General Hospital
Maurice Benard Recalls How He Treated Chad Duell “Badly” After ‘General Hospital’ Replaced Drew Garrett as Michael Corinthos
On General Hospital, Drew Garrett played the role of Michael Corinthos from 2009-2010 and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination along the way for his performances. Drew was replaced by Chad Duell back in 2010. Chad stayed with the series till earlier this year in 2025. Now with rumors rebound, just who will be playing the role of Michael when the character returns from a burn clinic in Germany all healed up has been a question with much speculation.
On Sunday, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) brought his former TV son, Drew Garrett onto his mental health and interview show State of Mind to discuss many topics including: Garrett’s skin condition which held him back for some time in his career. However, the conversation took a turn later in the episode when Benard once again revealed his initial behavior at learning Garrett was on his way out and Chad Duell was now coming on to GH play to play his son over 15 years ago.
First, Garrett told Benard his thoughts on his time playing his on-screen son in the quick-pace of shooting a daytime drama, “I think I thrived off the pressure and that energy especially because of you. I think in a lot of ways you were supportive and very helpful to my process. I just felt like we saw eye to eye. I felt like you believed in me with that same ‘come-from’ that I did. I always felt like you were kind of street. I always felt like you were kind of no b*s*, and to let the work speak for itself.”

Photo: ABC
Drew recounted a very special scene that connected the actors, “You remember that seven page scene? (The one where Michael and Sonny are sitting in Sonny’s office) which was about Michael wanting to do better and walk in Sonny’s footsteps. I think the throughline of the scene was, ‘You can do better, and you don’t have to be like me.’ Michael wanted to be like Sonny, but he was also dealing with the whole trauma of the head injury and everything that was going on.”
Maurice added, “It was a seven pages and I told you (I think you maybe went up on on the line), we can’t drop the ball on this this scene. Once the ball drops the scene’s done.’ I didn’t tell you then, but it was a hard scene to do. For me it was hard, too. For anybody else, I don’t think they could have done it. We did the scene and you nailed that scene!”

Photo: ABC
Later, Maurice recalled his reaction to learning that Garrett was being replaced by another actor. “It was a Sunday. Paula’s (Maurice’s wife) was on the phone and I hear you’re not going to be working there. I went berserk. First of all, we had just done that scene. It happens all the time and everybody comes and goes like a revolving door, but I came to work the next day and now Chad is there (who’s now a friend of mine). But, let’s just put the cards on the table. I’m not proud of it. I don’t recommend it, but I treated him badly for maybe like 6 months. I didn’t talk to him. It wasn’t cool.”
Benard shared that on Chad’s first day. he watched him having to do monologue on a witness stand and in the scene Sonny is right in front of him. Maurice related, “I’m right in front of him. He’s sweating and having a panic attack.” Understanding his behavior towards Chad was not called for, Benard admitted, “It was awful. Of course, I’ve never done that again. But I was so pissed off. You can say some of that was ego, some of that was I liked you (Drew) so much, and we had just done that scene. It was hard on Chad.”
Responding to a post from Michael Fairman TV on the subject on X, Maurice Benard expressed, “I’m so happy I can consider both actors my friend and we all learn, or should learn from our mistakes.”
You can watch the entire episode of State of Mind featuring Drew and Maurice below.
Now weigh-in: what did you think of the Drew as Michael and Maurice’s story on how he initially treated Chad Duell, before they became friends? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
So is Drew coming back as Michael? Awfully strange timing.
No; that is wishful thinking of several fans online, though.
No he’s not coming back. Maurice is “live” in the YouTube chat when the State of Mind episodes premier on Sunday morning, and he was asked if Drew was on because he was coming back to GH? Maurice said no. For the record, he didn’t say anything else about the recast… or even if there is one yet. But I suspect it’s going to happen soon. Sasha’s baby is due in July, and I don’t see that happening without Mikey back in Port Charles… in one form or another.
According to social media reports, they’ve been quietly recasting Michael. Robert Adamson posted (since removed) that he was not considered for the role. Ironically, Rory Gibson (who replaced Adamson on Y&R) was supposedly screen tested.
Gibson has posted selfies on set in a dressing room that resembles Steve Burton (Jason), and several people from General Hospital have begun following him on social media, from Frank Valentini himself to some makeup crew.
It’s not the first time Maurice Benard has mentioned treating Chad Duell poorly because of Drew Garrett’s exit; it was intriguing to see Garrett’s reaction to this, though. Not going to lie… I kind of wish they had gotten into why we exited the role, as it was never outright disclosed⏤at least to my recollection it never was.
My recollection is that the reason given at the time was pretty much identical to the reason for the most recent recast of Kristina — they simply wanted to take the character in a different, more mature direction.
Of course, Duell is only two years younger than Garrett in real life. And, ironically, one of my issues with Chad’s adult Michael was that he never really looked/sounded much older than when he first came on the show 15 years ago. I obviously don’t support the abuse Duell got from Bernard (or, at times, fans), but count me as someone that hated the recast at the time and never really changed his mind.
Hopefully, with this next recast, they’ll bring in an actor whose adult Michael can hang with Bernard, Wright and company gravitas-wise.
My recollection is that the reason given at the time was pretty much identical to the reason for the most recent recast of Kristina — they simply wanted to take the character in a different, more mature direction.
In searching through this site’s archives (back when it was On Air On Soaps), Duell’s casting came after auditioning with Garrett and then being poised as a potential romantic pairing for Lexi Ainsworth (ex-Kristina), but at the expiration of Garrett’s contract, they chose to bring Duell in instead as Michael, and the character in-development for Kristina was scrapped.
They told Lexi she was reading with Chad as a potential love interest so she wouldn’t give Drew a heads up that they were letting him go. They fired him after shooting his scenes and had Chad lined up to come in the next time Micheal was due to shoot. Thankfully scenes were running long that day and Lexi didn’t end up chemistry reading with Chad, Steve Burton did instead because she would have felt responsible for hiring Drew’s replacement. She did notice Maurice was hard on Chad but she had chalked it up to him wanting to make him a better actor since he and Nancy had taken her under their wing and treated her like one of their own children.
Drew Garrett would make an excellent Will Horton recast, if Chandler Massey, didn’t want to return full-time at DAYS. I’d love to see Will & Sonny back in Salem!
Maurice is a total a hole. Chad was just a kid. Why don’t he go and be mean to the producers…o yeah he can’t cos they pay his bills
This was 15 years ago and Bernard is owning it publicly to make an example out of himself. What else do you want him to do?
Also, Chad was 22 at the time he came on the show. He certainly didn’t deserve Maurice’s abusive behavior, but he was hardly “just a kid” either.
General Hospital
Chris McKenna Reportedly Out as ‘General Hospital’s’ Jack Brennan

