What Happened to Michael on General Hospital

Michael Corinthos on General Hospital never seems to have much happiness in his life, and that drama goes all the way back to his birth! Born on-screen on Dec. 29, 1997, Michael was played by a series of child actors, including Dylan Cash, who made his debut in 2002. In 2009, GH aged the character into a teenager played by Drew Garrett. However, nearly a year later, the role was recast with Chad Duell, who made his debut in April of 2010 and continues to play the part to this day. Although in the spring and summer of 2022, the role was recast temporarily with Young and Restless alum Robert Adamson for some episodes. Then, in November 2024, Duell shocked fans by announcing his decision to leave, and last aired on January 21, 2025. Michael returned to the canvas on May 23, 2025, with the role recast with Y&R alum Rory Gibson (ex-Noah).

When Carly Benson learned she was pregnant, she felt A.J. Quartermaine was unfit to be a father, so she named Jason Morgan as her babydaddy. Upon his birth, Michael was raised by Jason and Robin as Carly was suffering from postpartum depression. Carly’s ex-fiancé, Tony Jones, kidnapped Michael, and Robin told A.J. the truth about the baby’s paternity. After a failed attempt to raise Michael with A.J., Carly married Sonny Corinthos, who threatened A.J. into giving up all rights to his son and adopted Michael as his own.

In 2005, Michael was kidnapped again, along with siblings Morgan and Kristina, by Faith Rosco. Later, Michael was suspected of murdering A.J., but he had actually witnessed Dr. Asher Thomas commit the crime. After accidentally shooting Sonny’s girlfriend, Kate Howard, with a gun, Michael ran away from home, and when Carly finally found him in a warehouse, they were nearly killed in an explosion! Then, Michael was shot in the head by a sniper aiming for Sonny and fell into a coma!

Michael awoke with anger management issues and slowly began to remember missing pieces of his past, such as Claudia Zacchara’s involvement in his shooting. When he discovered Claudia holding a pregnant Carly hostage, intending to steal her daughter, Josslyn, Michael killed her! Sonny attempted to cover for the crime, but Michael landed in prison where he was brutally assaulted by another inmate. After Dante got Michael released on parole, he began dating stripper Abby Haver and eventually confessed that Carter had raped him behind bars. To protect Abby from an abusive ex, Michael tried to send her out of town, but she was tragically killed in an accident, leaving him gutted.

Michael started dating Starr Manning, but she eventually broke up with him over the phone. Stunned to discover that A.J. was still alive, he bonded with his dad and they worked together to take over ELQ. Michael clashed with Morgan’s new girlfriend, Kiki Jerome, but they eventually fell for each other, despite a brief hurdle where they thought they could be cousins. After Kate was murdered, A.J. was the prime suspect, but Michael was convinced of his father’s innocence and devastated when he was murdered himself. After learning that Sonny was the one who shot A.J., and Carly helped him cover it up, an enraged Michael held him at gunpoint, and Dante and Morgan had to talk him down.

As Sonny was shipped off to prison, Michael decided to change his last name to Quartermaine and distanced himself from the Corinthos family. After Sonny was paroled for saving Michael and others (including the governor’s daughter) from a bomb, an angry Michael sued him for custody of his daughter, Avery, bringing up Sonny’s dangerous lifestyle. He hired Sabrina Santiago to work as his nanny, and after they eventually fell for each other, she convinced Michael to reconcile with his family and return Avery to Sonny.

When Sabrina got pregnant, Michael was excited to be a father, but upset to learn the baby was really Carlos Rivera’s. She left town with Carlos, and Michael teamed up with Sonny to go to Puerto Rico and bring her home. But Michael’s happiness with her and newborn Teddy was destroyed when Sabrina was murdered by Paul Hornsby and he allowed the baby to be raised by Carlos’ brother, Joe Rivera. Michael was further crushed when Morgan was suddenly killed in a car explosion.

Michael grew close to Nelle Hayes, but broke it off when it was revealed she was Carly’s adopted sister and out for revenge. After a time, he gave her another chance, and things looked good for the pair as she announced her pregnancy. But Michael soon came to realize that Nelle had still been plotting to get Carly out of her life and would stop at nothing to make it happen!

