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GH’s Adam J. Harrington on Being a Recast John “Jagger” Cates: “There is No Way I Can Even Touch What Antonio Sabato Jr. Did With the Role in the Past … If They Are Going My Way They Were Going to Take This in a Different Direction”

By Michael Fairman

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Photos: ABC/JPI

General Hospital fans were recently in for a shock when a new man arrived in Port Charles who went by the name of John Cates. As it turns out John Cates used to go by the nickname of “Jagger” and had lived in the town many years ago.

That’s because actor Adam Harrington was recast in the role of FBI Cates. The part was originally made soap-famous in the 90’s by Antonio Sabato Jr. “Jagger” appeared on the ABC daytime drama series from 1992-1994 and then in its spinoff GH: Night Shift in 2008 before the character left Port Charles with his young autistic son. “Jagger” was also the older brother to the late Stone Cates (Michael Sutton).

Now in 2024, GH has brought the character back and Adam J. Harrington is on contract with the series. The actor spoke to Soap Opera Digest about the obvious difference in look and take on the role than “Jagger’s” original portrayer, Antonio Sabato Jr.

Photo: ABC

Adam expressed: “My take on it was that it’s been 30 years; they obviously wanted to take this in a new direction and see what they could do with this storyline. And I also thought, ‘There is no way I can even touch what Antonio Sabato, Jr. did with the role in the past.’ Although I know it would be jarring for fans, in some ways, I was very happy that I didn’t look like I was going to try to mimic or echo at all what they had done with that storyline.”

Chiming in on replacing an actor in a role made soap-famous by someone else, Harrington added, “Obviously, if they’re going my way, they were going to take this in a different direction with so much time having passed. TV is immortal and still very much fresh in people’s minds, but like I said, I took the recasting and looking so obviously different as them saying, ‘Okay, we’re going to take this in a different direction and we are not trying to replace or touch what was originally a beautiful story.”’

Previously, Sabato Jr. had a few things to say about not being asked back to reprise his signature role for more than 30 years by the ABC soap opera.

Photo: ABC

As to just who this new version of John Cates will be romantically linked with, fans are seeing a spark between he and Jordan (Tanisha Harper), or could he wind up with Anna (Finola Hughes), or another lady on the canvas? “I think there is an element here of him coming to town, throwing a new guy into the mix,” Harrington shares.”We’ll see who he quote-unquote bonds with and who he doesn’t.”

Photo: ABC

So what do you think of the recast John “Jagger” Cates? Do you like where the show is taking the character? Do you appreciate Adam’s candor on acknowledging what Antonio Sabato Jr. did with this role in the past? Comment below.

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I really like what gh is doing have watched show since day one can’t wait for Steve burton to come back

Been watching GH for 55 years. Excited that Steve Burton is finally returning as Jason. Don’t like the “New” Jagger at all!!!! Please bring back the “Original” Jagger, period!!!!! You brought back “Lois” love, love, love that she’s back!! Please bring back the great characters from the long ago.

Antonio is a nut case and a MAGA. Pls, he can’t act. This guy can act and is charismatic. Plus, he’s sane!

I rather see the original cast and not replace a character from 30 years ago with someone new. It makes no since. I prefer Antonia to return or don’t replace with someone else ..

I agree.

I really like this guy! He has such an impressive reume so I give him a lot of credit for being willing to try daytime. He talks very respectfully of it and kudos to him for doing his research into the character.He seems very aware that his look is very different for the part and aknowledges that it may be a bit jarring for fans. A very aware actor!

I just hope he will not be a casualty of the new writers as he has great potential.

Tarzan or surfer boy ? Can decide the vibe

The only vibe I’m getting from the recast is “younger version of Cyrus the Virus”.

At least in terms of his looks, if not his occupation.

And knowing how Cyrus has been on this kick lately (despite his claims of being “redeemed” by the blood of my old friend JC and all) of wanting to be loved and respected by the people of Port Charles just like Sonny is…. wouldn’t it be an ironic twist if one of Sonny’ s best friends ever – Stone Cates – turned out to be Cyrus’s son. Because if Jagger (or John, as he now prefers to be called) is the son of Cyrus, Stone probably would be as well.

