Delia Ryan is a fictional character from the original ABC daytime soap opera Ryan's Hope.
Actress Ilene Kristen originated and last played the role, that was created and introduced by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer and first appeared in the pilot episode first broadcast July 7, 1975. Delia is the catalyst for many of the show's story lines and remains a central component of the series throughout its run. Delia is the kind of character that viewers "love to hate". Delia has a habit of dealing with situations in ways that cause even more trouble. Delia is known for her early chaotic romances with brothers, Patrick and Frank. Delia eventually finds true love with Dr. Roger Coleridge. Delia is considered to be the breakout character of the series and remains one of the most iconic characters in daytime history. In 2013, Kristen would reprise the role of Delia on the sole surviving ABC drama, General Hospital where she is revealed to be the mother of the treacherous Ava Jerome (Maura West). Us Weekly ranked the character as the number-one villainess in soaps in 1977.
Casting
Ilene Kristen was one of the show's original cast members. However, Kristen vacated the role in late 1978, with her last appearance airing January 5, 1979. The producers immediately began searching for Kristen's replacement. In the meantime, Robyn Millan appeared in the role of Delia for five episodes from January 18 to February 21, 1979. Randall Edwards officially took over the role of Delia beginning on February 27, 1979.
In late February 1982, it was reported that Edwards had been fired and Kristen returned to the role in early March. After failing to impress as One Life to Live's Georgina Whitman, Kristen was left unemployed allowing for her to return to Ryan's Hope. However, in 1983, Kristen was fired from the series when she was suffering from a thyroid illness. Robin Mattson known for her iconic role as Heather Webber on General Hospital was later cast in the role. Mattson made her debut on June 15, 1984. However, Mattson was only contracted to the role for six months. ABC hoped to talk Mattson into a long term commitment, but after failed contract negotiations, Mattson vacated the role in December 1984, just in time for pilot season. It was announced in August 1986 that Kristen would once again reprise the role of Delia. Kristen made her onscreen return on September 5, 1986. Kristen remained with the series until its final episode on January 13, 1989.
In early October 2013, several reports surfaced and claimed that Kristen would reprise the role of Delia on the remaining ABC Daytime soap, General Hospital. However, the series never commented on the rumors. On Friday, October 25, Kristen appeared in the next episode preview. Ron Carlivati himself confirmed through Twitter that Kristen would reprise her role as Delia for two episodes on October 28 and 29. Kristen appeared on those episodes, revealing that her character, Delia, was the mother of Ava Jerome, the illegitimate daughter of Victor Jerome. In early January 2014, Kristen confirmed that she will once again appear on GH as Delia for four episodes on February 25 to 28, 2014. In May 2014, newcomer Michelle Stafford revealed that she had taped scenes opposite Kristen indicating that the actress would reprise her role of Delia.
In 2023, when asked if she would return to General Hospital as Delia, Kristen replied:
"It would be nice if Delia lived for real. It's like Delia in people's imaginations. We'll see. I'm sure I will be making some kind of appearance on that show at some point. It's too bad, because Delia could be causing a lot of trouble. They never exploited it for what it was worth."
Characterization
Upon the show's debut, The Robesonian described the character as "beautiful and sultry." Though Delia can be a bit insensitive, no one hold more for Delia then Delia herself Kristen explained. Michael Denis said Kristen displayed a specific kind of "manic verve" as well as "troubled" and "erratic." According to Denis, the character has two distinct sides to her personality, the "happy" youthful side which is usually betrayed by her "sick" side. Stephanie Schaefer described the character as "bewitching, "dizzy," and "wacky. Francine L. Trevens described the character as a "conniving" whiner.