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Jason Cook Set To Exit GH! Would he return to DAYS as Shawn-D?

Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

Jason Cook’s time at General Hospital is apparently almost up!   The actor who has played Dr. Matt Hunter since 2008 has been informed that he will exit the series sometime next month.  But would Cook return to Days of our Lives if the opportunity presented itself to reprise the role of Shawn-Douglas Brady?

Tonight at the Days of our Lives Paley Center For Media Panel discussion, members of the DAYS cast were asked by emcee, Alison Sweeney (Sami), what person do they miss the most from the cast?  Kristian Alfonso (Hope) said she missed Jason Cook and the character of Shawn-Douglas, her on-screen son.   With the new writing regime in place, and Cook becoming available, maybe the timing could be right for a return to Salem!

Cook, on the other hand, spoke to Soap Opera Digest about his GH departure, explaining that even before his upcoming exit, he was planning on doing some of his other projects and was going to ask for time off anyway.  Jason stated, “I was going to have to take several months off the show for all these other things I’m working on.  One would have been this summer, to do LifeCHANGE (his project with Arianne Zucker, Nicole, DAYS] and other shoots, as well as my new cooking show, Chop This.  It’s an on-location cooking show with a different restaurant chef showing us a couple of recipes each week. It’s going to start online at www.chopthis.com.  If Genreful (his short film with GH co-star Bradford Anderson) gets funded, I have that to do, too.   So, I am stepping away for the time being.  There is no talk about me coming back, but I was going to have to take time off anyway.”

So what do you think of Jason being written-out as Matt on GH?  Would you like to see him back on DAYS as Shawn-D? Let us know!

 

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Would love him back on Days, but only if Belle, and Claire returned with him.

Please say it is so. I love Jason Cook as SHawn D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would love for Bell and Claire to return and Jason Cook . Jason Cook and Bell made a good pair. I would like them to come back as a couple. Maybe have them get married on the show. They don’t seem to get many young couples getting married on the show. They need to get rid of all the action and get back to more romace sceens.

I’m new at watching DOOL since OLTL left. Really enjoy him sounds like a good idea. Hate to be losing Matt.

Sorry to see this Character depart. But the writing was on the wall, something has to save Maxi! Wish Jason best of luck in his future plans!

GH and Days could do a switch. GH gets Sarah Brown and Days gets Jason Cook.

BTW, what I just said wasn’t met to be pejorative or anything. I have a great amount of respect for both soaps. I just think that the switch could be a great idea that mutually beneficiate both soaps.

Good Idea Heather.

Matt should have hooked up with Elizabeth or at least been given a decent storyline instead of twisting in the wind. Poor Patrick, what is he going to do without his brother? Does this mean Matt is guilty of murdering Lisa and Maxie is going back to Spinelli? Yes, Shawn should return to Salem; Days could use all the help it can get.

his character was not written well from the beginning – it is a shame because there was much potential there for him……………….
i am so happy that he has some major projects lined up!

I agree his role was not fully developed.

Sorry… Jason Cook… but I am Spixie all the way! If your leaving means you are going to jail for killng Lisa Niles and we get Maxie back and back with Spinelli… well than everytthing is great!

I would like to see Shawn-Douglas, Belle, Chloe and Phillip come back. I think they are more interesting than Billie, Austin and Carrie. I think Kim and Shane’s son, Andrew, would be a good addition to the scene. Also, I would like to see “Days” revisit the Nicole and Eric romance. Nicole has become such a great character and it would be fun to actually see her smile again.

I hear Chloe is returning, or at least in the talks. I would love to ese Shawn-D. Maybe it would stop Peter Reckell from leaving and give Bope something else to focus on other than Stefano.

If Matt goes to jail, for being drunk as a skunk and he accidently sent lisa flying overboard Thats wrong, the pcpd knows what lisa did , He should get a award of some kind for finally taking her down she was crazy. If he goes to jail I hope john mcbain goes ballistic and starts throwing every one involved with the mob behind bars that have been in jail for a second then diane or alexis gets them out. He doesn’t remember, He was at a party, In a boat, in the middle of where ever, she was up to no good, oops she goes over who cares, we saw what she did to patrick and robin , He wasnt in a car, he was at a dumb party it was a accident , case closed. And finally Lisa niles is GONE. So let matt leave town not go to jail.

ITA. Besides, Sonny and Jason should pay for their crimes…NOT MATT!

I don’t think Sonny and Jason will ever pay for their crimes, Matt will, the good guys always do , doesnt make any sense does it? Lisa niles tortured patrick and robin, So matt did every one a favor and the pcpd know it, Matt being the good guy that he is will turn himself in. Guess we find out today.

well, this sucks, hope he comes back down the line.

I really thought he was wasted on GH. He has a lot of comedic talent ,is charming, great looking and simply delightful. I really wish they had invested in him. The hospital staff is shrinking fast! WHY???

