General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)
- Chad Duell, the former Michael Corinthos of General Hospital, opened up about his departure from the show after nearly 15 years and being recast.
- After his extended break from acting on the soaps, Duell would be interested in returning and names some daytime dramas of interest.
- Chad talks about his exit storyline where Michael was badly burned and some of his most memorable moments through his run on a live chat on the Michael Fairman Channel.
Chad Duell, the Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who stepped away from the pivotal role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, opened up about: his previous decision to leave the series after nearly 15 years, where’s he’s at now after time away from the demands of a daytime soap opera, and took a stroll down memory lane with some of Michael’s most-acclaimed storyline during his run, during a livestream chat on August 19 on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.
Viewers last saw Duell on-screen as Michael in January of 2025, and with his successor in the role, Rory Gibson making his debut at the GH Nurses’ Ball in episodes that aired later in May. It was clear that during the conversation, Chad was a bit surprised that the GH brass decided to recast him when he thought he was just taking some much needed time off.
Burn-out of the daily grind of being on a soap was definitely a part of Chad’s decision to take a break. Duell explained “People know when you’re doing something for so long or your character is kind of in the same place for so long or doing the same stuff over and over again, you do get a a little burnt out, you get a little stiff, stale, a little stiff at times. I didn’t want that to be any sort of lasting impression. I have 15 years of a body of work of I’ve done on that show, which is fantastic.”
Photo: ABC
WHILE CHAD WAS AWAY GH RECAST MICHAEL CORINTHOS WITH RORY GIBSON
Chad shared, his mindset when leaving GH was, “I’m taking some time away, we’ll see what happens.” Then he added, “Obviously, they decided to go in a different direction with Michael when I was gone. I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”
Duell also shared he has not watched a single episode of General Hospital since he left the series, but now feels he reenergized following the loss of his father and stepping away from the GH, “I’m in a place now mentally, where I’m ready to sink my teeth into it again.”
Courtesy/ABC
Even though he is no longer Michael on GH, Chad was very happy with his final storyline where Michael was set on fire when a bomb exploded at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. “It was fun to put him in a dangerous situation, because I was wanting Michael to be in something scary instead of trying to be a hero character or just things happening around him, but to be the center point of tragedy happening to him. (I always saw) Michael as the heart of the (Corinthos) family.”
When Michael was badly burned the show chose not burn his face, which normally a soap does when they are recasting role and switching actors. Chad weighed-in, “They didn’t burn my face because I told Frank Valentini (EP, GH) I’m willing to come back. It was just a little bit of a break. So, I assumed that if they would have burned my face, they could have brought somebody back looking different than me… if that’s what their plan was.”
Courtesy/ABC
MEMORABLE MICHAEL STORYLINES
One of Chad’s most memorable performances was the in the storyline of Michael’s rape while he was sentenced to prison in 2010 and the confession of it in 2011. “It was so well-written and I was very nervous,” recalled Chad. “When I get really nervous about something, it ends up being really good when I do it, because it just means I care a lot about it”
“I have to put a lot of effort and work into it, and I really want it to be good. I was working with Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) and Steve Burton (Jason) a lot during those scenes, and Laura Wright (Carly). It was great working with Steve and Dominic, especially, during that storyline.
A NEW SOAP ROLE FOR CHAD?
As to a future soap opera role, Chad is open to the idea and would love to jump back in to a juicy role, “I know people over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless. They know that if they’re interested, I would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”
Meanwhile, Chad has been busy putting out new music under the moniker Duelly and during the interview he explains how he creates his EDM tracks and much more. You can stream his latest single, Static in the Quiet Room on Spotify, Apple Music and You Tube Music.
You can check out the full conversation with Chad Duell below.
Now let us know: what show would you like to see Chad cast on down the line? BTG, DAYS, B&B, Y&R, or a new role on GH? What did you think of his thoughts on the casting switch while he was away in the role of Michael? What was your favorite Michael storyline during Chad’s 15-year run on the ABC soap opera? Let us know via the comment section.
Dye his hair black and recast him as RJ on B and B hed be perfect.
There is zero need to dye his hair that dark for the role of RJ. His natural colour is just fine.
I could see him as Noah Newman. Under the right writers I think it could work.
