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Charles Shaughnessy Takes Over the Role of GH’s Victor Cassadine

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

GH fans were in for a major surprise when on Thursday’s episode a kidnapped Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati) got the shock of her life when her former lover, Victor Cassadine turned out to be alive and well and holding her hostage.

But there was another twist! DAYS favorite, Charles Shaughnessy (Shane), who previously was announced as coming to GH but in a mystery role, revealed himself to be … the new Victor Cassadine!  The former Mr. Sheffield of The Nanny has stepped into the role previously played by DAYS Thaao Penghlis (Tony).

Once the cat was out of the bag, in a tweet, Shaughnessy shared: “So excited to FINALLY be able to reveal details of my latest “gig”. 37 years on, I am back in the halls of @GeneralHospital, playing with the incredible @gatitweets. Having once been a vampire on @DisneyChannel, it’s not surprising I bring #VictorCassadine back from the dead!”

Shaughnessy is referring to the time he previously played Holly Sutton’s cousin, Alistair on the ABC daytime drama series back in 1984.

General Hospital viewers recall that Liesl shot and “killed” Victor back in 2014 then played by Penghlis.  In story, Victor believed he was the bio-dad of her son, Nathan West (Ryan Paevey). But a DNA test said that was not true, yet she shot him.  Leaving viewers wondering who is the dad? Hmmm.

So what did you think of the shocker? Shaughnessy as NuVictor Cassadine? Comment below.

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I enjoyed Charles entering the story. Maybe for the wrong reason as I said in another comment…I smiled and was half waiting for Fran (Nanny) to bring in Liesl’s dinner. Because so far I can’t see him as the baddest of the bad guys.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Charles Shaughnessy. But why couldn’t they bring back Thaao Penghlis as Victor? Wally Kurth airs on both DAYS and GH at the same time so why couldn’t Thaao too? Even though he wasn’t on the show for very long, he made a lasting impression as Victor and it’s hard to see a new actor play him.

Jimmy
You make a good point and Thaao makes a “good impression” whatever he’s on. Chas. Shaughnessy will also be on both shows but maybe Thaao held out for more money. Personally this SL bores me to death already and it’s hardly started. It was bad enough years ago watching that old goat Faisin chasing after Anna and Obrect chasing after him, now this,omg. Thanks for letting me rant Jimmy.

Wally’s a good bit younger than Thaao, and may enjoy the schedule juggling. Also, Shaughnessy is (surprisingly) on contract at GH. His role on the limited web series Beyond Salem was likely negotiated prior to GH, allowing him to do both.

It’s a bit of a jarring switch, but CS is such a fine actor, might just work out fine.

Steve,
This man is remarkable! I didn’t think too much about him when he appeared as Victor, but seeing him again as Shane on Beyond Salem, that silver fox is just looking better and better.

I totally agree,and I was ticked off when Thaao was on GH last time that he didn’t haveany scenes with Constance Towers (Helena).

Well at least maybe now Robert can confront Victor and avenge O’Reilly.

I don’t recall seeing the original Victor Cassadine so no change for me..
I do luv the Cassadines and would like to have all of them back.
Valentin was to be the one that Helena feared.
He was to be the worst of the worst.
He was pussified and turned out to be a teddy bear, shameful.
Hopefully, this Victor guy will bring on the Cassadine dark powers,
Nikolas failed as a true-blooded Cassadine, also.

Ironically, Victor was the LEAST “dark” of the original Cassadines. He thought his older brother Mikkos went way overboard in the whole “let’s try to freeze the world in the middle of August” plan, and in the end, Victor was actually working with Luke & Robert Scorpio to help bring Mikkos down. (a third brother, Tony, had already fallen victim to the deep freeze, along with his girlfriend Alexandra Quartermaine)

Victor was still sentenced to prison for his part in the Cassadine crimes though, so how he suddenly resurfaced in 2014 as the CEO of the World Security Bureau, that’s something they have never explained. Probably since that return was basically a short term plot point, needed to explain how “Jason Morgan” (actually Drew Cain) became a popsicle in his custody, and how he needed Robin Scorpio’s help to thaw out “Jason”, along with his former sister in law Helena & her son Stavros.

