General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Fans Rally to Save Kelly Monaco from Being Killed-Off as Sam McCall
Earlier this week, longtime General Hospital fans were shocked to learn that popular actress and mainstay, Kelly Monaco, was leaving the ABC daytime drama series after 21 years in the role of Sam McCall.
As reports surfaced following Soap Opera Network, who first broke the news, viewers were even more stunned to learn that the powers-that-be plan to kill-off Sam in a storyline-dictated move.
In daytime, where the connection between the audience, characters and stars are often blurred making this one of the unique mediums out there, now GH faithfuls and those of Monaco, have begun their campaign and to petition to have the show reverse course to keep Kelly’s job.
Photo: ABC
“It’s not too late to reverse the unlawful firing of #KellyMonaco We are not done with Sam McCall. She still has more to tell,” wrote one fan who shared the link to Change.org petition in order to ‘Save Sam McCall.’ Many took to the petition’s comment section to voice their opinion.
The petition, which as of this posting has 4,619 signatures out of their goal of 5,000, shared this overall message, “Many fans of General Hospital have grown up watching this iconic show. Sam McCall, masterfully portrayed by Kelly Monaco for over 2 decades, has woven herself into the fabric of our daily lives, becoming a beloved figure on screen.”
It continued, “The thought of General Hospital without Sam’s character is not just disappointing, it is unthinkable for the loyal audience. Her departure would strip the show of its core, disorienting many longtime viewers who have followed her storylines for years. Sam McCall is more than just a character to us, she represents a part of our own lives – triumphs, hardships, love, and loss. Without Kelly Monaco, this character’s journey abruptly ends, leaving her viewers with an incomplete story and void that can’t be filled.”
Photo: ABC
It concluded with,”We are making a plea to the producers and the network: keep Kelly Monaco on General Hospital. By signing this petition, you are standing with thousands of General Hospital fans in preserving a valuable part of the show’s history. It’s time to respect the dedication and emotional investment of the viewers who have dedicated their time and heart into the character and the actress. Join us in this critical rallying cry – Let’s keep Kelly Monaco on General Hospital!”
In addition, both GH stars, Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) and Steve Burton (Jason) addressed the news of Kelly’s exit on their Daily Drama podcast. Both actors admitted (You can check out below) that they found out about Monaco’s departure when everyone else found out. Steve expressed, “Whatever happened sucks. I don’t know exactly what the story is.”
So, do you think the petition and the fans can get GH to reverse their decision and keep Kelly Monaco on the show as Sam McCall, or do you think it’s too late, the ship has sailed, and she will wrap her 21-year run as planned so? Share your thoughts via the comment section.
Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson addressed Kelly Monaco’s firing from #GH @dailydramatv pic.twitter.com/SzUIQLdpWo
— Special Guest Star ♏️ (@jon_ari_) August 27, 2024
I laughed at the above. This isn’t about whether I’m a KM fan or not, but “unlawful firing”? “disorienting many longtime viewers”? “she represents a part of our own lives”? I mean come on. Good luck with the petition. I’m fine with her going. I’m fine with her staying. Just make good stories.
Yeah, I agree with what you’ve said. The only reason I would be concerned with them killing off Sam is that she’s part of the “Davis girls” and has been around so long. I know long-time characters often leave but killing them off is just so permanent. (Okay, maybe not on a soap, but I’d puke if they brought her back if they kill her. Enough with that crap.) GH has never been able to write a good murder mystery when they had the perfect candidate to kill off. (Thinking Shiloh, Peter, among others.) The Hook killer was the closet they’ve come and even that got rather muddled.
Soap fans are passionate and many are prone to hyperbole. There was nothing “unlawful” about Kelly’s dismissal. Either her multi year contract was up or the network didn’t pick up her option.
Sam has been on the back burner for a while now – evident with her only appearing in one episode all of July. Let’s hope this departure story is riveting.
Thank you for saying that, @TVJeff. I felt the same way. What universe are these people living in? Twenty years is an amazing run, but everything comes to an end. If the demise of Sam triggers great stories for multiple characters and has an effect across the campus (and it surely will do both), then that’s why it’s happening. Sometimes “storyline-dictated” exits are exactly that: A way to create good stories.