That would be an interesting soap swap since Rory played Noah (Y and R) and is now Michael (GH)
I cant figure out why YR has gone through so many Noahs. He should be a mainstay, not 1st on the chopping block. I thought Lucas Adams was a great Noah. Hope they bring him back.
I’m sorry, he comes across really poorly. In interviews he gave at the time he was leaving, he made it quite clear he was ready for a change, not a “break.”
And he comes across as a total tool with his “I know people” at other shows and “they’re interested.” Sounds like he’s trying to will a new job into existence. Publicly doing that is generally a sure fire way to *not* get hired in any field.
Agreed. He apparently thought he was irreplaceable. He now knows he is replaceable. He’ll think twice next time. So many actors do this at the height of their popularity. As if. There’s only 5 soaps now. You’ll be lucky to get back at it on one of them. Most likely you won’t.
Agree. And this is the show that ditched half the legacy cast around the time he joined including most of his onscreen family. Killed Alan, AJ, Emily, Justus, Morgan, Rick Webber, Helena, Stavros, Stefan, Victor, Spencer, Kristina Sr. Tony, Georgie, Cooper Barrett, Logan Baldwin, Duke, dropped/ fired Bobbie, Monica, Lesley, Skye, Ned, Dillon, Lucky, Elizabeth, Nikolas, Valerie, Lulu, Laura in 2016, Felicia, Taggert, Lucy, Scotty, Kevin, Kelly, Lainey… If there’s ANY show where everyone’s replaceable (not to the fans but to those in charge) its this one.
Yep. He literally should have kept his day job when he dabbled in the music business for a spell.
Agreed. With the way GH has accommodated other younger vets like Kirsten Storms (Maxie), Jonathan Jackson (Lucky) and Steve Burton (Jason), I could’ve seen the show holding the role for him if they knew he planned to return at some point. Maybe he should’ve been more clear about his intentions. The show left Michael’s story thread dangling tho so he couldn’t expect them to hold it for him indefinitely. I wish him well.
I always envisioned Chad to be a Noah recast on The Young and the Restless; however, I’d much rather Lucas Adams reprise the role. Perhaps a recast Theo Vanderway or Fenmore Baldwin?! Or even Will Horton on Days of Our Lives. I’d love to see him back on American daytime!
I love chad and would love to see him on GH again. Maybe he could end up being Pheobe’ father. I’ve watched s GH snce 1963.
No. Too late. The actor that plays Michael now is the perfect Michael. I don’t care if Chad played it for 20 years. You snooze you lose.
Could have been a great Chance on Y&R if Josh had not screwed that up. How about a never known son for Jack Abbott, there is a resemblance.
Interesting That he thought so highly of himself That he thought no recast would happen No loss in him leaving. Rory Gibson is a far superior Michael.
I wish you would come back to gh but understand why you took a break ❤️
I wonder how Courtney Hope would feel about his coming to Y&R. Are they cordial?
I guess stranger things have happened. And both she and Sharon Case seem ok working with their ex, Grossman.
Sounds like he was arrogant and over confident taking it for granted that they would not recast. Most actors in soaps are dispensable. There are notable exceptions to the rule but Chad ain’t one of them.
I don’t miss him at all. He thought he was irreplaceable and discovered he was not. Rory Gibson is the perfect Michael.
GH or Y&R
Chad duell great Thomas Forrster
You would think someone died from the amount of hatred that this interview has gotten online.
I miss Chad much more than I expected to. Michael wasn’t always my fave but I loved Chad’s work. Also miss Ryan Carnes’ Lucas and Brytni Sarpy as Valerie. And tho some may disagree, I loved Emme Rylan as Lulu. I got so used to those 4 in those roles, its tough to see the recasts as Michael, Lucas & Lulu.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmys are just a day away, and one of the more hotly-contested contests is which of your favorite leading men will walk away with the gold statuette for Outstanding Lead Actor?
The 5 actors who are going for gold each have had quite the history with the Daytime Emmys with several already having racked up several wins. Let’s take a look and the take our Michael Fairman TV poll at the bottom of the post and vote for who you think most deserves this year’s Lead Actor Emmy.
