When General Hospital made the bold decision to dedicate a stand-alone episode to the late Anthony Geary, the emotional weight of honoring the legendary

Luke Spencer was always going to be immense. But for Alexa Havins, who now portrays Lulu Spencer, that weight became something far more personal — and far more daunting.

Havins was tapped to anchor the tribute episode, placing Lulu at the emotional center of a story designed to honor one of daytime television’s most iconic figures.

For many in the cast, the episode was a farewell to a colleague and friend they had known for decades. For Havins, however, it was a different kind of challenge entirely.

She never worked with Geary.

She didn’t share in the on-screen father-daughter history that defined Luke and Lulu’s complex relationship.

And she wasn’t the Lulu who built that legacy alongside him.

When she first learned she would be carrying the tribute episode, Havins admits her reaction wasn’t pure excitement — it was fear.

“I was so nervous and scared,” she revealed in a candid interview. “I’m not the Lulu that worked with him and has all that beautiful history with him.”

The pressure was immediate and, by her own admission, overwhelming. Havins described placing “insane pressure” on herself to deliver a performance that honored not only the script but also Geary’s towering legacy and the grief of her co-stars.

Because while she was stepping into the emotional spotlight, the cast around her was mourning someone they had deeply loved.

Actors including Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos), Jane Elliot (Tracy Quartermaine), Genie Francis (Laura Collins), Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth Baldwin), and Laura Wright (Carly Spencer) appear in the episode — many of them still grappling with the shock of Geary’s December passing.

For Francis in particular, whose Laura shared one of soap opera’s most legendary love stories with Luke, the emotions were raw and immediate. Elliot and Benard, too, had decades of shared history with Geary both on and off screen.

That authenticity — the unscripted grief lingering behind every line — became both a source of inspiration and a profound responsibility for Havins.

“It’s only been a couple of months,” she acknowledged, aware that many of her co-stars were still processing their loss. Watching their heartbreak unfold during filming pushed her to dig deeper into Lulu’s sorrow. The line between performance and reality blurred, creating a rare emotional alchemy that daytime television seldom captures.

Yet Havins didn’t face the storm alone. At home, she leaned on her husband, former All My Children star Justin Bruening, who helped her refocus when anxiety threatened to overwhelm her. His steady reassurance allowed her to shift from fear to purpose.

Once grounded, Havins poured herself into Lulu’s grief — not as a replacement for past history, but as a bridge to it. She committed to honoring the legacy she inherited rather than competing with it.

In one particularly poignant moment on set, Havins reportedly turned to Jane Elliot and asked if they could do another take. Her reasoning was simple and heartfelt: “I just want to honor your friend.”

It was a gesture that underscored the atmosphere on set. This wasn’t just another storyline. It was a collective act of remembrance.

Perhaps the most transformative experience for Havins came behind the scenes. During filming breaks, she watched Geary’s final episode as Luke — the now-iconic scene in which he walks away into the mist on the pier, leaving Port Charles behind with characteristic mystery and quiet bravado.

For someone who had never shared scenes with him, the moment was unexpectedly powerful.

“I was just so moved by his brilliance, his simplicity, his delivery,” Havins reflected. “And that’s me not knowing this gentleman.”

The realization struck her: Geary’s magic wasn’t confined to those who knew him personally. It radiated through the screen, evident even to those experiencing it for the first time years later.

That understanding deepened her performance. Instead of attempting to replicate past chemistry or mimic prior portrayals, Havins focused on embodying Lulu’s emotional truth in the present — a daughter grieving not only the loss of her father, but also the realization that some legacies are too vast to ever fully contain.

The tribute episode, carefully crafted and handled with sensitivity, serves as both a narrative farewell and a real-life salute. Given the unexpected nature of Geary’s passing, the production team approached the project with deliberate care, ensuring that it reflected both Luke Spencer’s impact on Port Charles and Geary’s impact on the actors who shared the journey.

For Havins, the finished product is something she describes with pride. She sees it not as a recreation of history, but as a “tip of the hat” — a graceful acknowledgment of what came before and the man who made it possible.

In many ways, her experience mirrors Lulu’s own evolution. Stepping into a role defined by decades of storytelling means navigating inherited emotion, audience expectations, and the invisible weight of memory. Doing so during a tribute episode magnified every nuance.

Yet what could have been paralyzing became transformative.

Havins’ vulnerability — her willingness to admit fear, to seek guidance, and to approach the material with reverence — ultimately became the episode’s emotional core. The grief onscreen wasn’t manufactured. It was shared.

And as General Hospital continues forward without one of its brightest stars, the tribute stands as a reminder that legacy isn’t only about the moments actors create together. It’s also about the moments that inspire those who come after.

For Alexa Havins, stepping into that space meant confronting “insane pressure.” But in doing so, she helped ensure that Anthony Geary’s impact — both as Luke Spencer and as a beloved colleague — will continue to echo through Port Charles for years to come.