And of course, Robin Scorpio knew both Stone & Jagger as well, which Cyrus might try to use to his advanatage in dealing with the current police commissoner & district attorney, who just happen to be Robin’s parents.

I get a Tarzan or surfer boy vibe with the recast

Personally, I wish they would have just brought him on as a new character  vs recast with a Keith Urban doppelganger… it’s just going to take a while to get used to seeing his face on screen and being called ‘Jagger’ because that was such an iconic role/look with Antonio.

It’s been 30 years since Jagger Cates was a regular character on GH. I know my life has changed in 30 years. There is no reason why a fictional character cannot have changed, grown, developed over the last 3 decades. Congratulations to Adam Harrington. I’m sure you will make John Cates your very own.

I don’t mind the recast at all because that’s what soap operas do. Adam J Harrington has this look about him different from anybody else on the show I love it. Blonde hair blue eyes and tan oh my God he’s a beautiful man

At first I was disappointed that it wasn’t Antonio but I know that ship has sailed so I think they did well in casting a whole different vibe. John had scenes with Sonny and they were excellent! Thats when the new actor won me over!

Absolutely NOT. This guy does NOT have the same physical attributes as Jagger’s previous portrayer. He does NOT have dark hair and dark eyes nor does he have the build of Sabato. He looks nothing like Stone.

He does not have to look like another actor to play the part. Look how many Carlys they’ve had, some dark haired and some blonde.

I remember when Blair was Asian and replaced by a blonde Caucasian.

That is so funny! Are you serious? The whole idea sounds ludicrous.

Well, no disrespect to the new Jagger…but this was a horrible recast! Now the new Jagger is a very attractive man but.. there is no comparrison to him and Antonio Sabato Jr. No comparisson.Why does GH do stupid stuff like this?!? If you gonna bring a character back bring back the original! Antonio was willing to return GH just did not ask him. WHY?!? WAS HE A PROBLEM ON SET?!? WHAT? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE! I DON’T UNDERSTAND ! JAGGER WAS ETHNIC WITH DARK HAIR AND FEATURES. THE RECAST IS WHITE WITH BLUE EYES! WHAT THE HELL?!? WOMEN AND SOME MEN LOVED ANTONIO, WHO IS STILL A HANDSOME VIBRANT MAN. WHAT THE HELL GH?!? Help us understand this completely crazy recast!

Speaking of crazy, have you seen Antonio lately? Even he doesn’t look like Jagger anymore. And he’s also gone off the deep end- there’s a reason why he’s not finding work in the industry these days. I do wish you’d calm down. The all caps aren’t a good look and suggests that you are screaming.

Missing the “Real” Jagger Cates. Not thrilled with the “Ken doll” version !!!

I am thrilled with new Jagger! very intense and great chemistry with Anna and Jordan. He conveys the character’s disdain for Sonny very well.

The storyline with John “Jagger” Cates is fine I don’t like that they didn’t keep the original look or bring back Antonio to play the part! First of all this guy doesn’t fit Jagger at all! He is Blonde! My understanding Jagger and Stone had dark hair! And I don’t like it! I get He angry with Sonny so it’s clouding his investigation! Now that Pikeman case is over he is trying his best to bring down Sonny with Ava’s assistance of all people come on writers please do better!

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Sonny Tells Dante, “I Don’t Want a Son Like You,” While Michael Tells Brook Lynn to Bide Her Time Till Chase and Willow Have an Affair

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Sonny, Dante, Michael, Brook Lynn General Hospital

On the Thursday, October 1 episode of General Hospital, both Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) had some things to say and what they had to say didn’t go over well with whom they were talking to!

Sonny had a confrontation with his son, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), while Michael leveled with Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) over Chase (Josh Swickard).

GH is setting up a scenario where everyone is going to make it look like Sonny was responsible for having Sidwell (Carlo Rota) beat up in Pentonville; while viewers already know Ava (Maura West) and Drew (Cameron Mathison) were behind it.

