Maura West

Maura West DeFreitas (born Maura Jo Snyder on April 27, 1972) is an American actress. She gained recognition for her role as Carly Tenney on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, which she portrayed from 1995 to 2010. Following this, she portrayed Diane Jenkins on The Young and the Restless from 2010 to 2011. In 2013, West joined the cast of General Hospital as art dealer Ava Jerome. With a career spanning over two decades, West has been nominated for 12 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning three for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, she graduated from Boston University with a bachelor's degree in fine arts.