Our tears still haven’t dried after watching the General Hospital episodes surrounding the death of Sam McCall. (And we’re not out of the woods yet.) But perhaps we can all take some comfort in knowing that, even years ago, Kelly Monaco came to understand the significance of not only her role but her role in fans’ lives.

“I don’t really think about the effect that my character has on the audience,” she told Soap Opera Digest the year she celebrated her 10th anniversary in Port Charles. “The only time I really get a grasp on it and a light is kind of shined upon it is during our fan club weekend and stuff like that, when you really get to meet the fan base face to face and listen to their personal stories about why they watch the show and what you do that makes their day a little bit better. 

“That’s when I go, ‘Oh, wow. I’m making a difference!’ It makes me realize that I’m not just telling a story that’s self-gratifying on television,” she continued, “I’m actually making a difference for people and helping them escape for an hour a day.”

If that wasn’t always foremost in Monaco’s mind, well, it only makes sense. She had a job to do, mountains of lines to learn, appearances to make, interviews to give. “Sometimes it’s hard to remember or wrap my head around the fact that there are actually people out there rooting for me and for my character,” she said, “but I appreciate it, and I value that so much. I feel really lucky to have found my home here.”