| Nina Clay | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Hospital character | |||||||||||||||||||
 Michelle Stafford as Nina Clay | |||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Michelle Stafford | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2014– | ||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | May 1, 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Present, regular | ||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Ron Carlivati | ||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Frank Valentini | ||||||||||||||||||
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Nina Clay is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital. The role has been portrayed by soap veteran Michelle Stafford since May 1, 2014.[2]
Casting
After first rumors of former The Young and the Restless actress Michelle Stafford being cast in the role rose in early 2014, the casting was not made public until Stafford's first airing on the show on May 1, 2014.[3] Head writer Ron Carlivati spoke to Daytime Confidential about the big casting coup saying: "Look, bottom line, Michelle [Stafford] was so perfect for Nina, we never seriously considered any other role for her." About how the show kept Stafford's casting under the radar, Carlivati added: "GH has been on hiatus for the past two weeks and Michelle doesn't really start taping until we resume. But we realized that as soon as she did, the news would be out there long before her episodes began airing. It was actually Frank's idea to try to slip her into an earlier show that had already been written and shot, so we could take everyone by surprise. So he snuck her into the studio recently, at the end of the day, to tape the one scene you just saw. That was inserted after the fact. We've been sweating it out ever since that it would stay under wraps!"[4]
Storylines
2014
Nina is first mentioned as the comatose wife of Silas Clay in early 2014. He's under the suspicion of attempting to murder her with an drug overdose. Nina's brother Nathan investigates the case and finds out that it was in fact Nina's mother Madeline. Madeline confirms that Nina was pregnant with Silas' child. She wanted to get rid of Nina's baby and accidentally overdosed her own daughter. Madeline tells Nathan that Nina has died, but later tells him that she only had Nina declared dead to get the inheritance that was left to Nina by Madeline's late husband.
In May 2014, after nearly twenty years in a comatose state, Nina awakens and is transferred to a different facility to undergo rehabilitation and treatment. Roughly a month later, Nina arrives in Port Charles and shocks a bewildered Silas with her presence when she arrives at a birthday party for Danny, the son of Silas's new girlfriend, Samantha Morgan (Kelly Monaco). Nina soon has to find out that much has changed in those twenty years she's been in a coma. She is introduced to Silas' daughter with his former mistress Ava Jerome, Kiki. After first not being aware that Silas and Sam are a couple, Nina claims to be fine with it; accepting the end of her marriage; and tells Silas that it would only be natural for his life to go on. Unbeknownst to everyone around Nina except for her nurse Rosalie Martinez (Linda Elena Tovar), Nina was not wheelchair bound. However it is later revealed that Nina has been awake for longer than she says and that she trashed Silas' apartment a few months back. Nina in fact wants revenge on everyone that wronged her. When Silas's nephew Rafe Kovich, Jr. (Jimmy Deshler) overheard Nina admit her devious intentions, Nina gave him money to escape town and goaded him to leave before everyone learned that he used drugs and had caused an accident which killed Gabriel Santiago. After Rafe's death, Nina leads Sam to thinking that Silas broker her trust. Sam and Silas break up over this. She consoles her husband and reminds him they are married. Nina admitts to Rosalie that she wants to become pregnant by her husband to make up for the child she lost years ago. Soon after. her relationship with Silas becomes intimate. She drugs Silas. Nina tells Silas that she wants a baby with him. She goes to the doctor to see if her eggs are still fertile. When she finds out that she cannot have a baby, she refuses to believe it. Nina meets Franco (Roger Howarth) at General Hospital. They soon develop a friendship.
Nina bonds with Franco as they tell each other their secrets. While still refusing that she cannot have a baby, Nina makes plans to have a baby. Her plans fall into place when Nina learns Ava Jerome (Maura West) is pregnant. She has a her mother write a prescription from her Aunt's (Kathleen Gati) prescription pad. Both Madeline and Nina find Ava hiding out at the Brownstone. Nina soon injects Ava with a drug that will induce labor. Silas learns that Nina is not wheelchair bound. Ava delivered a baby girl in early November. While Nina still thinks that Silas would love a baby, Madeline tells her that the child is not hers. Nina soon gets angry and hits her mother over the head with a lamp which rendered her unconscious. Franco shows up where Nina had been hiding. They go on the run together with the baby and end up in Canada.
2015–present
While still in Canada, they are both caught. The baby is taken into police custody. Nina ends up in Shadybrook for psychiatric treatment while Franco was sent to prison. Franco breaks out of prison with Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Ava. While in Shadybrook, Nina makes friends with Heather Webber (Robin Mattson). Franco goes to see Nina in Shadybrook only to see his mother with a syringe of LSD in her hands as she planned to hurt Nina. Franco saves Nina from his mother. Soon Franco realizes that the police will be after him. He injects inself with the LSD. Nina is touched that he would go to such lengths to be with her. Franco ends up in Shadybrook with Nina. Eventually charges for both are dropped. Although both are free, neither has money. Nina cannot get control of her trust fund. Franco and Nina blackmail Olivia Falconeri (Lisa LoCicero) about her baby so they end up with a free room at the Metro Court Hotel. Franco blackmails Ned Ashton (Wally Kurth) into giving him Ned's ELQ shares. Nina lives happily with Franco until Avery Corinthos (Ava & Grace Scarola) is missing. Franco believes that Nina had kidnapped Avery. Nina sells the ELQ share to Rosalie without Franco's knowledge. Rosalie gives the ELQ shares to Nikolas Cassadine (Tyler Christopher). Nina pushes Franco away. Nina marries to Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) on May 18, 2015. Nina claims to be happy with Ric to Franco. Ric makes Nina think she kidnapped Avery. While still married to Nina, Ric has an affair with her mother. Franco fears that Ric only wanted her money. Nina checks herself into Shadybrook thinking that she is crazy. While there, her mother tries to get her to sign her money over to Ric.
Nina, Franco, Ric and Madeline are suspects when Silas is murdered. As it turns out, it was Madeline who killed Silas. Ric has Madeline confess on tape. In November 2015, Nina goes to Julian Jerome, who owns Crimson magazine under his media empire, for a job. She ends up getting the job of Editor-in-chief since the former had left the magazine. She works closely with Maxie Jones. She puts all of her money into the magazine as capital.
