• Michael Easton

  

  In late June, the actor revealed that he had taped his last scenes at General Hospital. “My heart is filled with love and gratitude,” said Easton, who over the course of his decade in Port Charles played One Life to Live’s McBain as well as Silas and, finally, Finn.

• Gregory Harrison

  

  Four years after he took over the role of Finn and Chase’s dad from original portrayer James Read (Clyde, Days of Our Lives), the Trapper John, M.D. vet took his final bow on General Hospital when, just after his younger son’s wedding, Gregory died in his sleep.

• Nicholas Alexander Chavez

  

  Yup. This photo perfectly encapsulates the sadness that we felt when our sister site TVLine broke the news in late April that the Emmy winner would not be returning as Spencer after all.

• Michael E. Knight

  

  In the wake of Martin’s split from Lucy during February sweeps, Laura’s brother and his beloved portrayer were going to be gone from Port Charles for a spell, Soap Opera Digest reported.

• Tonja Walker

  

  It doesn’t get more “out” than not even being brought back to be killed off. But that’s what happened to the soap vet, whose bonkers character Olivia Jerome was re-killed off screen. (Read the actress’ response to the twist here.)

• Avery Kristen Pohl

  

  Whaaat? Given Esme’s history of bouncing back after making a splash, we fully expected her to bob to the surface in the wake of her and Spencer’s tussle going overboard. But, it turned it, it wasn’t necessarily so.

• Joshua Benard

  

  Adam, we hardly knew ye. After a short return engagement, the son of Maurice Benard (Sonny) wrapped his gig as a troubled third wheel in Josslyn and Dex’s relationship.

• Kelly Monaco

  

  New year, new Sam. On January 2, 2024, Lindsay Hartley once again filled in for the character’s usual portrayer, meaning that however briefly, all three of Alexis’ daughters were recasts.

• Kirsten Storms

  

  Surprise! As 2023 headed for the exit, the Port Charles mainstay was temporarily recast with Hope & Faith alum Nicole Paggi.

• Eden McCoy

  

  In December of 2023, viewers learned when Courtney Fulk turned up as Josslyn on air that the character’s portrayer, a newly minted Emmy winner, was taking some time off.

• Charles Mesure

  

  Almost as quickly as the primetime vet made his debut as nefarious WSB chief Brennan, he was shown the door. Very clear panes, at least.

• Ellen Travolta

  

  The veteran actress reprised her role of Lois’ mom Gloria just long enough to give us something extra to be grateful for on Thanksgiving.

• Brooklyn Rae Silzer

  

  The 17-year-old, who’s been playing Emma since she was 5, swung through Port Charles so that her character could give grandma Anna a pick-me-up when she was feeling especially down.

• Roger Howarth

  

  After 11 years and three roles, the Emmy-winning soap vet exited Port Charles with an attitude of gratitude just before Thanksgiving. Upon being told that he was being let go, “it took me a minute to kind of adjust, to kind of hear the news,” Austin’s portrayer told Soap Opera Digest. After that, he was just appreciative for his long, wild run.

• Nathanyael Grey

  

  “It’s bye-bye to Mason,” tweeted executive producer Frank Valentini on November 14.

• Zakary Risinger

  

  After two years in the role of Sam and Jason’s son, the youngster was recast, with Asher Antonyzyn taking over as Danny.

• Bonnie Borroughs

  

  One for the road? Have two, we say, as we raise a glass to the scene stealer whose four-year run as Gladys ended with Sasha’s treacherous mother-in-law being banished from Port Charles by Sonny.

• Darin Toonder

  

  The doctor is out! Montague’s reign of terror wrapped up when at last his many misdeeds came to light.

• Réal Andrews

  

  Months after his last appearance in the summer of ’23, Taggert’s portrayer shared via Instagram that, as sad as his character’s swan song may have been, “it was a great way to go out” from an acting perspective.

