Kirsten Storms: From Xenon, to Belle, to Maximista

Kirsten Storms was born in Orlando Florida on April 8, 1984. The talented actress has been in the public eye for most of her life and according to Wikipedia she knew from a young age that she wanted to act on soap operas. Storms voiced this to her first agent but no one took her seriously. She now has had major roles on two of the four daytime drama’s that remain in network TV so she has realized her dream. Kirsten’s first role was a commercial for the Galoob baby doll. This opened the door for several other commercials and eventually Storms landed a recurring role in the ABC show Second Noah.

When Kirsten was age 12 the Storms family moved to Los Angeles and the young actress landed the part of Laura Cummings in the popular television show Second Heaven. Storms is best known for her roles in DISNEY projects beginning at age 14. She was Zenon Kar in the ZENON trilogy, which basically made her a star as the Zenon movies were wildly popular with teen girls. Another DISNEY prodigy Raven Semone costarred in the last one. Kirsten portrayed Emily in Johnny Tsunami, and was the voice of Bonnie Rockwaller in the Kim Possible cartoons.

From 1999 -2004 Storms portrayed Isabella "Belle" Black on the NBC daytime drama Days of Our Lives. Belle was the daughter of the legendary John Black (Drake Hogestyn) and Marlena Evans Black (Deidra Hall). She was in a budding romance with Shawn Douglas Brady (Jason Cook) who was the son of super couple BoBrady (Peter Reckel) and Hope Brady Kristian Alfonso). Fans were hoping the offspring of Hope and Marlena would turn into the next super couple but the roles were recast and Shawn and Bell were never the same.

In 2005, Storms was cast in the role of Maxie Jones on the ABC soap General Hospital. Her character was later in the GH spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift. Storms left the ABC daytime drama in September 2011 after being diagnosed with endometriosis and Maxie and was recast with Jen Lilley. Kirsten returned as Maxie on September 5, 2012, and left the show again in 2014 to give birth to her daughter Madison. She took time off in 2016 because her doctor recommended rest for stress that caused her skin to break out.

Storms lost weight during this time and some fans were unkind. There were rumors that the actress was on drugs, anorexic, or had cancer when her weight dropped and some people said it was the Disney curse. This is the go-to explanation when young adults who were on Disney programs when they were children experience problems as they are aging. Kirsten has mentioned several times that she was under stress because she has been the main breadwinner in her family since age 14 and that’s a lot of pressure.

Kirsten Storms married her General Hospital costar Brandon Barash who is the father of her daughter. The couple divorced after two years but successfully co-parent their child. Since returning to General Hospital, Maxie has become a widow, and now a mother of 3, and had several career changes. Her third child baby Louise is presumed kidnapped but is really living in the Quartermaine mansion being raised by Brooke Lynn and Valentin Cassadine who wrongly thinks the little girl is his daughter.

Xenon saved the universe and Belle Black was young and innocent. Maxie Jones at one point was jumping in bed with everyone and even slept with serial killer Franco who at the time was portrayed by James Franco. In June 2021 Kirsten Storms announced that she had a cyst removed from her brain and her character was out of town while the actress recuperated. Storms is now back in action and her fans were glad to see her return to her role. Soap Opera Digest had announced that Storms leave from the ABC soap was indefinite but here she is back on the screen,

Maxie was best friends with Lulu Falconeri who is now recovering from a brain injury. and off-screen Kirsten is best friends with Emme Ryan. It is Ryan who portrayed Lulu and had been assisting Kirsten during her recovery after the brain surgery.

The soap vet gave the performance of her life on General Hospital when her character stood up to Peter August(Wes Ramsey) and has been battling him one way or another ever since. Fans are wondering now if Peter will die and Maxie can reclaim her daughter from Brook Lynn Quartermaine. Kirsten Storms has maintained in a business where many child stars are not able to transition into adult roles. In spite of her trials, she continues to give her best and has come back from this latest setback stronger than ever.