It was clear from Tuesday’s airshow that Trina (Tabyani Ali) doesn’t make much of slacker student Kai (Jens Austin Astrup); luckily, the opposite is true for General Hospital‘s latest hiree and his (future) onscreen love.

Jens Austin Astrup On Kai/Trina

In fact, Astrup told Soap Opera Digest that it was Ali who went out of her way to make him, and indeed all the potential picks, feel at ease during the casting process:

“Tabyana actually came to say what’s up and to run the scene with all of us, and that was amazing. She clearly thought about each person that day, and even gave me a note. She was rooting for me; I just really felt like, ‘She’s not just doing this because it’s her job. She wants to do this, and she’s here and she’s present.’

“We spent time in the [dressing] room that they gave me, reading through the scene and just vibing, getting to know each other. That was so sweet, and by the end of it, an hour before I even had the test, I remember feeling completely comfy. I kind of went into Zen mode, a little bit, and by the time I did the test, I truly felt like I was just doing what I enjoy, which is acting. It felt like all the pressure had been stripped away. And, I guess, it stripped away the reality of how much this meant to me, just for a second, so that I could be present and enjoy doing the test with her.”

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A week or so later, Astrup learned that he’d aced the test and the role was his. Now begins the “slow burn” approach of making a bona fide couple out of the bickering pair — no easy feat considering the vocal ‘Sprina’ fanbase. Still, Astrup is in it for the long haul, opposition, or no opposition.

Says he: “I don’t feel intimidated, because I feel that this actually exists on its own plane than ‘Sprina.’ I think we have a very different dynamic. I don’t feel that I’m competing or have to fill the shoes of Spencer. I don’t feel like I’m taking his spot. I just feel excited to get to know Tabyana better and for Kai to get to know Trina better.

“I think Tabyana is amazing and I hope we can create something special, too. And especially doing the scenes with Tabyana that I’ve done recently, I feel confident that [the fans] are going to see a dynamic that is differently fulfilling for Trina, and feel the chemistry and the bond that is being created.”

What say you devotees? Could you champion a Kai/Trina pairing? Or are you holding out for a ‘Sprina’ redux with or without Nicholas Alexander Chavez? Let us know in the comments section below.

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