Rarely does a significant period of time go by without some sort of whispering that Vanessa Marcil (Brenda Barrett) might be returning to General Hospital. It's now been more than a year since the Emmy winner's last on-screen sighting, and several recent on-screen mentions have left fans wondering.

"We're always trying to work something out," Marcil told Soaps In Depth in the magazine's most recent issue. "Even if I'm committed to something else, I will always come visit."

Many fans were less than thrilled with Marcil's last long-term return in 2010. The stint, which lasted just shy of a year, was seven years in the making, and fans had high expectations. Marcil's brief return in 2013 also had tongues wagging and left many fans hoping for an eventual Sonny and Brenda reunion.

As for Marcil, the actress appears ready to do whatever it might take to make a return happen.

"I'll play Brenda on the weekends if they want me to!"

Marcil created the role of Brenda in 1992. She exited the show in 1998, but returned in 2002 for a short-term engagement. Marcil remained away from Port Charles until August 2010, when she began a yearlong stay on the daytime soap. Her most recent appearance came in April 2013. In 2003, Marcil won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress.

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