General Hospital
GH’s Charles Shaughnessy On Victor’s Villainy: “He’s Just Making Trouble for All of the Fan Favorites! He’s Just Making Their Lives Miserable”
In pretty short order, Victor Cassadine’s re-emergence in Port Charles, and now played by daytime vet, Charles Shaughnessy, has caused plenty of havoc on ABC’s General Hospital. Shaughnessy, who was much beloved as Shane Donovan on Days of our Lives, debuted on GH back in September of 2021.
You can look at the body count, or the people Victor has under his thumb, to know the impact he is making on the canvas.
In a new interview in the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest (on newsstand now), Shaughnessy weighs-in on being the treacherous Cassadine.
Charles shared: “I mean, he’s just making trouble for all of the fan favorites! He’s just making their lives miserable. He’s the guy who killed Luke Spencer. He’s the guy who put Anna in jail and tried to break up her relationship with Valentin. He’s just miserable to Holly. He’s just dreadful! But it’s such great fun, I mean, the more dreadful the better, really. He’s the villain you love to hate.”
Photo: ABC
So, how and just when Victor will get his comeuppance is on everyone’s mind in the viewing audience as well as for characters such as: Laura (Genie Francis), Valentin (James Patrick Stuart), Lucy (Lynn Herring), Holly (Emma Samms), Anna (Finola Hughes), Ava (Maura West), Selina (Lydia Look), and many more.
Victor’s evil deeds seemed to reach new heights during the Holly Sutton storyline. Now the question is, who will he go after next, given what would seem to be his quest for the necklace containing diamonds from the Ice Princess? Stay tuned.
What do you think of Charles’ portrayal of Victor? Who do you hope takes down Victor? Comment below.
Today’s episode hasn’t aired in Hell yet, but I’m curious as to what sort of drug Victor was given by Selina Wu, who got it from Holly as she was preparing her firey exit from Port Charles.
My theory is that Holly wanted to incapacitate Victor in some way that wouldn’t be fatal or even permanent, but easily reversible by antidote… and then use that antidote as leverage to get her son Ethan released from his cell in the Cassadine Island dungeon. Such negotiations would have to be done via third parties, as Holly is pretending to be comatose in the burn unit of some “undisclosed location”. Probably a coordinated effort between Robert & the unseen Frisco Jones, who would both have the entire WSB worldwide infrastructure at their disposal.
As for Charles’ version of Victor, it is a bit out of character, as the original Victor from the Ice Princess days was actually the “nice” Cassadine brother, who even turned against Mikkos in the end. Even in his 2014 & 2017 returns, he wasn’t entirely evil, though definitely manipulative of certain characters & events (i.e. using Robin to thaw out Helena & Stavros, by using a popsicle “Jason” as bait – who turned out to be not Jason in the end anyway)
This version of Victor is more like Stavros or Mikkos than the original Victor. And for all his talk about Cassadine “family unity” he hasn’t exactly been treating his son or nephew all that well, while practically ignoring Alexis’s branch of the family. (for which Alexis is probably grateful, actually.)
I’m enjoying Victor Cassadine he’s fun, evil as f*ck, but I fine w/ that, the show needs a good Villain, and while he’s had the upper hand on some of the characters, like his own son Valentine and poor Holly, it was good seeing her turn the tables on him, and its been so much fun seeing the 80’s gang, ( Robert,Holly Felicia, Lucy, Laura and Anna). I wish Holly could stick around and we need to find Lucy asap.
I gotta say: This Victor is not a treacherous Cassadine..
Helena puts him to shame, as do other Cassadines..
Its a lot of talk but no show–
It’s all about what he did that we saw him do.
Heck, I could do better than his scary show lol.
He has been a weak Cassadine..
No thrills nor chills with him..
The lackluster writers are 100% at fault..lazy ho-hum writing of a Cassadine…
He is perfect as Victor-love to hate him
Friday’s scenes, with Victor, Cyrus and Spencer interacting featured some really good acting. Kudos to the writers for giving Victor an adversary that is not going to back down. Laura is probably the person Spencer loves the most in his world. Hearing from Cyrus that Victor orchestrated the hit on Spencer’s beloved grandmother opened his eyes that Victor is not such a “Great” Uncle.
Shaughnessy’s Victor is turning out much different than Penghlis’ version. Still suave but deep down more vicious. They’ve integrated him across the canvas quite well and is reportedly well liked amongst the cast.
Not sure how long his reign of implied terror can last and there doesn’t seem to be much opportunity for redemption. That said, if Ava, Liesl and Franco can be somewhat reformed, why not Victor?
Does Port Charles ever have a good day
not for about a year now, unfortunately.
I liked him in The Nanny of course and Sean on DOOL but absolutely hate him on GH and can not wait until his role as Victor is ended, totally!
Charles does a terrific job! I hope somehow Victor kills Valentin, that whinny little baby and that sends Anna back to Robert forever! Holly is someone Robert loves but she could never be trusted. Anna hasn’t been with a real man in a long time!
