Parker Forsyth

Parker Forsyth is a fictional character from the American soap opera General Hospital, portrayed by Ashley Jones.

Parker had been previously mentioned on the soap as the university professor that Kristina Davis (Lexi Ainsworth) offered sex to in exchange for a higher grade.

Jones later reprised the role in August 2017 before being written out and last appearing on October 11 of that year, alongside Ainsworth.

Jones herself commented on how fans felt betrayed over the storyline not continuing, but believed that the strong response was a testament to the writing and acting.

[2] Jones was happy to join the soap, explaining, "I've watched General Hospital over the years, so it's just a pleasure to see all these people on set and in and out of the makeup room".

[2] deVry believed that General Hospital was "lucky" to have Jones joining the cast, calling her "such a professional and a lovely person".

[4] In July 2017, it was announced on the Instagram page of General Hospital that Jones had returned to filming again, with the actress commenting that it was "Good to be back in Port Charles".

[7] Jones also praised costume designer Shawn Reeves, explaining, "I appreciated that he wanted [Parker] to be bright and fresh.

[1] She eventually confides in her half-sister Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco) that she handled a breakup with her ex-boyfriend badly and fell behind in her university classes, so she prepositioned Parker, her professor, in a "last ditch effort" to raise her grade.

[8] Parker then meets Kristina's mother, Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn), and finds out that she has not told her about her suspension, which "sets the stage for innuendos and more".

[13] Speaking about the storyline, Ainsworth told Soap Opera Digest, "General Hospital has always been really great about touching on subjects like this, socially relevant issues, and this is a huge one.

[13] The continuation of the storyline sees Kristina telling Alexis and her father, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), about what happened, but does not reveal that her professor was not a man.

[3] Jones was nervous over how the scenes had turned out, writing on her blog, "I've been a fan of Nancy Lee Grahn for years, so getting to work with her in this realm was a treat.

[3] Jones also joked that she would bracing herself following the airing of the scenes as she knew that fans of the soap are "super intense, loyal and opinionated".

[3] In June 2016, General Hospital head writers Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante teased that Parker would get "in the way" of Kristina's growing romance with Aaron Roland (John DeLuca).

[9][4] ABC executive Nathan Varni explained on the twitter that the character's story had paused for now due to one of the actresses booking another show, but he was hopefully that the storyline would "continue later".

[4] In 2022, Jones reflected on the role, calling Ainsworth a "fantastic actress" and revealing that they had a "deep connection" in real life.

[14] However, Jones expressed that viewers' wishes for a Parker and Kristina reunion "is a testament to the writing and the characters that they created".

[14] The actress added, "The fact that we left some sort of a mark on people's hearts or brains, that's what you hope to do as an actor".

Kristina confides in her other half-sister Molly Lansing (Haley Pullos) that she is questioning her sexuality and believes that she bisexual.

Despite having moved on and dating Aaron Roland (John DeLuca), Kristina comforts Parker and they end up kissing and having sex.

[9][14] Charlie Mason and Dustin Cushman from Soaps She Knows placed Parker and Kristina on their list of Daytime's Groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Characters and Couples.

[16] Kristyn Burtt from the same website reported in 2022 how fans felt that they had "unfinished business" with Kristina and Parker's relationship and were hoping for a return to the storyline.

[14] She also commented that fans were "thrilled" when Jones announced that she would be returning to the soap, but added, "Sadly, that visit was short-lived".

[8] Prior to the return, Eades had speculated that fans could "look forward to" Parker coming to "complicate" Kristina's life again.

[4] Bryce Cameron from The List called Parker an "inappropriate professor" but believed that Jones had a "decent run" on General Hospital and that her role "often piques people's attention".

[11] Cameron called Parker teaching at Kristina's university "awkward" but believed that fate helped bring the couple together.

[11] Speaking of the end of their relationship, Cameron wrote: "If things worked out differently between Parker and Kristina, she likely never would've encountered Shiloh or joined his Dawn of Day cult.

Ashley Jones (pictured) had to keep her casting a secret.
Jones was happy to work with Nancy Lee Grahn (pictured)