General HospitalComings & Goings

General Hospital fans will be seeing less of Maxie in Port Charles in the coming weeks. Soap Opera Digest is reporting that the character’s recent trip out of town will be for “an undisclosed length of time” while Kirsten Storms temporarily steps away from the ABC soap opera to recovery from brain surgery.

Back in June, we alerted readers that Storms had undergone surgery on the lower part of her brain, including the removal and drainage of a very large cyst, which thankfully was not cancerous. The actress revealed the details “before the Internet [went] crazy-wild with rumors.”

While Storms has been recuperating, the onscreen drama has been in full swing surrounding Peter’s disappearance and Maxie and Brook Lynn’s plot to keep baby Louise safe by disguising her as the Quartermaine’s child with Valentin. Maxie has snuck in a few visits here and there but this past week, she said goodbye to her daughter before leaving town on Monday, July 19.

Maxie may be gone for a bit, but Anna is still on the hunt to find out what happened to Peter — and Finn and Liz are working overtime with worry about who’s going to uncover the fact that Finn accidently killed the bad boy and Liz helped to cover it up. At this point, it might be a good idea to get Jason on board to help keep the secret safe because before you know it, someone’s going to find out the truth.

We wish Storms a speedy recovery! Until we see Maxie again, take a look at how she started out as a mean girl only to try to be a better person, the one Nathan fell in love with, in Soaps.com’s gallery of General Hospital characters who went from villainous to… well, at least somewhat less villainous.

— Amy Mistretta

General Hospital has recast the role of Spencer Cassadine with newcomer Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who first appeared, in disguise, as Nic and Ava’s stalker, on Thursday, June 1. The SORASed role was previously played by Nicolas Bechtel since 2013.

Someone has been making Ava and Nikolas’ lives a living hell as of late, to the point where, in order for Ava to protect her daughter Avery, she left Nikolas and asked for a divorce. If you watched yesterday’s episode, their stalker struck again, but this time was caught by Nic’s secret cameras in Ava’s gallery — as well as Trina. And yes, their stalker has been Nic’s son Spencer all along!

Spencer was enrolled in a boarding school in France and Laura has since revealed that he had graduated. It’s no secret that Spencer hasn’t been a fan of Nicolas being with Ava. Last October, Britt revealed to Kevin that Spencer had asked her to save his father from himself — and his wife.

More: Did Maurice Benard just make an accidental reveal

One of the last times we saw the young prince in Port Charles was in 2019 when Nina found him in her office, ranting and raving about having been exiled from Spoon Island by Valentin. In fact, the sassy teen warned Nina to put a leash on his uncle! However, his visit wasn’t all for nothing… Spencer ended up making Nina question Valentin’s connection to Sasha — the woman who once posed as her daughter.

Soaps.com can’t wait to see what kind of shenanigans Spencer has in store for those who he believes have wronged him.

While we wait for the drama to unfold, take a look at our latest gallery featuring timeless photos of soap star who own their ages.

— Amy Mistretta

It’s been a little over a year when Cyrus Renault first showed up in Port Charles. However, we can confirm that the villain’s reign of terror has finally come to an end and Jeff Kober, who was nominated for a 2021 Daytime Emmy, is leaving General Hospital — for now.

In the June 4 episode, during a hostage situation where Cyrus was holding his sister Laura, with Portia’s house surrounded, he took aim and shot Curtis and in turn Cyrus was shot by Jordan. Though he survived, by the end of the June 10 episode, Carly informed the mad man that he would be sent to a maximum security prison, which will happen on June 16.

Not only will the streets of Port Charles be safer, many will be able to let their guard down, including Sasha, who can now have her baby with Brando in peace, and Britt, who no longer has to worry about Cyrus running the hospital into the ground — not to mention, lives will no longer be at risk from the drugs he was having dealt out onto the streets. And how about Carly? In Sonny’s absence, she recently faced off with Cyrus for her place in the mob, which was classic, and therefore made our big best and worst list.

