Gavin Houston, who made his television debut back in 2002 as GUIDING LIGHT’s Remy and is also known for his role as Jeffrey on OWN’s prime-time sudser THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS, is thrilled to have earned a return to trip to Port Charles after making a positive impression when he appeared in several episodes in February as Portia’s brother, Zeke.
“I always wanted to be on GENERAL HOSPITAL,” beams the actor, who notched a brief appearance back in 2010 as Sly, a forensics analyst. “I grew up watching it and always wanted to be a part of it. I’d been auditioning for different roles and got that one, which was just for a few episodes. I was young and still new to California, so it was a great experience.”
This time around, he’s signed on for a longer stint and a meaty storyline. When he got word that the show was bringing him back, “I was totally excited,” he enthuses. “I was ready and I really felt comfortable. When I first saw the character breakdown come in, I felt like, ‘Oh, this is mine,’ because a lot of it was already in my own personality – being playful, being a little bit of a rebel. When I read with Brook [Kerr, Portia] in the audition through the callback, there was just an immediate ease in chemistry and a lightness. It just worked! I was hoping to come back and hoping that there would be more. I just stayed ready and hopeful — and now there’s definitely more! I won’t say too much, but Zeke definitely has more to do [than just interact with his family]. He’s gone into other realms, and it’s been really cool for me to see more of who he is.”
In addition to actors like Kerr and Donnell Turner (Curtis), who he intersected with during Zeke’s debut episodes, Houston was excited to reunite with his old GL pal, Laura Wright (Carly; ex-Cassie, GL), when he returned to the studio. “It was amazing to see her again,” he smiles. “She was like, ‘You’re back! Yay!’ It’s so crazy, because she knew me when I was probably 24 or 25 — and she’s exactly the same person! It was like we just continued right where we left off. We always got along so well and she’s so much fun.”
Houston has plenty of friends and family cheering him on as he embarks on his Port Charles journey. “My family is very excited about it because GENERAL HOSPITAL has just been that staple for us, that soap opera that has been so consistently great with its characters and its storytelling. And just last month, I went back to my high school and a lot of the teachers were like, ‘And then you showed up on my favorite show!’ And they were talking about GENERAL HOSPITAL. I’m just so grateful to be here. It feels like it was meant to be.”
