General Hospital adds 5 characters to join Rick Hearst in huge cast shakeup after backlash over firing favorite stars

GENERAL Hospital has added five characters to join Rick Hearst’s return in a huge cast shakeup.

Recently, the long-running soap opera received backlash from fans after the series sent two actors packing.

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Rick Hearst, 59, was originally at General Hospital from 2002 until 2009 – he resumed his role in 2014.

However, the last time he was seen on the show was in 2016.

On July 25, 2024, the soap announced that Rick would be returning to play Ric Lansing this week.

The actor shared the news on Instagram, saying, “Very excited to announce my return to GH in the role of Ric Lansing.

“Stay tuned. You never know what you’re gonna get with this guy.”

On Monday, Soap Opera Digest reported that five other soap stars’ characters would also be making their return to Port Charles.

Parry Shen will return to the soap as Brad Cooper.

The fan-favorite actor hasn’t been seen since March of 2023 when he mourned the death of his former GH co-worker Epiphany, played by Sonya Eddy.

Brad had been fired from GH and was trying to make the most of his job working for his Aunt Selina (Lydia Look).

Debbie Matenopoulos, 49, will be back on GH as a Home & Heart producer.

An original The View co-host, Matenopoulos used to co-host the Hallmark Channel revival of Home & Family with Cameron Mathison, 54, who plays Drew Cain.

The pair won’t have scenes together – instead, the TV personality will be dealing with the team from Deception.

Amor Owens will return to the show as FBI Agent Boyle.

Ansuya Nathan is set to appear as Dr. Kitsen.

The doctor will interact with Laura, played by Genie Francis.

Laura will also interact with a second doctor, Dr. Conlon – played by Lincoln Hoppe.

Hoppe was previously on Truth Be Told, Roomies, and Hearts on Fire.

BIDDING ADIEU

The outlet also revealed that Jacqueline Grace Lopez’s character Blaze, also known as Allie, is leaving this week as she is headed off on a world tour.

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The actress, who joined the soap in 2022, bid the show and fans farewell in a touching Instagram post.

“Not gonna lie, this goodbye hurts,” Lopez wrote.

She continued, “I think because I didn’t see it coming. That and when you spend almost two years with this group, you start to feel like part of the fabric.

“I’m so grateful to Frank for asking me back. I am grateful to everyone I got to tell stories with, both in front and behind the camera. This cast and crew work so hard and have taught me so much. Jobs come and go, but it’s the people you miss. I’m definitely going to miss this bunch.”

In a special message to the fans, she wrote, “My heart is so full. Especially fans that embraced Blaze’s journey as a gay woman and formed community around each other as a result: Y’all got me through some moments.

“I poured myself into this story because I knew it was going to matter. I just didn’t know how much. You have humbled me, reminding me the need for feeling seen onscreen is absolutely universal to all marginalized communities.

She continued, “I learned that through Allie. Through you. Thank you for sharing your stories, your words of encouragement, and for the generous gifts! Know I carry all of that with me always. I hope I did right by you. That’s all I wanted to do.”

FAN REACTION

While Blaze made her exit to go on tour and said goodbye to her former lover, Kristina, played by Kate Mansi, fans said the series chose the “wrong person” to leave.

Instead, viewers wish the show got rid of Blaze’s mother, Natalia, played by Eva LaRue, as they call out her character’s controversial persona.

“So you go rid of Blaze to leave controlling Natalia behind? You got the wrong person GH,” commented on the show’s Instagram page.

“Blaze should have stayed and Natalia left,” wrote another.

“Blaze is gone (temporarily I hope) there is no reason for Natalia & her homophobic views to stick around,” said a third, referring to Natalia’s hate speech made earlier this season.

While fans have been vocal about their standing on the soap’s current stars, many hope Blaze will return to Port Charles.

“Really hope Blaze comes back, Jacqueline Grace Lopez has done an amazing job,” wrote one fan.

“I’m pissed. Maybe they’ll bring you back,” said another.

“I hate this for you and for the character. I hope they bring you back eventually!” commented a third.

SAYING GOODBYE

Last month, General Hospital star Michael Easton opened up about his character’s storyline after his abrupt exit in June.

The soap actor said that he was “hurt and wounded” over Dr. Hamilton Finn being written off.

He told Soap Opera Digest he wasn’t expecting to say goodbye to Hamilton.

“You do have to remove your ego from it and realize you have a job to do,” Michael told the outlet.

The actor said that the last few weeks of filming were “very raw and very draining” because they had to shove so much material into a small amount of time.

Michael took a swipe at the writers on the show and said that he wanted more storyline.

“I do appreciate the writers giving me so much material going out the door, but from an actor standpoint, I would like to have had just a little more time to add a little more subtlety and a little more nuance to it,” he told the outlet.

He also admitted that he felt a little bit hurt by the decision.

“You get hurt a little bit and you get wounded a little bit, and part of your head’s going, ‘Well, just do it’ – and then I ended up investing more [in my performance], to make it even better for them,” he said.

“I really wanted to make it work, so my thinking was, [Finn’s descent] had to go beyond alcoholism. Addiction and things like that, I kind of know a lot about that, but to get where I needed to go [with the character], it had to be almost a complete emotional break.” 

Hamilton is leaving the show to enter rehab for his alcohol addiction.

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