A familiar face from Loving and The City has returned to daytime television — this time in Port Charles.Alimi Ballard made his General Hospital debut on September 3 as WSB Agent William Baines, marking a major return to the soap world for the actor.
It has been roughly 30 years since Ballard last appeared regularly in daytime, when he was playing Frankie Hubbard on both Loving and its spinoff, The City. For Ballard, stepping back onto a soap set after all these years was something of a surreal experience.
In a new interview with TV Insider, Ballard described his return as “a mind trip” — but one he is thoroughly embracing.
And there was one big reason he couldn't resist the opportunity.
“GH is legendary!” Ballard enthused.
From Frankie Hubbard to WSB Agent William Baines
Ballard began his acting career in daytime, playing Frankie Hubbard on Loving and later continuing the role on The City. In the decades since, he has built an impressive primetime résumé.
His credits include Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Criminal Minds, Queen Sugar, NCIS, The Rookie and Law & Order, among many others.
So while Ballard has spent much of his career away from the daytime world, the opportunity to return to a legendary soap was one he immediately embraced.
Getting the job, however, was only part of the challenge.
“You Do 105 Pages in One Day?”
One of the biggest adjustments for Ballard was getting reacquainted with the famously fast pace of daytime production.
Fortunately, he had someone on the General Hospital set who could help him navigate it: Laura Wright, who plays Carly Spencer.
Wright and Ballard previously worked together on both Loving and The City, where Wright played Ally Rescott.
Ballard recalled some amusing conversations between the longtime colleagues as he attempted to adjust to the modern soap schedule.
“The funniest conversations occurred with Laura and me. I’m like, ‘What is going on here, Laura?’ And she’s like, ‘Alimi, it’s faster. I told you this. It’s easy. Calm down.’”
Ballard was stunned by just how quickly today's soaps move.
“I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. You do 105 pages in one day?’ She said, ‘Yes, we do. Sometimes less, sometimes more.’”
For an actor returning to daytime after three decades, that's quite a learning curve!
A Warm Welcome in Port Charles
Ballard also had plenty of praise for the General Hospital cast and crew, saying the environment made his return to daytime particularly enjoyable.
He expressed his appreciation for executive producer Frank Valentini, casting director Mark Teschner and everyone involved in welcoming him back.
Ballard noted that throughout his career he has worked in environments that weren't always as welcoming, making the experience at GH especially meaningful.
He said he understands what it takes to create “a warm environment for people” and described the atmosphere at General Hospital as a beautiful thing.
The message he received was essentially: Come and play with us. Show up with your best. We're here for it.
That's quite an invitation.
Who Is William Baines?
Ballard's new character has wasted little time becoming involved in one of General Hospital's biggest mysteries.
Agent William Baines arrived in Port Charles to take over the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of WSB Chief Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna).
And given everything viewers know about Brennan's disappearance, Baines may soon have an even bigger case on his hands.
As fans know, Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) and Ava Jerome (Maura West) buried Brennan's body in the nature preserve near the Quartermaines' property. If that corpse is discovered, what began as a missing-person investigation could quickly become a murder investigation.
That puts Baines right in the middle of some potentially explosive storylines.
Don't Judge Agent Baines Just Yet
Ballard knows that viewers may have strong opinions about William Baines after his first appearance. But he's asking General Hospital fans to give his character some time.
His message to the audience?
“Don’t judge him on those first couple of minutes. Grade him on a curve. He may surprise you.”
Considering the secrets and mysteries currently swirling around Port Charles, that's certainly intriguing.
Ballard's return also gives General Hospital viewers something longtime soap fans can appreciate: the chance to see an actor with deep roots in daytime history return to the genre after decades away.
From Frankie Hubbard to WSB Agent William Baines, it's a very different role — but we're looking forward to seeing where this new chapter takes him.
What did you think of Alimi Ballard's General Hospital debut? Are you happy to see a former soap star back in daytime? Let us know in the comments below!
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.
