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Maurice Benard Reveals He Just Signed New Contract To Stay With GH!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

Within the last half hour, Daytime Emmy winner and soap superstar, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) has announced that he is staying put at General Hospital and that he just signed his contract to stay with the lone ABC soap, which is on the rise!

Benard revealed both on his Twitter account and Facebook page the following:  “I just signed my contract for General Hospital. It makes me feel good that I’m not leaving my family.”

While the details of how long the contract is for was not revealed, it looks like this major player is on board to continue to see what is next for Sonny Corinthos under the more than capable hands of of executive producer, Frank Valentini and head writer, Ron Carlivati.

So soapers, now that you know Maurice is continuing on in Port Charles, what story would you like to see next for Sonny?  Let us know!

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Ugh, why do they insist on keeping him?

Because he has fans who love him and he is a great part of GH..
I like the way he is being written, lately..

I agree. Maurice is amazing. They need for Sonny to move out of the mob and become a mentor or something positive.

I would rather hear that Jack Wagner, Tristan Rogers, Kimberly McCullough, Genie Francis, Wally Kurth, Stuart Damon, Vanessa Marcil, Ingo Rademacher, or Jonathan Jackson were coming back and on-contract! This has been the Sonny show for almost 20 years and the show should let him go or revert him to back burner because I am so sick of Sonny, his world, his women…it’s all been done to death!! This character overstayed his welcome and I am just as done with him as I was Jason. I would have loved for today’s breaking news to be that “Maurice Benard Follows Steve Burton’s Exit from GH!” I don’t want to be mean because I think Maurice is talented and a wonderful man but this character ate the show and my utter disgust for Sonny is all due to the people who ran this show into the ground for over a decade. I love what FV and RC are doing with the show but the one person I still fast forward unless he is in scenes with AJ is Sonny!!!

I couldn’t agree with you more! Add Jackie Zeman, Denise Alexander, and Kin Shriner to the list I’d take over Sonny! I’ve watched since 1973–long before Port Charles ever heard of Sonny Corinthos. Had he been tied to the show’s previous decades (son of the late Dr. Phil Brewer, Jessie’s monster of a husband, or another unknown son of the late Dr. Steve Hardy…), I might’ve cared more. But as you said, it’s all been done to death. I detested the last producing and writing regime and am a huge fan of EP Frank Valentini & Writer Ron Carlivati from their work on OLTL, too. They have turned the show around so much, I can’t wait to see the next episode from day to day again for the first time in many years. They have brought beautiful BALANCE back to the show, and I’m actually enjoying ALL the stories, with former legendary characters back in action again with current existing Port Charles residents, with a nice splash of OLTL’s Llanview thrown in. As long as Maurice Benard as Sonny Corinthos is a part of the show again, and not THE SHOW, I’m fine with him staying. I appreciate his acting, though have never been a Sonny or Jason Morgan (only Quartermaine) fan, because the show focused exclusively on them and a few others in their orbit like Carly & Sam, but I am at least enjoying Sonny’s story since it focuses more on Kate/Connie.

Excellent post!

I agree with your comments above.

I hope GH did not waste a good portion of their budget on this character. This character has been worked to death. All he does is read the cards and mumble his way through his lines. Maurice did not even have chemisry with Vanessa on her brief return. Vanessa had so much more chemistry with Steve and Dominic during her short stay.

Thank you Marisa I thought I was the only one that notices he is looking off in no man’s land half the time he is reading cue cards and gets paid probably the most of anyone on the show.

i am a true sonny fan 100% am glad he is staying because the rating boost will
only last for a short while and maurice is well loved by alot of fans

and i cannot wait for steve burton to return and he will

abc and rc and fv know they need to keep him on gh

and i agree bring vanessa marcil back as brenda for sonny they did have a wonderful love story
but just my opinion but i am glad he is staying

I love Sonny Im a true fan of his. I have been watching him on GH since the show first aired. GH will not be the same without him.