We invite our readers to look back at that moment when Carly got one up on Cyrus by taking charge at the meeting of the five families in our best and worst gallery of 2021… so far, as well as other memorable moments from The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless.

Get your free daily soap-opera fix for General Hospital — and all of the other daytime dramas — delivered straight to your email inbox by signing up for Soaps.com’s newsletter.

— Amy Mistretta

Some would say that Peter August had one hell of a run in Port Charles — and many are surprised, due to his shady antics, that he even lasted as long as he did. And now, after almost four years with the ABC soap, Wes Ramsey has left General Hospital, as first reported by Soap Opera Digest.

Back in March, we posted a photo gallery of those we suspected would kill Peter, and viewers watched in the June 3 episode when it was revealed that Finn, who had followed him up to the hospital roof, pushed him down the stairs during a struggle.

So, where did it all begin? Peter first turned up in Port Charles having been hired by Drew and Sam as Aurora Media’s new COO. Here’s where the ball of yarn began to unravel… With news that Jason and Drew had been kidnapped five years prior by Cesar Faison — and had their memories tampered with — Peter asked Lulu to write a story about the craziness in order to lure Faison out.

After Nathan had learned Faison was his father, he agreed to help Lulu so that he, Maxie and their unborn child wouldn’t have to worry about when the madman would show up and strike again. When Faison finally appeared, wreaking havoc as he tends to, he found Peter with Maxie, and in an attempt to protect her, Peter was shot by Faison. Nathan appeared, and Faison shot and killed him, never realizing that he was his son.

Speaking of sons… Anna learned that Faison had another son, Peter (aka Henrik), who later went to the hospital and confronted his horrible father, who’d been shot by Jason. As much as Faison felt betrayed by Peter since he hadn’t offed Jason, Henrik hated his father for the way that he’d treated him and prevented him from alerting a nurse when he couldn’t breathe, which (as will happen) led to his death.

After the dust settled surrounding the Jason/Drew debacle — and Peter survived being kidnapped, tortured and held hostage in a cabin by Obrecht (Misery-style!), his life changed for the better because of Maxie and Anna, who everyone believed was Peter’s mother — until she realized that her evil sister Alex was really his mom. But that’s a whole other story!

More: Kirsten Storms speaks out on behalf of Wes Ramsey

But back to falling for Maxie… After Maxie went into labor, Peter had no choice but to deliver her and Nathan’s baby — his own nephew. Friendship turned into romance, and, of course, so much more drama ensued surrounding Peter — simply too much to relive. In the end, no matter who objected, Maxie stood by Peter, became pregnant with his child and planned to marry him.

That is, until all of his crimes were revealed to Maxie on their wedding day — way too many for her to ignore, including the fact that her groom had willingly kidnapped Drew, worked with Helena to double-cross Faison and was responsible for bringing down Drew’s plane.

Franco had been hearing Drew’s voice in his mind, and after realizing Peter’s involvement in the mess, he knocked him over the head and threatened to kill him in order to get a confession — but Peter killed Franco with a gunshot to the chest, then fled the crime scene unseen. Though Maxie warned Peter away from her and their baby, he refused to ever leave them behind, which set off a fury of events — including Maxie giving her baby to Brook Lynn in order to protect the newborn girl from her father.

In the end, Peter was seen falling down a flight of stairs and, weeks later, we finally know that Finn was responsible for giving Peter that fatal push to meet his maker.

Have you been keeping score of the Port Charles revolving door? Take a look at our photo gallery featuring a comprehensive guide to all of the General Hospital exits as of late.

— Amy Mistretta

None of our shows surprise us more often — or more massively — than General Hospital. And ABC’s lone daytime drama did it again on May 27 when well, what do you know? There was Roger Howarth, chest bare, new role revealed.

In an instant, viewers went from wondering who Franco Baldwin’s (and, for that matter, Todd Manning’s) former portrayer would be playing when he was reintroduced to the canvas to wondering what Elizabeth is going to make of Austin, the doctor who came to the assistance of Maxie — and her unborn child — after she fled from babydaddy Peter’s henchwoman, Chloe.

