Additional Coverage:
- General Hospital star Alley Mills gives emotional tribute to late husband at 2025 Daytime Emmys (themirror.com)
Pasadena, CA – Veteran soap opera star Alley Mills took home a major win at the 2025 Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday, accepting the trophy for Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series with a heartfelt speech that included a touching tribute to her late husband.
Mills, 74, was recognized for her compelling portrayal of Heather Webber on “General Hospital,” a role she inherited in 1980. The actress bested a strong field of nominees, including Linden Ashby, Clint Howard, Jacqueline Grace Lopez, Valarie Pettiford, and Avery Kristen Pohl.
Speaking from the stage of the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Mills expressed genuine surprise at her win, acknowledging both her on-screen and real-life families. A poignant moment came when she honored her husband, Orson Bean, who tragically passed away in 2020 after being struck by a car.
“I just got to give him love… I miss you baby,” she shared.
This marks Mills’ second Daytime Emmy for her work as Heather Webber, having previously won for the character in 2023. She was also nominated in 2024 but lost out to Dick Van Dyke.
In a 2024 interview with Soap Opera Digest, Mills shared insights into what makes her “General Hospital” character so captivating. “My favorite thing about Heather is just how incredibly smart she is,” she stated.
“When I started reading the scripts, I think she’s just the smartest card in the deck, and she knows it. But she’s also clearly not balanced and adept at manipulating people in a very smart way.”
She added, “It’s tremendous fun to play someone that smart who has no fear. She’s kind of like a blank check.
She has no boundaries, and that’s a tremendous thing to play… I also think she has a big heart.
She has killed six people, but she has a heart of gold.”
“General Hospital” fans were particularly vocal about Heather’s storyline in October 2024 when the character was officially released from prison after years of incarceration for her numerous crimes in Port Charles. Over the years, Heather Webber has been involved in a lengthy list of nefarious activities, including killing a police officer, framing Edward’s granddaughter, kidnapping Skye, selling her own baby on the black market, and engaging in an affair, among many other dramatic plotlines.