General Hospital
ABC Executive Nathan Varni Posts Heartfelt Message To Jason Thompson and Kimberly McCullough As Patrick & Robin Say Farewell On Today's GH!
Courtesy/ABC
Today is the day that Scrubs have waited for, but it will be very bittersweet. Viewers will see the final performance of Jason Thompson as Dr. Patrick Drake, and as well for now that of Kimberly McCullough (Robin) and Brooklyn Rae Silzer (Emma).
ABC Network Current Series executive for General Hospital, Nathan Varni shared some special “thank you’s” in a heartfelt message to both Jason Thompson and Kimberly McCullough on his facebook page after watching last night the episode fans will see today. Varni also previewed Scrubs fans will indeed get a montage of Patrick and Robin’s romance through the years as part of the episode.
Varni shared: “Thank you to Jason Thompson for 10 wonderful years playing Dr Patrick Drake on GH and a special thank you to Kimberly McCullough for making this episode possible. Before I started working on GH, I first met Kimberly when she was going through the process of applying for the Disney/ABC Director program. I knew her obviously from watching GH but I found her to be so incredibly warm and personable as I sat on her interview committee in person, I was rooting for her to be accepted into the program and I’m so glad she was as she’s proven to be an amazing director! I’m so fortunate to have reconnected with Kimberly once I started working on GH and I can’t thank her enough with her busy schedule that she still makes the time to return to her family at GH when needed.
Courtesy/ABC
Beyond working on GH, I had the amazing good fortune to work with Jason on our digital series, GH Now! Jason’s amazing positive attitude on set and off was always infectious, one of the nicest actors I’ve met in my career. I’ll always remember Jason having a genuine smile on his face when he would greet me and was always up for anything when it came to pitching him ideas for GH Now! I hope you will join me Thursday in saying goodbye to Scrubs, thank you for the memories and the amazing performances over the years!”
What did you think of Nathan’s message? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, as GH fans prepare for one final episode with the dynamic trio!
General Hospital
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
It was just over 13 years ago on General Hospital when Ava Jerome (Maura West) shot and killed Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri (Kelly Sullivan) in an effort to keep her quiet from revealing that Derek Wells was actually Ava’s back-from-the-dead brother, Julian Jerome (William deVry). It’s a crime that somehow Ava never has quite paid for either.
The episode back aired on August 13, 2013 and viewers had to say goodbye to Kelly Sullivan who played Kate and her alter, Connie. In the story, just before she died, Kate/Connie scrawled the letters AJ in her own blood, initially making the PCPD and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) think that it was AJ Quatermaine (Sean Kanan) who did the deed.
Now, Sullivan recalled sharing scenes with the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning West, during a live conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel. Kelly was the special guest talking about her recent return to the soaps in her new role as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Darcy Dylan.
Photo: JPI
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MAURA WEST
Speaking of her final GH scenes and working with Maura West, Sullivan gave her then GH co-star major props. “If you’re going to be shot by somebody (on the soaps), you want to be shot by Maura West, c’mon!”
Maura West debuted back in May 2013 as Ava, and Sullivan remembered when the As the World Turns favorite began on GH. “I remember when Maura West first arrived at GH. She walked in with this cute little bob (hairdo) and she’s just delicious,” shared Sullivan.
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Kelly revealed more about Maura, adding “I think she’s amazing! I remember right before I left the show, someone suggested, and I would still love to do this with her, if she ever want to, but someone suggested that they wanted to direct the stage play A Streetcar Named Desire with Maura and I, where I would play Stella and she would play Blanche! Wouldn’t that be great?”
Speaking of the Ava/Connie showdown scenes, Sullivan expressed, “On television and on General Hospital specifically, Maura West is able to play a character who does the most horrendous things and you still care about her and that’s the mark of a really great actor. In other words, you’re able to be liked in the midst of the most horrendous things, and as a performer not shying away from that, and to just have the courage to do what’s on the page (in the script).”
