General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Andrew Hawkes Reveals How Cullum’s Fate Changed: ‘I Was Supposed to Die When I Was Shot By Rocco on the Pier’

What happens when you play bad so good? You stick around on a daytime soap opera! Such is the case with General Hospital’s Andrew Hawkes who has portrayed the menacing WSB director Ross Cullum since late last year, and whose actions have caused a ripple effect for many characters on the Port Charles canvas.
On his laundry list of crimes and bad deeds: He killed Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo), he is blackmailing Britt Westbourne (Britt Westbourne), he was behind Anna begin driven crazy, and when he attempted to kill Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) and Britt, he was shot in the back by Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) and that’s just for starters!
On the Sunday, May 31 episode of Maurice Benard’s (Sonny Corinthos) mental health series, State of Mind, Hawkes opened up about his initial terror of landing a role on a soap opera, how he expected to be fired, but then several months in is still thriving in the part.

Courtesy/ABC
ANDREW’S BIGGEST NIGHTMARE COME TRUE
When he auditioned for the part of Cullum, all Andrew knew was”He’s an ex secret service guy who became disillusioned and started getting into the darker side. He’s been putting his life on the line for people that are crooks.”
However, he added, “My biggest nightmare was to be a regular on a soap opera,” explained Hawkes to Benard after experiencing a small role on The Young and the Restless where he has a short two or three line scene, and seeing the process that any series regulars on soaps go through.
Andrew added when he landed the role of Cullum, “I told Frank Valentini (executive producer, GH) this: ‘That I had this experience, and I just want you to know that you’ve made all my nightmares, and my worst fears come true.’ Frank laughed, but I was terrified.”

Photo: ABC
However, Hawkes did admit his elation at being cast in his General Hospital role. But that his elation quickly got concerning> “It was about three weeks till my first shooting day, and then the anxiety set in. I was terrified that first week. I had 65 pages of dialog and Chris McKenna (Brennan) said to me, ‘They really threw you to the wolves right away, didn’t they?'”
LASTED LONGER THAN ORIGINALLY INTENDED
“It was the workload. I thought, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do this,” considered Hawkes. “I’ve always had a decent memory, but this was a different deal under pressure. One take, maybe two, and if you screw up something, maybe you get another take. Even if you suck, it’s like, ‘We’re moving on.’ You have to have a short memory and not let it get in your head. With my character, he has to be so on top of things. I can’t stammer. I can’t screw up a word. That for me is Ross Cullum …confident, self-assured, efficient in everything. When I finally saw my first two episodes, I was just like, ‘I want to die.’ I’m the worst actor on the face of the earth.”‘
Worried he would be shown the front door, Andrew tried to prepare himself and his wife for the news, but he got a major vote of confidence instead! “I started filming around December 2, 2025 and the show filmed up till the 18th where the Christmas break was. I kept saying to my wife, ‘Do not be surprised because they’re probably going to call and fire me. They’re going to fire me over the weekend,’ and It didn’t happen. I was supposed to be on for like two months. I was supposed to die when I was shot by Rocco on the pier, and they kept me around. It’s been an amazing (experience).”

Courtesy/ABC
LOVING MY GH CO-STARS
Andrew also gave props to several of scene partners including Chris McKenna who he said, “He’s a great guy. I love him,” and on working with Kelly Thiebaud where on set Cullum makes Britt’s life miserable, “She’s magnificent. She’s incredibly talented, and what a kind and beautiful human.”
So, do you think Andrew Hawkes is giving us one of the best bad guys in recent soap memory? Are you glad Cullum survived being shot by Rocco? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
Love him!!!!
He’s another perfectly cast actor on GH. He is evil, and we don’t even know the whole story yet. He would put the fear of God in me if I ran into him. But you know he’s not permanent, wonder if they are saving him for the return of Steve Burton.
I wish Cullum had died when Rocco shot him. No disrespect to Andrew Hawkes, who is a good actor and came across as a likeable guy on Maurice Benard’s show, but I’m sick of Cullum, and sick of the storyline. I wish they’d move along with it, and get wherever they’re going.
That some random new character from the WSB that we had never heard of before was the big mystery man working with Sidwell, instead of some of the other more interesting directions they could have gone in, was a major letdown and lazy writing, in my opinion.
Cullum (we need actors to stick to one pronunciation of the name), like many characters, has overstayed their welcome. And it goes to show that TPTB are not thinking in a long-term sense, which has been General Hospital‘s issue for some time now. You can’t just do things off-the-cuff. It shows in the end product.
so good at being bad
Let’s not forget that Cullum also stabbed Marco to death before he tried to take out Britt and Jason on the docks and got himself shot in the process.
And – though this hasn’t been revealed yet – I would not be at all surprised if he took time to tamper with Jordan’s car that same night, thus making Cullum the actual cause of her accident. Not Brooklynn, Isaiah, Charlotte & Danny, or anybody else who might have been on the road that night. Jordan has been working “undercover” within the Legion of Dumb, trying to get something she can use against Sidwell and his pals (she doesn’t know yet that Cullum is one of them) but she hasn’t exactly been keeping that secret very well, having conversations with Laura & Curtis about it in full public view. Cullum has been sneaking around in his “WSB agent” capacity, and could have very easily overheard one of those talks, and thus considered Jordan a threat that needed to be removed.
So it seems Cullum’s intention that night was to go on quite the murder spree. Who knows who else might have been on his “to do list”. Or for that matter, who is on the revised version, now that he’s up and walking around again.
Cullum, such a gr8 character!
Carlos Rota and Andrew Hawkes have each created such wonderful characters that I’m keeping my fingers crossed that neither of them gets killed off. I place them in the Faison and Jerry Jacks rogues’ gallery … vicious antagonists that deserve to recur and not be interred!
I love Andrew’s portrayal! The character we all love to hate, so cold and menacing, yet the actor is so kind! I hope Cullum evenutally gets killed and that Andrew gets to come back and play someone else who isn’t quite so evil!
I listened to this State of Mind episode and I was amazed at Andrew’s openness and honesty. What a great conversation he had with Maurice. I really hope the writers at GH figure out a way to turn this “bad” guy into a good guy and keep him around.
Great actor !
Andrew hawk s is great very sorry to see him leave. Another soap should pick him up
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

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.

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.

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

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?

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

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.

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.

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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