Nice Read! charming, great looking and simply delightful…. doesn’t he man up and then some…. if given the chance.

I liked the character Matt on GH, but figured he was going to be heading out when I assume he killed Lisa. I really like Jason Cook and loved him on DOOL. It would be smart of DOOL to bring Cook and Kirsten Storms back as Belle and Shawn if Kirsten is well enough to work. Loved her as Maxie, but it seems her time at GH is over.

You’re right. It would be smart of DOOL, but they seem to be doing some dumb things with the veterans that they do have over that. How do you bring back characters like Jack, Carrie, and Austin, then turn around and let the actors go just months later?!? They’ve totally destroyed the character of Carrie to the point that I hope that they kill her off when she leaves. They’ve gotten Jack and Jennifer back together to just to tear them apart again when Matt Ashford exits. Jason would be better served trying to get fully immersed into prime time/big screen.

I agree. I love Jack & Jennifer and Matt Ashford. I’m to the point where I wish Carrie had been blown up in the cabin (no offense to the actress) because they’ve destroyed her character. And I am not loving this version of Austin either. I read on another site that apparently Jason Cook has so many different projects going on that he was going to ask for time off of GH. I doubt he’ll return to DOOL in the near future due to his busy schedule.

This sucks. Jason was SO GOOD with Kirstin on Days, and they just wasted him on GH. I was hoping that the new team would utilize him more on the show. I hope he goes back to Days.

If he goes back to Days, I believe he would end up being underutilized. They’re wasting a lot of talent at DOOL these days too!

I don’t care if he comes back.. Days just needs some good writing.. it has been many, many years since they had any good writers..

His closest thing to a story line was what Matt had with Elizabeth, and it was actually pretty decent but RC was clearly not pursuing that so he would have continued wasting away with Maxie, who’s become intolerable and can’t stop saying the word “selfish”. Way better to quit.

Where is Shawn D, Belle, and Claire Its been way to long

General Hospital

Nancy Lee Grahn’s Star-Studded ALS Fundraiser Reveals “I’ll Be There” Video Featuring Soap Opera Notables

Talk about your impressive line-up! It’s a soap fans dream and for a great cause. General Hospital’s Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) is prepping her one-night only ALS fundraiser which will feature many of her friends and co-stars.

The benefit is set for May 4th in Glendale, California. Slated to participate are Genie Francis, Jane Elliot, Peter Bergman, Maurice Benard, Eileen Davidson, Thorsten Kaye, Michelle Stafford, Stephen Nichols, Rena Sofer, Jason Thompson, Kelly Monaco, Melissa Claire Egan, Maura West, Kristina Wagner, Gregory Harrison, Trevor St. John, Kate Mansi, Kirsten Storms, Cynthia Watros, and many others.

On Wednesday, Grahn took to her social media and released an “I’ll be there” video shout-out featuring, Monaco, Elliot, Bergman, Bernard, West, Harrison, St. John and more. In a touching and important moment in the new video, Michelle Strogny, who is battling ALS, is featured.

Photo: ABC

Previously, in speaking with Soap Opera Digest on the impetus of the event, Grahn recalled, “I was actually doing Zoom events during Covid and I met this woman that I just fell in love with, Michelle Strojny. At the time, Michelle had been living with ALS for four years. Now, it’s five years. She is a mom of a teenage son, she has the most wonderful husband, and she has been dealing with this [disease] for quite a while. And obviously, there isn’t a cure yet. It’s not survivable yet. But as she says, it’s not incurable. Nothing is; it’s underfunded. But anyway, I just really dug this woman. She is so grounded and filled with grace, and she spends all of her time working to raise money for the cause. We did a fundraiser for her last year and then I thought, ‘You know what? The soaps don’t ever get together to do something for charity.’ Collectively, we have this amazing community and we don’t collectively use it for a good cause, and I think it’s such an easy thing for us to do and we could potentially really make a difference.”

As GH viewers know, Gregory Harrison is playing the character of Gregory Chase, who is also battling ALS in a touching storyline that is currently playing out shedding a light on this disease.

For information on Nancy’s event, including the stars who are s scheduled to participate click here. To purchase tickets to the event click here.

Check out the video featuring Nancy’s friends and co-stars below.  Now let us know, your thought son the line-up for the benefit and helping raise awareness and funds for ALS research via the comment section.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Writer Shannon Peace Let Go, and Shares on Sprina: “One of My Only Regrets is to Not Have the Opportunity to Develop That ‘Ship’ Further”

As General Hospital’s new head writing team of Elizabeth Korte and Patrick Mulcahy gets off the ground and running, there are still changes a foot on the writing team.

Now comes word via breakdown writer Shannon Peace that she is no longer on contract with the long-running ABC soap heading into its 61st season. Peace shared a heartfelt message on her Instagram, thanking the fans, and the show for the opportunity and the importance of diversity in the writers room.

