All My Children viewers should prepare for more Opal than ever over the next few months.

After being bumped to recurring status in 2006, Jill Larson is happy to report that she signed a new contract - as a series regular - with the soap opera last week.

"It's just so meaningful to me," said the actress. "Because Ray [MacDonnell, who is retiring from the role of Joe] is not going, for example, and obviously with Eileen [Herlie, ex-Myrtle, who passed away last year] gone, a lot of the history of the show as we know it is no longer represented on the screen. I am absolutely thrilled that I will be joining All My Children in California."

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.