There’s no getting around the fact that the handsome hiker bears an uncanny resemblance to Liz’s ill-fated husband, right?

More: Remembering General Hospital Emmy winner on anniversary of suicide

Back in March, when General Hospital killed off Franco, Howarth was quick to tell Soap Opera Digest that he wasn’t gone for good. In time, the Daytime Emmy winner was going to be woven into the thick of things once more — and in a way that left the alum of One Life to Live and As the World Turns stoked. “I’m excited,” he said at the time. “I have great faith in the people who think of these things.”

So, what do you make of Howarth’s re-entrance? First impression of Austin? Do you think that he’s being positioned for a love triangle with Liz and Maxie? While you ponder the infinite possibilities, stop off, why don’t you, at our photo gallery that reviews Howarth’s entire run on the show… so far, that is!

Last month we reported that Kimberly McCullough had teased a General Hospital return and now we can confirm that the actress will in fact be back on Friday, May 21, as officially announced by Soap Opera Digest.

In a few cryptic Twitter posts the actress revealed, “I did something really cool today that involved wearing make-up and heels all day, which I clearly wasn’t prepared for,” then went on to ask fans, “Can anyone guess what this cool thing was?”

I did something really cool today that involved wearing make-up and heels all day, which I clearly wasn’t prepared for. Can anyone guess what this cool thing was?

— Kimberly McCullough (@whitewatercrew) April 17, 2021

Her followers were quick to guess that she had spent the day on the set of General Hospital, with one fan, Sal Anthony Corrente, simply assuming it was so by replying, “Glad to hear that you are making a General Hospital appearance. I wish you would stay.” And we wish that too!

McCullough continued to fuel the fun with a clue and shared, “Saw some old friends and reminisced about an absent dear one.”

Here’s a clue- saw some old friends and reminisced about an absent dear one…

— Kimberly McCullough (@whitewatercrew) April 17, 2021

For those who haven’t heard, as discussed in our General Hospital spoilers, next Friday the ABC soap opera will air a special tribute episode to honor the late John Reilly (Sean Donely), who passed away in January, with a special appearance by his daughter Caitlin Reilly and a return of fan favorite Kristina Wagner (Felicia). Along with other Port Charles residents, fans can expect to be pulled into a mystery surrounding one woman from Sean’s life.

It’ll be neat to watch Reilly’s daughter take on this role during the touching tribute. We invite readers to take this time to look at other father/daughter duos in our gallery filled with photos of soap stars and their real-life dads.

— Amy Mistretta

It’s been a hot minute since we’ve seen Kristina Wagner on General Hospital as Felicia Jones. Well fans, the wait is over and you can expect to see Felicia back in Port Charles on Friday, May 21, as first reported by Soap Opera Digest.

The last time she was mentioned was in late December 2020 when Maxie invited Britt to join her, Peter, Mac and Felicia for a New Year’s family dinner. Prior to that, she was spotted at the Floating Rib in May 2020 with Robert, who was drunk and trying to wrap his head around the news that Hollie was dead, which he couldn’t believe — and Anna later confirmed to Felicia that she believed there was more to the story as well!

Back to Wagner’s upcoming return… as you may recall, in April the show announced it would be airing a special episode that day as a tribute to the late John Reilly, who passed away on January 9 of this year and had played the role of Sean Donely from 1984 to 2013.

In other neat news surrounding the upcoming special, Reilly’s real-life daughter Caitlin Reilly will also turn up in the role of Sean’s daughter. Given how loved Sean was by so many in Port Charles, and the mark the actor left on daytime viewers, we cannot wait to watch what the ABC soap has planned for May 21.

We invite readers to take this time to remember other soap opera stars who we’ve lost this year by viewing photos and details about their careers in our memorial gallery.

