Anyone watching Loving back in the summer of 1991 probably sat up and took notice when a bright-eyed, blonde-haired beauty named Laura Sisk (now Wright) began airing as Ally Rescott. But one thing even the actress herself couldn’t have predicted was that three decades later, she’d be playing one of daytime’s most popular — if occasionally divisive — characters.

“I didn’t think much past the week ahead,” admits Wright. “I was just very young, happy, loving life in New York City and was going to go wherever life took me at the time. I was just having a good time!

“That girl was terrified and excited and completely oblivious,” she laughs. “And all of those things were what made it amazing!”

While it was a long and winding road which led from Loving to General Hospital, the woman perhaps best known as Carly says the journey has proven well worth taking. “I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my life than I am today, in this moment. But I always say, ‘tomorrow could be a s–tshow, but today it’s pretty awesome!”

The current storyline — in which Carly is playing Brennan in order to bring him down — is one she’s thrilled to play. “It’s extremely challenging and has tons of layers,” she reflects. “It’s one of the first storylines I’ve had in a very long time that I’v e been this excited about and that I’ve enjoyed doing on this level.”

While Carly’s actions will inevitably have consequences, Wright is ready to play every beat. That said, there’s one particular word which she tries to keep out of Carly’s mouth. “When I get a script and it says ‘maybe so-and-so’ or it has ‘maybe’ a lot, I cut [those out]. I’m like, ‘No, Carly’s not a maybe character. She’s going to go all out… and if she’s wrong, she’ll take her hit. Or if someone corrects her, she’s like, ‘Whatever!’”