General Hospital
Finola Hughes Expected To Be Off General Hospital for 3 Months While She Directs The Film BYRD AND THE BEES!

PhotoCredit: HutchinsPhoto.com
Finola Hughes, who has been turning in exquisite performances this past week as Anna comes to grips with the fact that Duke Lavery (Ian Buchanan) was shot and killed, will be taking a short leave from General Hospital, according to the latest edition of Soap Opera Digest.
The actress is expected to take three months off of her role on GH this summer to direct her new film, Bryd and the Bees. The film is set to star Jonathan Rhys Meyers which is said to tell the story of struggling author, Rebecca Byrd, who on an impromptu trip to Scotland lives the most romantic story she’s NEVER written.
GH’s head writer Ron Carlivati related to SOD, on working around Hughes short leave: “We worked with that, so you get to see some of what becomes of Anna after Duke dies, and we’re forced to hit the pause button a little bit with Anna Devane, but she will be back, rest assured.”
It remains to be seen if Anna will be written-out for awhile, or if she will be on the canvas but not appearing on-screen.
So, excited to hear Finola will be shooting her new film? How do you think GH will handle her short break from playing Anna? Share your thoughts below!
I will miss Finola during her absence. She always puts forth amazing work!
Wish you well on your project, but hurry back to GH.
i’m happy for Finola, but i hope its not 3 staight months off the air, i was so happy that she was appearing more on screen hopefully if she does go off they will have her finally looking for Robin, Robin needs to tell her mom all the people who have done her wrong so that anna can start getting back at people like Helena and jerry who both have kept robin their prisoner.
I like how you think. Yes, go off and find Robin and bring her home! Kim or some other actress, it doesnt matter at this point!
If she directs a film, its 3 straight months, she cant make a film crew sit around to run back and do GH.
Very impressive…directing Jonathan Rhys Myers…one of my favorite actors! While I’ll miss her character on GH…taking time off to grieve Duke will enable Anna more ready for a new love if they take her down that road. Anything sooner would have been disrespectful to the romance of Anna and Duke.
I’m pretty sure this film will be great..have never seen Myers in anything that wasn’t. Great news…
GH’s cast are very talented in the arts..
It is good that they can do other projects to express their talents..
One should not spend their lives on a soap opera there are other things to do, also ..
Finola will be missed.. but- she will return and that is a good thing ..
I hope they send her to Scotland to lay Duke to rest in his home town.
I second that…
Would have been nice if they’d sent her and Duke off together somewhere. Let’s hope they handle it by giving Anna some hope that he’s alive and sending her to find him!
I second that! If she and IB both needed to exit the canvas to work on her film (IB is in it too) then they certainly could have had Duke & Anna leave together instead of having Duke die so suddenly. Maybe after they were wed. That would have brought in the viewers as much as a funeral.
The only way they can rectify this with legacy fans who are disappointed at yet another legacy character dying is by giving Anna a clue and an inkling Duke is still alive somewhere before she leave for summer.
Since the summer scripts are most likely already in the hopper, I think they could just have her bank some scenes and show them throughout the summer. They did that last summer when TG was off– Fluke showed up in a brief scene here and there– especially since they knew this was coming for a while no doubt. But whether seen or unseen, she will not be forgotten and look forward to seeing the film she is directing when it comes out.
I hope that 3 months goes by quick. Love Anna so much. Hoping Anna can find Robin out there.
Rarely do I get so pissed off about my favorite soap but Finola leaving for three months would have been a perfect excuse not to see her while her and Duke head out of the country. No they had to kill Duke and THEN F with us and think he is alive only to find out it was only a dream of Sonny’s! Terrible. Terrible.
I know, Timmm. She always brightens my heart when I see her. I love her so much…and, will be sorely missed, albeit summer is fast approaching…kids out of school and all…..I hope not to miss much of my soaps.
Hopefully Anna comes back with Robin. Recasted or not. DVR GH and watch it after the kids are fast asleep!
Easier said than done, Timmm. Two hours with my son and I’m exhausted….the kid has more energy than twenty, six-year-olds combined. Thank God for nanny and my family.
I don’t know about a Robin recast. Most fans will be up in arms, no? Robin left soon after I started watching, I don’t know her….so, it makes no difference to me if she is recast. It would be great if Anna comes back with her daughter.
After Jake wakes up from his ‘stupor’, chances are he and a Sam will end up together….all his feelings for her will be flooding back. A double whammy for Lizzie…her deception and her rival Sam. Jake’s shiny perception of Liz will leave a bitter taste in his mouth. Little miss-goody-two-shoes is not at all what she seems. Too bad. I really wanted this relationship to work. Her own fault!!!!!l
The way to Patrick would be open for Robin….not that there would be any doubt he’d go running to Robin, slo-mo, ….so, yes, I’m all for a recast if Kimberly is not ‘available’.
