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General Hospital’s Jon Lindstrom Marvels at ‘What a Difference a Few Years Makes’ With Impossibly Sweet Then-and-Now Photos
Saturday, December 25th, 2021
Oh, how they grow but some of their young traits carry on into adulthood.
There have been quite a few daytime actors sharing photos and videos of their cats these days and General Hospital’s Jon Lindstrom (Kevin/Ryan) is the latest to make our hearts melt over the cuteness factor. The ABC soap star posted some then-and-now photos of his and wife Cady McClain’s (Days of Our Lives, ex-Jennifer; All My Children, Dixie) furbaby with the caption, “What a difference a few years makes.”
In the first photo, the grey tabby was just a kitten, lying on its back, taking a nap with no worries in the world. And the second shot featured the same ball of fur, sound asleep and snuggled up against Lindstrom. “Same cat…” he shared. “Same lap, same snore.”
More: Soap stars featured in new January Hallmark movies
Earlier this month, his former Port Charles castmate, Michelle Stafford (ex-Nina; The Young and the Restless, Phyllis), showed fans her “pretty girl” and explained, “It took her a bit to warm up to us… over a year actually. She is such a sweet baby.”
And Zach Tinker (Days of Our Lives, Sonny) posted a video of his new baby and stated, “She lives here now.” Yep, right in the hood of his sweatshirt!
Then there was Christian LeBlanc (Young & Restless, Michael) who “spent 20 minutes looking for [his] cat.”
Now that we’ve all had our fill of adorable kitties, we invite our readers to have a look at other soapy then-and-now photos featured in our gallery below.
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Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Priscilla Grant/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
1/25
<p>After playing <em>As the World Turns</em>’ formidable Lucinda Walsh for more than a quarter of a century, this Daytime Emmy winner (for her earlier portrayal of Althea Davis <em>The Doctors</em>) earned herself another nomination for her work on the web soap <em>Anacostia</em>.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, J. Graylock/JPI
2/25
<p>The only actor among the young set introduced to <em>As the World Turns</em> in 1998 to catch on and stick around, Katie Peretti’s portrayer enjoyed a dozen-year run on the soap before moving on to <em>One Life to Live</em> as Aubrey Wentworth. And as a lovely souvenir of her time in Oakdale, she got to take with her her real-life husband…</p>
Image: George De Sota/JPI, J. Graylock/JPI
3/25
<p>After being killed off <em>As the World Turns</em> as Brad Snyder in 2009, the onetime <em>Playgirl</em> coverboy briefly played pornographer Rick Powers on <em>One Life to Live</em> and, in 2021, reprised his on-again/off-again <em>Days of Our Lives</em> role of Austin Reed for the Peacock limited series <em>Beyond Salem</em>.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
4/25
<p>In the wake of her late-1980s stay in Oakdale as Tom Hughes’ daughter Lien, the actress hasn’t just gone on to make it big in TV and movies, she’s become the only performer ever to play a <em>Star Wars</em> character (Fennec Shand in <em>The Mandalorian</em>), a Disney princess (<em>Mulan</em>, of course) and a Marvel superhero (Melinda May in <em>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D</em>.).</p>
Image: Ali Goldstein/JPI, Jason Mendez/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
5/25
<p>A child star before ever being cast as Will Munson — fun fact: he was Bobby in the <em>Brady Bunch</em> movies — this fan fave parlayed his four-year stint in Oakdale into a high-profile primetime career that since 2014, has landed him front and center Detective Jay Halstead on the NBC hit <em>Chicago P.D.</em></p>
Image: Ali Goldstein/JPI, Paramount Network
6/25
<p>Some actors might have found it tough to follow three Daytime Emmy wins in a row. But the daughter of Michael Landon, beloved for her work as Gwen Norbeck, simply kept on keeping on, dazzling in one primetime series (<em>Animal Kingdom</em>) after another (<em>Yellowstone</em>, where she now plays marble-mouthed ranch hand Teeter).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, George De Sota/JPI
7/25
<p>Aside from the late Helen Wagner, who played his mother Nancy Hughes, Dr. Bob’s portrayer is the longest-serving actor ever on an American soap. So you could hardly blame him when he told <a href="https://www.welovesoaps.net/2010/01/don-hastings-wls-interview-part-four.html" target="_blank">We Love Soaps</a> in 2010, “I always figured I’d die on the job.”</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection (2)
8/25
<p>After wrapping her nearly 40-year run as Kim Hughes with the soap’s final episode, the veteran actress — a sci-fi legend owing to her guest appearance on the original <em>Star Trek</em> — relocated from the East Coast to her home state of Illinois. (Ed. note: Sadly, <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/628005/as-the-world-turns-kim-hughes-kathryn-hays-died-dead/" target="_blank">Hays passed away in 2022</a>.)</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Nick Sined/JPI
9/25
<p>The Daytime Emmy that this then-up-and-comer won for playing twins Frannie and Sabrina Hughes in 1988 was only the beginning. She’s gone on to become one of the most well-respected actresses in showbiz, with a mantel full of trophies that includes an Oscar and a Golden Globe (both for <em>Still Alice</em>) as well as a Primetime Emmy and SAG Award (both for <em>Game Change</em>).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, OWN
10/25
