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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Max Gail Turns In Another Emmy-Worthy Performance As Mike’s Battle With Alzheimer’s Takes Its Toll

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/GH

For any of us who have seen our loved ones deteriorate right before our eyes, due to the horrific affects of Alzheimer’s, and have been witness to their confusion, dementia, angry outbursts, frightened looks, and uncontrollable tears, yesterday’s episode of General Hospital brought with it a stark reminder of how this disease is a gut-punch to those afflicted and their family members.

For several months, GH viewers saw a bit less of Mike; played brilliantly by recent Daytime Emmy Supporting Actor in a Drama Series winner, Max Gail.  And smartly, the writers have taken the time to advance Mike’s condition …. as at this point he doesn’t recognize his son, his family, his friends, and more.  For Mike, he is living in the past spirally backward and downward.

When Dev (Ashton Arbab) and Josslyn (Eden McCoy) go to visit Mike at Turning Woods, it’s clear  how much he is suffering.  When Dev plays a checkers game with Mike it seems to calm him down, but when Sonny (Maurice Benard) enters, all hell breaks loose.  Mike thinks his son is actually one of their mortal enemies Joe Scully.

Earlier, at the Corinthos home, Michael (Chad Duell) sees that Sonny is considering entering his father in a clinical trial. Sonny says he knows it won’t cure the disease, but hopes the drugs in the trial can slow its progression.  In a key question, any family member needs to ask themselves, Michael asks Sonny to think first, if this is the man Mike would want to be?  Michael shares that Mike is no longer himself and sadly, there is no coming back from that.

All this becomes more poignant when Sonny sees first-hand how far Mike has slid.  Will Sonny be able to come to terms with losing Mike to Alzheimer’s?  How will he deal with it?  Gail’s partner in this entire storyline has been GH icon, Maurice Benard, who delivers poignant work throughout this story in very contained, emotional moments of deep hurt and pain, as Sonny watches the father he knew become lost in himself and to others.

Watch the key scenes below from yesterday’s GH below featuring Gail.  Then, let us know, do you think Max could end up in the running for another Daytime Emmy for his work?  Comment below.

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Love Max Gail. Also loved Ron Hale (?) in the role. I really miss our show. I miss “Cliff Hanger Friday” & super couples like Frisco & Felicia, Sonny & Brenda (my two favorite couples). Nowadays, we are hiring boyfriends in the parking lot and focusing on a boring teen scene.

Max is wonderful and such a treat. It shows you how many other actors out there who used to have shows on TV are capable of this. I wish more would appear. GH has so much talent. It should be #1 BUT the stories struggle at times. These two kids were fabulous in their scenes with Max Gail. Kudos to the casting department!

Max Gail is outstanding, sad to think there is only so long they can keep him on as the illness will eventually take Mike

Max Gail should get another Emmy nod. As far as winning another Emmy, it will depend on who else will be in his category and what their reels contain.

I definitely agree that Max Gai deserves an Oscar for his performance. I have watched many movies with Alzheimer’s as the focus (Iris, Away from Her, Still Alice) and his performance ranks with the best of them. It touches me deeply as my dear mother suffered from the terrible disease. Well done, Max.

Oh yes, kudos to this wonderful actor. I should have known watching him years ago , on Barney Miller that his acting abilities would only grow, making him a great actor. He will be missed on GH when his time is up as Mike.

@Violet…Hello! It’s been awhile, dear lady! ..Yes, Max’s charmingly obtuse Wojo was one of the highlights of “Barney Miller,” thus, “he” wears well to this day, albeit we are now (sadly) living in much more PC times than when his hilariously naughty show debuted. (It’s still oh-so-fun to watch when in a nostalgic mood for “the way things used to be”….Lol.) Hence although I have not kept up with his Alzheimer’s saga on GH as of late, I’ve no doubt that Gail’s portrayal of Mike hasn’t diminished even as his character’s capacities have…he really is that fine of an actor. At any rate, what I really came here to do is wish you a “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!” It was such a pleasure “getting to know you” in 2019, despite the fact that our penchant for too off-topic “conversations” was (understandably) cut short…hey, at least they were tremendously enjoyable whilst they lasted! (I do still miss them, though..) By the way, one final word about that particular movie which we are not allowed to discuss: I just noticed that it is now available to rent and/or own on Amazon…Hope Santa is aware so that he can leave it in your Christmas stocking!!!! Cheers!!!!!

Hi Shay, ho,ho,ho! Guess what I got for Christmas, mostly thanks to you?. My gr.granddaughter asked me what I wanted and I for once had something to tell her, after reading your last reply. I just finished watching it and thoroughly enjoyed it. What a way to end the day. I could never figure out if Violet found out about the companion/daughter thing. I’d like to discuss it further, but Michael will have a cow. Hope your Christmas was really good, and your New Year even better.
I really enjoyed the Scrooge episode, did you see it?