I personally don’t feel the same. GH has lost a lot of its legacy characters and families either through real life death, retirement, or put out to pasture. There’s no need to kill off another legacy character; they’re in short supply. The “Davis Girls” and Alexis were just starting to get stories again. I hate that they’re just going to give the boot to another vet and the character. Unfortunately Tristan Rogers doesn’t look well & is barely on, Leslie Charleson as Monica will doubtfully ever return, Maurice is probably going to retire soon, Steve Burton planned to only stay two years when he returned. They killed off Julian, Franco, Gregory, Britt, Victor, Jagger, and now Sam? They’re dismantling the show bit by bit. Ironically, it seemed like they were returning to vets and legacy characters with the return of Lulu (though a recast), Rick (though he’ll only be on a short time) and Lucky. There shouldn’t be a trade-off; they should continue on with characters who ARE GH. I’d like them to bring back AJ and Dillion, resurrect Stefan Cassadine while they’re at it…
I agree with you….enough said!
I agree they’re not taking care of the ones who have made them a home staple. They are in homes throughout the United States, and probably all over the world.
Kelly Monaco, brought Sam McCall to life.
ABC you have to save her. We love her. Please don’t let her go find a way to keep her. She can still stay with Dante and go through the struggles that every couple goes through in my morning. X comes back. It will make it better story than making her go. if you wanna capture us in the story, bring Sam straight to loving Dante during a rough battle with Lulu. And letting Lily realize that they are one just big family.
This is better than destroying a family that has been in the making for over so many years. I am not into destroying families and I have been GH fan since Luke and Laura are before because my mother used to watch us and I was born in 1957,
So please take heed,
to what I’m saying; if you want your audience stick to ABC, you need to stick with your people that have made your audience! We Love Kelly / Sam and we do not want to see
here leave.
Just like Jason, she is part of the woven cloth that brings this life to the show.
ABC: you canny do this to one of your most valuable players! You may call them an actor, but they are not an individual on the show. They play with a team of professional actors, which makes some valuable players and teammates. You cannot kill them off like they are nothing., Especially when we are with the audience watching every day.
ABC, THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE !!!!!
I understand why fans are upset about her dismissal. I like Sam and wish this wasn’t happening, but if its true that her fans are so irate as to create a petition to fire the show’s writers or for fans to demand that ABC cancel the show is nothing short of terroristic.
Demanding that the writers be fired will not make this right. The writers didn’t make the decision to fire Kelly. That decision came from the top. The writers are doing what they were told to do. Furthermore, I can’t believe the fans think it’s right to call for the cancelation of the show, which would cause a number of people to lose their jobs in an industry that is already difficult to find work in, is a good idea or the best approach to this situation. You all have lost touch with reality. Again, I’m a fan of Sam/Kelly and don’t want to see her go, but not at the expense of others.
No offense to the actors or characters, but Gregory and Britt weren’t what I call core or legacy characters. I love Gregory Harrison and I wish he would have stayed on but his character and Finn were not part of the GH core or legacy characters, IMO.
I wish Harrison would have been cast or recast as Jeff Webber.
I am happy they’re bringing back Lucky and Lulu. Maybe Nicholas won’t be far behind.
I agree with you. Look, I’m a fan of the actress and character. But to say “Her departure would strip the show of its core, disorienting many longtime viewers” is a bit heavy handed. Good luck. At least we know if they do kill her off, she can alway return from the dead like other characters before her.
Good points. If any character is the core of the show, it would be Laura.
Yes, I agree.
It’s amazing what a good story can do for a character. I was ready to see Molly go a few months back. Now, he has been amazing. Her performances have been riveting.
The one thing I think GH needs is to outline storylines from the beginning to end. For the past couple of months (and writer changes), it seems they are throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks. Dex and Molly? No, before you go there. Willow and Drew? Creepy.