My best friend has a son and she usually watches Y&R around midnight! So I know you got your hands full!
I love Kim playing Robin. She is a rare child actor who got to play her character as an adult and play it well. If Kim doesnt want to return and GH needs the star on screen, thats when I would recast. Your seeing it right now. Robin’s “Uncle Duke” died and Robin is nowhere to be found!
I just like looking at Jakeson and Sam together. They seem like a perfect fit. Plus, they seem to have chemistry and heated passion.
I think Anna should have a show down with Carlos and he ends up dead! So she has to go to headquarters to be questioned & do paperwork and stuff then she says she needs a little break!! By then 3 months will be up before you know it!! We’ll miss you Anna!! They can write a good scene of you having it out with Carlos!!
Didnt u watch the show, thats what happened, she killed Carlos
Thanks GH for permitting Finola maximize her Talents.I am far far away,Philippines but I am religiously following Anna.Canvass please so we won’t miss her!
Can we have a contest to have fans vote for next seasons DANCING WITH THE STARS, soap star dancer. The winner to be announced the first day of the show?
Interesting title. This film will definitely be something to see……especially since it’s set in Scotland.
I will miss her….
Sealbh math dhuit! …. And, Godspeed.!!!!!
I shall miss her loads, too, CeeCee. In addition to Dr. O., she is my favorite over-50 lady on the GH canvas due to her cool, classy, calm and collected presence. Shall be a long summer without her, but I also wish her well! (Seems she shall need it….apparently, JRM has once again fallen off the proverbial wagon, as his disheveled, disgusting self has been photographed staggering around London for all and sundry to see….nice one! Hope his latest drunken escapades don’t interfere with the filming schedule….)
Shay, Shay, Shay…favorite over-50 lady on GH? Does this mean you have over/under 20, over 30, over 40, ladies, girls, men, guys, etc? I think from reading your other comments you meant well, but…:))
@Rose….Well, thank you for the benefit of the doubt! Of course, no harm was intended, I simply was noting that Finola’s absence shall be sorely noticed, not for the least of reasons being that Anna is such a shining example of everything “a woman of that certain age” should be! Except for the character of Dr. O.—as so charmingly portrayed by Kathleen Gati—I find all the other females in Port Charles’ 50-something age bracket to be wanting on so many levels….you already know that I consider Lucy and, most especially Alexis, to be utterly disgraceful!!! (No need to further expound on that thought…..LOL!) Hence, in addition to just outright missing the admirable Anna and all that her character brings to the GH canvas, I shall truly be longing for the tasteful sophistication that is Finola Hughes’ trademark. Her discerning presence is not just welcome, but irreplaceable, as well.
I will miss Finola but wish her well with her new adventure. She was outstanding today with her live performance when she shot Carlos.
I will miss Finola, she is a great actor. Wish her
Luck with the film she is directing.
Hurry back to GH, it won’t be the same without you.
well I think she will come back with a solid strong wowan that always be can’t wait to see more of anna
When will her movie come out we will miss you come back very soon
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ SORAS’s Scout Cain and Casts Kayden Brenna Tokarski in the Role of Drew and Sam’s Daughter
In General Hospital casting news, none other than Scout Cain just grew up right before our eyes! In a case of SORAS (Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome) the daughter of Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) and the late Sam McCall (formerly played by Kelly Monaco) has been recast.
According to Soap Opera Digest, Kayden Brenna Tokarski takes over the role from Cosette Abinante who has played Scout since 2022. If you caught yesterday’s GH 16,000 episode on set cast celebration video, you may have witnessed Kayden at the festivities. The young actress will make her debut in July since GH tapes about six weeks ahead of air.
Taking to her Instagram on Tuesday, June 2, Kayden confirmed her casting by posting: “A DREAM COME TRUE. So honored to be joining the General Hospital family!! Biggest thanks to Mark Teschner (casting director, GH) and Frank Valentini (EP, GH) for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to work on this iconic show.”

Courtesy/ABC
The decision to make a sharp turn with the age of the character was for upcoming story purposes, and to open up Scout for more teenaged and young adult storylines; especially since Drew Cain is eventually going to come out of his locked-in state and perhaps Scout can go at war with Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) for what she did to her father? Stay tuned.
SCOUT CAIN READY FOR TEENAGE ROMANCE?
As General Hospital viewers know, Scout was born in 2017, which makes her about 9 before the SORAS occurred. Some rumors are circulating that a more teenaged Scout could become a love interest fo Finn Carr’s Rocco Falonceri? Previously, the two characters bonded over Sam’s death, since at the time Rocco’s father, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) was engaged to Sam, and the two, along with Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), tried to stick together as “brothers and sister,” after her mom passed. But will that relationship dynamic change?
