Laura Wright: General Hospital Star Laura Wright Defends Cameron Mathison from Online Critics

On General Hospital, there's no love lost between former lovebirds Carly Spencer and Drew Cain. However, Carly's portrayer, Laura Wright, is standing by her pal, Cameron Mathison, Drew's portrayer, in light of some social media attacks being visited upon the latter.

Defending Cameron

"I feel like social media scares everybody," Wright told Soaps.com, “and no offense to the viewers — I love them — I just don’t think you give them all the power."

While Wright spoke generally about online attacks, she went on to single out the mean things that are said about Drew, Mathison's character. The actress notes that viewers hate Drew and that viewers will sometimes want a new character, who's evil, gone right away. However, she compares "meanies" on GH like Drew to one of the greatest (if not the greatest) antagonists in serial storytelling -- Dallas' J.R. Ewing (played by the late, great Larry Hagman).

"You have to have characters like Drew that mess everything up and annoy your heroines or heroes," Wright points out.

The Daytime Emmy-winner notes that GH took the character of Drew in a new direction, from a good guy to an antagonist. "But here we are," she says. "This is what we’re doing. And Cameron is diving into it. So I don’t get the hate that he gets. I don’t understand that at all."

A veteran of New York-based soaps Loving, The City, and Guiding Light, Wright is aware of how passionate daytime devotees can be. She doesn't want to shame anyone or blame them. However, she still responds.

"I get mad when I watch shows as well, and they’re not doing what I want them to do. So I understand the frustration," Wright shared.

Life Before Drew

Some viewers don't like that Drew had a relationship with Willow, his niece by marriage | Image: ABC

Carly knows all about doing things that cause audiences to sit up and take notice. She first came to town 30 years ago, determined to get even with her mother, Bobbie (Jacklyn Zeman), who gave her up for adoption when she was a mere infant. Carly slept with Tony (Brad Maule), Bobbie's husband.

She cozied up to mobster Sonny (Maurice Benard) when she wanted protection from AJ Quartermaine (Sean Kanan; Billy Warlock) and his family after she wanted to get her son, Michael (Rory Gibson), away from them.

Carly's other memorable moments include remaining quiet about Nelle's (Chloe Lanier) death after she plunged off a cliff. Carly blasted the late Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) for luring her daughter, Joss (Eden McCoy), into the WSB and into a life that is filled with danger!

And what has Drew done that's so bad? He had a fling with his niece, Willow (Katelyn MacMullen). Drew has remained firm about keeping Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) away from people he thinks aren't good for her -- even if that includes family members. Yes, there's his inadvertent role in Brennan's death, but that full story has yet to be told.

Do you agree with Wright that social media reactions to characters can go over the top? Sound off in the comments section!