Sonny and Dante

Courtesy/ABC

A VISIT WITH DAD

Now, Dante comes to Sonny’s house. He wants to know straight up from his dad if he ordered the attack at Pentonville. Sonny flatly denies any culpability or responsibility, but Dante refuses to believe him.

Dante informs Sonny he has video footage of Sully and Vito at the prison. Sonny explains to Dante he doesn’t know why Sully beat up both Curtis and Dante. Things escalated when Sonny was deeply hurt that Dante refused to believe him. Dante says he was disappointed that his father didn’t respect him enough to be truthful with him!

Sonny asks Dante to consider that he was being set up. He says all he did was to tell Vito to instruct Sully to keep a watchful eye on Sidwell, not to harm him. No matter what Sonny said, Dante continued hammering him with how he knew deep down, even though he said he left the mob, he had to finish off Sidwell for himself.

Next, Sonny explains everything he has ever done was to provide for and to protect his family. Dante fired back that he doesn’t want to deal anymore with Sonny’s half-baked truths. As the two men argue, Gio (Giovanni Mazza) shows up at Sonny’s front door and overhears Sonny losing his temper and shouting at Dante, “Get out of my house! I don’t want a son like you!”  The scenes featured an excellent performance by Maurice Benard.

Michael and Brook Lynn

Courtesy/ABC

MICHAEL THE MANIPULATOR

While this is going down, outside the Quartermaine boathouse, Brook Lynn opens up to Michael about living at the Q’s with Chase being there, since he only came back due to legal advice from his lawyer, Monet Mitchell (Blythe Howard).

Brook Lynn questioned whether they should get legally separate. Michael insisted that would be a big mistake. When she asks why, Michael tells Brook Lynn to bide her time until Chase and Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) have an affair; then she’d have full custody of Phoebe.

An angered Brook Lynn pushed Michael into the water and accuses him of moving Willow back into the gatehouse with intent on putting Chase and Willow in closer proximity and sacrificing Brook Lynn’s family in the process.  As the two cousins bicker, Chase shows up asking Brook Lynn if she is OK. Michael punctuates their talk with “You know, I’m right.”

CURTIS FIGURES OUT A WAY TO GET OUT OF THE SLAMMER

At GH, Willow visits Curtis (Donnell Turner) in his hospital room. Curtis wants Willow to get him pardoned and keep him out of jail, and in return, he will help her nail Sonny.

Next, Willow tells Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) she wants Curtis held for observation for three more days. He agrees to do so under one condition, that she understands that he may need to call in a favor from a congresswoman.

So, what did you think of how Dante accused his father and refused to believe Sonny’s answers? Is this the end of their father and son relationship for good? Is Michael the most manipulative person of all, except for Willow? Do the two deserve each other? Do you want Chase and Willow to have an affair? And what of Curtis? Does he have many redeeming qualities left? Share your thoughts via the comment section,  but first check out the talk Michael had with Brook Lynn.

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General Hospital

GH Alum Tajh Bellow and Y&R Alum Loren Lott Star in New Tiktok and Microdrama ‘Love Island’ Spoof

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Tajh Bellow and Loren Lott

Two soap opera alums very familiar to fans of General Hospital and The Young and the Restless are paired together in a new short-form digital series from none other than Issa Rae’s production entity HOORAE Digital.

Look for Tajh Bellow (ex-TJ Ashford, GH)) and Loren Lott (ex-Ana Hamilton, Y&R) as part of the cast of  The Compatibility Experiment, premiering on October 14, 2026, exclusively on TikTok and its companion microdrama platform, PineDrama.

In the video teaser, it appears that Bellow and Lott play a couple, Kelvin and Camila, set in a Love Island reality show-esque environment trying to win the one million dollar cash prize, only what could go wrong?

The Compatibility Experiment

Photo: HOORAE

The Compatibility Experiment loglines share that it brings a fast-paced, relationship-focused reality check—much like Love Island with a twist. The show takes a participant’s current relationship, introduces them to a potentially more compatible partner, and forces them to navigate the differences with life-changing money on the line.

