General Hospital star Cynthia Watros has a big day to celebrate

While General Hospital's Nina Reeves finds her life a mess as usual, Cynthia Watros, the Daytime Emmy-winning actress who has brought her to life since 2019, has something to celebrate — her birthday.

Cynthia Watros marks a milestone

Watros made a name for herself on soaps | Image: ABC

Watros was born on September 2, 1968, in Lake Orion, MI. After attending Macomb Community College in her native Michigan, Watros went on to earn a degree in theater arts from Boston University. By 1994, she began making a big name for herself on soaps when she created the role of Guiding Light's Annie Dutton, a mild-mannered nurse who turned out to be anything but.

Watros remained with Guiding Light until 1998, the same year she won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. That was also the year she briefly played Victoria Hudson on Another World when she filled in for Jensen Buchanan.

As the 21st century began, Watros embarked on a successful primetime career that saw her land major roles on Titus, Lost, and The Drew Carey Show. She also appeared in multiple other primetime series, including Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, and In Plain Sight.

In 1996, Watros married Gilliland, with whom she had twin daughters in 2001. Watros and Gilliland divorced in 2020.

Cynthia Watros finds a home on General Hospital

General Hospital's Nina and Willow | Image: ABC

In 2019, Watros made her return to the genre that first brought her to fame when she took over the role of General Hospital's Nina Reeves from former and current The Young and the Restless star Michelle Stafford. Watros quickly made the role her own, earning two more Daytime Emmy nods in 2022 and 2024.

As Nina, Watros has made the quirky character both endearing and exasperating. She is her own worst enemy, constantly making mistakes that sabotage her life, yet all she wants to do is be a mother.

"She comes from a really good heart, but she makes mistakes," Watros said in 2022, according to Soap Hub. "I can incorporate a lot of me into Nina, but she is different. She’s a lot more hurt than I am. She has a lot of unfinished childhood stuff in her."

Currently, Nina looks like she might become a prime suspect in the 'Who Shot Drew?' whodunit story coming up.