As far as Kelly leaving the show, GH has the most bloated cast I have ever seen. Kelly has hardly been on the entire summer. Too many characters are not seen for weeks. Sasha and Cody now fill like filler. Since Violet went to live with Brook Lynn and Chase, the newlyweds have had hardly any scenes together. The show needs to bring in an older gentleman and show Tracy is love again, especially with Jane being such a fan favorite. Ava is still my favorite. I want more scenes with her reconnecting with Nina and reconnecting with Nicholas is he comes back to PC full-time. I also wouldn’t mind seeing Ava with Ric.
“Ric” isn’t going to be staying too long. He lives in New Jersey and that’s where his family is now, including his elderly mom, I believe. So, he may just be on for this story arc. I’d love if the offered him a contract, but I don’t think that’s happening.
I hope you’re right. I’m already sick of Ric. He’s still the same snake and hasn’t changed one bit.
Love this she deserves better.
I’m not a fan of Sam’s character. There are several other characters that I wouldn’t mind seeing going as well.
I was shocked to hear she was going to be off the show but sometimes the show has to do something to shock the fans. Back in the day, things like this happened all the time. The only difference is that there was no social media to find out these things. To me, that’s what made soaps so much more enjoyable. Now, we find out just about everything weeks before it airs and it takes the surprise out of the story.
Can’t disagree. The days of Soap Opera Digest are missing.
I’m not sure the uproar. Her character while once front burner has not done much for years and many have criticized her perform as “phoning it in”. I actually like her with Dante but again there’s not been a lot of story there.
Very well-written plea. Soaps aren’t just a weekly show on for a season or two. Soaps become part of many viewers daily lives, a fictional world viewers can escape to, and legacy characters and the actors who played them are comforting, familiar, faces and “people” that many in real life like to get lost in. When they just strip longtime viewers of these characters and actors, like they did with Stuart Damon back in the day or Sean Kanan (again and again), it does evoke feelings. Is it “unlawful” as one poster wrote? Obviously not; that person chose the wrong word. But it is shocking and jolting. It’s one thing for an actor to want to leave (we have to resign ourselves to the fact that was the actor’s choice). But to fire an actor, or, if the rumors are true kill yet another legacy character off, that’s not only wrong to do to the actor, but it’s dashing the hopes of viewers who want the door left open for a return. (And yes, at times soaps undo characters deaths; we know).
I’m still wondering if this is a Valentini decision, or if he’s just going along with a story that requires “Sam’s” death. I wonder if we’ll find out the truth behind this soapy debacle.
I think they are definitely doing it to use her Liver for Lulu. Can’t remember if she’s been tested or not yet.Her two kids will really be displaced, with her gone and dads they hardly see.Does that mean two more at the Q’s.? At least they will still have Alexis, if she can ever tear herself away from her other needy daughters. Sam never got much of her attention, so, maybe, she’ll have a little time for the grd.kids.
I’ve been a fan of her and the character for a very long time. Sam and Dante are a couple I look forward to seeing on the screen. Lots of other characters that the powers that be can write off. Heather Weber for one. Shame on you GH for planning to kill off a beloved character.
It does work, because it saved the jobs of Genie Francis and Becky Herbst.
I won’t be one. Not a fan of character and not sad for character to go. I wish Kelly all the best for future projects.
She needs to stay a lot of Viewers won’t like that probably not watch the show she is the best love her character
I have watched GH from the very beginning. If Kelly goes I will be one who quits watching the show!
A similar situation occurred with Rebecca Herbst a couple years back when Elizabeth basically had no storyline and the fans rallied to save a legacy character and the popular portrayer.
Rather you like Sam Mccall or not, Kelly Monaco KEPT THE LIGHTS ON at the GH we’re watching today.
Sam has developed into a well-rounded character woven into the fabric of GH.
Hopefully, the executives at GH & ABC Daytime reverse their decision and continue a respectable, professional relationship with Ms. Monaco
I already stopped watching GH. Why keep Kelly on the show if they don’t want to write good story lines for her and give her less screen time. Kelly Monaco deserves better than GH trash.
I respect that a lot of people are upset by Kelly’s firing. I felt the same way when they tried to get rid of Genie Francis a number of years back. We got them to change their mind on that atrocious decision, and the fans saved Becky Herbst at one point also, so it can be done.
