General Hospital
Kelly Monaco Gives Props to Former ‘Port Charles’ Leading Man, Michael Easton, as He Reflects on His OLTL Debut as John McBain
Michael Easton has played a bevy of roles on daytime dramas and remains one of its most popular all-time stars. While viewers first got to know him as Tanner Scofield on Days of our Lives (1991-1992), he later became more soap-famous when he took on the role of Stephen Clay/Caleb the vampire on GH’s spinoff Port Charles from 2001-2003.
However, Michael’s longest running soap role was that of Llanview’s John McBain when the actor was cast in the role on One Life to Live. He played McBain from 2003-2012, and all the way through to One Life’s final episode on ABC
Taking to his Instagram this week, Easton reflected on his arrival, which was now 21-years-ago, with a clip of his very first scenes with David Fumero (ex-Cristian Vega) and Melissa Archer (ex-Natalie) and Trevor St. John (ex-Walker “Flynn” Laurence – at the time).

Photo: JPI
Easton accompanied his post with “Someone was kind enough to send me this clip and remind me that 21 years ago today this character first set foot in the fictional town of Llanview, Pennsylvania. I’m not particularly sentimental but it’s really nice to see the amazing Melissa Archer, David Fumero and Trevor St. John. Two decades later and we’re all still friends.”
Meanwhile, Kelly Monaco (Sam, General Hospital) dropped a comment in Michael’s thread with mad love and respect for the actor and their time together as her leading man on Port Charles, Caleb Morley to her Livvie Locke. Later, they would both reconnect on General Hospital, she as Sam and he as McBain, then Silas Clay and lastly as Hamilton Finn. Sadly, in 2024, both actors are now gone from the ABC daytime drama series after being written-off.

Courtesy/ABC
Sharing her thoughts on working with Michael, Kelly expressed, “Caleb (from Port Charles) will forever hold the number one spot in my heart, John McBain is a close second. But you Michael, you were my first co-star 25 yrs ago. I will cherish our memories and forever be indebted to you for leading me, teaching me, and guiding me through the nostalgia of all my firsts. You are a treasure, the gift that keeps giving. I thank you for sharing all of you. As I celebrate the glorious milestone of being an actor on #GH or the past 21yrs, I could not have done that without your patience and dedication, to making sure I felt safe and seen. Two-plus decades later, your impact has forever made an imprint on my soul. With internal love and friendship, you are adored.”

Photo: JPI
What do you think of how Kelly shared how much she valued working with Michael Easton? Hard to believe both ar now gone from GH as well? Is John McBain your favorite soap role of Michael’s? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
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Photo: MEastonIG
Would this not be a good time to try a OLTL reboot? After Kristen’s wedding photos, and Michael and Roger now free too… a plentiful cast right there.
Bring Michael back as John McBain and put Kelly back on as Sam and what a great pairing it would be. I’m still upset the show didn’t put Michael and Trevor back in their OLTL roles when that whole mess between ABC and Prospect Park was done with. That’s where the show dropped the ball.
Kelly’s tribute to Michael was wonderful. I must add that the GH writers killed both of their characters through horrible story lines long before they were taken off of the show.
Its s exhausting being a GH fan with all the bad news lately, and it makes it hard to enjoy the good, for me the return of Lucky has been a bust, I really haven’t enjoyed it mainly because it was really badly executed, from Laura originally setting out to look for him and it being switch around to make it a Carly and Jason coming to the rescue mission, so for me 2024 for GH has been not so good, obviously with Finn being written off and now Sam “gettin killed off”.all I can do is be patient stay optimistic and hope that down the line we as fan will get news of these two talented actors making their way back to GH.
No , all you can do is stop watching and supporting the show that’s what I have done after 36 years I’m done!! The way they treat the actors and honestly fans is horrible, they clearly don’t care what the fans like or want. I can’t wait to hear Kelly speak out I know they did her dirty and again us .
I still laugh thinking about Monica’s line to Hamilton Finn after a grueling shift. She told him, “Go get some sleep. You look like a vampire!”
General Hospital
Kate Mansi Wraps On-Screen Run as ‘General Hospital’s’ Kristina Corinthos-Davis
The Friday, June 12 episode of General Hospital marked the last for Daytime Emmy winner, Kate Mansi as Kristina Corinthos-Davis. As previously reported, the character was accepted to medical school at UCLA in California, making the end of the run for Mansi who played Kristina for three years.
The decision to depart GH was all Mansi’s decision and as also previously reported, GH executive producer Frank Valentini had left the door open for a return down the line and is currently not planning on recasting the part.
In story, in her final episode, having already said goodbye on Thursday’s show to her parents, Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn), Kristina meets up with her siblings, Molly (Kristen Vaganos) and Michael (Rory Gibson). The three have a chat at the Metro Court Gardens.

