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Lipstick-Gate Continues! Andy Towle Posts Response To GH Head Scribe Ron Carlivati's Comments To Gay Blog's "Felix" Backlash!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

Perhaps Andy Towle of the uber-popular gay blog, Towleroad realized he spoke to soon after General Hospital’s head writer, Ron Carlivati gave Towle and his readers a lashing for their negative and often offensive comments on the creation and execution of the brand new character of student nurse Felix Dubois on GH.

Felix has thus far only aired on one episode, and somehow this controversy had spun out of control.  However as we reported yesterday, Ron took to the Towleroad site and expressed his outrage and disappointment at the comments which was instigated by Towle’s original post which stated, “General Hospital debuted a new character this week, a gay nurse played by actor Marc Anthony Samuel. To establish his character as gay, his first scenes involved him pulling out a tube of lipstick and offering to touch up a heterosexual woman. Oy.”

Today, there has been an update to the situation, where Andy Towle pulled back from his original stance and in many ways offered an apology to Carlivati! Towle posted, “There’s no question in my mind that Mr. Carlivati should be allowed the chance to develop his character more fully before judgment is passed and I regret if my commentary suggested that it should. My expression of “oy” over what I perceived to be a stereotype may have been hasty, but was also informed by having written this site for 9 years and seeing more than a few damaging caricatures in television and movies along the way.  I’ve also reported very positively on other soap characters written by Mr. Carlivati. I’m looking forward to seeing how his Felix Dubois character develops and thank him for his remarks and reaction.”

So what do you think of Towle’s remarks now? Classy?  The right thing to do, especially after it seems Felix and head writer, Carlivati got quite the verbal bashing?  Let us know your thoughts!

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Very classy… We all make mistakes… Great Job to everyone for the maturity level you all have shown on a blog….. Let’s hope that LeAnn and Brandy can find some of that same class over on radar-online. Very classless for both LeAnn, Eddie & Brandy. Those poor kids ….. Very Sad… those kids should be taken away from all three of their parents for what they are doing! Deal with it in private!

Yes, that was definitely the right thing to do, and I’m glad Mr. Towle is willing to not be so hasty. Given Mr. Carlivati’s track record as a headwriter and as one who has developed gay characters before, I thought the bashing was totally out of place. Especially since we had only seen Felix once!!

One of the major problems with the internet is that we can “react” so quickly, letting others know of our offense to some comment or situation, the instant we have it. I think the rule that says “If something offends you, sleep on it a day before you react, especially in writing,” is a good one to remember. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t enjoy free speech, it just is a suggestion to consider the damage ones words can do.

Very good point Cady, and by the way, when will you grace us on tv again? would love to see you on GH.

I would play a lesbian character without a second thought. I embrace all sexual identities and I think that when they are portrayed as compelling characters, especially in daytime TV, they help the broader culture have more compassion for all people and how we are all different in our specifics, and yet the same in our humanity.

will somebody contact Ron and Frank, i’m game. I’m loving the idea!

To Cady McClain: You were very impressive as rosanna cabot on ATWT! one of the best chars. I’d like to know what is your opinion on the utter lack of representation of Asian americans from hollywood? hollywood seems to portray majority of Asian american males as 1. dorky and asexualized char who’s an accented foreigner 2. asexualized martial arts expert. While the better Asian american roles get whitewashed and given to actors like tom cruise and relatively unknown actors like david henrie and jim sturgess. It’s worse for Asian american women bec majority of their roles are racist and sexist: 1. “dragon lady” 2. submissive 3. hypersexualized when paired w/ a white male. Hollywood’s lgbt chars are portrayed w/ humanity and yet hollywood seems to be openly racist towards Asian americans.

it seems like people erupt at the slightest “flaw” of an lgbt char and yet it’s completely acceptable how hollywood marginalizes and is openly racist towards Asian americans thru their portrayals. There was a film called “the goods” starring jeremy piven where an Asian american char was physically bashed by his white colleagues bec of pearl harbor bombing. The bashing of the Asian american char was done comedically w/c made it all the more disturbing and it furthered the stereotype that all Asian americans are monolithic bec the char was not Japanese. Would hollywood ever gay bash an lgbt char and portray that comedically? Highly doubtful. I think that this whole gh “controversy” is quite odd considering how there are a ton of unique lgbt representations on soaps and primetime soaps and primetime shows and films.

