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General Hospital’s Chad Brannon Hailed as a ‘Legend’ by On-Screen Son as He Returns to ‘My Old Stomping Grounds’ in Behind-the-Scenes Video
Thursday, February 18th, 2021
He’s baaaack.
On February 15, Chad Brannon shared to Instagram not only photos from his return to General Hospital but also a video of his joyful comeback to the ABC soap. In the clip, he’s seen “walking to someplace a little familiar,” he jokes.
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“Oh boy — General Hospital, here we come,” he continues. “I guess they share [studio space] with Grey’s Anatomy. Isn’t that nice?”
While there’s been no official word as to whom the Daytime Emmy winner will be playing, Soap Opera Digest reports that he’ll be making a guest appearance in mid-March as Zander Smith, the ill-fated father of Elizabeth’s son, Cameron. Right on cue, the teen’s portrayer, William Lipton, called his on-screen pop a “legend.”
More: General Hospital star needs prayers for his mom
Odds are that Brannon will be appearing as a vision (whether ghostly or otherwise) to Liz or Cameron, who are grappling with the very real possibility that her husband and his stepfather, Franco, might once again be prompted by his brain tumor to give in to homicidal tendencies.
Since leaving the soap in 2004, Brannon has appeared on series such as Cold Case and Friday Night Lights, and begun a career as a voiceover artist on programs like The Cleveland Show and American Dad!
While you head for the comments to contemplate the possible ways Brannon could return to General Hospital, check out the below photo gallery of the characters we want — make that need — back.
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Image: Howard Wise/JPI
1/14
<p>Their portrayers are both retired, but that doesn’t mean Jane Elliot and Anthony Geary can’t make a brief reappearance as their legendary alter egos. Especially since Luke’s former flame Holly Sutton is being held captive and Luke’s son Ethan just returned to find her. They can swoop in from wherever their travels have taken them to join the search.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
2/14
<p>13. Sebastian Roche made an instant impression as the villainous Mr. Craig. So much so General Hospital brought him back under other aliases including Jerry Jacks. That one stuck and gave him a family that included the straighter laced Jasper “Jax” Jacks as his brother. The canvas is primed for his return as he could be revealed to be in cahoots with Cyrus Renault or holding Holly Sutton captive. Or, he could return to lend a shoulder to his former flame Alexis Davis who is grieving the loss of Neil Byrne. They didn’t have the healthiest relationship but their chemistry was undeniable.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
3/14
<p>He was presumed dead after his plane went down, but his body was never found. That means, in soap opera terms, that Drew Cain is more than likely out there alive somewhere. He could pop up anytime to disrupt the lives of his ex-wife Sam McCall, his brother Jason Morgan, his mother figure Monica Quartermaine, and his friend Franco Baldwin. All those relationships deserve more exploration, as well as the one he has as Scout’s father.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
4/14
<p>Ric Lansing has always been a great nemesis to his brother Sonny Corinthos. On the rare occasion, they’ve even been on the same side. Regardless, their long tumultuous relationship always makes for a compelling story. Plus, Ric has complicated histories with other core characters like Alexis, Sam, Elizabeth, Carly, and Nina. Most importantly, he’s Molly father and that relationship deserves to be explored.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
5/14
<p>When Kelly Thiebaud wrapped both <em>Days of our Lives</em> (where she played Zoey) and <em>Station 19</em> (where she played Eva), there was nothing stopping her from returning to <em>General Hospital</em> — <em>and</em> putting her character back in the socially-distant orbit of loverboy Julian. “I guess if y’all want more of The Britch,” she tweeted after wrapping her latest <em>General Hospital</em> run, “you will have to <a href="https://twitter.com/kellythiebaud/status/1249812368411906048" target="_blank">harass Frank Valentini</a> [the show’s executive producer] and the writers — it’s up to them.” Fans must have listened because not only did Britt return, but she’s now the hospital’s Chief of Staff.</p>
Image: XJ Johnson/JPI
6/14