— Amy Mistretta

We’re about to see a new face in Port Charles beginning the week of May 10. Soap Opera Digest is reporting that Guiding Light alum Kimberly J. Brown (former fashion designer Marah Lewis) has been cast on General Hospital in a new, mysterious role.

This will be the second daytime role for Brown, who told the magazine, “I haven’t done a soap since Guiding Light, so I’m just thrilled to be doing something in daytime again.” The actress will be reunited with former Springfield castmates Laura Wright (Carly), who played Cassie, as well as Cynthia Watros (Nina), who appeared as Annie.

Our Hallmark fans might recognize Brown from her role as Angela in 2019 during the third installment of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ Crossword Mysteries series, starring All My Children alum Lacey Chabert (Bianca).

However, the question remains… What brings Brown’s character to Port Charles and who will she be involved with? Will she be wrapped up in a storyline surrounding former All My Children actor Cameron Mathison’s General Hospital debut? Or maybe she’ll turn up during one of the many May Sweeps plots?

Whatever the case, we’ll be eagerly awaiting her daytime return! For now, join us as we look back on various soap opera stars who went on to do movies and primetime then returned to their daytime roots in our photo gallery.

— Amy Mistretta

Fans have been beside themselves since the fatal murder of Port Charles’ Franco Baldwin. Though the character will not return from the dead, as so may have before him, Roger Howarth will be returning to General Hospital at the end of May, as reported in the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest — and the much-anticipated return will be “extremely memorable!”

As fans recall, Howarth assured his followers he would not be leaving the ABC soap opera but in fact would be returning as another character. While a lid has been kept on the details, the actor voiced not only his excitement but faith and trust in how the powers that be would handle his comeback.

Since Franco’s fateful March 9 death, with a bullet to the chest at the hands of Peter August, Jason has been sitting in lockup faced with a murder charge while Franco’s killer runs free. Carly has vowed to help her BFF Jason, while Anna, Valentin and others continue on their quest to take down Peter for good.

Liz has been devastated, as have all of those who loved Franco. Cameron’s been on edge ever since his stepfather’s death, and Scottie wants the person responsible for killing his son to pay.

So, the question remains… if Franco isn’t coming back, how will everyone react when they see the face of a dead man — and who will he turn out to be? Someone we’ve met before or someone totally new?

Many have thrown around ideas as to which character Howarth will play, and we know he can return as any number of characters that the show wants — except for one. Join us as we talk about the who and the why.

So, keep your eyes open in the coming month as we wait with bated breath for a soap opera icon to make his return. Until then, take a look through our gallery showcasing photos of Roger Howarth’s epic run on General Hospital.

— Amy Mistretta

If ever a part was made for an actor, it was this one: Caitlin Reilly, the daughter of beloved General Hospital alum John Reilly, has been tapped to play the daughter of his character, Sean Donely, in the ABC soap’s upcoming tribute to the late scene stealer.

In reporting the news, Variety quoted Caitlin as saying that “words can’t describe how honored I am to be playing my dad’s daughter on the show. I grew up on the set of General Hospital, watching him work for years, so it’s exciting to dive into a new character in honor of him.

“He’ll absolutely be by my side in spirit on set rooting me on,” the TikTok star added. “It fills my heart with gratitude to be a part of this tribute to him, and to feel so close to him working on a show he loved so much doing.”

Born in 1995, Sean and true love Tiffany Hill’s daughter was named after their good friend Anna Devane — but now goes by Annie. She was last seen in 2013 when her dad had been stricken with polonium poisoning courtesy of the nefarious Jerry Jacks. (At the time, Courtney Halverson played the part.)

Sean, you may recall, also has a son, Connor Olivera, from a past relationship. But the former Outback manager hasn’t been seen around Port Charles since the early 1990s.

While we wait for more details on the soap’s tribute to Reilly, who passed away in January, pay your respects by perusing the below photo gallery, a collection of images of the stars we’ve lost already in 2021. (Sheesh — and it’s only April.)