And then Victor’s second short return, when he stuck around long enough to find out he was NOT Nathan’s father, despite what Dr. Oooblech had told him. Again, little more than a plot point to set the stage for Faison being Nathan’s daddy, and the entrance of Faison’s other son, Whiny Heiny.

Considering this latest round of Victor Cassadine looks like it will again be a plot point to tie up various loose ends (Drew/Hayden/Heiny/possibly Holly??) maybe Thaoo Penghlis didn’t want round three of being the convenient fall guy?

Satan- you have a mind of steel to remember all of that–
I have zero knowledge of Victor, or if I had seen him, I don’t recall……
The Cassadines were awesome characters. I would like all of them back-exciting….
I have a bad feeling that the writers will also pussyfy Victor……
The writers of days past had the courage to write heavy, therefore, making stories of sitting on the edge of your seat suspense……they created emotions be it hate or love they brought it home……shame they are gone..

Su; Were you watching during the early days, when Nicolas was a teen and came to town with Stefan; lived with him and Alexis? Did you see Constance Towers at her wicked-best as the “evil” Helena when she was younger and was a threat to Laura, Alexis…always trying to get Nicolas to her side, etc. Wasn’t all that before you started watching?

As for Nicolas, I don’t think many fans back in the day, OR now, wanted him to be an evil Cassadine, so he didn’t fail at being one. I don’t think he was ever intended to be evil. The Cassadines were at war with themselves: the “good ones” vs the evil ones, and Nicolas (like Alexis and Sam; they’re Cassadines, too) was never “evil.” Nicolas’s Uncle, Stefan, was criminal at times but I don’t remember as “evil…well, not diabolical like Helena, Stavros, Mikkos. Stefan loved Nicolas like a son. (I LOVED Stefan! Thought he was such a great, intriguing character! He was played by Stephen Nichols who plays Steve/Patch over on Days.)

But back to Nicolas…each time he did anything remotely criminal or not to Laura’s liking (like most recently scaring Nicolas) she feared he’ become like his Cassadine side. That was always ridiculous to me, especially this last time when he scared Spencer; I don’t think scaring his son to teach him a hard lesson was quite Helena cray cray or “evil.” The ONLY time I thought Nicolas was written as evil and therefore out of character was when he first came back and told Ava her daughter was in hell…that was truly cruel and I think the writers really missed their mark (made for a good story but not something I would see Nicolas doing).

The “evil” Cassadines are all dead: Helena, Stavros, Mikkos. I do remember, as you said, that Valentin was “described” as the most evil before they brought the character to the show (I think he was added to the family history, don’t remember ever hearing about him until James appeared in the role) but as we know that never came to fruition… Those old Cassadine days were gold…so fun. who knows what Victor will bring. I think Spencer may know he’s alive; seems coincidental that Spencer would use the name Victor when Trina first met him…

If the show was ever to revive the true evil Cassadine legacy, Spencer would be the most likely candidate. IF this was back in the day and soaps were to go on for decades, it might have been worth the investment to see Spencer evolve to the dark side. At this point, I hope not; I like Spencer too much and hope he goes up against the evil Esme. SHE (and Nelle) would have made good next-generation evil Cassadines, in my opinion….

hi Rebeca 🙂
WHOA!! Thank you for the info-
I never knew all that background,
it was a great read :)————

That was before my time- but
it sounds to have been good storytelling..
Not knowing all that————
I’ve always seen Nikolas as a grey character———–
However- no matter what Nokolas is a Cassadine .. And he is of the bad seed–lol———–
ahhh but Spencer– he seems to have the devil in him, yup..———-
With a soap; the good turn bad the bad turn good.. the redemption factor–makes for longer stories and viewer emotions..
——–
but the writers are in charge of Spenser’s outcome.——
I luv the Cassadine — they are/where the fire!———–
I want all of them back..give me some Helena excitement.
—be well 🙂

Just to clarify, Helena’s daughter IS in Hell. But she has air-conditioning, because she’s not nearly the sinner the rest of her family is. I also don’t invite her & Helena to the same parties… or if I do, I hide all the sharp objects!!

