Briana Nicole Henry is an actress who played the role of Esmeralda on The Young and the Restless from 2013-2014 and was cast as Jordan Ashford on General Hospital in 2019.
Henry's love of performing came in an unusual way; she normally focused on athletics while in school, but she entered a poetry competition at the behest of a high school English teacher and found that she loved the connection between the performer and the audience. This newfound love of the stage spurred her to take a month-long summer acting program at the University of Southern California and later to move from her home state of Florida to study theater at the school. However, had she not entered the poetry competition, she says she likely would have become an artist anway: her mother was a Jazz singer and her father always dreamed of becoming a writer.
While attending USC, Henry landed the role of Y&R's Esmeralda. The character was only supposed to appear for one episode, but her time on the CBS soap opera was extended to 16 episodes. This lead to guest starring appearances on shows like Jane the Virgin, Stitchers, Undateable, HBO's Insecure, and -- last but not least -- a full-time role as GH's Jordan Ashford. Funny enough, Henry auditioned for the part of Jordan while she was a senior at USC, but the role went to Vinessa Antoine, who she was hired to replace in 2019.
Before Henry found continued success as an actress, the lifelong athlete worked as a Soul Cycle instructor for Indoor Cycling Company.
Henry announced that she got engaged to her boyfriend of two years, Kris Bowers, on Christmas Eve, 2018. "I get to love you for a lifetime, now," she shared on Instagram. "Wow. I love you, Kris. Here's to all that's to come. You are a dream."
The Morning Show
Alyssa
2019
General Hospital
Jordan Ashford
2018
Insecure
Blair
2018
Shameless
Bailey
2018
The Weeklings Pilot (TV Movie)
Sunday
2017
Single Minded (TV Mini-Series)
Sarah
2016
Jane the Virgin
Jill
2015
It Had to Be You (TV Movie)
Sarah Gibbs
2015
Snitchers
Lisa Keller
2015
Undateable
Lauren
2015
The Young and the Restless
Esmeralda
December 13, 2013 to May 29, 2014
Bright
Orc Hottie at Party
2017
At Middleton
Emma
2013
FULL NAME: Briana Nicole Henry
PLACE OF BIRTH: Florida
MARITAL STATUS: Married to Kris Bowers