Photo: JPI
KELLY SULLIVAN PARTING THOUGHTS AS SHE LEFT GENERAL HOSPITAL
Kelly also shared her sentiments when she walked off the set of General Hospital after her run back in August of 2013. “I really was honored. Every day I would go to work and I would say a little prayer, which is I want to do justice for my character, explained Kelly. “It’s between me and my character. I get to walk this path with her and to leave the show on that note, which is, I left every out there. I just gave it my all and again what an honor it was to play Kate/Connie.”
You can catch the full conversation with Kelly where she talks about her time on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless where she played Sage Warner and now The Bold and the Beautiful below.
So, do you remember the Ava and Connie scenes where Ava shot and killed her? What did you think of Kelly Sullivan’s sentiments about Maura West? Share your thoughts via the comment section. But first, watch the reveal where Ava recalls murdering Connie below!
The question of will Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) stay awhile at General Hospital after his recent extended hiatus from the show earlier this year, has reportedly been answered.
TMZ via court documents obtained in Burton’s ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Sheree Gustin, shared that Steve actually inked a new three year deal with the ABC soap opera back in June.
That is significant because it was June when Burton returned back to work as Jason. In addition, the court filing confirmed that Burton had already moved back to California from Tennessee.
Photo: ABC
STEVE’S HIATUS AND HIS RETURN TO PORT CHARLES
GH fans will recall, it was back in February of 2026, that Burton announced via his Instagram that he was stepping away from his role of Jason Morgan for short break and pointed to wanting to spend quality time with his new wife, Michelle Lundstrom Burton with whom he tied the knot back on May 17, 2025.
Steve expressed at that time, “I’m newly married and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.” It was back on March 25 that viewers saw Jason carted away by the WSB after taking the fall for Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) who shot then WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).
Burton returned to work on June 1, and due to General Hospital taping roughly six weeks ahead of air, made his on-screen comeback on the July 13 episode.
GOING FOR GOLD AT THE UPCOMING DAYTIME EMMYS
Then, Steve and his enduring fans got an extra special treat on the same day, when it was revealed on Extra that he was nominated for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.
Steve previously won in the Supporting Actor category for his work as General Hospital’s Jason in 1998 and as The Young and the Restless’ Dylan McAvoy in 2018.
Now with Jason and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship seemingly hitting the skids, plus Jason’s commitment to staying out of mob life to focus on being present for his son Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), what does the future hold for the fan favorite character? Stay tuned.
So, happy to hear that Steve Burton signed a new three year deal with General Hospital? Knowing that, what storyline would you like to see Jason get involved and with who? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?
On the Friday, September 11 episode of General Hospital, Jason (Steve Burton) and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship becomes strained to potentially the point of no return.
Things take a turn when an unglued Britt having been traumatized by almost being killed by Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) asks Jason to back her up with the PCPD when she reports Anna for attempted murder.
However, Jason told Britt, he can’t. Jason shares that he does not believe Anna would have gone through with shooting her. Therefore, Britt was not in any real imminent danger. Britt is flabbergasted and hurt that Jason is refusing to tell the police what he actually witnessed for himself on Mount Emerson.
Courtesy/ABC
BRITT WANTS BACK UP FROM JASON
Jason counters that he can’t believe that Britt would want Anna punished. or sent to prison, or a mental facility after the trauma she endured while being locked up and mentally tortured while at Wyndemere.
He asks Britt, “How could you even say that you want her locked up or prosecuted for what she did when you knew she was being held prisoner and you did nothing to save her?” Britt is stunned by Jason’s response.
Coming up, official General Hospital spoilers share that on the upcoming Monday, September 14 episode, Jason confides in Carly (Laura Wright), while Britt is stung. In the video preview that aired at the end of the Friday, September 11 episode for this coming Monday, Britt says to Jason, “You don’t believe me. Do you?”
General Hospital head scribes, Chris Van Etten and Elizabeth Korte previously teased in their fall preview of the soap, “Britt and Jason have come a long way and fought a lot of enemies to be together. But the most stubborn obstacle to their happiness isn’t without, it’s within. Decisions Britt made to stay alive while under Cullum’s thumb will come back to haunt her and may prove too difficult for this unlikely couple to survive.”
