Connect with us

General Hospital

3

‘General Hospital’s’ Andrew Hawkes Shares Cullum’s Secret Backstory He Never Told Anyone (Exclusive)

By Michael Fairman

Published

3 months ago

on

Courtesy/ABC

WSB Director Ross Cullum’s (Andrew Hawkes) reign of terror came to an end last week on the July 2 episode of ABC’s General Hospital, after WSB agent Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) shot him dead. That ended the run of Andrew Hawkes who will go down for his portrayal of one of the ruthless, bad guys in the soaps in a very long time.

Just look at a partial laundry list of his crimes: stabbing Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo) brutally to his death, gaslighting Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) to where he was held captive and then was sent to mental institution in France, attempting to kill WSB Bureau Chief, Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna), by tying him to his hospital bed at Turning Woods, putting a gas mask on it and making him breathe a full tank of carbon monoxide.

How about being the person responsible for the penthouse fire targeting Sonny (Maurice Benard) that instead got Michael (then Chad Duell, now Rory Gibson) burned so badly he had to be sent away to a clinic in Germany, and then there is the matter of lying to Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) for years, that she never had Huntington’s disease, instead she was injecting herself with saline, until near the end of his life, he had put poison in the vials of her medication, and let’s not forget taking a weaponized baton and attempting to beat the life out of Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) and kill him, till Cullum was stopped by shots to his back fired by Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr).

Photo: ABC

 

 

HOW CULLUM TURNED INTO A RUTHLESS MASTERMIND AND KILLER REVEALED

This week, Andrew Hawkes participated in a livestream chat on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where he touched on many subjects of his six-month run as Cullum. One of the more intriguing moments came when Hawkes explained in-depth for the first time what drove Cullum to become a double agent, and to become this heinous of a man.  While it was never given to him by the soap opera, as an actor it is always helpful to fill in the blanks for yourself to help with your performance and the “why” a character is behaving the way they are.

Andrew explained, “This has nothing to do with the writers, or anything that anybody ever said, because we don’t get that backstory on Cullum, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. The reason why Cullum is so single-minded and ruthless is because he was on a job, did his job, which was taking out a high ranking government official in a foreign country. Then, he was turned out by the WSB, locked out of getting back to the United States, and therefore missed holding his daughter who died of leukemia because they froze everything.”

Photo: ABC

“Cullum had no health insurance, Cullum had no money, Cullum had no anything”, continued Hawkes. “What I’ve done with Cullum is he’s coming back to rip everything to shreds from the inside out. So, that was my secret. It’s much more detailed than that. Being a parent is so personal, and  Cullum could not get to his child in her time of greatest need, and he couldn’t do anything because the WSB turned on him. They wouldn’t bring him from out of the cold.”

HEROES AND VILLAINS

Hawkes added, “I played it as I played it, and I am not trying to make it about these mitigating circumstances. It’s just an example of why this guy is so full of rage and violence and that was what I was trying to do as that character is as I said, destroy everything from the inside out.”

On TV, in the movies or on the stage there are usually heroes and villains to every story.  Hawkes explains more on what caused Cullum’s vendetta with the world, “It’s a gasket being blown in your brain plus trauma. I heard somebody talking about what’s the difference between a hero and a villain. A hero says, ‘the world hurt me, and I don’t want to hurt anybody else.’ A villain says, ‘the world hurts me and I’m going to hurt the world.’ So, it’s a very fine distinction.”

Photo: ABC

MEETING JOHN OLIVER AND HIS PERFORMANCE AS Z

In addition, Andrew spoke on his last day of shooting and getting to meet guest star, John Oliver and how impressed he was with his performances, even though he, personally, didn’t get to share any spoken screen-time with the late night Emmy-nominated talk show host.

“I did meet him and talk to him, and when I was down on the ground (after Cullum was shot) I was going, ‘Wow, I’m done.’ I don’t have to sweat anything more today. But he came through, and I’ve been a fan of his for a long time and he was so cool and so prepared. I think he’s amazing. I was like, if you never knew this actor and watched him on GH, he’s just fascination to watch. He’s just so committed. I get the biggest kick out of it, and I hope they keep bringing him back.”

Photo ABC

FINDING OUT CASSIUS HAD LIVED

Hawkes admitted, “I thought Z was only in for one episode/day, but then I found out all the other stuff from watching the show that he had scenes with Carly (Laura Wright) and and then Cassius (Ryan Paevey). I didn’t even know that Cassius wasn’t dead. Of course, Ryan and I had talked a lot and it was the end of his contract and he was leaving the show, but I didn’t know that Cassius had lived through it.”

“As for John Oliver, it’s not easy walking in there with all these incredible professionals being like, “we’ve done it for a long time.” I mean, luckily he has his own show and it’s him talking for 30 minutes. He put in the work. The first behavior, you really see of him is him walking. And then, the way he just pulls out his gun and casually caps the guy on the ground who’s going try to shoot him was just the coolest. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with him, but he was gracious and kind and cool, and you couldn’t ask for a better scene partner.