The nominees are: Eric Braeden (Victor Newman, The Young and the Restless), Steve Burton (Jason Morgan, General Hospital), Scott Clifton (Liam Spencer, The Bold and the Beautiful), Thorsten Kaye (Ridge Forrester, The Bold and the Beautiful) and Christian Jules Le Blanc (Michael Baldwin, The Young and the Restless).
Photo: JPI
FIVE ACTORS HAVE ALL PREVIOUSLY WON GOLD
As far as the actors Emmy resumes: Eric Braeden has been nominated nine times for Lead Actor and won once in 1998. Steve Burton is a two-time Daytime Emmy winner, both in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category for GH as Jason Morgan and Y&R as Dylan McAvoy. This nomination makes it Steve’s 10th overall, and his third time in the the Lead Actor category.
Scott Clifton has won three times previously in 2011, 2013 and 2017 and has the distinction of being the only actor to win in Younger Actor, Supporting and Lead. This is his 8th nomination Thorsten Kaye is a two-time Lead Actor winner in 2023 and 2024, while Christian LeBlanc has also won three times as Lead Actor in 2005, 2007 and 2009 and this is his first nod in over a decade.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are set to be handed out in a ceremony on Friday night, October 30 beginning at 8pm ET/5pm PT at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California. And while there is no network television broadcast partner this year, fans can watch the ceremonies livestreamed on the NATAS/Daytime Emmys You Tube Channel.
Now below, cast your vote for who you think should win Outstanding Lead Actor tomorrow night, and then in the comment section let us know who you are rooting for on Emmy night.
Breaking News
‘General Hospital’s’ Nancy Lee Grahn Hosts Daytime Emmy Lead Actress Dinner Keeping the Tradition With a Twist!
Leave it to General Hospital’s Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) to throw an intimate get together in her own style! That’s exactly what the two-time Daytime Emmy winner did to keep the tradition of last year’s Lead Actress winner throwing a party for this year’s nominees.
But as has been tradition, where the ladies gathered for their annual nominee lunch, this year on October 28, Grahn decided to make it a dinner party and she cooked all the food instead of venturing to a Los Angeles hotspot.
The Lead Actress lunch has been a tradition started by four-time Daytime Emmy winner, Susan Flannery (ex-Stephanie Forrester, The Bold and the Beautiful and ex-Laura Horton, Days of our Lives) back in 2005. Now, here we are 21 years later and its still going strong.
GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER?
Joining Grahn for for the Lead Actress dinner were 2026 nominees: Heather Tom (Katie Logan Spencer, The Bold and the Beautiful) and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers, The Young and the Restless), Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree, Beyond the Gates), Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree, Beyond the Gates), and Stacy Haiduk (Kristen DiMera, Days of our Lives).
This year, Karla Mosley and Tamara Tunie became first-time Lead Actress nominees, while Stacy Haiduk, also earned her first Lead Actress nomination, although she had been previously nominated in the Supporting Actress category. Currently, going in to Emmy night, Heather Tom is tied with Erika Slezak (ex-Viki, One Life to Live) for the most Daytime Emmys won by an actress with 6, while Michelle Stafford had racked up three, two for Lead and 1 for Supporting.
HEARTFELT THANK YOU’S FROM LEAD ACTRESS NOMINEES
Taking to her Instagram, Michelle Stafford posted some snaps and shared, “This is SO special. A beautiful night with truly beautiful, extraordinary women. What an incredible tradition that Susan Flannery started. Instead of women competing against each other. Here we have five women who have become friends, lifting each other up and supporting each other. We walk into Friday night with a true gift of friendship. Thank you Nancy Lee Grahn for opening up your beautiful home and catering this incredible dinner. Thank you Dylan for being a good girl for the picture! 🐶”
Meanwhile, Nancy Lee Grahn shared a video on her Instagram of the actresses chatting it up around the dinner table, while explaining she cooked the dinner for all the gals! (You can see it below).
So, what do you think about Nancy serving up the annual Lead Actress gathering with dinner at her house? Excited to see all the nominees together before tomorrow night? Weigh-in via the comment section.