Peace began, “After almost 3 years on staff and 106 episodes penned, I am no longer on contract with General Hospital. Writing for this country’s longest running television serial drama has been an education of epic proportions; I will forever be grateful that I earned my WGA card on a daytime fixture that holds memories for so many.” (Peace pictured below with GH EP Frank Valentini and script writer, Charlotte Gibson from about ten months ago).

Photo: SPeaceIG

Shannon added “Even more importantly, as the sole Black breakdown writer (and only POC in the writers room) during my tenure, I pushed for vital interactions and discussions that prioritized inclusion, visibility, and representation”

The writer pointed to the example of vital interaction when in story, “Stella and Portia’s frank July 2022 conversation about the role race played in Esme’s framing of Trina is just one example of the impact I’m gratified to have had.”

Acknowledging former GH co-head writers was also part of Peace’s farewell expressing, “Appreciation to my former bosses, Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor – not only taking a chance on me, but for valuing my opinion and championing my voice.”

Courtesy/ABC

Many GH fans know that Peace was key to the development of the love story between Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine as played by Tabyana Ali and Nicholas Chavez. Shannon gave a special shout-out to ‘Sprina’ fans, “I also want to thank fans who were supportive of my work, especially the recognition of my love for ‘Sprina’. One of my only regrets is not having to develop that ‘ship’ further.”

She concludes her statement with,”In the aftermath of a historic writer’s strike that shed new light on the troubling ways writers are regarded in daytime, my sincere hope is that General Hospital recommits to valuing staff writer efforts and input, with a more intentional focus on diverse viewpoints — and thrives for another 60 years.”

Accompanying her post, Shannon added, “Thank you all for the love and support these last few years. I hope GH fans get all they hope for and more!”

So, what do you think about GH not renewing Shannon’s contract? Will there be more continued changes afoot? What do you think is the future of ‘Sprina’ anyway at this point as viewers wait to see if Nicholas Chavez officially returns to the show?  Comment below.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Learns Britt Died and Tells Anna He Has Been Working For Cates Since November 2021

On the Tuesday, March 26th of General Hospital, Anna (Finola Hughes) and the viewers learn about where Jason (Steve Burton) has been for over two and half years. However, Jason gets some news of his own.

Anna is visiting Jason at the PCPD interrogation room. She asks him if he shot Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), which he flatly denies. Anna believes him, but she tells Jason it doesn’t matter, because video footage shows him on the roof at the time of the shooting

When talk turns to Jason not willing to speak without his lawyer present, Anna can’t grasp why Jason would instead spend an hour alone talking with John Cates (Adam J. Harrington).

Photo: ABC

It is then that Anna brings up that John went by “Jagger” and that the two of them knew each other in high school. Jason doesn’t recall much of his time in high school following his brain injury, but then he gets furious realizing John knew about “Jason’s” past. That is when Jason slams the table and tells Anna, “I’ve been working for John Cates since November 2021.”

Next, Jason explains further that he has been working as an informant for the FBI. Anna wants to know how this came about and he tells her that after the tunnel collapsed, and he couldn’t make it to Britt (Kelly Thiebaud)… all of a sudden he sees Anna’s face drop.  Anna is the first person to tell him that Britt died and was murdered. She tells Jason the killer is in custody, but he continues to be shocked, overwhelmed with tears welling up in his eyes. Realizing he has to pivot to save his life, Jason continues telling Anna how he wound up working with John.

Jason explains that after the tunnel collapse in Greece, FBI agents grabbed him and placed him under arrest and took him to Quantico where he met John. At Quantico, John played a recording of RICO violations and offered Jason a deal if he agreed to be an informant against Pikeman, the illegal arms dealer.

Anna hears from Jason that he thinks Pikeman is selling illegal arms to anyone flagged by the NSA but has ties to the WSB which they needed a civilian to infiltrate their organization as a military soldier, a mercenary.

Jason tells Anna he was a part of the team brought into eliminate Sonny (Maurice Benard). Every time an attempt was made on Sonny’s life over the last two years, a different team was sent to do the job. Anna gets furious when she learns that John told Jason his job was to kill Sonny and she was with John at the warehouse that night. Jason ensured the sniper missed Sonny and left the rifle behind. However, they were supposed to meet an extraction team. Before he was shot, Dante saw it was Jason on the roof and when he turned around with his hands over his head, Dante was shot by the other guy. Jason says if Dante dies, he’ll be charged with capital murder and then will be useless to the FBI.

Photo: ABC

Meanwhile, John visits Bobbie’s and runs into Carly (Laura Wright). She learns Jason is in custody and is going to head to the PCPD. Before she does, Carly has some words with Cates when she learns not only does John have a vendetta against Sonny, but Jason too.  Carly tells John he should recuse himself from the case.

So, what did you think about the moment when Jason learned Britt died? What do you think of Jason’s return storyline thus far and what we learned about Jagger/Jason and more? Comment below. But first, check out a moment from today’s GH with Jason and Anna.

 

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