In case you missed our conversation with Andrew Hawkes on the Michael Fairman Channel, you can check it out below.

Now, let us know, what did you think of the incredible backstory that Andrew creating for himself to rationalize and play all the scenes and nefarious activities of WSB Director, Ross Cullum? What did you think of his final moments on GH in the shootout with Josslyn and Cassius shortly before Z arrived? Let us know via the comment section below.

Related Topics:
3 Comments

3 Comments
oldest
newest

Andrew first made this reference to Cullum’s “back story’ when he was on “State of Mind” with Maurice Benard several months ago. He said that Cullum was motivated by something that happened “as a father”, so at the time it sounded like this was a story they were actually going to tell and make it an explanation for Cullum being the twisted evil guy that he was.

None of this ever played out on screen, of course. All we ever knew about the guy was that he was somehow running the WSB and the Legion of Dumb at the same time, and apparently was doing so for years, if he was in on the hoax of convincing Britt that she had inherited Huntington’s Disease from her (now dead and literally brainless) father, and using that fake medical condition as a way to blackmail her into… whatever this fusion thing was all about (they still need to explain that one, and how an OBGYN would know how to finish such a thing)

Reply

On a long running show with legendary villains, some played by screen legends, Hawkes made a lasting impression. The way he did it (kind of subtly) is what makes him stand out.

Cullum came into Sidwell’s story and showed what a real villain can accomplish.

As for backstory, I appreciate Hawkes attempt, but I’d rather think he was Sean Donell’s last protege (after Robert & Anna) that held a grudge against Frisco for advancing on the bureau while he languished behind a desk. Make Cullum (not Sidwell) responsible for Maxie’s coma. It would explain his recruiting Cassius to impersonate Nathan. Okay, enough fan fiction for now.

Reply

Andrew deserves an Emmy for this performance ! I have been a GH fan since I was in the third grade and it was only 30 minutes long and B&W, this is the first time I have ever had to look up someone to make sure he was a good guy in real life! LOL He reminded me of the cyborg actor in Terminator 2. combined with the unemotional blank evil stare of Anthony Hopkins in Silence of The Lambs, Callum gave me chills and that takes a lot!! Phenomenal job Andrew Hawes !!

Reply

General Hospital

Kin Shriner Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ TV Daughter Kelly Kruger

Published

10 hours ago

on

October 20, 2026

By

Kin and kelly

It’s been over two-years since his last appearance on General Hospital, now fan favorite Kin Shriner (Scott Baldwin) has taken to social media to share his thoughts on the casting of his grown-up TV daughter, Serena Baldwin now played by Kelly Kruger.

Kelly took over the role of Serena on-screen starting with the July 30, 2026 episode and has been ensconced in the storyline with her mother, Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring), in trying to win back full creative control of Deception for her.

In fact on the Monday, October 19 episode of the ABC soap opera, Serena tried to dupe Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) into signing over Michael’s (Rory Gibson) shares of the company. Jason caught on and wondered why she was doing this. She claimed she just wanted to help her mom gain creative control from Tracy (Jane Elliot) rather than full ownership, and begged Jason to keep quiet about it, which he agreed to for now.

Serena and Jason

Courtesy/ABC

WHERE IS SCOTT?

On Monday, Shriner also took to X and said, “I think Kelly Kruger is doing a great job on General Hospital, and she and Lynn Herring work well together.” That was followed by comments in his thread about the show needing to bring back Scott too.

In fact, back on August 25, Shriner also took to X with a reminder that Scott is still around and ready to come back to Port Charles, sharing, “Scotty Baldwin always fits in he just needs the right sport coat !!!!”

The last time Serena mentioned her father Scott was when Kruger made her debut and informed Lucy that her father was, “living his best life in Key West.”  Meanwhile, Shriner posts on his X account continually and shared back on August 2, that it has been 49 years since he made his on-screen debut as then teenaged, Scotty Baldwin and thanked the fans for al the love and support.

So, now let us know, are you enjoying Kelly Kruger as Serena Baldwin? Do you want to see GH bring back Scott Baldwin into the story, so Serena has both her parents in Port Charles? Do you like the potential of Jason and Serena pairing? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

Continue Reading

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Jason Seeks Answers For Sonny, Drew Gloats, and Chase is in for a Battle

Published

1 day ago

on

October 19, 2026

By

Chase, Jason and Drew

This week on all-new episodes of General Hospital, getting to the bottom of truth is paramount for several characters, but who will continue to lie and who might break?

In the latest video spoilers for the week of October 19-23, Sonny (Maurice Benard) needs to prove that he is innocent in orchestrating the prison beatdown of Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota) and Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner). His girlfriend, ADA Justine Turner (Nazneen Contractor), wants to seemingly turn him to as she is seen saying, “I won’t give up until Sonny is behind bars,” to none other than Drew (Cameron Mathison)!