So, what do you think will happen? Will Jason and Britt break-up over Britt’s lies and Jason’s unwillingness to report Anna’s crime against her? Do you want Jason and Britt to go their separate ways? If they do, will Britt become romantically involved with Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) ? If so, who do you pair Jason with? Anyone? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy Tells Carter She’s Pregnant, But He Has a Way ‘Out of This Situation For All of Us’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?
Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
‘General Hospital’ to Rebroadcast Special Episode in Tribute to Anthony Geary
‘General Hospital’s’ Tabyana Ali Song ‘Pray’ Now Available on Major Streaming Platforms with Music Video Forthcoming
‘General Hospital’ Icon Genie Francis to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards
Vivica A. Fox Exits ‘The Young and the Restless’ For Now to Film Netflix’s ‘Women Like Us’
Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy Tells Carter She’s Pregnant, But He Has a Way ‘Out of This Situation For All of Us’
‘Beyond the Gates’ vs. ‘The Young and the Restless’ in a Soap Opera Showdown on ‘Flip Side’ Season 3 Premiere
‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Heather Tom Talks Daytime Emmy-Nominated Scenes and What’s Behind Katie’s Deep-Seated Issues with Dylan (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Did Brook Lynn Deserve Chase Walking Out on Her?
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’ to Rebroadcast Special Episode in Tribute to Anthony Geary
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Tabyana Ali Song ‘Pray’ Now Available on Major Streaming Platforms with Music Video Forthcoming
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’ Icon Genie Francis to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards
-
News6 days agoVivica A. Fox Exits ‘The Young and the Restless’ For Now to Film Netflix’s ‘Women Like Us’
-
News1 day agoJess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
-
General Hospital6 days ago‘General Hospital’s’ Braedyn Bruner Reveals Her Daytime Emmy-Nominated Scenes and How Emma is Getting Her ‘Edge’ Back
-
General Hospital4 days ago‘General Hospital’s’ Bluesy Burke Marks 1 Year as Charlotte Cassadine: ‘It’s The Best Gift I’ve Ever Received’
-
News4 days ago‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Drops First Look 40th Anniversary Opening Title Sequence
the only thing i can hear in that message is MEMEME!
I totally agree with your comments I have been watching GH for 30 years and will discontinue watching after Thursday episode this is anothe Luke and Laura moment
I have had it !
Lol! Exactly! MEMEME and more ME!
I have never seen a guy so desperate for attention and to be taken seriously. It really is no wonder that GH is where it is.
A manager, self described as there for quality control, basically to keep an eye on the network’s investment, is pitching ideas and doing interviews and PR for the show; making so much of it about him, his fifteen minutes and the minor celebrity he thinks he has with his three thousand Twitter followers.
His accolades and goodbyes to Scrubs are an insult. JT left because he was underutilized and relegated to nothing because the focus of TPTB is to gut GH of its history and legacies for the likes of the continued failures of Franco, Nina, Julian etc. But hey, Varni can get some fans to hashtag Julexis and Nico and show it to Sherwood and Lee as proof they’re popular when the ratings are still terrible.
Today another core/legacy family was dismissed from GH. That’s the bottom line. Not only is Patrick now gone with Robin, but we’ll never see Mac and Felicia again. Why would GH fans want to see them when they can get Howarth & Stafford? When they left OLTL and Y&R respectively, neither show missed a beat, many liking their recasts more, but somehow GH needs them and over popular GH characters like Mac, Felicia, Ric, Ned, Lucy, Kevin and on and on.
There’s nothing heartfelt about Mr. Varni’s goodbye when he makes sure to inform us how important he is and furthers the strategy of dismantling GH.
AJQ, your assessment of this gentleman’s motives seems spot-on to me. Jamey Gidden’s site is constantly mocking him for pretending to be “the face and voice of GH.” When have we ever known the name of a show runner — essentially the babysitter? And where may I ask were the hosannas for JT, KMc and Brooklyn from GH’s titular head, Frank Valentini? Does he no longer have a voice in the production that bears his name as executive producer? Is show runner Varni now also executive producer and head writer? Who indeed is in charge? And when a show runner works so assiduously to build his own public profile at the expense of the show and its staff, shouldn’t someone at the network be concerned?
