In what fans will undoubtedly see as a shocking departure, Emmy winner Julie Berman (Lulu Spencer) has opted to exit General Hospital. The role of Lulu may be recast.
"Hi everyone...yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life. It hurts to let go of Lulu," Berman shared on Twitter. "Thank u for letting me into ur homes & hearts."
The actress offers a more detailed explanation for her decision to leave the show she's called home for the better part of a decade in the latest edition of Soaps In Depth. Among her key reasons is her desire to spread her wings and tackle new projects outside of daytime.
"And there are enough reasons now that my gut is telling me that this is the right time to finally let go of GH," Berman told the magazine.
Outside of her work in daytime, Berman and her husband, Mike, are co-owners of Better Buddies, a company that creates environmentally friendly pet products.
With Berman unsure if she'd ink another contract with the ABC soap, in mid-January, General Hospital execs hedged their bets by issuing a casting call for the role of Lulu using the code name "Erin." The audition script was comprised of a scene in which Lulu questions whether her and Dante's relationship can stand the test of time. Audition scripts do not always play out on-screen the way they are written.
Recasting is also not a certainty. The show could opt to go in another direction and not immediately recast Lulu.
Berman joined the cast of General Hospital in December 2005. During her seven years with the show, she has received three Daytime Emmy nominations. In 2009 and 2010, Berman took home the trophy for Outstanding Younger Actress.
A final airdate has yet to be announced.