Hast the heat gotten to you? Nicolas told Ava that Kiki’s daughter was in hell…did you mistake that for Helena’s? Had to look up Helen’s daughter because I forgot she even had a daughter…she was on just for that story arc. Remember? She was the woman in white who Nicolas fell for…turned out Helena had locked her away at one point, brainwashed her to kill Lucky? In the end Helena killed her…

Yeah, I read that earlier post too fast, on an uncaffeinated Devil brain. The memory is the first thing to go after a few thousand years.

Kiki has AC too, for all of the same reasons. She and Helena’s daughter have something else in common, and that’s the fact that neither one should have ever been written into existence. The first Kiki was just a legal fiction to rename an annoying little twit who never belonged on GH in the first place. The second version wasn’t so bad in and of herself, but she got stuck in Ava’s bubble, and it could only end badly for her because of that.

Ava started to show some signs of humanity when she was in that Russian hospital, and eventually helped Jason escape from there, not having any idea who he was. Back in Port Charles though, she pretty much reverted to form… at least until the new Nikolas showed up. And she’s been good with Trina too, surprisingly enough.

I’m glad to see that it wasn’t the heat that got to you but other than that, I beg to differ. Ava is/was a fantastic character after we got past that horrific time when she framed AJ. AJ will always be one of my favs so I hated her for that. And I blame Sonny more for killing him. But I digress…

I hated Kiki but for different reasons. It’s BECAUSE I loved/love Ava so much that I couldn’t stomach Kiki. Like the rest of the town who forgives Snarly for everything and turns their backs on their own parents while kissing the arses of Sonny and Carly, Kiki KNEW that Sonny wanted to kill Ava and that Carly hated her guts; they were her mother’s mortal enemies. And while it was true that Ava switched out Morgan’s pills, she wasn’t responsible for, nor did she want, Morgan’s death. She actually was trying to steer Kiki away from Morgan for her own good. She wanted her to date Dillon, who she thought could give her a better life. And Kiki had no leg to stand on; she AND Morgan switched “Mikey’s” pills when he had custody of Avery. My point being…she sided with the Snarlys and helped them keep Avery from Ava. Ava practically had to beg her to let her hold Avery if Kiki was taking her to the park. And later, she took Griffin from Ava within seconds of Ava “breaking up with Griffin.” And why did she break up with Griffin? For the umpteenth time Kiki had found comfort in Griffin’s arms, this time in her bra.

So, Kiki having a room in your basement apartment would be okay by me. But it tortured Ava; and it was way out of character for Nicolas to hurt someone like that.

Satan,
If anyone would know it would be you. Wasn’t Helena’s daughter the girl in white that Holly’s son fell in love with and tried to rescue from Windemere but Helena found her and ultimately shot and killed her?

I’ll tell you what happened to Victor Cassadine, Ron Carlivati happened, yep yep, the same guy who made Alexandria Devane a cartoon villain on GH, when in fact she was a heroine on AMC, one who helped Anna get back on her feet, yet the GH Alex was turn into the stereotypical cartoon characters that Ron was so infamous for at GH.

Ron was dismissed as head writer in 2015. Alex was reintroduced to GH in 2017. Jean & Shelley (and later Chris) were writing at that time.

Not Ron’s biggest fan – but on this one he’s not to blame.

Certainly true of the first Victor return in 2014. And ReRon’s take on Stavros was a complete cartoonish embarrassment.

AMC never really aired in Hell, so I’ll have to take your word on the Alex Devane stuff.

I don’t remember Victor working with Luke and Robert against Mikkos. Robert disliked Victor as I recall because his men killed O’Reilly.