My honest opinion, I’m fine with Sam being gone. No disrespect to Kelly, I was just never a fan of the character. Jason and Sam as a couple were as boring as watching paint dry, to me. Jax, Sonny, Lucky, Drew, I didn’t care for many of her pairings over the years. I actually did kind of like her and Dante together, though.
I don’t see Sam as being a necessary character on the show anymore. I know many will disagree, and that’s fine. We all have our likes and dislikes. I certainly would not kill her off, however. Send her out of town, whatever, at least leave the door open. I don’t want to see Danny and Scout go through losing their mother at such a young age.That’s too cruel even for a soap.
Let me also say, someone needs to get a dictionary and find out what “unlawful” really means.
Meh. I’ve been watching the show, on and off, for almost 50 years. A lot of my favorite characters have been killed off. Some more than once! It’s the nature of the business. But my experience has been that it’s so much more frustrating to have a once vital and active character pushed to the back burner on life support. I’m sorry, Sam McCall fans, but this doesn’t rise to the idiocy that led to the extermination of Alan Quartermaine. And since the rise of Saint Sonny, any character that steps into the role of police commissioner is instantly back-burnered. The only character that I’ve seen lately more under-used than Sam is Robert Scorpio. God forbid an actor over 75 years old can have a storyline. What do we think this is, The Young and the Restless? One can only hope that we’ll see him more than once a month when Holly returns.
In short, I hope that if Sam has to die, she does so in an exciting fashion, rather than the off-screen car accident that “killed” Lesley Webber.
I am upset a d mad about Kellie. Love her watched for 22 yrs. She is one of my fav on gh. I was hoping that eventually she would go back with Jason or Dante. Now that won’t happen. Gh you suck
Fans can protest with petitions, all for not..
Without a doubt, the powers that be knew that fans would petition.
It’s about the money and bringing in other actors..
Kelly is out- not even praying to the soap god will save her…
Wait for it-
GH has a very bloated cast! They can barely get all of them their lines and to just go ahead and to get rid of a veteran, immersed in the storylines in this show? This smacks of retaliation by someone! There are lesser actors and stories these people could get rid of! To keep bringing on more and more! These leaders suck at their jobs. Thank you Michael for helping spread our word and for all you do for our actors on GH!
Instead of killing off Sam, why not just have her leave town? At least that leaves the door open for her to return.
Why cant they get rid of Drew/ Cameron insread? I read that Sam’s death may be caused by an automobile accident, I can only hope that Cates is in the other car. What he did to Kristina today was abominable , but thankfully she was able to revive herself and give it right back to the S.O.B.
100%. I cringe when he appears now… and such a lack of creativity to try out an affair between him and Willow. I just do not see him as “Drew” or a “Quartermaine”.
Is Livvie Locke still alive?
Are we 666% sure that Sam is going to be killed off? Or might she leave town for other reasons?
Today’s episode hasn’t aired in Hell yet, but here’s a question for y’all…..
Suppose a rogue Federal agent had taken your child’s father away from him for 2.5 years. And now that same rogue Federal agent was targeting your little sister, at the very time that she’s trying to recover from both physical and emotional trauma. How far would you go to express your anger toward’s that person?
Of course it may appear that something else happened…. for the moment. But we all know who’s NOT leaving Port Charles anytime soon.. unless they really want to officially announce that GH is cancelled before 2024 ends. Let’s just say the ballistic experts at the PCPD have their work cut out for them.
So I’m thinking Sam’s next address might be a cell at Pentonville, as opposed to an air conditioned condo here in Hell.
I’m sensing there is something big (but secret) going on behind the scenes. When Rebecca Herbst was let go, many lead GH actors quickly spoke up in her defense (by saying how upset they were). So far after this announcement, nothing. Plus the rumors of KeMo not being as ‘dialed in to Sam’ as she used to be during scenes (since 2017).
Plz keep Kelly Monaco..she is such an important character to GH..and simply put she is a joy to watch
I think that Sam Michael has been a part of GH since the beginning and she’s one of the younger ones that I started watching the show and if she goes, I go. I cannot believe that you’re taking away somebody who is brats so much to the show and delivered all the time.