I’m glad you mentioned that daytime could use more Asian-American characters, because I handily agree. Our country is one full of diversity and uniqueness. Soaps seem to have been dominated by Caucasian characters up to this point, perhaps part of the idea that it was the “norm” in the main stream mindset, while anyone who was from a different culture was not “as American.” That fallacy and those days are behind us, I think, and it’s wonderful to see shows like “Grays Anatomy” reflect our diverse culture without focusing so much on our differences in appearance. Sandra Oh’s character, to me, seems to be portrayed as an everywoman, full of flaws, humor, and desires just like any woman.
I think any group has a right to complain when they feel they are being represented unfairly, or in a way they think is slandering to them. There is no statute of limitations on prejudice, racism or sexism, sadly. Those of us that have been at the effect of such hurt have to both speak out, like you are, and take action. But we also have to speak fairly and with dignity, or the cause of our complaint is lost in drama and distraction.
Finally, I agree that entertainment has to be careful in its depictions of those who have been already slandered, although not every filmmaker or storyteller can be as sensitive as Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick stated that the world of a film is a dream, that allows our subconscious to act out in ways we would not in real life. When done well, film and TV and theater can convey powerful human fears and needs and explore them, but the mediums cannot be beholden to
politics, or the story is not a journey but a message.
In my opinion the best way to de-politicize racial and sexual tension is for characters to not be stuck into a box, defined solely by their race and/or gender, but as the complex character the writer intends.

Beautifully spoken Ms. McClain!!!! Beautifully spoken, so eloquent and very true. We always jump to the immediately reaction, which at times is not always a bad thing, but can sometimes lead us to say things in a way that isn’t so respectful of all. I agree with your posting all the way!

To Cady McClain: Not only are you a talented actress but you’re very eloquent and one of the truly open minded among hollywood! My central gripe abt hollywood is people there tend to proclaim to be very “liberal” and “progressive” yet majority of films and tv tend to marginalize racial minorities and women while somehow preserving the white male establishment. NBC universal recently cooked up this new cooking show broadcast around Asian countries. The premise of the cooking show is that it features a rotating panel of male models around Asia who are deemed as the handsomest and strangely a large number of them are part white and have lighter skin and more Anglo physical features and names. Their part white racial backgrounds don’t make them “less Asian” but the larger issue is the brainwashing of what is considered as attractive and thus “idealized” w/c then becomes a modern way of colonization. But the problem really originates from hollywood. The film “cloud atlas” is abt rebirth. The artistic expression of the film makers was to use the same actors wearing prosthetics to portray the same souls. That has its merits. They cast white actors who used yellowface to portray the Asian chars. But they didn’t cast any white actors to portray the black slave char bec blackface would definitely be considered offensive. Yet the film is protected from criticism regarding yellowface and discrimination bec one of its directors is transgendered. That seems to be a running sentiment among hollywood types. showrunner patrick king who is openly gay was part of this panel discussing his 2 broke girls sitcom. Critics were asking him abt the stereotypical representations of the African american char Earl and Han the diner owner who is Korean. The strange response from king was that he can write these kind of portrayals bec of his orientation minority status being gay. It seems like glee isn’t critiqued for its racism and whitewashing and weightism and ageism and misogyny precisely bec its showrunner murphy is openly gay. the problematic portrayals of hollywood originate from the writers and showrunner w/c then affects the broader pop culture. It would be great if you could be a part of a writing team bec you obviously get it. You’d be an asset. Here’s hoping more actresses are like you! Good luck w/ your career as an actress!