I would like the writers to send him on a very long vacation. I am so sick of the Sonny show. His character has become so pathetic. It is painful to watch him try to act. I have no compassion for this sick killer. Connie is the sane one. She wants out. Kate is crazy for wanting this mobster. Please give Sonny less air time. GH has such a great cast. The writers need to use all of the talent on the show. The show is so much better when we see all of the characters with story lines.

What Sonny show? What show are you watching. It’s the Todd show!!!!

yes love sonny, i love todd as roger howarth but too much air time

i say get rid of connie before she destroys johnny z. love brandon barash
as well

Agree.. I fastforward thru much of Sonny’s scenes… Def not watching because of Sonny..

Probably because the whole show revolves around him in one way or another! Im glad.

Sonny has half his screen time..
I wish he would get a good story and be back on my screen..
He has’t been played as often during this past year..

yeah i want to see more sonny and i guess abc agrees they did re new
his contract i think he is a beloved character and abc knows it

just like eric b on y&r

I love Sonny.. good to know he will be around, most likely, to the end ..

yeah, yeah yeah!!!! love those dimples

I am happy.Fan of Sonny’s.Happy to see my
old favs return and still keep MB.Sonny &
Brenda one of my all time favs..New
Writers are doing a great job with storylines
For all..

i agree melissa

yes melissa bring back vanessa marcil aka brenda for sonny

they had one of the best loved storylines and were a great soap couple

I think the writers and the exec are spreading the storylines around . It is not the Sonny Show anymore. Good fo!r Mr. Benard

mb has less air time but when he is on you know it and believe me i am a mb
fan love him 100% he is the main reason i watch daily and dvr and re watch
on soap net at nite

i would love for jason aka steve burton to return to be with sonny in some kind
of storyline

With all due respect to Mr. Bernard, as the story begins to take shape around the Quatermaines, he is becoming an outsider. The writers clearly don’t want this to be a crim drama and neither do the fans.

GH revolves around Sonny becuz that’s what the majority of the fans want! Love him or hate him but he still makes a huge impact on practically every loyal viewer, either pro-sonny or against him.I personally admire him for being a manic depressive in real life and how it was written into his character becuz of that. After my own diagnosis of the same illness in the late 90s I’ve been hooked since. Kudos Maurice, and goodluck!

agree 100%

rachel you are right kudos to mb and his loyal fans

This is the best GH news ever. GH got this one right. The show is doing so good now and with Maurice on board will only continue to rise. I want to see the Kate/Sonny/Connie story play out. This is definitely the best writing Sonny has had in a really long time. I am a happy Mo fan this morning.

i am as well a MO fan and have been for 20 yrs or more

and fv and rc know they need him on gh anyway they can get him

could you imagine him leaving just shortly after steve chose to leave that would
be really a bad move for gh and abc knows it
he has millions of fans because when i say what soap i watch the reply is always the same “i love sonny and jason”

now maurice is staying i hope steve returns soon to kick aj out

cannot stand aj, duke or faison get rid of the asap!!!

I think you guys are being unfair. It has definitely not been the “Sonny show” since the regime change. The stories are much more balanced across all characters. I love that Sonny is staying. Thank you Maurice and GH for continuing to make terrific stories.

I agree. It is a much more balanced ensemble. Frank and Ron did that for years over at One life to Live. They know how to mix storylines and characters better than any team in daytime.

So very happy Maurice is staying. Love the man and love his character. I am glad they now vocus more the Family man than the Mobster angle. Now we need Jason back. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE GH.

yes!!! love maurice and steve and am happy he is staying

Looks like I still need to keep the remote handy…I will continue FFing most, if not all, Sonny scenes. I absolutely hate the way he yells and struts and plays god all the time. This would have been the perfect time to retire Sonny and all things mob related!

Ditto!!!!

Ditto also!