Tokarski who is 16, has an impressive acting resume which includes: Gaslit on Starz. Lifetime’s My Professor’s Deadly Secret, where she played Lauren the on-screen daughter of Passions and Y&R alum James Hyde (ex-Sam and ex-Jeremy Stark, respectively) character of John, and another Lifetime thriller, Killer in the Woods.
More recently, Kayden completed production on the indie thriller Quads & the Kicker, and can be seen in the upcoming Curse of Vandor starring Dee Wallace (ex-Pat Spencer, GH). The actress has also appeared in numerous national ad and branding campaigns including being featured opposite Joey Fantone in a Red Lobster commercial and voicing the part of “Wednesday Addams” in a Wendy’s commercial as a tie-in to the Netflix series Wednesday.
So, what do you think of General Hospital casting Kayden Brenna Tokarski as the new Scout Cain? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below.
General Hospital
Steve Burton and Finola Hughes Back Taping Episodes at ‘General Hospital’
Monday, June 1, ABC’s General Hospital celebrated yet another milestone in their iconic history with the taping of their 16,000 which will air on July 13th. To mark the occasion the cast and crew took some time out to acknowledge the big day.
General Hospital’s Instagram and social accounts posted a video of the cast cavorting on the set where it was revealed that longtime favorites, Steve Burton and Finola Hughes are back in action and taping all-new episodes of the series in their signature roles of Jason Morgan and Anna Devane.
Today marked Steve Burton’s actual return date, while according to Soap Opera Digest, Finola Hughes has already been back for some time. As GH fans know, Steve went on an extended hiatus from the show in February, his last episode till now aired on March 25, but the two-time Daytime Emmy promised to be back in June and here he is.
THE WHEREABOUTS OF JASON AND ANNA
In story, Jason took the fall for Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) who shot WSB director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) who was attempting to kill Jason and Britt (Kelly Thiebaud). Now that Cullum has figured out Rocco is the one who shot him, Rocco fled Port Charles along with Britt and they remain MIA. Might they find Jason, while they are on the run?
As for Anna Devane, the character was last seen on-screen in February. Hughes was written out after Anna was kidnapped and given hallucinogens by Sidwell (Carlo Rota), Cullum and company believing that her nemesis Cesar Faison (Anders Hove) was alive. Eventually, a gaslighted Anna wound up at a mental health facility in France, tried to break free, and was captured again and put back in the facility.
Recently, Congresswoman Willow Cain (Katelyn MacMullen) helped ensure that the French authorities would drop any legal charges against Anna potentially paving the way for Anna’s return to Port Charles? We shall see!
Below you can check out the special video marking General Hospital’s 16,000 episode with the accompanying words, “There’s nothing like celebrating a milestone with family, friends, and cake to cure a case of the Mondays. 63 years and 16,000 episodes later, we’re still going strong thanks to all of you! Thank you so much for watching.”
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General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Casts Dean Geyer in the Role of ‘Tristan Roberts’
Today on June 1, General Hospital marked another milestone with the taping of their 16,000 episode. And along with that, came some very intriguing casting news when actor Dean Geyer was spotted in the social media video that made the rounds of the cast celebrating on set.
As it turns out, and according to TV Insider, Geyer has joined the cast of the ABC soap opera in the contract of role of … wait for it, Tristan Roberts. If you think it’s a nod to the late great Tristan Rogers who passed away on August 2025 and who played Robert Scorpio for decades you would be correct!
Tristan Rogers hailed from Australia, and Dean is also from Australia by way of South Africa. Geyer moved down under at 15. So, yes, “Tristan Roberts” will indeed have an authenticate Aussie accent.
GLEE AND NEIGHBOURS ALUM
GH isn’t the first soap Geyer has appeared on having played the role of struggling musician Ty Harper on the long-running Australian soap opera Neighbours from 2008-2029
Dean may look very familiar to primetime fans having appeared in some major television shows including: Terra Nova as Mark Reynolds, Glee as Brody Weston, Zoey 1o2 as Todd, plus 9-1-1 as Zane Williams.
The talented Geyer is also a singer/songwriter having appeared on season 4 of Australian Idol, where he came in third. In 2007, Dean released his album titled Rush.
Look for the 16,000 episode to air on July 13 since General Hospital tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.
You can check out the music video for Geyer’s track, “If You Don’t Mean It” released in 2007 below.
As well, look below for the video that surfaced today where General Hospital shared on their latest milestone, “There’s nothing like celebrating a milestone with friends, family, and cake to cure a case of the Mondays. 63 years and 16,000 episodes later, we’re still going strong thanks to all of you! 🎂 Thank you so much for watching.”
So, what do you think about the casting of Dean Geyer in the role of Tristan Roberts and the nod to the beloved Tristan Rogers? Who could be Tristan’s love interest when he gets to Port Charles? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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