Timmm…I like Charles as Victor, too. And would like to see real-man :))) Robert and Anna together again. But no Victor killing Valentin, they have their moments. While no one gets close to Helena and Stavros, gotta hang on to the family we have left. With the weakest link being Nicholas. But let Ava deal with him.
You bring up up good point Rose, Nicholas is way weaker than Valentin! And, I don’t like the actor who plays Nicholas.
Victor is not the villanous type and he sucks (pardon my language) at the role. —too superficial and artificial—especially with that British accent. He’s supposed to be Greek? I don’t know all the other past actors who played the role—did they all have an English accent?
I still think Rory is a bad, little guy working as Victor’s elf/minion. I think his mission is to get rid of Trina, especially now that Spense is ‘home’.
I hope we get to see more of Cyrus—absolutely love his acting, albeit he has me in a quandary—I can’t exacrly decide how seriously he should be taken. Is this redemption and connection to God a great put-on? Nevertheless, I truly enjoy his scenes.
There’s only been one other Victor Cassadine and that was Thaao Penghlis (a.k.a. Tony & Andre DiMera from Days of Our Lives). And his accent was Australian, not English. Though at least he’s actually of Greek descent.
As far as Cyrus’s “redemption” goes, I’m not buying it for a second. I still expect to see him here in Hell eventually. I do think he’s at least somewhat sincere in looking out for Spencer while he’s in prison, but it’s probably not entirely out of just being a “good uncle”. Most likely he’s trying to score “brownie points” with Laura by keeping her grandson safe.
I still say Rory is a family member of one of Sonny’s mob rivals (probably the Alcazars) planted in the PCPD. Don’t think he’s on Victor’s payroll… he’s already got the deputy mayor and that assistant prosecutor who was still trying to convict Trina of the sex tape thing even after all the real evidence said otherwise. How many moles can one guy have within the local government??
Thank you, Satan—I’d rather have Thaao (any day)!than Mistah Sheffield—I just can’t adjust my eyes to see Shaughnessy in any other role.
I like your theory concerning Rory—either way; he’s a baddie—and this Trina? Ugh!! I cringe. The girl completely shuts me down. She does not have the IT factor nor any allure.
Aside—remember discussing Esme’s genitrice? I did mention Heather–I think we both did —an obvious assumption considering their time spent in the loony-bin.
Celia, I LOVE Cyrus’ scenes, especially with Spencer. Between him and “Mistah Sheffield”, I’ll take the pony-tailed evangelist any day. He’s a breath of fresh air. Particularly since Y&R has become, fatally, “The Diane Jenkins Pity Party and No-Variety Hour.” I knew she’d ruin the show months ago and now we’re just awaiting the post-mortem. Jeremy Stark? Puhhhllleeze! There’s more danger in a cotton ball. Certainly more charm, too.
I’m with you, Soaphound—Cyrus is that type of character who has a weird “je ne sais quoi” quality—can’t put my finger on it—albeit his past “ways”, he grew on me. Mistah Sheffield is as scary as Sonny–NOT!!
I like nuHeather, too—Her scene with Ryan was a riot—I was cracking up!!
Yeah–you said it—Diane!! Ughhhh!! More fool Jack—how dumb can one older dude get? What happened to, “Once bitten twice shy”??????
These shenanigans are “much ado about nothing”. Jeremy Shark ( oops –Stark) can join the Victor/Sonny Cosa Nostra saga of “The Three Stooges)—I remember this actor from “Passions”, where he played a cop.
What’s with all the attention and sensationalism surrounding Diane? Are TPTB trying to make a martyr out of her? St. Diane —Soon enough she’ll be canonized like so many of them–Eg: Elizabeth (GH) ,Ava (GH) and Phyllis (Y&R)— love all three—and Carly (GH)!whom I will never love–LOL.
Oh Celia, if I have to watch the normally reliable Peter Bergman make that confused / infatuated face over Diane one more time, I’ll have to start rescheduling my lunch breaks. How stupid can one man BE? Oh, how about that howler scene last week when a particularly pouty Kyle “threatens” Jeremy Stark with that ‘leave my mommy alone’ screed…. I was so embarrassed for poor Michael M. trying to act so tough, with his scruffy little beardlet trying to grow in. What an unintended laughfest! I know Kyle’s defense of Diane is more excusable than Jack’s but it still makes me wince.
Yeah, Soaphound–Jack is acting like an adolescent jack@$$. From what I heard, Jack has not always been a great role model–He was a spoiled, entitled, mean brat.
Didn’t he sleep with Jill, his step-mommy? —what about when he left a passed-out Victor on his office floor? —and so on and so forth—Jack is another example of an oxymoron personified—-lots of them around!! LOL.
And, oh, yeah—Kyle is so intimidating. He really showed Stark. So there!!
Then, there’s Sally–oy vey!! And Nick–double oy vey!! The love road to nowhereland.
“When will they ever learn? Oh, When will they ever learn?”
Charles Shaughnessy is brilliant in this show.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
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.
General Hospital
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
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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General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Announces Upcoming Release of His First Single, ‘If You Need Me’
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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‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
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GENERAL HOSPITAL Promo: Rocco’s in a Panic as Britt’s Health Takes a Turn, Chase is Called to the Carpet
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