I’m so happy he is staying! The difference in the Sonny character since Ron Carlivati and Frank Valentini took over is wonderful and I’m excited to see what they have in store for him. I’m enjoying the character for the first time in years. Ron gets the character and it is obvious Maurice Bernard is once again enjoying playing him!

Hurray!! A great actor staying till the end, unlike another who quit!!!

Unfortunately Sonny and Maurice have become, to GH, what Reva and Kim Zimmer was to GL: the character that ate the show. Both are (in my opinion) very talented performers, and both have played characters who have been allowed to overshadow the rest of the show’s characters, to the show’s detriment. I like what Carlivati and Valentini have been doing in terms of trying to restore some perspective–Sonny is actually suffering some fallout with Michael because of who he is and how he has behaved, instead of everybody automatically worshipping everything Sonny does and thinking he can do no wrong–but I really think the show could use a break from Sonny. Failing that, I hope they’ll continue moving toward a balance of stories and an ensemble piece, rather than the Sonny-(Jason)-Carly show that GH has been for years.

I used to share in the anti-Sonny vitriol, but I like the balance that the new regime has employed. It’s no longer “The Soapranos.” By putting Finola Hughes on contract and making Anna Devane the police chief, it’s clear that the PCPD are no longer going to be the Keystone Kops. Steve Burton’s departure further diminishes the Corinthos empire. I WOULD like to see Tristan Rogers put on contract as Robert Scorpio. His scenes with Constance Towers yesterday were MAGIC! “Science fiction? This from the lady who tried to freeze the city with a jewel-powered weather machine?” Delicious!

That was a great line yesterday – those were the 80’s! ha!! Would love to see more of Tristan Rogers 🙂

He has been on GH a long time…I like the change in his character…I don’t think it is the Sonny show quite as much now. As it was two or three years ago when it was the Sonny show…We see our favorites too..Everyone gets their turn.. One more tidbit , I read ABC Soaps in depth and it said Lucy Coe is coming to Port Charles on Dec. 14…In
time for the hospital ball………….That is good news……

Actually for the fist lime in 20 yrs, I am actually liking Sonny. The show is no longer the Sonny show, it is more balanced and the Q’s and the Scorpio’s are slowly coming back front burner. As long as it keeps going and Sonny finally goes to Prison (Briefly) that is progress. MB is glad that Sonny is finally acting Human.

Very happy, even though I don’t watch GH

I’d like to see him be a grandfather to Dante and Lulu’s child. I like Sonny, and his adorable dimples : ) I’m sure they can find a story for him. Maybe he could get some life threatening illness which would bring out his vulnerable side? I’m sure the writers will put together a good storyline for him. He’s got potential. IMHO.

Sorry to hear of the re-signing – the character of Sonny out-lived its usefulness years ago. Hate the mob, hate all in its orbit.

I’m glad Maurice is staying. Despite what some believe, it is not the “Sonny Show” anymore. I think the show is more balanced now.

I’m not sure what I want to see for Sonny romance-wise. Something needs to happen with the Kate/Connie thing because her schtick is getting old, but since this a former OLTL regime, I can see the DID storyline going on and on. Not to mention I also smell a Natalie/Jessica (two different fathers or two fertilized eggs) with Maxi being Lulu and Dante’s surrogate. I think they will have Maxi and Spinelli sleep together and Maxi will probably be pregnant with both Spinelli’s child and Dante and Lulu’s baby which, of course, will cause so much angst and go on forever. 🙁

I think I would like to see Sonny spend more time at the new boxing ring mentoring boys and being a grandfather, things like that.

Now if they could only give him a worthy leading lady!

WOW…First of all, if you’re really watching GH then you know this show doesn’t revolve around Sonny.