When she was with Jason, we were good to our seats now she’s with Auntie and we’re still glued to our seats. She shouldn’t have to go just because Linda is coming in. It can be a fight tween her and Dante holding their home together and Lola finding her way.
If I had to pick, I would pick Sam over Lulu. Lulu can find her way through the show and make her way with the kids and her like that she will be happy just to be alive and people will welcome her and love her.
She made her choice and moved on from Dante.
This is a bad move for General Hospital, and I do not agree with it. I would like to start a petition to “ Save Sam”.
Let us Save Sam please! ❤️❤️
When the leather jackets got to be too boring, something had to give. Magically, whoever wrote the Sam and Dante relationship should get a gold star! I really look forward to their scenes. Sam has a mother, two sisters kids and lots of connections with others in PC. Why let her go? I hope Sam rolls out like she rolled in, mysterious and kidnaped and taken to Jerry Jax! [All off camera] Jerry needs her to pull off the ultimate heist! It wont be easy. It will be months and months of Sam being away from her loved ones while trying to appease Jerry and ultimately turning on him and finding her way back to PC. In other words, don’t kill her off. Have her disappear and let Ric, Lucky, Holly and all the other guest stars run through their commitment and then there is room for Sam!
I think this is a bracing, bold move that will shake up the canvas and provide years of compelling, umbrella stories for the entire cast. I have never really gotten the character of Sam. To me, she was just another hypocritical mob moll like Carly. She never could embrace or “forgive” her own father for his mob lifestyle, and yet she always supported Jason and Sonny, two serial killer.
It’s sad to see anyone lose their job, but I think the long term developments will outweigh this decision. And who are we kidding? There is no such thing as dead dead in soaps anymore. I find that sad as death loses its impact and it is hard to invest in the emotion of the story. But she could come back as Sam or a look alike or whatever.
I think this will provide some outstanding acting and up the stakes immeasurably on the show.
Beyond the Gates
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the full list of nominees for the upcoming 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, and it was CBS daytime’s The Young and the Restless and broadcast television newest soap opera, Beyond the Gates that racked up the most nominations with 18 and 16, respectively.
The full reveal on Tuesday follows the announcement of several major categories including Lead Actor and Actress on Monday via Extra and Entertainment Tonight and The View today revealing Daytime Drama Series and more.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmys ceremony is set to take place on Friday, October 30 at the historic Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.
Photo: CBS
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS expressed, “We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television, As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
“Each year, the Daytime Emmy Awards celebrate the creativity, passion, and dedication that drive this vibrant community of storytellers,” said Rachel Schwartz, Head of the Daytime Emmy Awards. “Congratulations to this year’s nominees, whose work continues to entertain, inspire and connect with audiences every day. We look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements in Hollywood this October.”
The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Gold & Silver Circle Inductees, and ceremony host will be announced at a later date.
Now below, check out the nominees in the daytime drama, talk show, entertainment news series and creative arts categories and congratulations to all!
Photo: JPI
Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Stacy Haiduk (as Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives
Karla Mosley (as Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Michelle Stafford (as Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless
Heather Tom (as Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful
Tamara Tunie (as Anita Williams Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Eric Braeden (as Victor Newman), The Young and the Restless
Steve Burton (as Jason Morgan), General Hospital
Scott Clifton (as Liam Spencer), The Bold and the Beautiful
Thorsten Kaye (as Ridge Forrester), The Bold and the Beautiful
Christian Jules Le Blanc (as Michael Baldwin), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Linsey Godfrey (as Sarah Horton), Days of Our Lives
Camryn Grimes (as Mariah Copeland), The Young and the Restless
Beth Maitland (as Traci Abbott), The Young and the Restless
Trisha Mann-Grant (as Leslie Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Amanda Setton (as Brook Lynn Quartermaine), General Hospital
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Sean Dominic (as Nate Hastings), The Young and the Restless
Timon Kyle Durrett (as Bill Hamilton), Beyond the Gates
Michael Graziadei (as Daniel Romalotti), The Young and the Restless
Roger Howarth (as Matt Clark), The Young and the Restless
Mike Manning (as Bradley “Smitty” Smith), Beyond the Gates
Lawrence Saint-Victor (as Carter Walton), The Bold and the Beautiful
Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series
