Created by head writer Robert Guza, Jr. and introduced by executive producer Jill Farren Phelps, the role been portrayed by Lisa LoCicero since September 2008.

It was announced in July 2009 that LoCicero was put on contract with the series,[1] just a month before her onscreen cousin Kate Howard was dropped to recurring status.

When she arrived in Port Charles, she checked into the Metro Court Hotel where she meets Carly Corinthos Jacks, Sonny's ex-wife.

Olivia, worried for her son's safety, and for the secret of his father's identity to stay hidden, tries to get Dante off the case against Sonny.

He tells his mother, though he wants Sonny to go down, he feels bad for his kids, who will be hit hard when their dad is sent to prison, as well as other people, including Lulu Spencer.

Olivia walks in to find Dante laying on the floor with a bullet in his chest and Sonny standing over him holding a gun.

[5] On March 12, 2010, Dante's younger half-sister, Kristina Davis, is brutally beaten and hospitalized by her abusive boyfriend Kiefer Bauer, but tells the police it was Ethan Lovett who attacked her.

His father, Warren Bauer, swears revenge on both Alexis and Kristina, an act that would come back to haunt many Port Charles residents later, with Olivia not being an exception.

Dante then discovers Michael was really the one who killed Claudia, albeit to save Carly and Josslyn from her and turns him in just as the jury is about to announce their verdict.

After Michael confesses, the judge unfairly sentences him to two-to-five years in the Pentonville Adult Correctional Facility to show everyone in the courtroom the legal system cannot be manipulated, much to the community's shock and outrage.

On July 19, Olivia is at General Hospital and enters the waiting/conference room and encounters Warren Bauer trying to force Nurse Epiphany Johnson to give him Kristina's medical records.

When the hospital locks down after Franco kidnaps the newborn Aiden Cassadine, Warren suffers a psychotic break and induces a shootout, critically wounding Mac and Ethan Lovett before attempting to kill Kristina.

When the lockdown ends, Olivia attempts reconcile with Johnny, whom she had broken things off with just a few days earlier due to his vow to destroy Sonny's organization to avenge Claudia.

In late December 2010/early January 2011, Olivia, who was filling in for Carly, is among those caught in the ski resort bus crash and is one of those who takes the worst of it, suffering from internal bleeding.

Steve, having also been on the bus as a chaperone is the only uninjured doctor there, and stays firmly by Olivia's side, talking to her, trying to keep her awake, calm and as comfortable as possible.

After that, Olivia helps Dante set up the night he plans to propose to Lulu and is worried frantically once he is brought into GH after being shot.

While at home, Olivia is about to take the test when Steve arrives, and she quickly hides it behind a pillow, unsure of how to tell him that she believes she may be pregnant with his child.

When Steve finds this out, he is angry, believing that Olivia is acting unfair towards his mother by labelling her as crazy, and their constant arguing and decides that he wants a break from their relationship.

Olivia, still clearly upset over her and Steve's break up, returns to work at the Metro Court and finds Heather in one of the rooms, disguised as a maid.

By the time Dante and Olivia arrive at GH, she is having terrifying hallucinations, and she picks up a scalpel, threatening to slit her own throat.

Steve is able to talk Olivia down from killing herself by telling her that he finally believes her about his mother, that he's not going to let Heather hurt her again and that he loves her.

On March 1, just before the two are about to be pronounced husband and wife, the wedding is interrupted by the Memphis police, who are there to arrest Steve for the murder of his patient.

Olivia is heartbroken, and tells him that she never bargained on losing him and while she was going to miss him like crazy, she knew she had to accept his decision, and after saying their off-screen goodbyes, Steve was taken to prison in Memphis.

She went to save him, and ended up getting shot by Ava Jerome, instead of the intended target, Franco (AKA Jerry Jacks' look-alike).

Olivia quietly stepped aside for the sake of her cousin's happiness, but was inwardly devastated that Sonny hadn't fought to be with her, and tensions grew between the two ladies.

The matter hadn't fully been resolved when things took a sudden turn for a worse in August 2013, as Connie was shot fatally in her office.

Having previously made an effort to stay away from Sonny, Olivia suddenly found herself having to step up to be his primary support, whilst grieving for her cousin herself.

Quartermaine was established as the prime suspect in Connie's murder, Olivia had to talk Sonny down from a suicide attempt and monitor him thereafter as he refused to take his bi-polar medication.

Sonny eventually recovered from his relapse, but more family distress was to follow when it was revealed that their presumed newborn granddaughter, Connie Falconeri Jr, was actually the biological child of Maxie and Damien Spinelli rather than Dante and Lulu.

Ned breaks up with Alexis who returns to Julian, and starts a relationship with Olivia claiming the paternity of the unborn child.