• Brooke Anne Smith

  

  Less than two months after being tapped to replace Haley Pullos’ replacement, Holiday Mia Kriegel, Molly No. 3 was replaced with newcomer Kristin Vaganos.

• John J. York

  

  In September, the veteran reported that he — and, by extension, Mac — would soon be taking a brief hiatus from the soap. What was up? He promised to let us know.

• Ella Lentini

  

  Betty, we hardly knew ye. On the plus side, the nanny from hell didn’t exit via a plunge from the parapet as so many other Wyndemere residents have.

• Nicholas Alexander Chavez

  

  Having landed one of the lead roles in Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the Emmy winner was going to be taking some time off from his role as Spencer, our sister site TVLine reported in late June. He was, however, expected to return.

• Kin Shriner

  

  “I just found out Scotty was written out,” tweeted the General Hospital icon on May 16. Not sure who was more shocked about that, either: him or us.

• Haley Pullos

  

  TJ’s significant other was going to look a bit different over the summer of 2023. A car accident left Molly’s regular portrayer in need of a temporary recast while she was on the mend.

• Jacklyn Zeman

  

  The May 10, 2023 passing of the daytime legend meant that, sadly, Bobbie had attended her last Nurses Ball. Read what Zeman’s Port Charles family had to say about her here.

• Lexi Ainsworth

  

  This family photo was destined to look a bit different in the summer of 2023, after Kristina’s portrayer was replaced by Days of Our Lives’ Kate Mansi (ex-Abigail).

• James Ryan

  

  That was fast. No sooner had General Hospital introduced Nathan Parsons’ replacement as Holly and Luke’s son Ethan than we were waving goodbye to the newcomer. Heck, we scarcely had time to add him to our Look Who’s Joining the Show photo gallery.

• Charles Shaughnessy

  

  Just a couple of weeks before May sweeps, the soap vet, who had so thoroughly made the role of Victor his own, teased that he’d be getting “one of the greatest villain send-offs” ever. What could we say? We were going to hate to see him go but were dying to see how he’d leave!

• Heather Mazur

  

  Ya mess with a Cassadine, ya get… Well, in Eileen’s case, thrown off a bridge. The shady deputy mayor paid with her life for her betrayal of Victor.

• William Lipton

  

  When Cameron headed West to attend Stanford — what better way to forget Josslyn and how badly she broke his heart? — it appeared that we’d have to say goodbye to the rising star who’d played him for five years. At least for the moment.

• Alley Mills

  

  Ah, Heather, ya brought a knife to a gunfight. So as February sweeps came to a close, the Hook killer was at last taken into custody. She didn’t seem likely to remain in custody, however. (Just sayin’.)

• Jon Lindstrom

  

  Don’t worry — he remains in the thick of things as Kevin. But February sweeps marked the conclusion of his run as murderous Ryan, which he began back in 1992. “The end has come,” he Instagrammed.

• Adam Huss

  

  He put the “hit” in “pinch hitter.” In fact, the show’s substitute Nikolas so knocked it out of the park in the character’s last episodes in February that he got himself added to our photo gallery of soaps’ all-time best and worst temporary recasts.

• Marcus Coloma

  

  It was going to be a blue Christmas for fans of Nikolas’ third portrayer when the news broke in mid-December that his portrayer was on his way out as the Cassadine prince.

• Michael Blake Kruse

  

  What’s the opposite of a Christmas miracle? ’Cause that’s what poor Trina got when boyfriend Rory, ahem, got The Hook. On the plus side, now there was nothing and no one stopping her from acting on her feelings for Spencer.

• Emma Samms

  

  As November sweeps ended, so, apparently, did the veteran actress’ return engagement as Holly, who took her leave of Port Charles with yet another piece of lost love Robert’s heart in her hand.

• Robin Mattson

  

  It appeared to be the end of an era in late October 2022, when the soap-hopper who’d played BLT-loving nutjob Heather since 1980 was replaced by Bold & Beautiful vet Alley Mills (Pam).