To Cady McClain: congratulations on your engagement to john lindstrom. BTW regarding your opinion on the idea on whiteness as the “norm” among the mainstream mindset: hollywood really promotes this ideal even on the casting level. It’s assumed that a char is white whenever a char’s race is not specified on a casting call. the mainstream entertainment media from hollywood and manhattan are problematic bec they marginalize racial minorities. Descriptions like “girl next door” and even “classically beautiful” and especially “all american” are often racial code words for white actresses and chars. it seems like the mainstream entertainment media are less vocal when they critique hollywood’s racial issues and portrayals but they are more vocal when they demand more lgbt chars and storylines.

Jealousy is ugly on everyone. If you’re not familiar with someone’s work, you can’t judge it, which actually reminds me nobody is in a position to judge anyone, unless it’s a game show! #GoteamCarltini

lol beleive me, I know how rotten Jealousy can be. I’m a Christian and shouldn’t be that way, but I’d be lying if I said I was jealous of some friends of mine who are doing things in the church, like dance, public speaking and all I’m doing is cleaning, which is good, I love cleaning the church. My point is that they are doing something out in the open which is something I really wanna do as well. I’m not jealous of THEM. I’m jealous because they’re doing something and I’m not. and I know that’s a bad thing, but I just can’t seem to get over it. It’s rotten!

That’s different, you do not criticize, or insult them because they can do something you can’t. That should be motivation for you, as well!

Maybe this was all a publicity stunt? Because I sure do not know how you can comment on a character in just one episode of course I have not been watching been busy with work etc so this was all news to me are you sure that wasn’t the intention after all.

Ron and Frank are the best in the business and the whole issue is way behind the times. This is the 21st century and Ron should be allowed to handle it anyway that he wants. LEAVE HIM ALONE

I read the apology this morning-and it was classy of Andy to step back. Unfortunately, many regulars on Towelroad don’t seem to agree. Very sad, really

First of all as much as I am not a fan of Carlavati as a writer I have to say that the Kish story on OLTL was one of the most non stereotypical, realistic portrayals of gay men Ive seen on TV period.
Much like his detractor I also grow very weary of all the effeminate stereotypes that dominate TV today. I havent read the comments by the blogger. But I can appreciate the perceived sentiments against stereotypical depictions of gay men. I think they do the gay cause zero good. But in this particular instance I think he did jump the gun and should wait to see how the character pans out.
That being said I have zero interest in the character because he is not tied to any of the core families that I care about on GH. And the actor is a complete unknown to me so again no interest here.
I think its a big mistake to tackle important issues using newbies. Also has Carlavati forgotten that our beloved Bobbie Spencer as a gay adopted son still out there. Why not bring him back and hire a daytime vet to play him? And rehire Jaclyn Zeman also!! I appreciate the fact that the character is black and gay ( lord knows that’s rarely seen on TV). But again he’s a young newbie and Im not interested.

So, the only way a guy can be introduced is if he’s a core character? However, it’s fine to introduce straight characters who aren’t related to any core family? -__-

Jeff you have completely misunderstood my comment. The orientation of the character is of no consequence to me. My point is that homosexuality is a very emotional and controversial issue to explore even in today’s liberal social climate. So in my opinion viewers will have much more at stake with the character if he is tied to a core family.
Viewers watch soaps to follow the lives and loves of the characters that they know. We follow them through various generations and they become like our real family. So consequently I believe that as a writer its much easier to get an audience emotionally invested in a character from a family that we know and love, rather than trying to get us to care about someone we dont know. That’s all. I would say the same thing about a straight character facing alcoholism or drug abuse ect. These are issues that inspire emotion and empathy. And its easier for an audience to become engaged and care more about characters they know and love rather than new strangers. Its called emotional investment and its key to a successful story.

No Jeff, that is not the only way. But I happen to agree with the hope that this character (if he’s staying around) will have some sort of ties to a character other than Sabrina.

He realized he may have spoken too quickly and he apologized. Everyone makes mistakes. He saw he had and made it right, Good for both of them.

