Brenda Barrett is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap opera, General Hospital. The role was originated by Vanessa Marcil on September 18, 1992. After a six-year run with the show, the character was believed to have died after her mentally ill mother drove their car off a cliff. After a four-year absence, Marcil reprised her role for a few short months. Marcil was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Brenda in 1997 and 1998, and she won in that category in 2003. After years of rumors, Marcil returned to the soap on August 11, 2010. However, she exited on July 21 the following year. In April 2013, Marcil returned to General Hospital for a four-week guest stint in celebration of the series' 50th anniversary.