GH Star Maura West's Daughter Grew Up To Be Gorgeous Like Her Mom
Soap opera star Maura West is undeniably a legend in the world of daytime television. While she has been acting in "General Hospital" since 2013, she got her start on "As The World Turns," which she starred in for 15 years until the show ended. Basically, she's spent her whole adult acting career in the soap opera industry, and she's had huge success. But at the same time, Maura has also had a thriving personal life as a wife and mom.
She was first married to Jonathan Knight from 1995 to 1999, and they welcomed a son named Benjamin. Then in 2000, Maura married her "As the World Turns" costar Scott DeFreitas, and they've since had four children together. Maura's eldest daughter, Katherine West, known as Kate, was born in 2002 and has always been her famous mother's mini-me. In 2010, the two had the sweetest and most memorable mother-daughter moment at the Daytime Emmys. It was one of the years Maura won, and Kate got to be by her mom's side during the special night. Kate later decided to follow in her mother's footsteps into the world of acting. At the same time, it should be no surprise to learn that she has also grown up to be just as gorgeous as her mother.
Kate decided to study acting at SUNY Purchase, and Maura has been her biggest supporter every step of the way. In May 2020, Maura cheered on her daughter when she proudly announced where she was going to school, calling her "Kate the Great" on Instagram and saying, "Best actress I've ever seen! I'm so proud of you, Kitty!!!" Since her freshman year, Maura has shared updates here and there showcasing Kate's journey, and it's clear that the talented young actor takes after her mom in almost every way.
Kate West is following her dream to become an actor like her mother
Maura West keeps her personal life relatively private, so she doesn't share too much about her kids on social media. But on the rare occasions that she has shared photos and memories over the years, she's been full of love and praise for her kids, especially Kate West. As Kate continued her studies at SUNY Purchase, Maura would occasionally talk about the stage projects her eldest daughter was acting in. Near the end of her college career, Maura celebrated Kate's performance as Electra in a production of "Orestes" in early 2023.
Sharing a snap of Kate on stage on Instagram, Maura wrote, "Kate is just an absolute savage onstage ... funny and raw and vulnerable and steely all at once." She happily warned people, "Look out for this one!!!" Fans loved seeing a peek at Kate's burgeoning career, with one proclaiming, "Like mother, like daughter." In late 2023, Kate also starred in a show put on by SUNY Purchase called "Heroes of the Fourth Turning," playing the role of Gina. Since the 2023 update, Maura hasn't posted anything about her daughter (as of the time of this writing, at least), and Kate's Instagram account has been deactivated. But we can assume that the young woman graduated with her degree in acting and is preparing to take on the entertainment industry — just like her celebrity mom.
Kate also isn't Maura's only child who has a knack for the arts. Her brother Joe shares her passion for music, while Maura's younger daughter, Birdie, is also a thriving aspiring actor. In fact, in 2019, Kate and Birdie acted together in a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," something Maura proudly showed off on social media. It remains to be seen if Birdie or any of her siblings follow Kate's example and pursue acting professionally.