That’s terribly decent of Mr. Towel, but I still wonder about his comment about “damaging caricatures”; referring to the character of Felix. Why shouldn’t someone be able to show a lip-stick wielding gay character or a hostile lesbian on TV? They’re out there. I think what’s damaging is saying that all gay people are just like straight people. I sure hope not! People are people, goy or straight. I think it only gets demeaning when you fail to show the human side of a character and write them only as a “caricature”. I sure Ron will not write a one-demensional character. Just you wait and see.

None of us have a clue as the personality Felix will have..
We know nothing about him .. We saw him for about a minute.
I am excited about the new character and looking forward to ”getting to know” Felix..
I am now wondering what type of personality he will actually have..

Good for him, pulling back the way he did. There’s not enough class out there to begin with, and unfortunately the internet doesn’t foster good behavior.

Ron C. spoke out, and Andy Towle heard him. I respect him for that, a lot.

It will be a great day when a character’s sexuality isn’t seen as THE core characteristic. Not there yet, but we sure have come a long way. In my youth there were NO gay characters on soaps at all. Now we actually get to debate how they are portrayed. Never thought these days would come.

My hat is off to Ron C. and to Andy Towle. Adult behavior is so refreshing.

Days – has Will and Sonny…

B&B – has Danielle and Karen…

GH – has Felix…

C’mon! Y&R!!!! ???? join the rest of the world.

YES! https://groopii.blogspot.com/2012/07/marco-dapper-shirtless-in-young-and.html
Marco Dapper. “Abby was all a mistake, I really love Billy”

So I can not get Laura back on the show but I can get a new character and that is going to help keep the show on the air! First we have to deal with Mad Frankestein and making a woman police commisioner look stupid then I read that everyone is being held at the clinic in Switzerland. Really makes you want to watch it. Not!

Sorry you are not enjoying the fan faves from the 90’s like most of us. Maybe you prefer the mob storylines that most of the fans complained about for years. Faison, Anna, Robert, and Duke are huge characters from GH’s past and if you didn’t watch the show back then you missed out. You may have since you know who Laura is. I would love Laura to come back also and she may but if she does they will keep it a surprise which I think is great because too many things get spoiled and it ruins it.

There is no room for Laura on the show right now.

I did not say anthing about not enjoying the faves from the 90’s I just stated I would have preferred a storyline with Laura rather then this guy but their running the show not i so they can do want they want.

I enjoy Gh a lot… I think Anna’s character is great. The whole thing with Faison & the clinic is intersting to me.Anna & Robert will be paying that clinic a visit and get Robin back to home with Patrick & Emma….I enjoyed it years ago when Anna & Robert were in the WSB..It was the intrigue & suspense & we have that again now….Faison is a real
piece of work…

I work in a hospital, its a true melting pot and I have bumped into many a “Felix”, I actually think its refreshing they have someone they dont feel the need to butch-up.

I found the Felix character wonderful. I know so many like him, and not only are they fun, but have a giant heart. It will be so exciting to see his character developed further.
I loved what Frank V. and Ron C. did for “One Life” and they are providing that very same magic to “GH” by adding fresh approaches to much-loved characters from the past, as well as the current ones. They can do no wrong, in my opinion.

I think that blogger definitely over reacted.I can understand why gay men wouldn’t want to see only stereotypical,effeminate gay characters on TV. But most gay male characters on the soaps have been very masculine even when portrayed by gay actors.We’re all adults here and we all know that some gay men are more “flamboyant” and have careers that are traditionally held by women,so why shouldn’t they be represented on a soap? So far,I’m loving Felix. I don’t see anything offensive about him. Many,many straight women have a BFF like Felix.

I am a Born again Christian, and I won’t get into what’s right or wrong, but I really don’t care if Felix is gay or not. However, if you put him in a relationship, then I’m done watching! as I’m sure others will to. I love GH (probably more than I should). I don’t care if he’s gay, but I WILL stop watching if you put him in a gay relationship. I loved OLTL, but when the gay relationshipsstarted, I stopped watching

I’m just curious. Is he gay in real life?