I’ll always remember Charles Shaughnessy as Mr. Sheffield on The Nanny, so when I heard he was being cast as the new Victor Cassadine, I was skeptical. On paper, I don’t see him being a fit for the role. It’s really a shame that Thaao Penghlis couldn’t reprise the role. But I don’t know if he was asked or even available with the new Days project he’s working on.

So we move forward. Charles is a wonderful actor, and if anyone can pull this off, he certainly can. I’ll be interested to see what they have planned.

I just wonder what explanation they have for Victor being alive. The last time we saw him he had been shot in the chest, and was laying on the floor dying as the Crighton Clark facility blew up. I know it’s soaps, and anyone can come back from the dead, and we accept that as part of the deal. But they’re really gonna need to dig into the script bag for an explanation for this one, lol.

How about the explanation of Peter still being alive after BOTH a doctor and a nurse, two highly trained medical professionals who have been in the field for decades, pronounced Peter dead and locked him in a freezer? Soap deaths don’t mean anything anymore.

The show has gone quite a bit overboard with RFD storylines recently:

Peter
Drew
Victor

Could also count Sonny as even though viewers know he’s alive, 99% of Port Charles thinks he’s dead.

Just as long as Morgan remains dead, I can accept all of the above.

Steve,
I could stand that punk Morgan come back than for instance Nell or Peter when TPTB finally decide enough is enough.

We know Morgan isn’t dead, for the same reason we knew Drew wasn’t dead. No body, no death. This also should have applied to Sonny, obviously. Seems ridiculous that everybody jumped to conclusions and wrote him off as “dead” so soon. Or for that matter, that Jax dismissed the fact that he saw Sonny in Tricky Dick Nixon Falls as some sort of “hallucination” – from a minor flesh wound in his shoulder??? (months later, he finally seems to realize that wasn’t a hallucination after all, because of Sonny’s Magic Pasta Sauce making appearances in Port Charles)

Victor was shot and in a burning building, so that looks bad on the surface… but hey, he’s a Cassadine, and they aren’t easy to kill.

Whiny Heiny was dead. He was literally in Hell! I’ll be eternally damned if I know how he escaped.

But back to Morgan…. we’ll definitely see him eventually. But I’m guessing that’s going to be a while down the road. Sonny & Drew’s returns are going to stir up the canvas enough for the immediate future. And yeah, Nelle’s still out there somewhere too. Don’t be surprised if she and Morgan come back together. If Morgan can go BiPolar just like his dad, maybe he can get amnesia just like his dad too? And Nelle might not know who her mom actually is, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t act just like Nina… and manipulate an amnesiac Morgan for her own purposes.

I’d love to see Julian and AJ return from the dead; I wouldn’t care how they explained it. As for the others? Then, too, I usually enjoy it. Part of the soapy genre where anything can happen. There are some characters who are alive who I don’t want to see back; like Hayden. Or others I’d like to see gone, like Phyllis, Stella and Gladys. Sigh…

Julian told me he’s happy in Hell. Why? Because his crazy sisters aren’t here (yet).

Ava? Crazy? Naaaa; 😉 Still love her. Will DeVry is over on Twitter, though, and I think he’d like to see Julian return from the dead. He said he’d never come back to the show, yet he watches it and gives commentary. THAT’s dedication! I have no idea what the writers were smoking when they had the ingenious, not, idea to kill Julian off. But, hey, we got Phyllis and Gladys! How much more must-see TV can it get than that! Sigh.

I miss sexy Will, rebecca1. Huge mistake icing Julian Jerome. And don’t get me started on Gladys! What is the POINT of that character except to stir the pot at every opportunity and be as irritating as sandpaper on a wound? I liked Phyllis at first but now it seems like she just enables selfish behavior from “Mike” and, especially, Nina. And don’t forget the fabulous T. J., “mysterious” Austin, disastrous recasts of Drew and Spencer, evil Esme (Kiki’s twin?), and that ridiculous Novak family. It’s like watching a really bad ripoff of THE GODFATHER.