• Amanda Setton

  

  Don’t panic. Brook Lynn’s portrayer isn’t out-out. She was just being replaced for a day in the fall of 2022 by Briana Lane, who also filled in when Setton was on maternity leave.

• Johnny Wactor

  

  Brando could hold his own in the boxing ring, for sure. But in September of 2022, he learned the hard way that you don’t bring your fists to a hook fight.

• Kelly Thiebaud

  

  Only two months after Britt’s portrayer won her first Daytime Emmy, her imminent exit was announced by our sister site Deadline in an article revealing that she was returning to primetime’s Station 19 as Eva.

• Chad Duell

  

  There was disorder in the court in June of 2022, when suddenly Young & Restless vet Robert Adamson (ex-Noah) was filling in as Michael as the judge decided whether his son would be spending any time with grandma Nina.

• Johnny Wactor

  

  Only months after his leading lady had to be temporarily recast, the actor who brings Brando to life was spelled by Brad Schmidt.

• Chris Van Etten

  

  Well, that was a short love story. Chet and Terry had just started dating when his sister arranged for him to get a job in Chicago. In real life, the character’s exit was necessitated by his portrayer’s move out of California.

• Inga Cadranel

  

  Once it was revealed that Harmony had killed Neil — and she offed his brother and was ready to do the same to Carly — the writing was on the wall for Willow’s “mother,” whom Sasha accidentally turned into a speedbump in May 2022.

• Amelie McClain

  

  Less than a year after the youngster took over the role of Charlotte from Scarlett Fernandez, Valentin and Lulu’s daughter was shipped off to boarding school. Would the character come down with a case of SORAS? Tune in tomorrow…

• Nancy Lee Grahn

  

  When the Emmy winner underwent what she jokingly called “a little back thingy surgery” in the spring of 2022, the soap accommodated her absence by bringing in as a temp Stephanie Erb, who you may recall once played a GH patient named Camille on spinoff Port Charles.

• Leslie Charleson

  

  When the soap’s longest-serving cast member was replaced by another actress in mid-March 2022, many a fan suffered the kinda palpitations that would make them a patient of Monica’s. But our heart rates all returned to normal once we took in the fact that the switcheroo was extremely temporary.

• Sydney Mikayla

  

  “May the Force be with her” was all we could say as the UCLA freshman revealed in March 2022 that she was leaving her role of Trina to focus on college. Tapped to pick up where the fan favorite left off in Port Charles was Tabyana Ali.

• Sean Blakemore

  

  After word began to spread in February 2022 that the actor was leaving his role of Shawn, he took to social media to make sure fans knew that he hadn’t been let go. “It was my decision to exit the show because of other obligations,” he tweeted, adding, “Who knows [what’s] to come in the future?”

• Sofia Mattsson

  

  General Hospital didn’t have to look far to find a sub for Sasha when her usual portrayer needed someone to fill in: The soap just slid her sister Helena into the role.

• Wes Ramsey

  

  During 2022’s February sweeps, it appeared once again that Peter had met his maker. And, as skeptical as we were, we had to consider the possibility that his reign of terror was really over when his portrayer Instagrammed that “it was one helluva ride.” (Read his full statement here.)

• Jane Elliot

  

  She’d “urn’d” a break. Though we were psyched to have the General Hospital vet reprise her role of Tracy, even if she came bearing bad news (RIP, Luke), she wasn’t back to stay. Only a month later, Elliot took her leave.

• Kelly Monaco

  

  As when she tested positive for COVID in the summer of 2020, Sam’s portrayer was again briefly spelled by Lindsay Hartley (Theresa, Passions) when she sat out a few episodes in February of 2022.

• Easton Rocket Sweda

  

  Fans flipped when suddenly, Ned and Olivia’s son Leo was being played by Isaiah Dell. But they needn’t have; it turned out to be a one-day thing in the winter 2022. Sweda had reclaimed his role in time for Leo to watch Mom and Dad recommit to one another.

