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‘General Hospital’s’ Michael E. Knight Talks The Evolution of Martin Grey and Working with Icons: Genie Francis, Erika Slezak, and Jane Elliot (Exclusive)

By Michael Fairman

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Photos: ABC

When soap opera favorite, Michael E. Knight debuted on General Hospital back in 2019 as Martin Grey, the lawyer for Nelle Benson (Chloe Lanier), the character was a lot different than the 2025 version. The three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor best-known for his performances as All My Children’s beloved Tad Martin, has the opportunity to strut his stuff since Martin has become more complex, more shady (think Tracy/Ronnie drama), and yet has a deep love for his sister, the Mayor of Port Charles, Laura Collins (Genie Francis).

Knight recently spoke with Michael Fairman for a conversation now on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, about how Martin has shifted from the once southern drawl legal eagle, to the clean-shaven more cosmopolitan version of the character, and the incredible opportunity he had to work with Jane Elliot (Tracy) and Erika Slezak (Ronnie) in the battle over Monica’s last will and testament, and for the right to own the Quartermaine Mansion. As it turned out, Martin was responsible for forging the will to keep Tracy from getting what Monica rightly gifted her; all part of his revenge plot.

Michael shared his deep gratitude to the GH creatives for giving Martin Grey, second life. “I really want to reach out and hug Chris Van Etten and Elizabeth Korte (co head-writers, GH) for getting me off the bench and retooling the character, because, Martin started out one way; the whole ‘Kentucky Fried Chicken,’ and beard thing. Then, about two years ago, Frank Valentini (executive producer, GH) just said, ‘Ok, we talked. We want you to be more of a leading man. Basically, we want more of Tad. So, I’ve been allowed two lives on General Hospital. The people I get to work with are amazing.”

Courtesy/ABC

We have to agree! Not only is Knight amazing, but so too are the women he recently and has continued to work with: Genie Francis, Jane Elliot and special guest star, Erika Slezak. Speaking of the legends, and why they have remained successful in the soap medium, Knight shared, “There are fewer and fewer people who can actually do it, and who want to work at that kind of speed and at that kind of level. The people that are really brilliant at it are the likes of Erika, Jane and Genie.”

ERIKA SLEZAK

Getting the opportunity to work with Erika Slezak is something Knight will never forget: “Erika is so great at showing vulnerability. I asked her to please come back and do this again, because in three weeks she created this wonderful character where she goes at it with Tracy, but then you see the rest of the Quartermaine family fall in love with Ronnie and they let her fall in love with them.”

Knight recalled a moment with Erika, saying, “You’ve done all this great work. The Quartermaines love you. The fans love you. You’ve created a place in people’s hearts. When are you going to come back?’ She’s like, ‘I like my home. I like Connecticut, I like my family. This is hard work.”‘ However, Michael has faith that Erika will be back when the show has a story for Ronnie. “I think they will (bring her back). I hope they do. I really do. Let’s face it, she’s a great foil for Tracy.”

One of the key moments in the storyline was when Martin blackmailed Ronnie, when she wanted nothing more to with his plan to dupe Tracy out of Monica’s house. Knight recalled, “After it (the scene) was over, we kind of looked at each other, because we had taken two or three passes at it. Erika came over and she hugged me and she said, ‘Thank you, Thank you for putting the work in.’  I knew the work was good. I was (initially) worried because I wondered what would Chris and Elizabeth do now that you’ve got Martin in a corner.”

GENIE FRANCIS

Several years back, Laura learned she had two half-brothers. The treacherous Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober) and Martin Grey. Since that time, Michael Knight has been able to play the love between brother and sister and the disappointment she has with his questionable actions. “Genie is one of the funniest people I’ve ever worked with,” shared Knight.

Photo: ABC

No matter what Martin does, Knight feels like Laura is there for her brother and vice versa. “They are still very much brother and sister. Family’s at a premium and is a big deal to Martin. His older brother Cyrus was wiped out, father died, and his mother is in a home somewhere. And all of a sudden he’s got this wonderful woman as a sister that he never knew we had. So there’s a lot at stake (for him).”

JANE ELLIOT

As to Martin and Tracy, Knight knows these are two people who love to just needle each other. “They love playing dirty,” explains Michael. “I said to Jane a couple months back, ‘I think we have a soap opera relationship based on a Wile E. Coyote and a Road Runner cartoon. It’s like, ‘I scheme and scheme and scheme and scheme and scheme.’  I’m always going to be the one to get the anvil on the head, because Tracy sidesteps. She figures out what’s going on and finds a way to snake her way out of it!”

Photo: ABC

“Jane’s just not the kind of person that leaves well enough alone, like the pinching of the cheeks (scene when Martin is found out), she’ll just find something that always takes it to another level,” shares Knight. “If you have two or three takes with her, by the end of it, I’m usually having so much fun. I’m chewing the scenery a couple times. It’s always fun to work with somebody who’s just going to give you more than is on the page.”

In case you missed it, check out our full conversation with Michael E. Knight below.

Now let us know, do you enjoy the Martin Grey 2.0 version? And Michael’s scenes with Genie Francis, Jane Elliot and with Erika Slezak? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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He’s the best. So happy he’s on GH.

As a viewer is such a gift to see all these iconic actors share the screen together, they know how to create magic, and Yes, I’m loving Martin 2.0, his scenes with Genie are so touching and its great to see sibling relationships play out, and well what can one say about his scene with Jane Elliot, I mean its pure gold and as a viewer a pleasure to see play out.

Glad they let Michael ditch the unnecessary, silly drawl and the Colonel Saunders beard. He’s just a natural actor, and those forced affectations distracted from his talent. Watching Michael go toe to toe with Jane, Genie, Jane and Nancy really underscores just how good he can be. I’m very happy they’re giving him a second chance.

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Will Ava Tie the Knot With Drew?

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Ava

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.

Ava and Drew

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.

Brook Lynn

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.

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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’

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General Hospital

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).

Avery

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.

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‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing

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Stacy Keach and Cynthia Watros

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

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