As ABC’s General Hospital continues to make casting additions in front of the camera; a new report indicates that Chris McKenna is the next contract player to be written out of the show as his storyline as Port Charles WSB bureau chief, Jack Brennan, is coming to end this fall.
According to sources close to the situation, who informed Soap Opera Network, McKenna will exit the long-running soap opera when Jack is killed-off the canvas. The outlet shares, Brennan’s death will come about as the soap, “leans heavily into storylines surrounding the World Security Bureau (WSB).”
McKenna, who previously appeared on the soaps when he was 12 as a young Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live from 1990-1993, then as an adult as Mark Harding on The Young and the Restless from 2014-2015, and next on The Bold and the Beautiful in the short term role of Dr. Hayden, began his run as GH’s Brennan back in February of 2025, replacing Charles Mesure in the role.

Photo: ABC
JACK’S ROCKY ROAD TO ROMANCE
In fact, McKenna won the part over Daniel Goddard and Daniel Cosgrove, who eventually were cast in other roles on General Hospital, that of Henry Dalton and Ezra Boyle, respectively. Chris informed his fans via X, back in August of 2025, that he was put on contract at the daytime drama and thanked them for helping make it happen.
Chris told Michael Fairman TV how it was to step into the role previously played by Charles Mesure, “I knew the challenge it was going to be and I had a like 0nly five days to get my head around it, so I was ready for it. Sure, it was challenging, but I was up for it. I was a recast before on The Young and the Restless.”
On-screen, Jack became romantically involved with Carly Spencer (Laura Wright), but that went bust when Carly learned Jack was not up front with her and had secretly enlisted her daughter, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) to join the WSB. Over months, Carly plotted to get revenge on Jack, and suddenly, Valentin Casssadine (James Patrick Stuart), Jack’s mortal enemy, came into the picture and he had fallen for Carly and she for him.
Now, Jack has started up a relationship with Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) and has found himself in situations stooping to lows to help Nina and her criminal daughter, Willow Cain (Katelyn MacMullen) out of jams, especially where Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) is concerned.