I could not agree more, that is hilarious –MEMEME! Varni is unrelenting, he is posting on the show on every site that will have him, needless to say it does not include DC confidential. I find his GH unwatchable, I know RC went off the rails by the end, but he was forced to write to meet multiple agendas as well, including those of Geary and others. Varni is one of the problems with the show, he is the next one that needs to exit.
If he’s so admiring of JT then why didn’t he get GH’s writing staff to write him meaningful, leading man stories rather than placing Patrick on the back burner?
I couldn’t agree with you more Melissa! GH blew it in not doing a better job to keep JT!
And now we watch another amazing talent walk out the door….
I will never understand why they let JFP grab him but they did if RC was still writing they probably would have an exit line where Patrick tells Robin they are headed to Wisconsin. I noticed he is already on the cover of CBS Soaps in Depth with AH.
I am re-posting a message I just left on GH Facebook in response to Scrubs happily ever after today.
Happy for a Robin and Patrick wedding! I am NOT happy that JT is leaving!!!!! GH you didn’t do enough to keep him! He is a leading man and deserved that on-screen time and storyline! Concerned about your ratings with the actors leaving to work on #1 soap. I do not watch it, but with letting JT go you are giving me less to watch on GH!!!! I am a 30+ yr GH fan, but you are making it sad for me to see less of the GH legacy families and veteran actors!
Jason made it clear that he was the one who wanted to leave the soap, and after ten years, he wanted to see what else his career had for him. And I do not blame him. I’m sure the soap must’ve made attempts to keep him, but it’s obvious he just wanted to say good-bye to Patrick.
Thanks for being a voice of reason, Scott (ATWT Fan). Most — not all, of course, but most — actors creatively want a change after a certain length of time in any role. People become actors to try playing different characters. We don’t expect other people to stay in one job their whole life, why should actors be any different? Good luck to Mr. Thompson, and thanks for the memories!
I am sure GH tried some things, but just wasn’t enough. I read that JT wants to work and provide for his family. You need more screen time to work which usually means bigger storyline. Think back to other GH storylines or this Jason Morgan one and see how much time they get. JT is ready for that and that’s what Y&R offered and GH didn’t. So again I say GH blew it.
Jason Thompson had plenty of air time, i am not sure why so much claim that he wasn’t working enough. As others have said Jason Thompson chose to leave he felt it was time to try something different. Even if they offered him to be the main focus of GH and working every day, he wanted to move on. But I guess for some people its easier for to blame the shows producers and writers, and the network then to accept that the actor wanted to move on
Matt- You should really get your facts straight before you paint viewers as irrational and just blaming TPTB.
You might want to take a few minutes and read the interview that Jason did with Michael Fairman. Michael asked him point blank if Patrick being on the back burner and underutilized played a role in his decision and he made it very clear that it was and that he had several conversations with Frank about that very issue over the past year. That he wanted to have more work, more story, as he said to be trusted with a story and be part of the engine that moved GH forward.
He was clearly unhappy with the role and direction of his character and clearly states that and said it certainly factored into his decision. He even mentioned that he could have possibly waited a couple of more months to see if things changed but he was confident in his decision to leave; he obviously did not see things changing.
So it wasn’t as you say that he wanted to move on and try something different even if they offered him a main focus. It is clear from his words, from Michael’s interview, that wasn’t the case.
A bit late for praise. They lost Jason because of how they wrote and treated him.
You’re right, Kar. But, it’s so sad.
Off the theme, but, Felicia is beautiful. Also, there’s no place to say this….methinks Hayden has something slimy and sticky up her sleeve. It foes not bode well for Nik. OOOOOO, something big is ‘gonna’ drop on his head and squash him……at the eleventh hour. It’s a personal animus for what he did to her. She is on to him, yes?
Actors come and go in daytime. Can’t expect them to always be a lifer.
