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.
On the Friday, November 13 episode of General Hospital, Drew (Cameron Mathison) convinces Ava (Maura West) they need to get married, to each other! Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) hopes to get the DNA results on Jude (Will Traval) she has waited for, and Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) secretly co-conspire to find out who in Port Charles had the infamous tick!
Here’s what went down: Drew explained to Ava that they needed to get hitched ASAP, that way, they couldn’t be forced to testify against each other in the Jack Brennan case. After initially being kind of sick of the thought of marrying Drew, he made her change her mind, by throwing out the fact that if she lands in jail Sonny (Maurice Benard) will have Avery (Ayla Bullington) all to himself.
Next, Ava heads to GH to ask Lucas (Van Hansis) to be her witness in marrying Drew. Lucas has already figured out the reason Ava is marrying Drew because it has something to do with Brennan’s death. Explaining she hates the idea of getting married to Drew, she has run out of other options. Lucas agrees to help her, but firmly tells Ava nobody would believe it was a real marriage anyway.
Photo: ABC
CAN MOLLY AND JOE STOP THE WEDDING?
At the same time, Drew asked Martin (Michael E. Knight) for a post-nuptial agreement. Martin was not happy to hear that Drew was going to marry Ava, warning that prison was a better option than tying himself to a woman like Ave Jerome.
Eventually Ava, Lucas, Drew, and Martin gathered at the city clerk’s office. Lucas comes up with a way to derail or stall the nuptials by saying that they need to wait for Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) and Avery to show up, as they should be a part of this, too.
Lucas may have saved the day, because Molly (Kristen Vaganos) and Joe (Jonathan Bennett) went to Drew’s office to serve him his warrant, but found the office door open. Next, Joe found a sticky note on Drew’s folder that revealed Drew had obtained a marriage license. A light bulb goes off in his head and he realized Ava and Drew are getting married, so he and Molly rush off to City Hall to try and stop it.
Photo: ABC
IS JUDE THE TRUE BABY DADDY?
Elsewhere, after receiving a text message that the DNA results are in at the hospital, Brook Lynn ends her discussion over Jude and baby Phoebe with Gio (Giovanni Mazza) and runs out of the Quartermaines.
Once Brook Lynn gets off the elevator at GH, she sees Jude and Britt Kelly Thiebaud) looking might close. She quickly heads back towards the elevator sight unseen and was clearly shaken by what she saw. Earlier at the doctors and nurses hub, Elizabeth helped Dante by confirming by an ear gesture they had worked out; that the patient with the tick was Ava Jerome.
You can check out the scenes where Lucas gets a visit from Ava and he learns she wants him to be her witness in marrying Drew at City Hall.
Now weigh-in: do you think Ava and Drew will tie the knot before Joe and Molly make it to City Hall? What do you think the DNA results will show once Brook Lynn gets her hands on them? Have they been tampered with? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly Fears Escalating Tensions Between Sonny and Josslyn: ‘I’ve Already Lost One Kid Because of That Man. I Won’t Lose Another’
On the Thursday, November 12 episode of General Hospital, as battles line are drawn by Carly’s (Laura Wright) ex-husband, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and her daughter, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy), she realizes things are about to get a whole lot worse, and she expressed her fears to Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart).
After Sonny came to see Carly to get her daughter to back off of him; especially when Josslyn lit into him in front of nuAvery (Ayla Bullington), Carly is terrified that Sonny could retaliate against Josslyn. Realizing, Josslyn is in danger, Carly won’t sit by and let anything happen to her. She tells Valentin, “I’ve already lost one kid because of that man. I won’t lose another.”
Viewers won’t soon forget the devastation Carly felt when Morgan (Bryan Craig) died in a car bomb explosion back in 2016 because of Sonny’s dealings in the mob in a complex story involving Julian (William deVry) and Olivia Jerome (Tonja Walker).
Courtesy/ABC
SONNY IS READY FOR WAR
Meanwhile in the aftermath of his visit with Carly, Sonny told his brother Ric what went down when Josslyn disrespected him in front of his own daughter and hurt Avery. Since Josslyn already make it known that she no longer considers herself part of Sonny’s family, he’s decided to treat her accordingly.
Sonnys first step in payback is to take away her support system at JJE by approaching Hudson Parker (Troy Lennon Appel) again, but this time in a much less-friendly way.
Ric points out that this would go against every move Sonny made as a legitimate businessman in Port Charles and would mean he’s back in the mob? Sonny doubles down, saying Josslyn changed the game when she involved Avery. While he showed concern of how bad Carly would feel over all this year, he said he is ready to finish what Josslyn started.
At the Metro Court, Ava (Maura West) is listening to Avery explain what happened between Sonny and Josslyn and how much she hates Josslyn right now, which Ava seems to be OK with.
WILL JOSSLYN’S WORLD BLOW UP ON HER?
Speaking of Josslyn, she is on the pier still after her talk with Hudson and still crying over her confrontation with Sonny and Avery overhearing it, and what she told her sister. Lucas comes across her at the pier while out for his run.
Explaining how badly she feels for what she said about Sonny to Avery, Lucas says that eventually Avery will discover the truth about Sonny. He explains to Josslyn that even though Avery hates her now, she will come to realize that what she said about her father was the truth, and that Josslyn was not lying to her at all.
So, what do you think about Sonny ready to play dirty to take down Josslyn? How will Carly ensure her daughter does not wind up dead? Who do you think is in the right here? Is Josslyn’s vendetta against Sonny justified, at the cost of the relationships with her family? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
General Hospital star Cynthia Watros, who can currently be seen in on the ABC soap opera in the role of Nina Reeves, has had a enduring career in television. That included her time on the 2000-2002 Fox sitcom, Titus.
In Titus, Watros starred along with Stacy Keach as Erin Fitzpatrick and Ken Titus, respectively. After the November 10th news that Keach had passed away at 85 while living in Poland, Cynthia took to her Instagram on Thursday, November 12 to pay tribute to the great actor.
Watros expressed, “My first prime time show was along side Stacy. I loved him instantly. What an amazing talent and man.❤️”
Photo: ABC
In Titus, Stacy played stand up comedian Christopher Titus’ heavy-drinking, chain-smoking, five-times-divorced father who frequently pulled cruel pranks and tried to toughen his kids up. Cynthia played by Christopher’s level-headed, big-hearted girlfriend trying to build a normal life with him. In fact, Cynthia’s role on the sitcom was first series regular role after her Daytime Emmy run of Annie Dutton on Guiding Light which ran from 1994-1998.
STACY KEACH’S WIFE ON HIS PASSING
Keach’s wife, Malgosia shared the news of the actor’s death publicly in a statement with PEOPLE. Malgosia expressed, that Stacy had, “a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.”
She added, “Stacy peacefully departed this world. He fought for so long, with extraordinary courage, determination and strength. He was a true warrior, facing his illness with the same remarkable spirit and resilience that defined his life.”
Małgosia continued, “Stacy was not only a legendary actor, admired and loved by audiences the world over, but also my beloved husband, my companion and the heart of our family. His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever.”
Now, let us know do you remember when Cynthia made her sitcom debut in Titus? Share your thoughts via the comment section on Cynthia’s many TV roles and the passing of Stacy Keach in the comment section. But first, check out the very first episode of Titus with Cynthia Watros below!
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