<p>When Carly Schroeder passed through town in 2017 for a tribute to on-screen grandpa Lee, we couldn’t figure out how <em>General Hospital</em> let the <em>Port Charles</em> alum leave. Serena’s a legacy character played by an actress who’s as radiant as a sunrise, and she’d fit in beautifully with the soap’s younger set. Can anyone <em>not</em> see her hanging out with Michael and Willow, Chase and Sasha? Oh, put your hand down; we’re going to assume you’re raising your arm because you’d had some kind of muscle spasm!</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
7/14
<p>Sonny’s onetime associate is a real Port Charles rarity: a criminal who’s actually gone to prison and <em>stayed</em> there! But isn’t it time — no, make that “<em>past</em> time”! — for T.J.’s dad to get sprung? He wasn’t even the hired gun whose bullet hit the character at No. 7! And his release would majorly complicate the life of babymama Jordan and her husband, Curtis — perhaps even to the point that he contemplated rekindling the flame that once flickered between himself and Portia!</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
8/14
<p>If we had a nickel for every time we’ve said that <em>General Hospital</em> needs to bring back Rebecca Budig, we’d have, like, a dollar. What? There are a <em>lotta</em> nickels in a dollar! And unlike some of these other returns for which we’re dying, we think that this one will actually happen at some point. It’s not like Hayden was going to dump Violet with dad Finn <em>forever</em>, right? Plus, we can’t be the only ones thinking that there is a lot more gold to be mined from Hayden’s relationship with sis Liz, can we?</p>
Image: XJ Johnson/JPI
9/14
<p>Despite how hot under the collar Ava made the former priest, he still always challenged the bad girl to be the best version of herself that she could. Which makes this the ideal time for him to revisit Port Charles and his onetime lover. While scrubbing back in and making amends to Kevin, Griffin could encourage Ava to be honest not only with herself but with her husband of convenience and admit to Nikolas that their marriage is about much more than money and power.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
10/14
<p>Since Rena Sofer is currently stirring the pot on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> as Quinn, we wouldn’t be able to get her back in the role of Ned’s ex-wife and Brook Lynn’s mother. But we always thought that fellow Daytime Emmy winner Lesli Kay (formerly Felicia on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em>) had been perfect for the part that she played in the mid-2000s. So why not bring her back to help Ned whip their daughter into shape — and, along the way, catch Scotty’s eye?</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
11/14
<p>Dead shmead! Port Charles is way too full of zombies for us to have believed Robert’s lost love was lost forever. We felt the sooner Emma Samms brought her back — along with that trademark, mischievous twinkle in her eye — the happier we (and Scorpio!) would be. And we were right. Despite the actress herself having to recover – as you may have read, she’s been having a devil of a hellish year – she made a surprise appearance revealing Holly was being held captive.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
12/14
<p>William Lipton (Cameron) recently confessed that he hoped <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/575274/general-hospital-stars-talk-nurses-ball-returns-video/" target="_blank">Jonathan Jackson</a> would reprise the role for which he won five (!) Emmys. He ain’t the only one. We, too, want the character’s first (and most recent) portrayer to book a return trip to Port Charles, whether his doing so throws ex-wife Elizabeth’s new life with Franco into disarray, gives sis Lulu an extra layer of support or challenges half brother Nikolas to admit that his marriage to Ava isn’t just one of convenience.</p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI
13/14
<p>We know. Felicia chose Mac now and forever. We wouldn’t upset that apple cart for anything in the world. It’s done. Settled. But that doesn’t mean that the WSB agent shouldn’t still revisit Port Charles. He has roots there. History. Let him fill in daughter Maxie on just what kind of a fella she’s falling for. Let him lend his special set of skills to Robert on a particularly tough case to prosecute. Let him… oh, now <em>there’s</em> an idea! Let him throw the kind of sparks with Anna that make her rethink her future with Finn.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
14/14