• Scarlett Fernandez

  

  Just before Christmas 2021, the 12-year-old who’d played Valentin’s daughter since 2016 revealed that she was being recast. “Playing Charlotte Cassadine was my favorite,” she said, “and I’m sad it’s come to an end.” Still, the youngster gave a kind shout-out to her successor. “I know,” she predicted, “the fans will support the new actor playing Charlotte.”

• O’Neill Monahan

  

  Kids — sometimes, they grow up so fast; other times, they’re transformed into altogether different people. The latter was the case for Rocco in November of 2021 when Brady Bauer took over as Lulu’s son with Dante.

• Steve Burton

  

  Just before Thanksgiving 2021, the Emmy winner revealed via social media that he had been let go from his role of Jason, “because of the vaccine mandate” put in place to protect the cast and crew from COVID-19. Nonetheless, “I’ll always be grateful for my time on General Hospital,” he said. “I grew up there.” He even hoped to return someday. “That would be an honor.”

• Ingo Rademacher

  

  Perhaps not coincidentally, only weeks after General Hospital implemented a COVID-19 vaccine mandate to protect the cast and crew, our sister site Deadline reported that the actor and anti-vaxxer who’d played Jax off and on for 25 years would last air by November’s end.

• Briana Nicole Henry

  

  In September of 2021, when Jordan was sent to Albany for treatment for renal failure and kidney damage, we assumed that she’d return — until, that is, her portrayer revealed that she had taken a bow and left the show. “I hope I brought something unique and honest to your beloved character,” she Instagrammed. “She’s one helluva woman.”

• Genie Francis

  

  When Laura left the canvas in the summer of 2021, the soap legend who plays her was quick to reassure the audience that she’d booked a return trip. “I am very much looking forward to spending the time with my family and relaxing a bit,” she told TV Insider. “I promise, though, I will be back to Port Charles before you know it.”

• Rif Hutton

  

  Aw, the Tan-O would never be the same after pancreatic cancer got the best of Lenny, who passed away in August of 2021.

• Nicolas Bechtel

  

  When Spencer revealed his face anew in July 2021, it was not that of the 16-year-old we’d watched play Nikolas’ son since 2013 — the character had been SORAS’d and recast. But his original portrayer had no regrets. As he tweeted, “It’s been a great run.” (Read his full remarks here.)

• Wes Ramsey

  

  Watch your… oops. In the June 3, 2021, episode of General Hospital, we learned that Finn had, erm, “helped” down the stairs Peter, the supervillain who’d just tossed away Chase’s one hope for a cure. And that was merely the latest and last of his offenses! (Till he returned alive and well, anyway.)

• Roger Howarth

  

  “You’re killin’ us!” we cried while watching the March 9, 2021, episode of General Hospital. But, in fact, it was Franco that the soap was killing. Thankfully, his portrayer soon revealed to Soap Opera Digest that his exit would only be temporary.

• Briana Nicole Henry

  

  When COVID sidelined Jordan’s portrayer just after Thanksgiving in 2020, actress/dancer Tiffany Daniels (La La Land) was tapped to step in for a spell and keep Port Charles safe from crime. Or at least as safe as it ever is! 

• Réal Andrews

  

  Now you see him, now you don’t. It seemed like Taggert’s portrayer had scarcely resurrected his character when Soap Opera Digest reported that the actor was being temporarily replaced in December 2020 by Asante Jones.

• Mark Lawson

  

  Ahead of the November 23, 2020, episode of General Hospital, Dustin’s portrayer shared on social media that it was “special to me.” Little did we suspect at the time that the reason it was special was because it was going to mark the death of his character.

• Ashton Arbab

  

  The explosion that rocked the Floating Rib in November 2020 didn’t just blow up the bar, it obliterated the soap’s teen scene by claiming as a casualty Dev, the young pickpocket who was as good at stealing hearts as wallets.

• William deVry

  

  At first, the fan favorite toyed with viewers, dropping hints that no one could be sure really were hints that his stint as Julian was coming to an end. But when in November 2020 he made reference to “my last day,” we couldn’t pretend anymore that the writing wasn’t on the wall.