Well, Victor Cassadine has been heading the WSB for years now (how and why that happened, we still don’t know) so that’s familiar territory for Charles, who was playing ISA superspy Shane Donovan since the early 1980s. And of course, since he knows Thaao Penghlis from working with him on Days all of those years, it’s not much of a stretch to think he might have consulted with him on how to play the role of Victor Cassadine?

As far as explanations….. fugeddabout it….. you should know by now that Cassadines are really hard to kill. A simple gun shot in a burning building?? That’s nothing. Especially when you have much lesser characters who fell down a flight of stairs, broke their neck, were pronounced dead by a doctor and a nurse, locked in a freezer and are somehow up walking around anyway.

I love this actor and am looking forward to seeing him play Victor Cassadine. I hope they make him a grey character like Valentine and not pure evil.

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Serena Sets Her Sights on Michael; Jason’s Emotional Exit from the Mob

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This week on all-new episodes of General Hospital, new and old motivations come into play with dangerous consequences. According to the just released GH video spoilers video for the week of August 3-7, a bailiff calls out, “All rise!”

Now it’s Isaiah (Sawandi Wilson) vs. Curtis (Donnell Turner), as the surgeon is suing the owner of the Savoy for assault that ruined is ability to operate. At the end of the day, which of these men has enough evidence against the other? Portia (Brook Kerr) is by Isaiah’s side, while Jordan (Tanisha Harper) is with Curtis.

Next, Lucy (Lynn Herring) has a plan to get the controlling shares of Deception away from Michael (Rory Gibson). She wants her daughter, Serena (Kelly Kruger) to seduce Michael. She tells her, “Pick out your most seductive suit.” Soon, we see Serena in her bathing suit at the Metro Court face to face with Michael.

Later, there is a small baggie containing three blue pills. Nina (Cynthia Watros) ask Willow (Katelyn MacMullen), “What did you do?” We also see Michael asking the same thing of Jacinda (Paige Herschell). Leading into this week, viewers know that Willow doesn’t want the former escort anywhere near her children, Amelia and Wiley. Is this how she stops her, or is Jacinda up to old tricks and wants to frame Willow? Remember when Jacindsa drugged Drew (Cameron Mathison)? Stay tuned.

Finally, in the pick-up from last Friday’s cliffhanger, an emotional Jason (Steve Burton) continues to tell Sonny (Maurice Benard) that he cannot work for him anymore. Sonny ask, “So that’s it? You’re Out?” We fade to black.

Take a look at the official GH spoilers for the week below.

MONDAY, AUGUST 3
Jason makes a sacrifice for Danny. Elizabeth becomes privy to a secret. Carly is touched. Valentin has a warning for Nina. Josslyn cautions Brennan.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4
Brook Lynn and Chase celebrate a milestone. Trina gets an earful. Carly’s plan backfires. Curtis is skeptical. Michael is anxious about his family’s’ future.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5
Sonny wants answers. Ava is struck with inspiration. Curtis’ trial begins. Brook Lynn wrestles with a big decision. Lucy and Serena scheme.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6
Sonny makes a stunning announcement. Serena makes her move. Willow faces a new threat. Isaiah takes the stand. Lucy questions Laura.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7
Josslyn is taken aback. Ava courts a new ally. Jordan and Anna catch up. Isaiah vents to Lucas and Elizabeth. Michael questions Jacinda.

Check out the latest ABC promo for General Hospital entitled, “What Did You Do?” below.

Now weigh-in: Do you think GH is about to pair Serena with Michael? Is it curtains for Jacinda? Can anyone stop Willow once and for all, or make her pay for her crimes? What will Jason do without Sonny and the mob? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Fan Club Weekend 2026 (Photos)

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General Hospital Fan Club Weekend brought out many of your favorites to the four day event; with the main cast gathering on Saturday, August 1. Fans near and far attended the weekend held this year at the Burbank Marriott Hotel. Whether it be the main cast event or the smaller more intimate events featuring two or three cast members a great time was had by all.

