Finola Hughes

Born and educated in London, England, Finola Hughes began her career in the Northern Ballet Company where she won the Markova Award, named in honor of the pioneering British ballerina and English National Ballet co-founder Dame Alicia Markova. She later pursued acting and went on to originate the role of Victoria in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End production of Cats. In 1983, Hughes starred opposite John Travolta in Stayin’ Alive. Later, she landed the role of Anna Devane on the ABC Daytime Drama General Hospital, a role she continues to this day. She received a Daytime Emmy Award for her portrayal of Anna in 1991 and has been nominated for the role multiple times since. From 1999–2003, she joined the cast of another ABC hit — All My Children, for which she received two more Daytime Emmy Award nominations. Hughes’ extensive filmography also includes work as a director. In 2013, she made her feature-film debut with the indie comedy-drama The Bet. Two years later, Hughes directed her second film, Byrd and the Bees, a romantic comedy starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Tracy Spiridakos.