Braedyn Bruner (as Emma Scorpio-Drake), General Hospital
Al Calderon (as Javier Hernandez), Days of Our Lives
Alice Halsey (as Rachel Black), Days of Our Lives
Giovanni Mazza (as Gio Palmieri), General Hospital
Ambyr Michelle (as Eva Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Arielle Prepetit (as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Jasmine Burke (as June Hughes), Beyond the Gates
Jeff Kober (as Cyrus Renault), General Hospital
Eva LaRue (as Natalia Rogers-Ramirez), General Hospital
Christopher Sean (as Paul Narita), Days of Our Lives
Ray Wise (as Ian Ward), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Casting for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series
3rd Hour of TODAY
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Live With Kelly and Mark
TODAY With Jenna & Friends
The View
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro, The View
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show
Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall
Jennifer Hudson, The Jennifer Hudson Show
Sherri Shepherd, Sherri
Outstanding Entertainment News Series
Access Hollywood
Entertainment Tonight
Extra
Outstanding Daytime Personality (Daily)
Mona Kosar Abdi, Derek Hough & Terri Seymour, Extra
Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith & Nischelle Turner, Entertainment Tonight
Scott Evans, Zuri Hall, Kit Hoover & Mario Lopez, Access Hollywood
Star Jones & Corey Jovan, Divorce Court
Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program
Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood — An Entertainment Tonight Special
Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter
Variety & CNN Actors on Actors
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Working In the Theatre
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Daytime
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
Have Guitar Will Travel World
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033
Let Frankie Cook,” Getting the Band Back Together
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Outstanding Technical Direction and Video for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 104
The Bold and the Beautiful,” Episode 9511
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”
The Jennifer Hudson Show, ” Episode 4041
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”
Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
General Hospital, Episode 15719
The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Episode 5033
The Young and the Restless,” Episode 13273
So, what do you think of the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations? Who are you happy to see receive a nomination and who do you think was snubbed? Weigh-in via the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Award nominations kicked-off on Monday with the announcements of four major categories including, Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series — Actor, and among the nominees is General Hospital’s Steve Burton (Jason Morgan).
Burton is already a two-time Daytime Emmy winner in the Supporting Actor category for his roles as GH’s Jason and his turn as Dylan McAvoy on Y&R. However, Steve is yet to win in the Lead Actor category and he has received 11 nominations along the way in his daytime career.
Following the reveal that he is a 2026 Daytime Emmy nominee, he and his GH co-star, podcast co-host and comedy show partner, Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) taped a special edition of their That’s Awesome podcast just featuring Burton’s reaction to the news.
Photo: JPI
FOR LESLIE CHARLESON
Steve expressed, “I know it’s such a cliche to say, ‘I’m just so honored to be nominated.’ But truly, I’m so grateful to be nominated, so grateful to just be on the show off and on for 30 plus years and to be nominated with the guys in my category. Just to get the opportunity. Frank (Valentini, executive producer, GH) texted me right away. I was just like, ‘Thank you for the opportunity to get to do what I do.'”
Taking in the moment, Burton thanked those who helped him select the material for his nominated reel. “Unless you win, you don’t get to say things. So. I’m going just say a few things: Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) helped me a lot with the material, (as did) Michelle Henry, who’s a producer on the show, Laura Wright (Carly, GH), and then my wife Michelle (Lundstrom). I believe it was Jill Phelps who told me that when A Martinez felt like he had a great show or great scenes, he would mark it down. So, when Emmy time comes, you have all the show numbers written down, and you don’t have to think about it, because that’s half the battle (finding the material).
Burton explained how meaningful this nomination is for him, because of playing the scenes of Jason losing Monica, and his closeness with the late, great Leslie Charleson.
“The nomination’s an amazing thing, and it’s beautiful, but really it’s to honor Leslie Charleson. A lot of my material was because of her, and how I started on the show as a Quartermaine, it just means a ton,” shared Burton. “Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) has obviously has been instrumental, and I’ve said it from day one and I’ll shout it from the rooftops. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here, and to be working with the people that we work with is incredible.”
Photo: JPI
SHOULD JOHN OLIVER BE NAMED HOST OF THE DAYTIME EMMYS?