Oh, Violet….I’m DELIGHTED to know that you had a Merry Christmas and received what your heart truly desired! Bless your granddaughter for buying you the perfect gift. (So glad I could help out…you are most welcome! I had hoped that you would read my post in time for you to share that vital information with your own “personal shopper” and I agree it gave you a wonderful way to end your holiday!) Without going into too much detail about that divinely superb film whose name we dare not mention…(LOL): I believe that the Dowager Countess totally realized the “connection” to which you are referring, which is why she was promoting the matchmaking idea for Branson toward the end..Also, how about that beautiful Mary/Violet scene? It was my most and least favorite in the entire movie since it featured my two best-loved characters whilst broaching a totally tearjerking notion which I simply refuse to contemplate. (Without giving away the plot, I did detect an out for that storyline though…Seems “Dame Maggie’ slyly switched a few words in her lines at the last take in order to be more ambiguous…perhaps giving herself a bargaining chip should the rumored sequel come to fruition???) Okay…best be done with that off-topic-topic now…even though I do hear you on wishing that we could discuss it at length! Having said that, I will appreciate even this small mention of said subject as a special holiday treat from the moderators! (Although I have to admit that I’m still mystified as to why there was never an MF thread dedicated to the film’s fall release, huge box office numbers and subsequent news of its proposed sequel based upon that success, but then ours is not to wonder why…) At any rate, I’m thrilled to have played a part in the enjoyment of your holiday. Yes, mine was quite nice, too, thank you very much…just extremely hectic, still I wanted to quickly get back here to reply to your lovely message…it really made my day, because sharing and spreading joy is what Christmas is all about! Do take care and Happy New Year to you, too, dear lady! See you in 2020 on the GH threads where we will both absolutely, positively stay “on topic,” right???? (Nodding yes…in unison!!!!) By the way, I will definitely take a peek at Michael Easton’s much-praised “Scrooge” performance…I am so far behind on the soap that it took me a minute to realize what you meant…duh!!! (Especially since I just finished the BBC’s latest version of “A Christmas Carol” starring Guy Pearce, so I had that one on the brain….) Must be going…Later, Violet!!!!!

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom

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This week on all-new episodes of General Hospital, the race is on! Can Lulu (Alexa Havins) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) get to Rocco (Finn Carr) and Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) in time to ensure their safety from Cullum (Andrew Hawkes)? Can Carly (Laura Wright) with the help of her brother, Lucas (Van Hansis) rescue Josslyn (Eden McCoy) from captivity at Wyndemere? These questions may be answered, plus the return of the one and only Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) are on tap!

In the just released General Hospital spoilers video for the week of June 22-26, Lulu tells her mother, Laura (Genie Francis), “Dante and I have to get to Rocco before Cullum!” Meanwhile, Rocco (Finn Carr) looks angered and emotional as Britt walks through their cabin hideout. Does Rocco know his parents are on the way to find them, or has Cullum already tracked them down to the British Virgin Islands?

Back in Port Charles, Carly is informing Lucas that his niece, “is a WSB agent.” She knows Josslyn (Eden McCoy) is being held against her will at Wyndemere, and she has to find a way to get her out. Lucas agrees with Carly’s plan of, “We go in and we don’t leave without Josslyn!” Elsewhere, Josslyn is looking worried for her future as she is stuck in captivity thanks to Cassius, Cullum and Sidwell!

Courtesy/ABC

FINOLA HUGHES RETURNS

The final moments of the teaser promo reveal Anna in a psychiatric clinic in France. We have not seen her for months after Cullum, Sidwell and Pascal fed her hallucinogenics to make her believe her arch nemesis, Cesar Faison was alive!

Now, the doctors walk towards her hospital bed, where we see the super spy calmly knitting. Is Anna back to normal and playing everyone to get out of her predicament, or does she still remain deeply traumatized … or both?

Take a look at the rest of the official GH spoilers for the week below.

MONDAY, JUNE 22
Willow gets an unwelcome surprise. Trina sticks to her guns. “Nathan” wants reassurance. Ethan advises Ava. Brook Lynn receives an update.

TUESDAY, JUNE 23
Dante cautions Liz. Laura learns a secret. Brook Lynn confides in Michael. Sonny challenges Ava. Chase makes a decision.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
Anna meets with her doctor. Carly makes a stunning confession. Britt extracts a promise. Cullum pulls a fast one. Gio and Emma hit the pool.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25
Josslyn clashes with Cassius. Lulu and Dante make a discovery. Chase receives a warning. Jordan seeks help. Alexis is summoned to the PCPD.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26
Anna takes a huge risk. Britt is in grave danger. Willow is in disbelief. Danny must act fast. Curtis jumps to the wrong conclusion.

