Why General Hospital’s Charlotte Star Was Thrilled to Reunite With James Patrick Stuart’s Valentin

General Hospital brought James Patrick Stuart back as Valentin Cassadine, and Bluesy Burke — the new Charlotte — is clearly thrilled about it. She stepped into the role in September and has been settling in fast, talking openly about working with Stuart and the messy family dynamic that comes with playing Valentin and Lulu's kid.

How much time have Charlotte and Valentin actually had together?

Not a ton yet. Burke says she has filmed only a handful of scenes with Stuart so far, mostly built around Charlotte visiting her dad in a high-security prison overseas. Because Valentin is Valentin, he had to engineer the whole thing — he arranged those visits through Jack Brennan, trading info on Cesar Faison to make it happen. Very on-brand scheming, even from behind bars.

'During the reunion between the characters, I saw him shed a tear. I was like, Oh, my God, wow. He is such a professional. I want to get to that level.'

First impressions and why Stuart made her jaw drop

Burke says meeting Stuart was instantly memorable: he was kind, generous, and all-in from rehearsal to take. The moment that stuck with her was that reunion scene — he got emotional, and it wasn’t for show. She calls him the real deal and something to aspire to. In her words, he’s both 'an absolute sweetheart' and ridiculously talented.

Charlotte's got bite — and Burke is loving it

Burke is having fun leaning into Charlotte’s feisty side. One of her first days on set was at Bobbie’s, where she had to stroll up to Chris McKenna (who plays Valentin’s rival) and deliver a not-so-nice line. Since then, she’s gotten to throw him shade a few more times, and she’s not mad about it.

The family mess Charlotte is stuck in

Valentin’s return is putting pressure on Charlotte’s relationship with her mom. Lulu is still finding her footing as the primary parent and just wants her daughter close. Charlotte, meanwhile, is fiercely loyal to her dad. That push-pull is the current engine of the storyline, and Burke seems eager to play the tension without sanding down Charlotte’s edges.

Where things stand right now

• Bluesy Burke took over as Charlotte in September and is getting her first run of scenes with James Patrick Stuart back as Valentin.
• Valentin is locked up overseas in a high-security facility, but he finagled Charlotte’s visits by cutting a deal with Jack Brennan for info on Cesar Faison.
• Burke praises Stuart’s commitment — including getting emotional during the father-daughter reunion — and calls him a pro she hopes to emulate.
• Charlotte’s sass factor is alive and well, especially in scenes opposite Chris McKenna.
• Lulu is trying to stabilize things as the main caretaker, but Charlotte’s allegiance to her dad is complicating that mother-daughter reset.