Meanwhile, it looks like Sonny has pulled Jason back in to to help him clear his name telling him to, “Find out whatever you can.” Later, we see Jason (Steve Burton) posing the question to someone, “Did you frame Sonny for it?” Did he go to Pentonville to confront Sully?

Britt and Jude

Photo: ABC

Elsewhere, Chase (Josh Swickard) and Monet (Blythe Howard) get set to dissolve Chase’s marriage to Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) who now has lawyered up with Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst). Monet tells Chase, “We need to prepare for the worst-case scenario.” Chase fires back ,“I don’t want a battle!” Is the battle over baby Phoebe, or a down and dirty fight just to get a divorce?

Then, Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) is reeling with happiness in the best possible way, after apparently sharing four kisses with mysterious stranger Jude (Wil Traval) at the Brown Dog Bar. Britt tells Lucas (Van Hansis) all about her evening. But, who is Jude and did he target Britt, or is he truly enamored with her? Stay tuned.

SPOILERS

Now below, take a look at the official GH spoilers for the week of October 19-23.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19
Britt makes an intriguing deal. Trina is unsettled. Anna checks in on Sonny. Carly gets the third degree from Lucas. Jason calls out Serena.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20
Carly puts her heart on the line. Alexis delivers shocking news to Valentin. Sonny has a warning for Jason. Justine makes Drew an offer. Portia is wary of Monet.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21
Anna seeks out Valentin. Britt’s attitude raises eyebrows. Molly seeks Alexis’s advice. Jason makes an offer to Lucy. Tracy and Cody catch up.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22
Britt has juicy gossip for Lucas. Chase is thrown for a loop. Emma puts on her detective hat. Michael and Jordan await medical news. Ava is put on the spot.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23
Ava pitches a dangerous plan to Drew. Jason calls out Josslyn. Ric and Monet go toe to toe. Lulu is discouraged. Sonny dangles a tantalizing deal.

Take a look at the latest GH promo, “Worst Case Scenario” below.

Now weigh-in: Will Jason figure out that Drew and Ava were behind framing Sonny? Do you want Chase to get parental rights to baby Phoebe? Do you like the attraction between Britt and Jude, or is something more nefarious going on with the guy? Let us know in the comment section below.

 

Continue Reading

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Jonathan Bennett Talks On Where Joe Fitzpatrick is Headed and Soap Opera Shirtless Scenes

Published

3 days ago

on

October 17, 2026

By

Jonathan Bennett

It had become abundantly clear that roomies Dr. Lucas Jones (Van Hansis) and PCPD detective Joe Fitzpatrick (Jonathan Bennett) seem destined towards a romance on General Hospital.

In fact, to get Lucas all hot and bothered (although he does fully let on), during the Friday, October 16 episode, the good doctor helps Joe pick out something less stuffy to wear to a bar to meet people.

However, the moment is met with Joe taking off his shirt in front of Lucas and doing a quick change from sport coat and button down shirt to a more relaxed casual button down shirt. In fact, the ABC soap opera even called out the moment as their clip of the day (see below).

Lucas and Joe

Courtesy/ABC

MAJOR STORY TEASE FOR JOE

Bennett spoke with OUT in a new feature about what may be on the horizon for the by-the-book Joe and the moral Lucas, and how he learned that once the producers and writers on a soap script in a shirtless scene, if it goes over well, said actor, can expect many more in the months to come!

“I’m so excited for the audience to see where my character goes on General Hospital. It’s going to be monumental and I think people are going to love it,” teased Bennett. “I was shirtless in an episode and so petrified to shoot it,” he added. “I wanted to look my best and feel good. I really worked hard to get my body to a good place and I did it.”

STAYING CAMERA READY

However as Jonathan points out, now he is finding himself half-naked in upcoming scenes as officer Joe! “I think I shot myself in the foot! Now that I did it once and it turned out well, every few weeks I read a script and I’m coming out of the shower, changing my shirt, or in the bathtub,” revealed Jonathan.

So, how does he keep camera ready? “I’m in the gym more, I have a better diet,” pointed out Bennett. “You have to stay healthy if you’re going to be shirtless every few weeks! I’m gay, an only child, and an actor. Of course I love the attention!”

While Bennett’s Port Charles story is going to reveal itself in the coming months, you can also see Jonathan back as the host of The Food Network’s Halloween Wars 16th season which concludes on Sunday, October 25.

Now below. check out the scene in question from Friday’s GH entitled, “Lose the Shirt.”

Weigh-in: What do you think will be “monumental” that Jonathan has teased that viewers will find out about Joe in the coming weeks? Are you feeling the on-screen chemistry between Joe and Lucas? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

Continue Reading

Video Du Jour

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

Recent Comments

Power Performance

Heather

Heather Tom

The Bold and the Beautiful

Airdate: 7-24-2026

Popular

3
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x