Check out the latest General Hospital promo entitled, “Rescue Mission” below.

Now weigh-in: Do you think Anna is still mentally off-balance, or OK, and just pretending to be troubled to get out of France and get back to Port Charles? Will Josslyn finally be rescued, or will Carly and Lucas find themselves locked up with her? And, who will get to Britt and Rocco first? Cullum, or Dante and Lulu? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric

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With the highly-anticipated returns of Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) on this week’s June 24 episode of General Hospital, Steve Burton’s (Jason Morgan) upcoming return on July 13, which also serves as the ABC daytime drama’s 16,000 episode, things are about to fire on all cylinders in the story, as noted today by series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).

On Father’s Day, the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor and mental health activist took to his Instagram and expressed in a video that he has some unbelievable upcoming senes with the aforementioned Burton and Hughes. Add to that Nazneen Contractor (Justine Turner) and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), where Benard gave credit where credit is due to the GH writing team, which is led by co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten..

In this video, Benard said, “I just want to get on here and say that I did some work with Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Rick Hearst, Nazneen Contractor, and they’re all just fantastic. Truly fantastic. But, I want to say the writing was just exceptional. It truly was. It was exceptional. So, thankful for that kind of writing. I know writers don’t get the credit a lot, but I just want to say to the General Hospital writing team, keep rolling!”

GENERAL HOSPITAL PREVIEW

So now the question becomes, with a major tease like that, what is about to go down between Sonny, Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric? Will we finally get to the end of the line for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), as previously teased by the GH co-head writers? Will we learn what happened to Jason and Anna, fully? Will Justine and Sonny becomes closer or stop their liaisons? And what of Ric? Will he be true blue to his brother or double-cross him? There is a lot at stake as we move further into the summer and one that looks like it could be one of the more exciting ones in years!

FINOLA HUGHES CONFIRMED AMAZING SCENES WITH MAURICE BENARD

As a punctuation point to his video, Benard also shared this written message in the post: “I just did some wonderful scenes with Steve Burton, Rick Hearst, Finola Hughes and Nazneen Contractor and  and unbelievable writing, freaking amazing scenes that you will see in the near future on General Hospital.” In fact, Finola Hughes jumped in the post comment thread and responded, “I loved our scenes so much xxx”

Fans will most likely see all the scenes Benard referred to later in July, since GH tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.

So, are you excited to see what Maurice is talking about? Are you hyped for what’s to come on GH? Any clue on what you think will go down between the main characters on the soap with the returns of Anna Devane and Jason Morgan to the mix? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

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A post shared by Maurice Benard (@mauricebenard)

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‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Announces Upcoming Release of His First Single, ‘If You Need Me’

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In a surprise move, Daytime Emmy winner, Chad Duell (ex-Michael Corinthos, GH) is getting ready to unveil a new chapter of his career in music.

The former GH star, where he played the son of Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) for 15 years, has announced his new single, “If You Need Me” will drop on Friday, June 26. The single is now available for pre-order on Spotify and major music streaming platforms and is distributed by DistroKid.

Taking to his Instagram story over the weekend, to announce the pre-save of his new single, Chad expressed, “I’ll make a full post about what I’ve been up to and my music once it goes live next week, but you can pre-save my first single so it goes straight to your Spotify once it drops next week.”

Photo: CDuellIG

SINCE LEAVING GENERAL HOSPITAL

Previously, since his departure from the ABC soap opera. Chad starred alongside Zach Mendez in the world premiere of of Yum Yum at Annapolis, a new play written by Bruce Reisman. Duell last appeared on General Hospital on the January 21, 2025 episode.

The part was recast with Rory Gibson who debuted as the new Michael in May of 2025 during the Nurses’ Ball episodes and who has remained in the role since that time.

In an interview earlier this year on The Able Show, Duell said on his decision to exit the soap opera, “I was blessed to be part of that (show) for as long as I have, but what happens sometimes is if you’re doing the same thing, especially in a creative field for such a long time, you can get a little burnt out in a way. It can make you a little depressed, so that’s kind of what happened. On top of that, I had other things going on in my life at the time. My father passed away recently and I just needed a reset. So, I stepped away. A lot of times you have to go through some stuff to really step into that next level. I needed to kind of feel uncomfortable.”

So, what type of musical genre will Chad’s new song be? Country? Pop? Rock? Dance/Club? Something else? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below, and if you are eager to hear the new single next week via the comment section below.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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Finn Carr & Dominic Zamprogna as Rocco & Dante

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