Working with Officer Harrison Chase to record Nelle’s confession that she’d set up Carly to be arrested and locked up in Ferncliff, Michael got exactly the evidence he needed, but then crashed their car! Nelle left Michael for dead, and when he was rescued by Sonny and brought to the hospital, Nelle presented him with the baby she’d just given birth to, which had died. Michael was devastated, not realizing that Nelle had run into Brad Cooper and switched her living infant with Wiley, his adopted son, who had suddenly passed away. 

As Nelle was locked up in prison, Michael attended a grief support group at the hospital where he met and befriended Willow Tait, who turned out to be Wiley’s birth mother. He also lent money to Kristina, which he later regretted when he found out she was using it to get deeper into Dawn of Day, a dangerous cult. Michael fell for Sasha Gilmore, but their romance hit a snag when it was revealed that she had been lying about being Nina’s long-lost daughter. He eventually came around and forgave Sasha, and the pair eventually professed their love for each other.

Then Michael’s world was turned upside-down yet again when the baby switch was finally revealed and he learned that Wiley was actually his son! Adjusting to raising the boy at the Quartermaine mansion became even more complicated when Nelle got out on parole and announced she was going to fight for custody of their son. Michael hired Diane to help him win the custody battle, and when told marrying Sasha wouldn’t help because of her sketchy past, he married Willow instead!

Despite Nelle’s marrying Julian to compete, Michael and Willow were granted custody of Wiley. Nelle attempted to abduct her son, but Michael tracked her down and saved Wiley as Carly watched Nelle fall from a cliff. Back home and safe with his son, Michael found himself drawn to Willow in spite of their plan. After learning that Chase and Sasha had lied about having sex to push them together, Michael and Willow reconsidered and signed annulment papers, though he invited her to stay in the Quartermaine gatehouse so she would be close by.

Michael decided not to reunite with Sasha because he’d fallen in love with Willow, and they finally admitted their feelings to each other. Michael had decided to cut Nina out of Wiley’s life after she told the kid she was his grandmother, but when Jax caught him with Willow, he used that as leverage to force Michael to allow Nina a visit. Then, Michael agreed with Willow that she should marry Chase because he was on his deathbed. So after he pulled through, the couple had to sneak around behind his back! Naturally, Chase caught them together, and things got ugly before he and Willow agreed to an amicable split. Michael was also concerned about Austin Holt‘s attempts to get his share of the Quartermaine fortune, but he allowed Chase to give Austin the evidence he’d found in the house.

Michael and Willow moved into the gatehouse together, but when he tried to pop the question, she admitted she wasn’t ready for marriage. She was also upset when he secretly took action to make Nina pay for her crimes against his family. Sonny tried to make peace, but Michael was unable to forgive his father for choosing Nina and ultimately cut him out of his life. When Nina sued for visitation rights to Wiley, Michael arranged for Smoltz, the reporter he’d previously punched out, to write a tell-all exposing all of her dirty laundry. He also plotted an ELQ/Aurora Media merger with Drew Cain to help force Valentin Cassadine out of the family business.

As the visitation hearing began, Michael remained upset at Sonny for taking Nina’s side and was happy to let Diane tear into them both on the stand during testimony. And even after his own criminal past was brought up by Scott, Michael remained determined to keep Nina away from Wiley. Ultimately, the judge decided in his favor, and Michael felt vindicated. It was also revealed that Sonny’s new employee, Dex, was secretly working for Michael to help bring his father down! And while Ned and Valentin joined forces to squash the ELQ/Aurora merger, leaving Michael frustrated, he was later overjoyed to learn that Willow was pregnant! However, he was unaware that she wasn’t telling him everything…

Michael was heartbroken when Willow finally confessed she had leukemia and had waited to receive treatment until their baby would be safe, but promised to support her no matter what. Michael popped the question, and she happily accepted. He was stunned when Drew revealed that Nina was Willow’s birth mother, and he struggled to forgive Carly for keeping that secret. When Willow nearly died during childbirth, Michael’s pleas for her to come back to him kept her from going into the light. The couple named their newborn daughter Amelia Grace.

