Liesl Obrecht is a fictional character on the long-running ABC daytime soap opera, General Hospital, played by Kathleen Gati. The character was created by head writer Ron Carlivati and introduced by executive producer Frank Valentini in the summer of 2012 in what was initially supposed to be a bit role. When she joined the storyline, Dr. Obrecht was the director of the Swiss clinic where the presumed dead Dr. Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough) was being imprisoned by the infamous Cesar Faison (Anders Hove).

Impressed by Gati's portrayal of the character, the producers expanded the role and in early 2013 Obrecht was revealed to be the mother of the scheming Dr. Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) fathered by the legendary Faison himself. Obrecht schemes to help Britt win the affections of Robin's husband, Dr. Patrick Drake (Jason Thompson) and later Nikolas Cassadine (Tyler Christopher) by impregnating Britt with Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) and Lulu Falconeri (Emme Rylan)'s embryo. Obrecht also develops a rivalry with Faison's longtime obsession and Robin's mother, Anna Devane (Finola Hughes). In 2014, in addition to becoming chief of staff at General Hospital, Obrecht is revealed to be the biological mother of Detective Nathan West (Ryan Paevey), raised by her estranged sister, Madeline Reeves (Donna Mills). Gati took a break from the role in 2020. She last appeared on April 13, 2020. She returned on September 28, 2020. Gati quietly left the show on December 12, 2023. Gati returned on July 17, 2025.

Kathleen Gati made her first appearance as Liesl Obrecht on August 24, 2012. "They needed a German doctor to say a few things and then go" Gati remarked to Soaps In Depth of how her character came to be. However, the writers were so impressed that they kept bringing Gati back. Gati said her status with the series "was always precarious and still is," despite the role being expanded. The role was only meant to last a few days to "take Robin (Kimberly McCullough) from Room A to Room B and talk to Tony Geary [Luke] in the hall to help him avoid seeing Robin and Anna Devane (Finola Hughes)." It was actually Tony Geary who sang Gati's praises to the executive producer, Frank Valentini after their scenes. Immediately impressed, Valentini sent head writer Ron Carlivati a piece of her scenes knowing Carlivati would be inspired to write more for her. Valentini chose Gati out of five other actresses that were up for the role. Valentini immediately informed Carlivati of how good she was. Though she was finding success in other recurring gigs, Gati insisted that "if GH asks me to sign a contract, I'll say yes. I feel like I'm at home here. I've been in Los Angeles for 15 years, and for the first time, I actually feel like I belong to a family." In October 2013, the role was briefly played by Finola Hughes when Dr. Obrecht tries to pass herself off as Anna Devane.

"I think it's great that I am allowed to show everything, the rawness and the vulnerability and the evilness and the cuckoo-ness and the comedy. It's a feast for an actor, for sure."

Kathleen Gati said Obrecht is a "very focused woman, very educated, very serious." Obrecht is a "force to be reckoned with," the actress said. Dr. Obrecht is usually very "self-sufficient." Mara Levinsky described the character as a "sharp-tongued scene-stealer." Gati saw the potential for her character very early on and described Obrecht as "delicious and nasty." As the role continued to expand, "the writers gave me so many colors I could bring to the role. She was evil, she was kind, she was painful." Gati rejected the notion that Obrecht could be "rational" and said "She basically is evil" However, the actress insisted that Obrecht is a "person" who has "emotions" and shows "sensitivity" and a "soft side." She is not just "the campy, the broad, the evil, and the dark." Gati insisted Obrecht's "most redeeming" quality is the humor. Gati explained: "If Obrecht didn't get bonked on the head here and there when she made a big mistake, or if they didn't throw in an 'oops' every now and then, viewers wouldn't enjoy the character as much." That humor serves as a "relief" for viewers. When compared to herself, Gati said Obrecht is "dark and terrorizing" and characterized her as a "powerhouse." While the character has traits that humanize her, she was never given an actual redemption story. Soaps In Depth described Obrecht as "strong, smart, powerful, and has a humorous way with words." Maria Ciaccia of About.com described the character as "cold and domineering."

Of the way her character speaks, Gait said "She speaks with a certain style, intelligent and harsh." Obrecht is a "German character, but Swiss German, bright and sharp." When it comes to her character's dialogue, Gati explained that she tried to be as "verbatim as possible" because the character is written "stylized, broad and it's very detailed." As for the character's accent, the script is written in English and Gati inserts later. Kathleen Gati said she tries to get her scripts early so she can work in the character's accent. Gati described the accent as not being "quite Swiss. It's not quite German. It's something in between. In between where and where is virtually indecipherable. The accent is among the worst ever attempted, by anyone, anywhere. I have developed some kind of accent, sort of a neutral something, because she's very educated so she's obviously spent time in England and Britain." Gati then reviews her work and picks out things she thinks went over well and words or phrases she thinks need to be improved on.

In March 2013, Obrecht was revealed to be the mother of the scheming doctor Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud). Ron Carlivati said that once the writers came up with the idea to connect the characters, it just made sense. Britt had been "horrible" so the reveal makes Britt more "sympathetic." Obrecht resents her daughter because Britt could not help her keep her father. In reference to the dynamic between the two, Gati insisted that Obrecht does love Britt, but she does not always show it." According to Gati, Britt needs her mother because of her strength. There are some moments were Obrecht tries to show affection to Britt as a mother but "there's an awkwardness about it" Gati said. Gati described Obrecht's feelings for Britt as "challenging" because even though the feelings exist, those feelings are "minimal at best." However, the actress continued "There is some warmth. She tries." Gati said the "writers open the window a tiny bit - I reach through and then bang, so it's very contrived. There's an attempt, but she's not successful." Obrecht takes steps to bond with her daughter after finding out about her engagement to Nikolas Cassadine (Tyler Christopher) and Gati said "She's looked in the mirror and seen the mistakes that she's made." Obrecht comes up with a new plan to benefit Britt and Gati said "She would go to great, great lengths to protect the child and to protect Britt, and defend her daughter as much as she can. She's trying to make up for lost time." However, the scheme makes things worse.

In 2014, Obrecht is revealed to be the estranged younger sister of the wealthy Madeline Reeves, played by Donna Mills, and the biological mother of Madeline's "son," Nathan West (Ryan Paevey). Gati said the jail scenes between Obrecht and Madeline give another layer to why the character is the way she is; she had a "sister and the parents from hell." Carlivati explained that "Obrecht is feeling a lot of emotions about" Nathan whom she for some reason gave up. Despite her feelings, Nathan has trouble trusting Obrecht, not only because her reputation precedes her, but also because of his troubled relationship with Madeline who he believed was his mother. Nathan's initial rejection "almost makes you feel sorry for Obrecht," Carlivati said.