This past week, General Hospital fans were feted with an incredibly dramatic, harrowing and emotional series of episodes where at its epicenter saw Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo) murdered by WSB director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes), and later the guy attempts to end the life of Jason Morgan (Steve Burton).

Now as a new week begin in Port Charles, Jason was carted away by the WSB and Dr. Lucas Jones (Van Hansis) must face life without the love of his life, Marco, who’s life was taken from him much too young.

In an exclusive sit-down virtual interview on the Michael Fairman Channel, Adrian Anchondo opened up about the ups and downs of his one-year journey on General Hospital, where as his run came to an end found viewers of the show rooting for the character. All this, after Marco agreed to help Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) and Lucas get the vials of medication stashed away at Wyndemere so she could reverse engineer the drug and get out from under Cullum and Marco’s father, Jenz Sidwell’s (Carlo Rota) thumb. Only, it all went horribly wrong.

Courtesy/ABC

Anchondo, who made his Port Charles debut last March, shared that late last summer he had an inkling his character might be written off the canvas, he just didn’t know the mechanism of how. Suffice to say, instead of just having Marco leave down for Miami, where he previously worked and resided, GH set off a huge umbrella story, where the character will be remembered for some time to come.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the exclusive chat with Androndo on his time with General Hospital.

BEING WRITTEN-OFF

“I found out when we came back from the end of the year break. It was something that I kind of felt was going to happen. It was heading that direction. I was feeling that since August of last year. It was more a question of when it would happen and how, than if. Of course, I would’ve loved to be on this show for many, many years. I’ve been keeping this secret for a long time, so it’s such a relief to finally let it go. We filmed this all on January 30th, because that was the end of my contract before if it were to be renewed. So, there were a lot of things that had to be squeezed in the last week. They actually gave me a four-week warning (that it was coming), which was great.”

VAN HANSIS AS LUCAS GRIEVES OVER MARCO’S BODY

Photo: ABC

“Even though I had no lines and I was just laying there, it allowed me to be like, ‘OK, it’s their turn. It’s their turn to shine. It’s makeup’s turn to shine. It’s Van’s turn to shine.’ The hardest thing for me in that part as you might’ve seen, I’m kind of breathing a little bit, but it’s hard to play dead, especially when you’re moving so fast, trying to get the next shot and the adrenaline’s running. My heart’s beating for Van to make sure that he’s doing his best, and that’s he’s getting to do his best work. He killed that monologue. And you can’t tell, but I am bawling my eyes.”

Adrian added, “I had tears running down my eyes. They had cover me up because there was this finality to it all. I was saying goodbye, but in this most beautiful, sad way. I felt like once I’m done with this, I’m never going to see them again. But that’s not true. I’m going to continue my relationship with everyone at the show. So, I was feeling so many mixed things. I was just so grateful (for the experience).”

CARLO ROTA AS SIDWELL’S HEARTBREAK TURNS TO ANGER 

Courtesy/ABC

“The taping was different than the way he performed it in the rehearsal. It was very sad in the performance in the rehearsal. Something clicked in him where he is just a brilliant actor where he has to instill fear in the audience. His job is to tell a story beyond what’s happening right there and set up for what is about to happen. He was just great. Carlo did a great job. He scared me.”

NANCY LEE GRAHN AS ALEXIS FINDS MARCO ON THE FLOOR OF HER LAW OFFICE

Photo: ABC

“Oh, God. Technically there was was so much blood and she’s putting her hands on me, and if there’s something (in protocol to stop bleeding) that’s messed up, you have to do it over again. We have to have a spare blanket in case we have to shoot it again. There is also that adrenaline when you’re literally watching someone bleed out and they’re panting and you’re trying to make a phone call and and she’s trying to stop the bleeding. All this stuff is happening and you’re thinking about your lines and the camera angles. Nancy is such a pro. There was one moment where I wanted to reach up to her to look her in the eyes, like, ‘please save me,’ or tell, tell ‘Lucas I love him.’ I think she felt it. Afterwards when they yelled ‘cut,” Nancy was really emotional. We had grown to have a good relationship on the set.”

STEVE BURTON AND RORY GIBSON

Photo: ABC

“I had a great talk with Steve because he was leaving the show (for his hiatus) at the same time as me, that I’m grateful that he was willing to share that before this happened, because it would’ve been two major shockers (for the audience). Around this time he was talking that he wants to go live his life and he wants to go be with his partner (Michelle Lundstrom) and it’s never goodbye with Steve. I also got to talk to Rory Gibson (Michael) a lot as well. He’s someone that I really wanted to work with more. He came in to the show two months after me. His one-year anniversary is coming up. I’m just like so amazed what he’s done on the show and how people love him. I want to celebrate everyone that’s on there.”

KELLY THIEBAUD

Photo: ABC

“There was a scene that we had together where I’m giving Britt her medication and she’s trying to reach me. She’s trying to reach me on a human level. She’s saying I have to work for my father too. You can make a different choice. You don’t have to do this. I think that was the real shift in Marco even before Lucas confronts him about everything that he’s found out. Kelly is a rock star!”

MARCO AND GAY LOVE STORIES ON THE SOAPS

Photo: ABC

“The amount of love that I have received from the this ending has been insane. I think it’s because a lot of people were just starting to like Marco, even though I knew his heart, he was doing questionable things. So now, I’m seeing all the love that that I wish I had maybe seen earlier for the character. I think when it comes to gay stories, I want Lucas to have a happy ending. Just because our relationship ends, doesn’t mean that he won’t find love again. I could be a stepping stone for Lucas’ true love in the future.”

ADRIAN’S CONFIDENCE AND ONLINE CHATTER

Photo: ABC

“There was a lot of speculation online and questions about me not being included in certain things that made me just feel less confident. Sometimes, I think on set, when I came in, there was some anxiety and fear that I couldn’t like, let go and really play. I didn’t feel like the ease that I saw some of the other actors having. I had some great conversations with Cynthia Watros (Nina) and with Nancy Lee Grahn and other people who have been on the show who said to give in and let go of control of things. They also shared they have seen some amazing actors come in and out of here, and it has nothing to do about the performance. So, that helped me a lot and I was able to halfway through my run let go a little bit more.”

Speaking on the slippery slope that is social media, while representing both the LGBTQ and Latino communities on a soap opera, Anchondo shared, “I saw some things online that also just made me sad; homophobic and racist things. Here I am on the show while in the world there’s so much going on outside that is scary. I wanted to present myself in my real life and be true to myself during that time. So yeah, it was tricky trying to balance everything. I said to myself, ‘I’m going to give it my all, and hopefully, even if people don’t like the character, my heart will shine through in what I’m doing.”‘

You can check out the full conversation with Adrian Anchondo below, which features at the end a special guest appearance by Adrian’s boyfriend, Colton Little (Andrew Donovan, Days of our Lives).

Now let us know, what did you think about the comments Adrian shared on his feelings during all the emotional scenes surrounding Marco’s death? Are you sad to see him go? What do you think will happen next, when Lucas realizes it was the man he saved in the OR. Cullum, who killed his boyfriend? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.