actress told Soap Opera Digest.
"I asked them questions before we went on set and they were very insightful about what to do, how to carry everything out, what to do on the weekends [to prepare for the work week]. It got easier to pick up after they explained everything."
Tabyana Ali was stunned by the fan reaction
On March 4, 2022, Soap Opera Digest broke the news that Sydney Mikayla was leaving "General Hospital" and that her last episode would air on March 17.
It also broke the news that Tabyana Ali would debut in the role soon after, and Ali was not prepared for the social media reaction as Trina fans welcomed and embraced her from the start. A little word from Mikayla also helped make her feel welcome and prepared to take on the role.
"I didn't know when [the casting news] was going to be made public, but I was in the middle of doing a scene and my phone started going off," Ali told Soap Opera Digest. "I had all these notifications on Twitter, and I was like, 'What is going on?' On a break, I checked it out and I was like, 'Oh, my gosh, it's out!' Sydney shouted me out and I felt like she was passing the torch to me, like [giving me] her approval."