Some of the cast participating in the main cast event included: Cyrus Hobbi (Yuri), Gary James Fuller (James), Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), Viron Weaver (Wiley), Paige Herschell (Jacinda), Chris McKenna (Brennan), Josh Kelly (Cody), Kayden Brenna Tokarsi (Scout), Cassandra James (Terry), Laura Wright (Carly), Dominic Zamprogna (Dante), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane), Rick Hearst (Ric), Adrian Anchondo (ex-Marco), and Chloe Lanier (ex-Nelle).

In addition to, Van Hansis (Lucas), Cameron Mathison (Drew), Ryan Paevey (ex-Cassius), Easton Rocket Sweda (Leo), Maurice Benard (Sonny), Kristen Vaganos (Molly), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), Kate Mansi (ex-Kristina), Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), Cynthia Watros (Nina), Kristina Wagner (Felicia) and more.

Take a look at some of the snaps from the main event arrivals below:

Photo: HutchinsPhoroi

GH’s Rick Hearst with on-screen daughter, Kristen Vaganos, plus Nancy Lee Grahn, and Kate Mansi.

Photo: HutchinsPhoto

GH’s Maurice Benard on-hand to meet the fans.

Photo: HutchinsPhoto.com

Jack Brennan in the house … Chris McKenna.

Photo: HutchinsPhoto

Adrian Anchondo, Van Hansis and Anchondo’s boyfriend, Days of Our Lives, Colton Little.

Photo: HutchinsPhoto

GH’s Josh Kelly and his gal, the former Nelle Benson of Port Charles, Chloe Lanier.

Photo: HutchinsPhoto

Who is James’ father? Not Cassius or Spinelli, actually. Actors Gary James Fuller, Ryan Paevey and Bradford Anderson!

Photo: HutchinsPhoto

One of General Hospital’s newest cast members, Kayden Brenna Tokarski attends her first GHFCW event.

Check out some more arrival images featuring: Laura Wright (Carly), Cassandra James (Terry), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane) and more in the gallery below.

Michael Fairman TV will be adding more images to this post in the day ahead.

So, were you glad to see so many of your GH favorites attending this year’s General Hospital Fan Club Weekend? Let us know via the comment section.

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General Hospital

Vincent Pastore of ‘Sopranos’ Fame and ‘General Hospital’s’ Maximus Giambetti Dies at 80

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Vincent Pastore, best known for his memorable role as Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on HBO’s The Sopranos has passed away.

The veteran actor was found dead on August 1st in his home in the Bronx, New York. Pastore was 80-years-old. The cause of death is yet to be determined.

As well as his role on The Sopranos, many soap fans will recall he played multiple smaller roles on the beloved One Life to Live from 1995 and 2004. However, in 2008, he landed the short-term role as Maximus Giambetti on General Hospital.

PASTORE WANTED TO BE ON GENERAL HOSPITAL

Maximus was the mobster father of Sonny Corinthos’ (Maurice Benard) bodyguards: Max (Derk Cheetwood) and Milo (Drew Cheetwood)

According to Soap Opera Digest, Pastore told Soaps In Depth back in 2009, after appearing in a SOAPnet promotional campaign as a celebrity fan of General Hospital: “‘I’d love to be on the show. So they called up GH’s casting director (Mark Teschner) and Bobby (Robert Guza Jr. ex-head writer, GH) and they wrote me in!”

Pastore was a huge General Hospital fan from way back, who at one point told producers that he would watch the ABC soap opera while working in bars and nightclubs in the 70s and 80s.

Throughout his decades long career, Pastore appeared in films including: Goodfellas, Carlito’s Way and Men of Respect, The Jerky Boys: The Movie and the 1996 HBO TV movie Gotti.

In TV, besides The Sopranos, Pastore’s credits included: Law & Order, The Practice, Son of the Beach, Queens Supreme, Hawaii Five-0, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, plus the miniseries The Last Don II. Most recently, Vincent was a series regular on Gravesend and guest starred on Yellowjackets.

Pastore is survived by his daughter, Renee, son-in-law and granddaughter.

Share your remembrances and condolences for Vincent Pastore on his memorable role on ‘The Sopranos’ and his time on ‘General Hospital’ via the comment section below.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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