LOVE MAURICE & I’M SO GLAD HE’S STAYING!!!!!!
I really hope they reunite Sonny & Kate soon. Looking forward to Sonny becoming a grand dad. More Sonny & Dante please!
Without Maurice & Sonny I wouldn’t be watching GH, period.
And I said that without bashing any actor I don’t like and it was really easy to don’t lol

I am glad he has re-signed. I do however think he needs a woman that he can have a relationship with and explore that again. I love Kelly Sullivan’s Kate/Connie but I love her as her..maybe not her with Sonny. The scenes with Johnny & Connie sparked some interest, perhaps once shes whole..they may explore that. But to see Sonny with someone else…don’t know who, or someone new? Just needs a fresh story for a new year 🙂 LOVE GH!! 🙂 Looking forward to 50 yrs of GH hitting!

I’m glad Maurice is staying until the end. I love Sonny and the mob stories. I didn’t watch in the 80s or the 90s so I don’t know who all these people are and it makes GH not as enjoyable to watch as before for me but its more balanced and the show is doing better ratings wise.

i agree love the mob storyline and sonny i have been watching for 22 yrs and
do not remember much of the 80s and only got hooked on sonny with brenda in
i think the early 90s but not sure

do wish brenda would come back they had a great love story

I’m glad he’s staying. It wouldn’t be GH without him..BUT, IMO they have got to release him from his isolation with Kate and put him back to being involved with his family and children and Carly. IMO, when they removed him from those connections, that is when his appeal and his character took big hits and made him dull and uninteresting. Looking back this began when they started to remove him from the mob and put him with Emily and then Kate, changing him to someone he really wasn’t.

I don’t see anything wrong with him being a mobster, he was ALWAYS a the mobster with the heart and he should have stayed that way. Kate has practically destroyed him. I say get rid of her HER.

Soooo happy Mo is keeping Sonny on GH! MB is an elegant, gorgeous man and a phenomenal actor under any talented pen. I love whenever Sonny is onscreen doing what he does. The Q’s and all those returning characters mean absolutely nothing to me. I would trade every one of them, wrap them all in a bow and ship them back wherever they’ve been for all these years – to keep Sonny. Everyone has a right to their faves and MB’s Sonny is polarizing but, worth every dime they pay him and MORE, IMO. Thank goodness, TPTB get that. Kudos to them, congratulations, MB and yaaayyyy Sonny fans!

yes i aagree with what you say these returing characters mean nothing to me
hate aj they think he can replace jason/steve burton NOT!!!!!
i love to just look at maurice in anyway i can see him everyday love the dimples
and agree he worth every dime they pay him abc knows they need him on gh
so does fv and rc i also love the mob storyline

glad to hear he’s staying… actually glad to hear that they’re doing contracts period!

it would be nice if they could bring on someone to perhaps be someone (female) that he could be with, even if it was a great friend – help him get over Kate or help Kate to snap out of it. Kinda like Emily was before they hooked up.

i am glad sonny is staying love him in any story line

I absolutely would not watch GH if Sonny was not in the mix. I think he should have more happening though. it seems not enough as in the past. Love him.

The only thing I know is Sonny should always stay in the mob. He should always stay in charge. I don’t want Sonny to become a good and upright citizen. Boring!!! Hurry up and bring Jason back so he can go right back to his old job. And boy was he good at it. Let Aviah’s baby be Sonny’s so the young Corinthios boy can stay young. Let Micheal and keke stay together. I don’t know about anyone else but I don’t want to see keke with the brothers again that’s over and done. Let Aviah’s baby get kidnapped by Silas crazy wife. Don’t ever let it come out that Sonny shot AJ. I definitely don’t want to see a long trail where Sonny goes to jail. Which would never happen so don’t waste our time. Who ever came up with the idea for Sonny to kill AJ made a huge stupid mistake. You should have at least made it an accident. Your going to regret that later. Everything will definitely have to come out. Unless Sonny kills Aviah and frames her some how for AJ’s death. Anyway your going to have to get creative because one thing I do know Sonny can NEVER go to jail. Don’t make that mistake.

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

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