As Michael and Willow planned their wedding, he was surprised to learn that Dex and Josslyn were romantically involved. At Willow’s urging, he allowed Sonny to attend the ceremony but not Nina. After the beautiful nuptials, the reception was spoiled when Carly was taken in for questioning by the SEC for insider trading. Michael confided to a worried Willow about his plan to bring down Sonny, and she persuaded him not to use the evidence that he and Dex had collected. Joss accused Michael of endangering Dex’s life by not bringing Sonny down, but he stood firm. He also confessed to Carly and gave her the flash drive with the evidence, which she destroyed.

After Willow’s bone marrow transplant was successful, Michael brought her home to recover, and they slowly began to resume their life together. Although he was still wary of Nina, Michael had a heart-to-heart with Sonny to try and make peace with his father. He even attended Sonny and Nina’s wedding only to overhear that Nina was the one who turned Carly and Drew in to the SEC! Later getting Martin Grey to confirm it was true, Michael played his recording of that conversation for Nina and told her he’d only stay quiet if she agreed to stay far away from Willow!

When Drew was released from prison early, he decided he just wanted to move on from the whole thing, so Michael didn’t tell him about Nina. Drew then revealed his intention to merge Aurora and ELQ again, which naturally made Ned upset when they did business behind his back. When Nina told Michael that Ned was blackmailing her with her secret to get information about Aurora he could use, Michael agreed to give her some fake intel to pass along.

On New Year’s Eve, Lois revealed Nina’s secret, and Michael’s 2024 got off to a rocky start when Willow discovered he’d known for a long time and had used the information to force Nina to keep her distance from her and Wiley. But she was able to support him when his grandmother, Bobbie, passed away suddenly. Carly forgave Michael very quickly, but it was some time before Willow was able to forgive her husband. When Jason returned very much alive, Michael enlisted Willow to treat his wounds, and they agreed to keep his comeback secret until he was ready to reveal himself. 

Michael supported Willow when she accepted Drew’s offer to be a spokesperson for a non-profit, and again when she later decided to return to nursing. But he wasn’t crazy about Drew’s choice to give up the business to become a Congressman, but agreed to take charge of Aurora. Michael softened towards Nina slightly, and she agreed to help clear Carly’s name to make things right between them. When Drew confessed that he and Willow had kissed, Michael was heartbroken and went to drown his sorrows. He slept with an equally upset Sasha, who also revealed there had been two kisses! Michael went to Willow to make sure there wasn’t anything else she wanted to confess, and after she insisted it had only been once, they had make-up sex.

Unfortunately, Michael later saw nanny cam footage of Drew and Willow having sex and saw another close moment between them with his own eyes. Michael told Curtis that Drew had offered him the Aurora CEO position to make amends, but Curtis was skeptical his friend would betray him like that. So Michael recorded a conversation where Drew insisted he never intended Curtis to be permanent CEO and the job was meant for Michael, and played that to Curtis so he’d open his eyes!

At the Quartermaine Christmas party, the nanny cam footage of Drew and Willow was streamed from Michael’s phone to the television, exposing their affair and Michael’s knowledge of it. He allowed Willow to take the kids and stay at Nina’s and hired Diane to represent him in the divorce proceedings. When Michael asked Sasha to keep their own night together quiet, she agreed, but then stunned him with the news she was pregnant! He wanted to be a part of his child’s life, but when she pointed out it would affect his divorce from Willow and custody arrangements, he agreed to stay quiet as long as she remained in town.

Unfortunately, everything changed after Michael filed divorce papers. He was caught in an explosion in Sonny’s penthouse and barely survived. As Michael lay in a medically-induced coma, Willow tried to use her medical proxy as leverage in the custody battle, and Cyrus attempted to inject Michael with digitalis to end his suffering! The doctors saved Michael and then woke him up to let him decide on his treatment himself. He agreed with Carly’s suggestion to seek treatment in a burn clinic in Germany, where Jason had recuperated years ago. Carly traveled to Europe with her son at the end of January and continued to monitor his progress.

In May, Michael made a surprise appearance at the annual Nurses Ball, where an excited Wiley ran into his father’s arms, and he quickly reunited with his son and daughter. Refusing to strike a deal with Willow, Michael instead saw her in court as they battled for custody of their children, and things turned ugly.