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General Hospital’s Steve Burton on Kelly Monaco’s Exit, “It’s Sad … It’s Sad Anyway You Slice It”

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

Fans of General Hospital have been deeply saddened at the storyline where Sam McCall died after a sudden heart attack following liver transplant surgery, where she donated her liver to save the life of Lulu Spencer.

As the episodes played out after her passing, it afforded the soap opera to showcase its stars with one heartbreaking moment after the other as Sam’s family, friends and loved ones found out she was gone.

One of the more outstanding and gut-wrenching performances has come from two-time Daytime Emmy-winner, Steve Burton (Jason). In story, Jason came to Sam’s hospital bedside to say goodbye, and thus officially ending the love story of the once couple known as “JaSam.”

Courtesy/ABC

On the latest episode of his Daily Drama podcast with co-host and GH castmate, Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), the two spoke on the loss of Kelly Monaco to the show and the impact playing out Sam’s death had on them.

On Kelly’s exit, Burton shared, “It’s sad … it’s sad anyone you slice it.” As viewers know, GH made the decision to write-off Sam in what was said to be a “storyline-dictated” move ending Kelly’s 21-year run on the show. It was not Monaco’s decision to leave.

Steve expres the podcast, “It was very sad because obviously Kelly was leaving and then the emotion of the characters and all these things. I thought everybody just really did a wonderful job.”

One of the more difficult scenes for Steve to tape was that of Jason saying goodbye to Sam, “From the acting standpoint, I had the monologues, but I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was really at a loss in the sense that I wasn’t sure how to play this. Obviously, we have a huge history. Obviously, we’ve worked together for a long time. So, there’s all these things going on, but I didn’t have a clear vision of how the scene should go and going into a room where there is essentially a dead body to say goodbye.”

Photo: ABC

Burton enlisted his longtime mentor, Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) for advice, before he shot the emotional moments. “I did go to Maurice and I said, ‘I’m not sure as an actor where I’m supposed to be in this,’ and he said, “You’re fine. It’s going to be fine. Whatever happens is supposed to happen.'” Steve added, “It was a very interesting process. It was heartbreaking. And then I (Jason) ended up having to be the one to tell multiple people, which is never great. And to tell the kids, too (Danny and Scout), that was heartbreaking.

Courtesy/ABC

Bradford and Steve also talked about the moments where Jason came to tell Spinelli and Maxie (Kirsten Storms) that Sam passed, “It’s been awhile since you and I and Kirsten have been able to play anything that deep,” Steve recalled to Bradford. He added, “I think it felt good also because we were together. There was trust there. We’ve worked together for years all of us. So, there was the freedom there to feel what I was feeling, obviously not make it self-indulgent…but also let you guys do what you do.”

What did you think of Steve’s comments on trying to figure out the best approach for Jason to say goodbye to Sam in those heartbreaking scenes? Comment below.

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Class ACT!!!!!

Will be listening to this episode ASAP!!!!!

JaSam FOREVER!!!!!!

Steve has done beautiful work in these episodes.

A little confused by his comment that as an actor he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to play the scene. Isn’t the director’s job to tell him how to play the scene? I can appreciate getting advice from Maurice as they have worked together a long time, but shouldn’t Steve have just asked the director “what is your vision for this scene?” Or why would he have to ask? Shouldn’t the director have said, “this is what we’re going for here…” That’s what a director does, and that’s how it would work in most cases, maybe soaps run differently?

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the Valentini regime has been so overtly hostile to the “JaSam” pairing since the moment they took over the show in February 2012?

You might have noticed in that flashback reel of Jason’s memories shown while he was at Sam’s bedside, the only one from the last decade was when Jason saved the drowning & drugged Sam from Faison’s thugs when he first returned in 2017.

So here you have an outpouring of emotion from Jason, towards somebody he hasn’t been allowed to feel anything about for 12 years. That might confuse anybody.

Sure it was hard for Jason to say goodbye to Sam. When Jason acts he.put his heart and soul in acting his part. I am sure Jason had pure heartfelt feelings for Sam and he will miss her alot. I wish Sam all the happiness in her new adventure in acting. I know whatever he said and felt for Sam was real

Wonder how many times we will see Kelly in flashbacks… doesn’t she get paid for those screens airing?

She actually dies get paid a full day’s salary for any episodes featuring flashbacks. They can show her still picture for free.

It’s not meant that a director tells his actors what to do all the time.There has to be the emotion of the actors to make it real, and they have to find where & how to approach that. You want the emotions in the portrayal to be genuine, not solely dictated. Directors can’t be that tight-fisted in guidance – they trust their actors. It’s a collaboration. These scenes happen to be difficult, especially given the time Steve and Kelly have been together. That’s deep set emotion & you want it true, not maudlin, insincere, campy. Steve did what an actor does… find the place inside to express his character’s feelings. Also, don’t forget he’s Jason… tough guy, “stone-cold.” It’s a tough situation for an actor and it’s right to seek other’s thoughts, whether his director or fellow performers. Whatever Steve did to get himself into the frame of mind – it worked.

I was so happy to see Alexis & Sonny together on Thursday. I just wish Sonny had mentioned his baby girl that he & Sam lost before Alexis & Sam knew they were mother & daughter. And the fact that that baby girl’s stem cells saved baby Christina. At that time Alexis was pretending that Ned was Christina’s father. Point being Sam let her little baby who was dying save Christina who Sam had no clue was her 1/2 sister! Does anyone else remember this?

Yes, but because Sam was in a long term relationship and engaged to Dante, the writers don’t necessarily want newer viewers to be confused by that.

I remember the story but considering how the current writers seem so clueless about GH history I wouldn’t be so shocked to find out they didn’t know at all about the circumstances of how Sam found out Alexis was her mama.

I’m so sad about Sam’s firing on gh I’m not watching show no more whoever did this to her needs fired to they even deftly don’t know a good actress when they see one an rating r declined wonder why think about it bring her back as real not ghost she’s important to the show

Bring Sam back to Gh I have been watching GH since 1968 with. My moma which she is 98 yrs old

General Hospital

Chris McKenna Reportedly Out as ‘General Hospital’s’ Jack Brennan

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Chris McKenna

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.

Chris McKenna

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.

Erika Slezak, Chris McKenna

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.

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Ryan Paevey Open to Return to ‘General Hospital’ to ‘Stir the Pot if Cassius Could be a Good Agent of Chaos’

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Ryan Paevey

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.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Christian Howard Makes One Final Return as Ethan Lovett, as Hudson Learns Damning Intel

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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.

Christian Howard

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

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