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

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GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

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Patrick J. Gibbons

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.

However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.

Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC

FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG

Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!

Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”

MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).

Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI

PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY

Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”

It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”

A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons

IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”

He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”

Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.

So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.

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‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)

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Chad Duell, the Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who stepped away from the pivotal role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, opened up about: his previous decision to leave the series after nearly 15 years, where’s he’s at now after time away from the demands of a daytime soap opera, and took a stroll down memory lane with some of Michael’s most-acclaimed storyline during his run, during a livestream chat on August 19 on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Viewers last saw Duell on-screen as Michael in January of 2025, and with his successor in the role, Rory Gibson making his debut at the GH Nurses’ Ball in episodes that aired later in May. It was clear that during the conversation, Chad was a bit surprised that the GH brass decided to recast him when he thought he was just taking some much needed time off.

Burn-out of the daily grind of being on a soap was definitely a part of Chad’s decision to take a break. Duell explained “People know when you’re doing something for so long or your character is kind of in the same place for so long or doing the same stuff over and over again, you do get a a little burnt out, you get a little stiff, stale, a little stiff at times. I didn’t want that to be any sort of lasting impression. I have 15 years of a body of work of I’ve done on that show, which is fantastic.”

Chad Duell

Photo: ABC

WHILE CHAD WAS AWAY GH RECAST MICHAEL CORINTHOS WITH RORY GIBSON

Chad shared, his mindset when leaving GH was, “I’m taking some time away, we’ll see what happens.” Then he added, “Obviously, they decided to go in a different direction with Michael when I was gone. I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”

Duell also shared he has not watched a single episode of General Hospital since he left the series, but now feels he reenergized following the loss of his father and stepping away from the GH, “I’m in a place now mentally, where I’m ready to sink my teeth into it again.”

Courtesy/ABC

Even though he is no longer Michael on GH, Chad was very happy with his final storyline where Michael was set on fire when a bomb exploded at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. “It was fun to put him in a dangerous situation, because I was wanting Michael to be in something scary instead of trying to be a hero character or just things happening around him, but to be the center point of tragedy happening to him. (I always saw) Michael as the heart of the (Corinthos) family.”

When Michael was badly burned the show chose not burn his face, which normally a soap does when they are recasting role and switching actors. Chad weighed-in, “They didn’t burn my face because I told Frank Valentini (EP, GH) I’m willing to come back. It was just a little bit of a break. So, I assumed that if they would have burned my face, they could have brought somebody back looking different than me… if that’s what their plan was.”

Courtesy/ABC

MEMORABLE MICHAEL STORYLINES

One of Chad’s most memorable performances was the in the storyline of Michael’s rape while he was sentenced to prison in 2010 and the confession of it in 2011. “It was so well-written and I was very nervous,” recalled Chad. “When I get really nervous about something, it ends up being really good when I do it, because it just means I care a lot about it”

“I have to put a lot of effort and work into it, and I really want it to be good.  I was working with Dominic  Zamprogna (Dante) and Steve Burton (Jason) a lot during those scenes, and Laura Wright (Carly). It was great working with Steve and Dominic, especially, during that storyline.

A NEW SOAP ROLE FOR CHAD?

As to a future soap opera role, Chad is open to the idea and would love to jump back in to a juicy role, “I know people over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless. They know that if they’re interested, I would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”

Meanwhile, Chad has been busy putting out new music under the moniker Duelly and during the interview he explains how he creates his EDM tracks and much more. You can stream his latest single, Static in the Quiet Room on Spotify, Apple Music and You Tube Music.

You can check out the full conversation with Chad Duell below.

Now let us know: what show would you like to see Chad cast on down the line? BTG, DAYS, B&B, Y&R, or a new role on GH? What did you think of his thoughts on the casting switch while he was away in the role of Michael? What was your favorite Michael storyline during Chad’s 15-year run on the ABC soap opera? Let us know via the comment section.

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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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Heather Tom

The Bold and the Beautiful

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