During the end of his conversation with Anderson, Steve suggested that the host of the Daytime Emmy should be Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver, who recently guest starred as the head of the WSB named Z on General Hospital, and is soon to show up on Days of Our Lives in a mystery role in August.
Thus far, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has not revealed their host for the upcoming ceremony to be held on October 30 in a venue to be named in Hollywood, California.
You can watch Steve sharing his reaction to receiving his 2026 Lead Actor Daytime Emmy nomination below on a special segment on the That’s Awesome podcast.
Now let us know, are you glad that Steve chose scenes surrounding Jason mourning the loss of the woman that raised him, Monica Quartermaine for his Emmy reel? What do you think of John Oliver as a suggestion to host the Daytime Emmys? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
General Hospital’s 16,000th episode was packed with little reminders through points in today’s script that the ABC daytime drama series has set another milestone and it paved the way for the return of fan favorite and newly nominated Daytime Emmy Lead Actor nominee Steve Burton (Jason Morgan). The 16,000th episode also introduced viewers to the new surgeon in Port Charles Dr. Tristan Roberts played by Dean Geyer.
Here are the key takeaways and what went down on the July 13 episode: Tristan and Jason are seated next to each other on a plane heading to Port Charles. Throughout the flight, a beaten up Jason has flashbacks to being thrown into, and being held captive in a cell and tortured. It appears Jason is suffering from some form of PTSD from what he was put through after being dragged out of Port Charles by the WSB months ago.
As the plane prepares to land, Tristan tells Jason there would be a car waiting for him once they land and to enjoy the rest of his life. Later, Tristan arrives at the nurses and doctors hub at GH and approaches Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst). He tells her his name and that he is the new surgeon on staff.
Photo: ABC
A REUNION PLUS A HEAD NURSE DEFENDS SONNY
Meanwhile, at the end of the episode, Jason is outside the Quartermaine boathouse looking bewildered when he runs into Danny (Asher Antonyzyn), who is so thrilled to see his father, and the two hugs each other as tears are shed.
Elsewhere, Elizabeth tells Sonny (Maurice Benard) that he thinks its a great idea for him to get the 16th seat on the hospital board, but when it comes times to convince Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) of that, things go awry when Tracy, Laura and Sonny try to work things out. After Tracy launches into Sonny about killing Alan and Monica’s son AJ, Sonny walks away dejected.
Next, Sonny runs into Elizabeth, where he informs her what happened with Tracy. So what’s a head nurse to do? Elizabeth marches into the conference room and reminds Tracy of all the different donations and ways Sonny has contributed to the hospital from the Stone Cates AIDS wing, to the Michael Corinthos Center for Pediatric Head Injuries as well as his constant support each year for the GH Nurses’ Ball.
Courtesy/ABC
WSB WAR SCARS
Then, in one of the best parts for longtime fans of the series, Elizabeth talks about her legendary grandparents, Audrey and Steve Hardy and she tells Tracy they would have wanted Sonny to have a seat on the board for all the good that he has done for the hospital. After Elizabeth states Sonny’s case, things took a turn and Tracy and Sonny wound up shaking hands as Sonny is board member #16.
In the how great was it to see Anna (Finola Hughes) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) together scenes department, the pick-up of last Friday’s cliffhanger is played out as the two former lovers fill each other in on what has gone down in their lives in the last several months including Valentin admitting he had been living in Carly’s attic, and Anna realizing she was kidnapped by Cullum, Sidwell and Cassius Faison. During their conversation, Anna sees the hallucination of Peter August (Wes Ramsey) right while Valentin is standing there.
Courtesy/ABC
Later Anna was on her way to saying goodbye to Valentin, when the two share an emotional hug. After Valentin made his exit, Peter reappeared and warned Anna to not let Valentin distract her because she has important work to do. Anna answers, “I know.”
So, what did you think of General Hospital’s 16,000 episode? What do you think is wrong with Jason? What is the important “work” that Anna has to do? Were you glad to see Sonny get a seat on the hospital board, or not so much. Weigh-in via the comment section. But first, check out the scenes on Jason and Tristan’s long flight to Port Charles.
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