<p>Following his 1997-2005 stay in Oakdale, Peter Parros ditched Dr. Ben Harris’ stethoscope and halo to spend eight years playing corrupt judge David Harrington on Tyler Perry’s addictive OWN soap <em>The Haves and the Have Nots.</em></p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, John. P. Iblis/JPI
11/25
<p>Following her late-1990s stint as Jack Snyder’s unstable wife Julia, Parisse became an in-demand primetime fixture. But despite her long list of credits — which includes <em>Friends</em>, Netflix’s <em>Friends From College</em> and many series without “friends” in their titles — she holds the unusual distinction of being the shortest-serving assistant D.A. in <em>Law & Order</em> history.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
12/25
<p>The stage vet who played Jack Snyder not only returned to Broadway following <em>As the World Turns</em>’ cancellation (in the megahit <em>Dear Evan Hansen</em>, no less), he’s nabbed roles on everything from <em>Blue Bloods</em> and <em>Bull</em> to <em>Stranger Things</em> and<em> Tales of the City.</em></p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
13/25
<p>During her 15-year stay in Oakdale as pot-stirrer Carly Tenney, the Emmy magnet bagged the first two of her three (and counting) statuettes. Subsequently, <em>The Young and the Restless</em> botched its chance to call the MVP a cast member, leaving her free to slay for <em>General Hospital</em> as femme fatale Ava Jerome.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
14/25
<p>Married to West for more than two decades, Andy Dixon’s former portrayer now has five children with his onetime leading lady. In 2012, DeFreitas and two of their kids took part in a reading of the musical <em>Hazel</em> at the NoHo Arts Center.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
15/25
<p>The same year that <em>As the World Turns</em> ended, designing woman Barbara Ryan’s portrayer split from husband Mark Pinter, whom she’d met when he’d played Brian McColl on the show in the 1980s. She has since acted primarily on the stage, in productions like <em>Marrying George Clooney</em> and <em>Looped</em>, and in her own one-woman show.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Dee Cercone/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
16/25
<p>After her three-year stint on <em>As the World Turns</em>, this rising star was ready for takeoff — and take off she did. Lucy Montgomery’s former portrayer has gone on to star on series such as <em>FlashForward</em>, <em>Frequency</em> and <em>The Tomorrow People</em>. Of course, we’ll always remember her as half of an on-screen supercouple with…</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Howard Wise/JPI
17/25
<p>Following <em>As the World Turns</em>’ cancellation, the soap vet landed a recurring role on <em>Gotham</em> (as young Bruce Wayne’s ill-fated father) and passed through <em>General Hospital</em> (as Kyle Sloane, a love interest for Finola Hughes’ Anna Devane).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
18/25
<p>The Emmy winner who played reformed bad girl Molly Conlan — and, between <em>As the World Turns</em> stints, Felicia Forrester on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> and Lois Cerullo on <em>General Hospital</em> — has gone on to appear in Lifetime movies like <em>The Wrong Crush</em> and <em>The Wrong Cheerleader.</em></p>
Image: George De Sota/JPI, Elizabeth Goodenough/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
19/25
<p>Since leaving behind <em>As the World Turns</em> and his role of Casey Hughes, this heartthrob has won accolades for everything from TV’s <em>American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson</em> (he was Kato Kaelin) to the big-screen adaption of <em>Into the Woods</em> (as Rapunzel’s prince).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, The CW/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
20/25
<p>Magnussen’s predecessor as Casey has carved out for himself an enviable niche in primetime, going from a long run as the rare human among the supernatural beasties on <em>The Vampire Diaries</em> to appearances on its spinoffs and a memorable turn as a lovestruck soldier on USA’s <em>Dare Me.</em></p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Kristin Callahan/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
21/25
<p>Though she played attorney Jessica Griffin on <em>As the World Turns</em> off and on for nearly two decades, this primetime perennial is nonetheless probably better known for her even longer run on <em>Law & Order: SVU</em> (she’s medical examiner Melinda Warner) or her recurring roles on <em>NYPD Blue</em> and <em>Blue Bloods.</em></p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, George De Sota/JPI
22/25
<p>A 50-year stretch as much-married supervixen Lisa Miller would’ve been accomplishment enough for most people — but not <em>this</em> daytime legend. Besides the soap, Fulton appeared on Broadway, had her own nightclub act, wrote two memoirs and half a dozen murder mysteries.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
23/25
<p>Since the soap’s sayonara, the actress who brought to life mantrap Emily Stewart has tackled satire (via Showtime’s <em>Reality Show</em>) and lathered up once more (by appearing on the web soap <em>Tainted Dreams</em>). Also of note, she has three children with her former husband…</p>
Image: CBS, Howard Wise/JPI
24/25
<p>Much to fans’ chagrin, Holden Snyder’s former portrayer hasn’t had much screentime since <em>As the World Turns</em> ceased to spin. Our hopes rose when he was cast as a doctor on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> (hence the lab coat and stethoscope above), but dang it! He scrubbed out as fast as he did in.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
25/25