• Emme Rylan

  

  General Hospital fans didn’t want to believe it was true when reports surfaced in the fall of 2020 that Lulu’s portrayer had been let go. While the actress hesitated to address the rumors, she did make one thing clear: “I did not choose this.”

• Ryan Carnes

  

  With no warning, Lucas’ longtime portrayer was simply… boom… replaced with Chicago Fire alum Matt Trudeau. The show didn’t even announce on the recast’s first day in November that “Today the role is being played by… ” It was just “Surprise!” And there he was.

• Briana Lane

  

  In November of 2020, the daytime newcomer who spelled Amanda Setton as Brook Lynn during her maternity leave took her leave, setting the stage for her predecessor’s return. Ironically, as the character exited Port Charles, she did so toting around a pregnancy test.

• Inga Cadranel

  

  In November of 2020, the actress, who played Willow’s mother Harmony, shared that scheduling conflicts would prevent her from continuing in the role of the former Dawn of Day member. “But,” she added, “you never know what the future may bring.”

• Max Gail

  

  We all knew that Mike Corbin’s storyline would have an unhappy ending — not even General Hospital’s doctors can cure Alzheimer’s disease. But that in no way diminished the impact of the character’s heartrending last days with Sonny and their family in September 2020.

• Joe Flanigan

  

  After General Hospital sent Neil Byrne from Alexis’ bed to the grave in September 2020, the ill-fated shrink’s portrayer thanked fans for petitioning the show to resurrect his character. “I don’t know if it makes any difference,” he tweeted, “but I hope it does!”

• Chloe Lanier

  

  No one believes that General Hospital troublemaker Nelle Benson is really, much less most sincerely, dead. But viewers still had to say goodbye, at least for a while, to her talented portrayer when the vixen plunged from a cliff in August 2020.

• Amanda Setton

  

  In August of 2020, the One Life to Live alumna (as Kim) was just making herself at home as the latest Brook Lynn to hit Port Charles when she had to press “pause,” allowing Briana Lane to take over her role while she herself went on maternity leave.

• Tamara Braun

  

  We would’ve liked to have seen Kim bounce back after losing son Oscar. But instead, her portrayer was let go, bringing to an end her second run on General Hospital. (You’ll recall, she’d previously played Carly between Sarah Brown and Jennifer Bransford.)

• Coby Ryan McLaughlin

  

  Disproving the theory that only the good die young, Sam introduced Dawn of Day guru Shiloh to his maker in the fall of 2019, cutting short a run that should’ve made his portrayer a modern-day answer to the late, great Roscoe Born (aka One Life to Live cult leader Mitch Laurence).

• Michelle Stafford

  

  Hey, nobody can say that the Emmy winner didn’t leave General Hospital for a good reason in the summer of 2019: Nina’s original portrayer was headed back to her old soap, The Young and the Restless, where she reclaimed her role of Phyllis from Gina Tognoni.

• Parry Shen

  

  In March of 2020, baby-swap accomplice Brad began a prison stint that’s lasted longer than any of career criminal Sonny’s — and took the remorseful schemer’s portrayer off the canvas for more time than any of us would have liked.

• Rebecca Budig

  

  Hoping to cover his tracks in November 2019, Nikolas tricked former lover Hayden into beating a hasty retreat from Port Charles. But since she left behind daughter Violet with her dad Finn, we never gave up hope that the sorta-reformed conniver would return.

• Billy Miller

  

  After almost five years as Jake… No, make that Jason… Whoops, no, make that Drew… the Emmy winner walked into an elevator in the summer of 2019, and the next thing we knew, we were being told that his walking identity crisis of a character had been killed off screen.

• Garren Stitt

  

  In the spring of 2019, General Hospital turned Josslyn’s terminally-ill first love Oscar into the literal definition of a teen angel. And though Port Charles is filled to overflowing with the living dead, when he passed away, he stayed that way.

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