The new series is part of a groundbreaking content deal between HOORAE Digital and TikTok to develop premium short-form storytelling. The ensemble cast also features; Ayona, Reggie Luck, JaNa Craig, Tosin Morohunfola, Jessica Jacoby, Georgia Warner, and Nick Cassidy.

General Hospital fans know Tajh Bellow for his performances as TJ Ashford, and who earned two Daytime Emmy nominations along the way during his run. Bellow took over the role in 2018 and last appeared on the ABC daytime drama series in December of 2024.

Loren Lott first appeared as Devon’s (Bryton James) sister Ana Hamilton on The Young and the Restless from 2018 to 2019; making a brief return in 2024. She has continued to perform on the stage and screen with recent credits including: Bel-Air, Cherish the Day, and All American: Homecoming.

Check out the trailer for The Compatibility Experiment below and let us know what you think of its concept and if you are glad to see Tajh and Loren again? Hoping they might return to daytime in their GH and Y&R roles at some point in the future? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ava and Drew Revealed to be Behind Framing Sonny for Sidwell’s Prison Beatdown

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Drew and Ava

If you thought that the person responsible for the Pentonville brawl that saw Sidwell (Carlo Rota) and Curtis (Donnell Turner) taken to General Hospital was Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) or even Sidwell himself, you were dead wrong! On the Wednesday, September 30 episode of GH, it turned out that the culprits were actually Ava (Maura West) and Drew (Cameron Mathison).

In story, Drew apparently bankrolled the attack on Sidwell and framing Sonny. He told Ava their planned worked (she came up with it!) but was horrified when Drew informed her that Curtis got caught in the crosshairs. Ava is visibly upset because of her longtime friendship with Curtis’ daughter, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali). Drew tried to make Ava see the bright side. Curtis was witness to it and his presence will cast doubt on Sonny’s claims to that he had gotten out of the mob and gone legit.

Later, Vito shows up at Drew’s. They informed him that his guy on the inside of the slammer made a big mistake by hurting their friend and ordered him to leave town.

Maura West

Courtesy/ABC

BOATHOUSE BRAWL

In other major developments, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) and Rocco (Finn Carr) have a blow out fight as Danny blames his “brother” for the reason Charlotte was sent off to boarding school.

Rocco told off Danny for Charlotte’s (Bluesy Burke) reckless behavior and he explains he had to protect his sister. He went in on Danny saying that his mother Lulu (Alexa Havins) has been right to send Charlotte to boarding school and far away from Danny.

However, Rocco went a bit too far when he shouted, “And if your mom was alive, she would send you away too!” Next, Danny punched out Rocco, leading to a terrible brawl. An angered Danny yells at Rocco to, “Stay away from me and everyone in my family. And don’t you ever mention my mom again!” Danny storms off.

Rocco

Courtesy/ABC

Now alone outside the boathouse, Rocco flashes back to his first kiss with Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarksi), hoping that his fight with Danny will not escalate and ruin their budding romance. Meanwhile, a bloodied-mouth Danny heads over to Sonny’s and Jason (Steve Burton) is there at the same time. He then admits that he has a bad fight with Rocco and they are both beaten up.

WILL SCOUT WISE UP?

At the end of the episode, Scout, who had a fight with Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) over Drew, and who keeps telling everyone how good a man her dad truly is, comes upon a suspicious scene.

Scout hides behind the wall outside Drew’s. She sees her dad, Ava and Vito talking. Next, Scout seems to overhear Vito assuring Drew and Ava that their business dealings are done, and he’ll be leaving Port Charles for good.

So, what did you think of the reveal that Ava and Drew were behind framing Sonny for the prison beatdown of Sidwell (and Curtis)? Do you think Danny and Rocco’s relationship can be repaired, or do you think the teenagers will continue to be at each other’s throats? Finally, do you hope Scout gets a clue and stops thinking her dad walks on air? Weigh-in via the comment section, but first check out how Ava and Drew conspired 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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