Wow. Varni is making this all about himself and HIS experience with the actors. Yeah, it’s great that Varni remembers that JT always had a smile on his face, but why not talk about the tremendous and valuable contributions that JT made to the GH canvas during his 10-year tenure? The addition of JT to the cast in 2005 arguably helped to revitalize hospital stories and the presence of young and upcoming medical professionals on the canvas. Nightshift was a fairly successful and original prime time spinoff that put Jason and Kim front and centre, and Varni doesn’t even mention this? Jason was also one of the actors who tirelessly promoted GH’s 50th a couple of years ago through engagement with the media and other related events. So thanks, Varni, for making this all about yourself instead of about the actor who invested so much in making Patrick Drake a beloved success.
All these people who are complaining that GH “let JT” get away probably have never left a job in their lifetime. People move on, they get burned out, they need new things. JT was going to leave. He was always working but he needed new challenges. Just because one actor stays with a show for 30 years doesn’t mean everyone has to stay that long. That is life and that is show business. You can’t be front burner day in day out for 20 years. I hope JT is happy at Y & R because GH actors there (besides Burton) don’t last very long. And taking on that character which has become a train wreck. Good luck!
This is how to do a proper send-off for an actor who made an incredible impact on the show & the network:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVP5PciuK0I
hi Kate,,’that was great fun to watch..
very good!
Thanks for sharing !!!!!
I will miss Jason as Patrick and Kimberly McCullough as Robin & Brooklyn as Emma and I hope for the best and I hope Gh never replace them also I want best for them and I know Jason will come to Young & Restless as Billy Abbot but won’t be same without him as Patrick Drake and also beautiful singing voice and I really hope he come back gh sometime and I gh keep us spot open in case he decides to come back they all should come back do family thing in nurses ball that be cool. I love Brooklyn singing voice but I hope she comes back as Emma and see her grandma Anna but You always want best but sad though that today their last scene and breaks my heart. Patrick & Robin & Emma perfect family I will always love that family and miss them.
That was a nice send off by a net excec. Nothing near that for the departure of Tony Geary from ABC? Maybe he was a pain in the azz after all? Ahh, still miss Luke!
Jason and Kimberly are class acts and thorough professionals–they appear to check their egos at the door unlike Tony Geary–marked difference. I admire Jason and your interview with him, Michael, proved him worthy of my admiration. And Kimberly–what can I say? After all her tragedies this summer, she came back for the storyline, for the fans, for her fellow actors. Classy lady. I wish them both much success. I’ll miss their warmth–and their great love story following the legacy of GH’s most worthy love stories. And TPTB allowed Tony Geary to singlehandedly dismantle the Luke and Laura love story. Boo! Hiss, to you, Tony Geary!
I love Tony but now I’m seeing with P&R how to leave a show! Someone posted a suggestion I love. Have Laura drift into a montage of L&L and put it to rest and lets let her move on with her “Spanky Buns kind of love like Luke did!”
That was a very nice heartfelt thank You to Jason and Kimberly. I myself as a fan of all three actors. Jason, Brooklyn, and Kimberly will miss them very much. They are all So talented. Brooklyn is So Gifted. Will miss Her Sweet smile on GH. Wishing All much success in Their next Acting Gig. Thank You All. A Devoted Fan.
I will miss the scrubs. I wish them the best in the future.
Emma is so beautiful. She has a great future.
Good luck to them all. Goodbye
For the loyal viewers it is always difficult to see a beloved character leave…
Their a part of our daily life, we become selfish in our need to hold on to
them. As actors it’s only natural that they need to explore different roles as
to become better at their craft…That’s the whole point of being an actor…
their chameleons at heart.
Very lovely send off today. Weird jumps from the wedding to scenes with Laura and Nik and Tracy, though.
There send off was sad. I loved all three of them.I think they will all be missed. Wishing them all much happiness with what they choose to do next. I hope they are blessed and have a wonderful great future.
I am NOT a scrubs fan, couldn’t care less about them not the way I am a JOLIE (JOLIAM) FAN!!!!!! GOOD LORD I MISS THEM SOOOOOOO, SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!
I have no idea who or what JOLIAM i, Kathryn. I do not fare well with acronyms associated with couples. Lol. Is it John and Natalie? (OLTL) if so, I’m with you. I still mourn their ‘passing’, and wish them happiness somewhere in the cosmos.