Daytime soaps have a long history of using the medium to tackle important real-life topics and General Hospital did just that again by introducing its first transgender character with the casting of Cassandra James as Elizabeth’s old friend, Dr. Terry Randolph! “Thank you, everyone, for all the love and support,” the actress tweeted following the Friday cliffhanger on June 29, 2018, that marked her first appearance on the show. “I’m so excited to go on this GH journey with all of you!”
James also added the hashtag “#TransVisibility” and later tweeted further about how important it is for transgender actors to have the opportunity to play trans characters in film and television. “I’ve never spoken about this before,” she posted, “but since it’s back in the news, I’ll say this: While I feel cis actors have a certain social responsibility in this amazing time of #TransVisibility in the industry, my real issue is with the decision-makers behind the scenes. It’s the directors, casting agents, writers, and producers who have to do better when it comes to allowing cis actors to play trans roles. We are talented, we are here, and we are ready to tell our own stories.
“But as a trans actress, I can tell you positive change is happening,” she concluded. “I’m so thankful to [GH executive producer] Frank Valentini and everyone at GH who were committed to having a trans woman portray Terry.” (The term “cis” refers to “cisgender,” meaning a person whose gender identity matches the sex that they were assigned at birth. An example of this would be the cisgender actor Jared Leto playing the transgender character of Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club.)
Terry was introduced to GH as an old friend of Elizabeth Webber‘s and the boy with whom she had her first kiss. Franco Baldwin admitted he was a little nervous to meet one of his fiancée’s old flames, but kind of relieved to find out she was no longer competition for him. Terry opened up to them, explaining how difficult it was to understand what she was going through when she was younger and how relieved she was to finally become the person she was always meant to be. Although she admitted to being rejected by a lot of people in her life, including her family, Terry was happy when Liz assured her she still loved her. In fact, she insisted that Terry come to her and Franco’s upcoming wedding.
Working at General Hospital as a pediatric oncologist, Terry was heavily involved in the storyline surrounding Oscar Nero‘s cancer. Dr. Randolph administered the experimental treatment that everyone hoped would save the teen’s life, but in the end, she had to report that the treatment did not work and all she could do was make sure Oscar was as comfortable as possible until he passed away.
Terry was in attendance at Liz and Franco’s belated wedding reception and when Franco was implanted with Drew’s memories, tried to help her friend, Kim Nero, understand that Franco wasn’t really Drew and she was just clinging to the past. She also warned Franco that Kim was heading for a breakdown and urged him to let her go.
The doc later resurfaced in October 2020 when Franco was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. He begged her to keep quiet about it so as not to upset Liz, and Terry reluctantly agreed. Naturally, the truth still came out and Terry continued to help treat Franco in the hopes of saving his life. And when Franco was shot and killed by Peter, Terry was there to support Liz as she grieved for her husband.
In June 2021, Terry was part of a meeting where Monica Quartermaine was named the new chairperson of the hospital. And when Britt Westbourne worried she could be replaced as chief of staff, Terry officially asked to be considered. Monica surprised the women by announcing that Britt and Terry would be co-chiefs. Terry and Britt clashed, but ultimately found common ground and were able to work together. Liz was upset when Terry revealed that her father, Jeff Webber, had reached out to her when Liz wouldn’t return his calls.
As 2022 began, Terry reluctantly let Dr. Portia Robinson set her up with another dating app, but was pleased when she got a response. And on Valentine’s Day, she went to Charlie’s Pub to await the man she had been messaging with, and seeing Chet Driscoll wearing the teal shirt she was expecting her blind date to wear, assumed he was the guy! He wasn’t, but when her actual date turned out to be a total creep, Chet stepped in to get rid of him and then joined Terry for a drink.
Unfortunately, Terry and Chet’s budding relationship came to an abrupt end when he was offered his dream job in Chicago. Amy Driscoll confessed that she had applied for her brother because she wanted to split them up, as she and Terry had been clashing a lot at work. But seeing them together, she’d had second thoughts and urged Chet not to take the job after all. But Terry told him she’d feel awful if he gave up this opportunity and they didn’t work out in the end, so she pushed him to accept the job and they could see what happened next Valentine’s Day.
The doctor found romance again with Yuri, and continued to support Liz as her pal struggled to recover repressed memories. Terry went with Liz to Monterey and tried to distract her parents so she could search their house. Terry found herself once again worrying about a patient when Willow Tait was diagnosed with leukemia and she didn’t want to tell Michael about it because she wanted to postpone treatment until after their baby was born. Eventually, Willow gave birth and her condition worsened, forcing her to receive a life-saving stem cell transplant. Terry hoped to use cells from the newborn baby but there weren’t enough. Thankfully, a donor was found.
In July 2023, Yuri gave Terry a key to his apartment, and she reciprocated by handing him an extra key to her place. A few months later, she asked Portia to be co-chief of staff with her, and though the doctor originally declined, she changed her mind and accepted. In November, Terry informed Dr. Hamilton Finn that he and the hospital were being sued for malpractice and told him to get a lawyer. (Thankfully, that case was settled in his and the hospital’s favor.)
In April 2024, Terry wished Tracy Quartermaine a happy birthday and assured her that her blood work was fine. When Tracy expressed she’d been feeling lethargic, Terry questioned if she was depressed and urged her to be more active. She then went to a meeting with Laura and Alexis to sign a contract to support the mayor’s initiative to get the city employees on the hospital’s health care plan. Then, in June, Terry offered Liz her support before meeting with Finn and Portia about his drinking. When the co-chiefs of staff insisted he be supervised at work and attend A.A. meetings, Finn lashed out at them both and quit!
Stay tuned to see what happens next!