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General Hospital
Could Justin Bruening Join ‘General Hospital’? Set Visit with Wife Alexa Havins Stirs Fan Hopes
Several famous couples met on All My Children; one of which is Justin Bruening (ex-Jamie Martin) and Alexa Havins (ex-Babe Carey, now Lulu Spencer, GH). The two met on the soap and married back in 2005 and share four children together. Fast forward to 2026 and Havins, who is currently in the middle of Lulu’s legal battle with Willow (Katelyn MacMullen), received a visit from her hubby on the set of the ABC soap opera.
Bruening took to his Instagram to share his visit to Port Charles with a series of very cute photos of the couple, which then lead fans to hope that a Justin sighting could potentially lead to a role on the show!
Taking to his social media, the first photo was captioned, “I’m lost….Can someone point me in the direction of a good hospital?” Next, Justin selected a pic with himself and his wife, sharing, “Oh! Here’s someone! Lulu, you say? Hmmm….That’s weird…you look familiar. Have we met?” In a follow-up photo, Bruening commented, “You’re cute….. What are you going to do with the rest of your life? I’m thinking……… 4 kids? House in the burbs? 1,001 pets?”
Photo: JPI
FROM PINE VALLEY TO PORT CHARLES
Then, Bruening included a photo of himself in front of the photo of his former on-screen brother, Michael E. Knight (ex-Tad, AMC) who now plays Martin Grey on General Hospital.
Taking to the comment thread was Alexa Havins’ on-screen son, Finn Carr (Rocco Falconeri) who shared, “This is amazing!” In addition to many fans who now hope that Justin might one day soon join the cast of GH.
“Does this mean you’re coming on GH or just visiting your beautiful wife,”expressed one fan. Another wrote, “Ooh, any chance we’re getting a cameo? Tell Alexa she’s my fave on the show.” Another had a casting idea, “Make Justin Bruening a Dillon Quartermaine recast!”
Alexa Havins played Babe from 2003-2007 on the beloved ABC soap opera, while Bruening played Jamie from on and off from 2003-2011 when the series was canceled by ABC.
Since his days in Pine Valley, Bruening has appeared on primetime in series including, Ravenswood, Grey’s Anatomy, and Sweet Magnolias.
Justin recently wrapped The Other Side of the Window, a thriller where the loglines share: “CEO Elise Dufoe must work with unconventional allies to clear her name after her husband dies mysteriously and she is framed for financial crimes.” The feature is said to be in post-production.
So, did you love seeing Justin and Alexa together in the new pics? Would you like to see Justin land a role on GH? If so, who should he be cast as? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Who Should Win Outstanding Lead Actor at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards? (Poll)
‘General Hospital’s’ Nancy Lee Grahn Hosts Daytime Emmy Lead Actress Dinner Keeping the Tradition With a Twist!
Could Justin Bruening Join ‘General Hospital’? Set Visit with Wife Alexa Havins Stirs Fan Hopes
Erika Slezak Fan Club Celebrates 55 Years with Special Note from Six-Time Daytime Emmy-Winning Icon and Expanded Website Content
Y&R Adds Tetona Jackson as a Recast Roxanne and Fareed Ward as New Doctor in First Casting Hires Under Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor Writing Regime
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Presenters Announced
Tabitha Brown and Kandi Burruss Guest Star on ‘Beyond the Gates’ for Dani’s ‘Welcome to Your Life’ TV Special; What Could Go Wrong?
‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Cast Dish on Steffy, Finn & Carter, Daphne Baby Drama! (Exclusive)
Kin Shriner Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ TV Daughter Kelly Kruger
2026 Daytime Emmy Awards: ‘Extra’ Partners with NATAS for Pre-Ceremony Red Carpet Stream; Week of Segments Leading to Ceremony and Post-Coverage
‘General Hospital’s’ Nancy Lee Grahn Hosts Daytime Emmy Lead Actress Dinner Keeping the Tradition With a Twist!
Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award Preview: Genie Francis Talks Historic Run as ‘General Hospital’s’ Laura and Longtime Co-Star Tony Geary
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Chase and Brook Lynn Sign Divorce Papers; Are You Glad They Ended Their Marriage or Hoped for a Reconciliation?
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Brook Lynn Gets a Shock from Jude, Nina Gets a Reprieve, and Ava’s in the Hot Seat
DAYS OF OUR LIVES Preview: Xander Fights for His Life, Halloween in Salem, Lani Returns to the Salem PD
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