The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard drama wasn’t the only trial going on last week. Over at General Hospital, a child visitation case was in full force and attorney Diane Miller, played by Carolyn Hennesy, was steering the ship. For her portrayal of a savvy attorney, Soap Hub bestows Performer of the Week for GH honors on Hennesy, who plays Diane.
Carolyn Hennesy – Performer of the Week
Diane (Carolyn Hennesy) was representing Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell) and Willow Tait (Katelyn MacMullen), parents of little Wiley (Viron Weaver), to keep Wiley’s biological grandmother Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) from being allowed to legally visit the little boy.
Diane faced off against opposing counsel Scotty Baldwin (Kin Shriner) all week. Both lawyers were evenly armed with gobs of GH storyline history to use against the involved parties and each attorney didn’t hesitate to make mincemeat out of the other side. We expected Diane, an excellent attorney, to expertly grill Nina on the stand, pointing out her foibles and past crimes hoping the court would rule in Michael’s favor. (She did.)
However, it was when Diane was forced to cross-examine her employer and friend Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), who unexpectedly testified on Nina’s behalf where Hennesy truly shined. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle this,” Carolyn Hennesy’s Diane confidently told Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright) and Michael before questioning Sonny. Diane put aside her loyalty to Sonny to try and achieve what was right for her client. That wasn’t an easy goal to achieve.
Clearly, Diane is more than an attorney to the Corinthos clan — she’s a valued friend and trusted ally. As GH viewers know, Hennesy always brings panache and style to Diane. She trades quips with and barbs with Shriner’s Scotty with great ease. However, Hennesy never makes viewers forget that, above all else, Diane is a sharp, smart, and skilled attorney. She managed to devalue Sonny taking the blame for not returning to his wife (he knew he had one as he wore a wedding ring) by pointing out that there was no way for Sonny to know that he had children or grandchildren. Diane threw Nina under the bus by pointing out that she did know — and said nothing.
After Sonny told the court that he and Nina have gotten past her decision to remain quiet about his identity, Diane emotionally but also expertly asked Sonny if he ever asked himself if his family had gotten past it? Knowing that her point was made no matter how Sonny responded, Diane skipped getting an answer from him, and then, she moved in for the kill — bringing up the fact that Nina kidnapped Sonny’s daughter Avery after drugging her mother Ava (Maura West).
Diane stayed in attack mode by pointing out that Sonny had had a traumatic head injury and perhaps that was influencing his judgment about Nina? Time will tell if Nina gets to legally see Wiley but we definitely know one thing — Carolyn Hennesy is guilty of turning in dynamite performances!
Honorable mention: Maurice Benard’s testimony during the custody hearing was powerful and nuanced. He kept calling Michael’s attorney “Diane,” a reminder that the two have known each other a long time and it was rare for them to be on the opposite sides of an issue. We’re not really sure how Nina’s presence in Wiley’s world will be harmful given that nearly everyone in the boy’s life has committed a multitude of sins and crimes. But the hearing has all been worth it. Not only were we treated to Carolyn Hennesy at her finest, but we also finally heard Sonny admit that there was someone else who kept the mobster from his family — and that person was Sonny himself!
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