Photo: ABC
REUNITING WITH ERIKA SLEZAK
Last fall, Chris got a thrill of a lifetime when his OG on-screen mother from One Life to Live, the iconic Erika Slezak (ex-Viki) took on a guest role on General Hospital as Ronnie Bard, the secret sister of Monica Quartermaine (the late Leslie Charleson). While the two did not have a storyline together, Chris did share some tender moments reconnecting with Erika on the set,
McKenna has a laundry list of primetime credits including: State of Affairs, Good Trouble, Lucifer and Castle, where in an ironic twist he appeared alongside another Joey Buchanan none other than Nathan Fillion.
So, how do you feel if the report holds true and GH is killing off Brennan and Chris McKenna would exit the show? How do you think Brennan will die on GH? Will he be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and someone will take him out? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.
General Hospital
Ryan Paevey Open to Return to ‘General Hospital’ to ‘Stir the Pot if Cassius Could be a Good Agent of Chaos’

On General Hospital, Ryan Paevey wrapped his comeback to General Hospital on the July 6 episode, when it was revealed that Cassius Faison was not dead, but being held by the WSB thanks to Z (John Oliver).
It was Z who gave Cassius an ultimatum: a one-way ticket to prison or a death sentence, or to become an agent himself! We never got the answer on-screen, but suffice to say, Cassius is still out there somewhere, but we can assume he is working for the WSB.
GH fans were thrilled to see Paevey back on the ABC daytime drama series where he initially played the very popular Detective Nathan West from 2013-2018. It had been over 7 years until Ryan made a return to his former soap stomping grounds when on-screen in September of 2025, he arrived in Port Charles as a very much alive Nathan, who was actually Cassius impersonating his late twin brother.

Photo: ABC
Over this past weekend, Paevey appeared at the annual GH Fan Club Weekend in Burbank, California, where according to a report from Soap Central who was on the scene; when a fan asked Ryan if he would make another visit to the soap opera in the future, he explained, “That’s a ‘Frank Chat,’ referencing a discussion would need to be had with Frank Valentini, GH’s executive producer.
A CASSIUS FAISON SIGHTING ANYTIME SOON?
Ryan also added, “I’m a bit of a drifter. So, I’m not sure that I want to go back and sign forever. Doing so took a lot of things out of my life, stuff that is valuable to me.” Paevey also explained while he was away from GH he was caretaker to his parents and working on his Fortunate Wanderer jewelry business and more.
However, Paevey concluded his thoughts on the matter with, “But, yeah, I would come back and stir the pot if Cassius could be a good agent of chaos… a conversation might be had with Frank about exactly what ‘not dead’ means.”
All this to say, would you like to see Ryan make another comeback to General Hospital? This time as WSB agent Cassius Faison? Do you think he would help out his sister, Britt and his mutter, and even Josslyn, if they got into serious future trouble? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Christian Howard Makes One Final Return as Ethan Lovett, as Hudson Learns Damning Intel

The Tuesday, August 4 episode of General Hospital brought with it another appearance by Christian Howard in the role of Ethan Lovett. As previously reported, Howard was brought into wrap up Ethan’s storyline as Nathan Dean’s four-month run with the show came to its conclusion.
Now, it has been 100% officially confirmed that today was the last episode of Howard as the recast Ethan. In story, Ethan was now seen in Oslo, Norway after hightailing it out of Port Charles after Hudson (Troy Lennon Appel) had showed up looking for him at the Metro Court pool in Port Charles.
On the July 31st episode, Ethan made a beeline to Lulu’s (Alexa Havins) grabbed his bags and headed out of the country without saying goodbye to Ava (Maura West), who he just had spent the night with.

Courtesy/ABC
However, on Tuesday’s GH, it was also the day where Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) finalized baby Phoebe’s adoption for Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard). This was juxtaposed with the action in Oslo where Hudson showed up at Ethan’s hotel room door. He demanded immediate answers about Delilah and the baby. Ethan told him that both Delilah and the baby she carried died.
ETHAN’S LIES CATCH UP TO HIM
Hudson is livid. The two get into multiple altercations with Hudson getting the upper hand claiming that Ethan is a thief, who had “stolen from the wrong man.” At that point, Hudson delivered a beatdown on Ethan. Next, he threatened Ethan that he will go after his entire family if he finds out he was lying to him.
Back in Port Charles at the Metro Court pool, Ava is lamenting about Ethan’s sudden disappearance to Trina (Tabyana Ali). Later alone, she gets a call from Ethan telling her to never reveal that he’s not Phoebe’s biological father. Cut to: Hudson out in the hotel hallway listening in on the call through a bug he planted in Ethan’s hotel room. Hudson then takes off. The final moment of Ethan’s is him sprawled out bloody on top of the hotel bed.
A GH rep told Soap Opera Digest that “the door is open for Ethan to return to Port Charles” in the future. And as previously reported by TV Insider, when Nathan Dean signed on for his four month return, it was due in part to that he and his wife announced back in March they were expecting a baby.
So, now that Christian Howard has officially exited the series marking the end of the story for now of Ethan Lovett, what are your thoughts? Obviously, we will look for Hudson to return to Port Charles and infiltrate the Quartermaines lives especially Brook Lynn and Chase to get close to Phoebe, and then there is Ava, who may be in terrible danger, or is she? Share your thoughts and theories.
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