"[19] In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, Ward further explained that it was challenging portraying Kate, who is "that person who is strong and flawed and one can be critical of", because she had to maintain "the qualities of Connie, the girl Sonny fell in love with.

"[20] During an interview with Soap Opera Weekly, Ward cited Anna Wintour as inspiration for the character, an "older woman who's had a long career", but she wasn't "of that age yet".

"[20] Sullivan admitted during an interviewer with soap columnist Michael Fairman of On-Air On-Soaps that she was not hesitant taking over the role following Ward's departure.

You can't win em all, but that's OK. Megan did an incredible job and is such a great actress, and she really set the bar high.

Sullivan stated she would love for Victoria Lord (Erika Slezak) and Jessica Buchanan (Bree Williamson) to crossover from One Life to Live to General Hospital to help Kate out with controlling her alter, "Connie".

[23] Upon first introduction, Kate Howard is famous for being the editor-in-chief of a high fashion magazine, similar to the character of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada.

She attended Princeton University, on a full scholarship and worked her way up the ranks to become the editor of the fictional top fashion magazine, Couture.

Kate and mob boss Sonny Corinthos dated as teenagers and had planned to run away together, but on the night they were to leave, she stood him up.

Diane Miller (Carolyn Hennesy), Sonny's lawyer, later mentions Kate is considered one of the "100 Most Powerful Women in America."

When Kate is arrested for reckless driving and a hit and run, she is released into Sonny's custody, after spending the night in jail.

The interim District Attorney, Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst), refuses the plea agreement, seeking to take revenge on Sonny through Kate.

[26] She faces serious legal action due to her prior driving records, but when Sonny blackmails a judge, she instead receives six months of community service.

Megan Ward echoes her character's words; she stated Kate "fears that Sonny is really in love with the girl she was and not the woman she has become".

Kate's cousin Olivia Falconeri (LoCicero), who had come to Port Charles to be her maid of honor, stays through her recovery and ends up moving to town.

Sonny sleeps with his ex-wife Carly Corinthos Jacks on the way home from dropping off their son Michael to his permanent care facility.

It's later revealed that during her run-in with Jax, he signed over his share and rights to the MetroCourt to her, making her Carly's partner in the running of the hotel.

Kate then confesses to Dr. Ewen Keenan (Nathin Butler) that she's been finding random pieces of paper with names and phone numbers on them following her blackouts.

As they begin to have sex on her office desk, Kate re-emerges and throws Johnny out, cowering into her sweater, confused over her actions.

She also confesses to planting a gun in Kate's office in order to send Sonny to jail for murdering Cole Thornhart (Van Hughes) and Hope Manning-Thornhart.

Connie then decides to leave Port Charles, but not before getting into a physical altercation with Carly, who discovers a paper labeling Kate with DID.

During her time in a psych hospital, Kate relives painful memories concerning her teens, including being raped by Joe Scully, Jr. (Richard Steinmetz), which resulted in her pregnancy and leaving Sonny.

She confesses that after having her son, she left him in a drawer in her boarding school, and legally changed her name to Kate Howard to escape the painful past.

Kate later discovers her son is alive, and living under the name Trey Mitchell (Erik Valdez), and has been dating Sonny's daughter Kristina Davis (Lindsey Morgan).

They both start to develop feelings for each other and sleep together on Valentine's Day, where Connie tells Sonny that for the first time in her life, she is truly happy.

In August 2013, in order to save her newspaper, Connie publishes a story about Kiki Jerome (Kristen Alderson) not being Franco (Roger Howarth)'s daughter, after promising Sonny she wouldn't.

[33] Fans were disgusted in March 2009, when ABC announced General Hospital was dropping Megan Ward to recurring status and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing) off contract, which resulted in him last airing that June.

Site editor, Michael Fairman, stated:[34] And in a startling, intense, heartbreaking tour de force, GH's Kelly Sullivan is showing what she is made of playing the complex DID storyline and making it fresh, when many said it couldn't be done!

With her magnificent scene partner, Maurice Benard (Sonny) playing the beats of a heartbroken lover who deep down loves Kate, he watches in shock and sadness as Kate talks to her alter Connie who is trying desperately to deduce what happened the night Anthony Zacchara's tires were shot out, which in turn killed Cole and Hope.

Then the line that followed (which we also loved) was Connie telling Sonny about Kate not being able to stay away from him, "She's an addict and you're a big hunk of crack."

[35] The character of Kate Howard is reminiscent of Miranda Priestly (portrayed by Streep) from The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue.