General Hospital: Nicholas Alexander Chavez’s Spencer Cassadine Debut and the Birth of ‘Sprina’ 5 Years Later

On the five-year anniversary of Nicholas Alexander Chavez’s General Hospital debut, we’re revisiting the arrival of Spencer Cassadine in Port Charles on July 1, 2021 — and the launch of the fan-favorite pairing “Sprina.”

Becoming Spencer Cassadine

Chavez was cast on GH with no prior television experience. He was living in Florida at the time, working odd jobs, and after submitting a self-tape audition, he was flown out to Los Angeles to screen-test for the role of Spencer.

The actor told Soap Opera Digest, “There were a ton of guys there. I mean, usually when you go to screen-test, it’s like four or five people. There were 12 to 15 guys there and they were all gorgeous. They were all just stunning! And so I’m looking around and I’m like, ‘Jeez, this is some stiff competition!’”

Chavez got some key notes about what to infuse into his performance at the screen test, recalling to Digest in 2022 that producers “were big on [me portraying] that Spencer was a very confident guy, maybe even borderline arrogant; and that he had come from money, a lot of it, and had kind of reckless abandon that comes from unchecked wealth and power of that status. And of course, that he was very charming and in some ways elusive, but also direct, and he could also make a very sly comment that could hurt someone else’s feelings.”

He did his test opposite Maura West (Ava) — and less than 24 hours later, he found out the job was his. “That was one of the happiest moments of my life,” he beamed to Digest.

In 2022, Chavez had another career milestone to celebrate when he took home the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series.

When Spencer Met Trina on GH

Spencer Cassadine, the son of Nikolas Cassadine (Tyler Christopher) and Courtney Matthews (Alicia Leigh Willis) was born on the show in 2006. In his youth, Spencer was played by Nicolas Bechtel, who is five years younger than Chavez. In 2021, the show decided to recast and age up the role to make him a peer to Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) and Cameron Webber (William Lipton) — two characters who had also been born on-screen and rapidly aged — as well as Josslyn’s bestie, Trina Robinson, played at the time by Sydney Mikayla.

Chavez’s older version of Spencer was first seen breaking into the Jerome Gallery, his face covered by a mask. When the action resumed the next day, Trina encountered the intruder and tried to fend him off with pepper spray, only to discover the can was empty. Later, at Trina’s graduation party at The Savoy, a now-unmasked Spencer introduced himself to Trina using an assumed name, Victor, and flirted with her.

Thus began one of GH’s most popular love stories of its modern era.

The Rise of ‘Sprina’

The “opposites attract” romance immediately struck a chord with fans. In a Digest reader poll published just a few weeks’ into the storyline, 71% of fans said that Spencer and Trina had chemistry, while the following month, another viewer wrote in to rave that the pair was “easily the most captivating teen love story in over a decade.”

Critics agreed. In naming Spencer, Trina, and Esme (Avery Pohl) — Spencer’s devious girlfriend, who trailed him from Europe to Port Charles — the Best Triangle of 2021, Digest wrote, “Obviously, we are Team ‘Sprina,'” noting, “Esme’s awfulness highlights Trina’s awesomeness, and instead of two women fighting over a guy, the show is doing something far more original and satisfying: having Spencer reckon with whether he deserves someone like Trina, whether he can be worthy of her respect, much less her love.”

Digest concluded that “As a result, this is shaping up to be a deeper, richer and more thoughtful foray into a coming-of-age romance than the show has told in years.”

In 2022, Mikayla left the show to focus on her studies at UCLA and Trina was recast with Tabyana Ali, who continues to play the role. “Sprina” 2.0 was likewise a hit. Their popularity only continued to grow, and Digest named the slow-burn duo the Best Non-Couple of 2022 and the Best Couple of 2023.

That year, Digest wrote, “devotees got the payoff they’d been hoping for with romance, adventure and even some growing pains that only made their coupledom stronger … It’s been a joy watching Tabyana Ali (Trina) and Nicholas Chavez (Spencer) ushering ‘Sprina’ into their couple era.”

The End of an Era

Spencer and Trina’s romance came to a tragic end in 2024, when Chavez exited the show to film the role of Lyle Menendez in the limited series Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and Spencer was presumed dead saving Trina from a vengeful Esme.

Ali told Digest of filming her final scenes with Chavez, “We gave each other hugs, and I wished him the best at his new job. In the most respectful and humblest way, I feel like we made history.”

“Sprina” fans continue to hope GH will pick up this love story again someday, whether with Chavez in the role or another actor, and continue to celebrate the couple’s signature moments — their first kiss in the gallery, Trina leaping into Spencer’s arms in Greenland, their first love scene in New York City.

What are your favorite “Sprina” moments—and how would you bring Spencer back? Let us know in the comments.