General Hospital fans were crushed when Kristina Cassadine tragically left the canvas in a fiery bomb set by Luis Ramon Alcazar back in 2002. But the horrible ending eventually led to a wonderful moment for the character's portrayer, Jaime Ray Newman. The former soap opera actress just took home an Academy Award win.
Newman and her husband, Guy Nattiv, won the Oscar on Sunday night for Best Live Action Short Film for their project Skin. The film tells the story of a black man in a small town who smiles at a white boy across the checkout aisle in a supermarket. The innocuous moment sends two gangs into a ruthless war that ends with a shocking backlash.
The short was produced, written, and directed by Nattiv, with Newman serving as one of the film's producers, as well.
"We dedicate this to our five-month-old baby who is sitting at home with my parents watching this," Newman said in her acceptance speech. "We hope you grow up in a world where these things don't happen because people learn and accept each other."
Upon news that Newman had won the Oscar for Skin, some of the actress' former GH costars took to Twitter to share congratulatory messages.
"I'm a mess!!!" wrote Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis). "My TV sister and beautiful soul Jaime Ray Newman just won a freakin Oscar on Kate Grahn's birthday. Kate did her first duet with Jamie at three years old. Congrats sis!!!"
I'm a mess!!! My TV sister and beautiful soul @JaimeRayNewman just won a freakin Oscar on @kate_grahn's bday. Kate did her 1st duet with Jamie at 3 yrs old. Congrats sis!!!
- Nancy Lee Grahn (@NancyLeeGrahn) February 25, 2019
Tamara Braun (Kim Nero/ex-Carly Corinthos) also took to social media to congratulate Newman and her husband.
"They did it! They did it! They did it!!! Ahhhhhh!!!" she wrote. "Congratulations my friends. So happy for you!!!! Mazel Tov!! Woo hoo!!"
Newman starred on GH from 2002 to 2003 as Kristina, who fans may recall was the hidden child of Mikkos Cassadine and his mistress, singer Kristin Nilsson. After she left daytime, Newman went on to star in television series like Lincoln Heights, Eastwick, Drop Dead Diva, Bates Motel, The Punisher, and Midnight, Texas.
Would you like to leave a congratulatory message for Newman? What do you remember from her days as GH's Kristina? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