Courtesy/ABC
SIBLING ADVICE
Before she leaves Port Charles, Kristina tells her brother and sister, she wants them to be there for each other, while each is managing their personal relationships: Molly with Cody (Josh Kelly) and Michael with Jacinda (Paige Herschell). Kristina thanked them for taking her to the airport and urged them to lean on each other while she was gone.
In her last scene, Kristina tells Molly and Michael right before they head for her flight, “I want each of you to be the person the other can call. OK? To show up for each other, no questions asked. Because that’s what you’ve been for me.”
KATE’S NEXT MOVE
Speaking with TV Insider, Mansi shared what she is up to next which has included accompanying her husband, Matt McInnis to Europe. Kate explained she had made the decision a few months back to exit GH. “I knew my contract was up in April and I wanted to give them the proper notice so that they could plan their future storytelling.” Kate added, “Given that my husband is working in Europe predominantly and I’ll be traveling so much, that’s what this next chapter of my life will be.”
Kate expressed that the news of her exit was hard to share with people, because she would feel sad when talking about it. Ultimately, the first to know were Nancy Lee Grahn, Kristen Vaganos, and Rory Gibson. She chose not to tell Maurice Benard, because she was so close to him in real-life, until they filmed their last episode together which aired yesterday.
There’s more! Kate gave a final tease that she has project in the works sharing, “I’m excited to have booked a short-term project in the fall that works within my schedule.” As to a future return to GH, Mansi doesn’t rule it out, “It’s Port Charles. Anything is possible.”
So, what did you think of Kate’s final scenes as Kristina with Sonny, Alexis, Molly and Michael? Do you hope Kate come back in a few years time? Weigh-in via the comment section. In case you missed it, you can catch the scenes where Kristina tells her parents she is leaving Port Charles below.
General Hospital
Troy Lennon Appel Joins the Cast of ‘General Hospital’ in Contract Role of the Mysterious ‘Hudson’
There are even more newbies coming to General Hospital with the news today that Troy Lennon Appel is joining the cast of the ABC daytime drama series in the contract role of “Hudson.” Look for Appel to make his debut on the July 30th episode.
What we do know is that Hudson is a business executive with mysterious ties. As first reported by TV Insider, Troy has already been enjoying his time on the legacy soap opera. He enthused, “Working on GH has been nothing short of an incredible, fast-paced experience, Everyone is very professional; they’re on top of every intricate part of this very established, well-oiled machine, and I’m just trying to keep up and not halt the process in any way.”
In a statement, General Hospital executive producer, Frank Valentini expressed: “Troy is a terrific guy, and we are excited to have him join our cast. And fans will be intrigued to see how his character fits into the story.“
FOUR NEWCOMERS IN SHORT ORDER
Appel’s casting comes on the heels of three other major additions coming to Port Charles, and all should be landing on-air next month in July. As previously reported, Dean Geyer has joined the cast as Tristan Robert and is set to debut on the July 13 episode. Daytime vet, Kelly Kruger (ex-B&B and Y&R) has signed on to play the new Serena Baldwin and Kayden Brenna Tokarski is the new Scout Cain, the daughter of Drew (Cameron Mathison) and the late Sam (Kelly Monaco).
Apple added on his GH experience thus far, “So many of the cast and crew have gone out of their way to welcome me, and I am immensely grateful for how simple and easy this transition has been. I owe it all to them. They know what they’re doing, and I hope to learn as much as I can and add to the show, to the best of my ability.”
Troy’s previous credits have included: Revenge Best Served Chilled, Blackmail, Lies and Murder, and Lethally Blonde. Finding Master Right and Menflix, and he appeared with The Goldbergs star Hayley Orrantia’s music video for her single, “Find Yourself Somebody.”
So, what do you think about the casting of Troy Lennon Appel to General Hospital? Who will Hudson actually have ties to, since it is a contract role? Will you be intrigued to see all the new arrivals next month in Port Charles? Let us know via the comment section below.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Avery Pohl Joins Cast of Netflix’s ‘Scooby-Doo Origins’ Series
Previously on General Hospital, Esme Prince caused so much trouble for Spencer Cassadine (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) until the character went overboard and was presumed dead back in January of 2024.
Esme’s portrayer, Avery Pohl was heralded by GH fans as one of the great young baddies in recent memory. And now, Pohl is taking her talents to the new Netflix series, and joining the Scooby-Doo universe in an undisclosed role in the upcoming show, Scooby-Doo Orgins!
News of Pohl’s casting came via Deadline when they revealed 12 actors joining the upcoming live-action series which also includes notables: Sara Gilbert (ex-The Talk and The Connors), and Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks), plus previously announced, MacKenna Grace (ex-Faith, The Young and the Restless) who plays the central role of Daphne Blake. Tanner Hagen takes on Shaggy Rogers, Abby Ryder Fortson plays Velma Dinkley, Maxwell Jenkins is Fred Jones, and even Paul Walter Hauser also appears in a secret role, and not to be left out, Scooby-Doo himself.

Courtesy/ABC
ZOINKS, RUH-RO AND JEEPERS!
Avery Pohl took to her Instagram upon the reveal of her new project and said, “Dog’s outta the bag. So grateful to work with so many talented and kind individuals.” Immediately many of her former GH castmates congratulated the actress including: Tabyana Ali and her predecessor in the role of Trina, Sydney Mikalya and Eden McCoy (Josslyn).
According to the official loglines for Scooby-Doo Origins, its a, “Modern reimagining of the iconic mystery-solving group of teens and their very special dog. During their final summer at camp, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely lost Great Dane puppy that may have been a witness to a supernatural murder. Together with the pragmatic and scientific townie, Velma and the strange, but ever so handsome new kid, Freddy, they set out to solve the case that is pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets.”
The series, which introduced supernatural mystery-solving teens Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers and their talking Great Dane Scooby-Doo, originally aired on CBS from 1969-76. It then moved to ABC, where various versions of the show aired until 1986. The Scooby-Doo franchise has also released three movies more than adozen animated series, and over 40 animated home entertainment movies.
WILL ESME PRINCE RETURN TO GH?
Pohl received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2025, in the Outstanding Guest Performer category and initially debuted on GH back in 2021.
In case you missed it, Avery participated in a livestream chat last year along with GH’s Katelyn MacMullen (Willow) and their acting coach and soap alum Holly Gagnier (ex-Days, GH, and OLTL) on the Michael Fairman Channel. You can check it out below.
Now, share your congrats for Avery on landing her upcoming role in ‘Scooby-Doo Origins’ Let us know, if you hope GH brings back Esme one day and Spencer Cassadine via the comment section.
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