General Hospital’s Executive Producer Responds To Chad Duell’s Exit As Michael
On Saturday, November 23, Chad Duell announced that he had made the decision to leave General Hospital, where he has played the role of Michael Corinthos since 2010, writing, ““After many incredible years with General Hospital, I’ve decided to step away from the show.” Now, the show’s executive producer, Frank Valentini, has responded on X (formerly Twitter), clarifying the show’s intentions for the character once Duell’s run wraps.
In his post, Valentini said, “I am sad to confirm the news of Chad Duell’s forthcoming exit from #GeneralHospital. I have loved working with Chad over the years and wish him nothing but the best. He is a terrific actor and will be missed by everyone at #GH.” He continued, “There are no plans to recast his role at this time, but you never know in daytime. I can promise a great story for Michael and his family when Chad exits in the new year.”
Duell was himself a recast, assuming Michael duties from Drew Garrett. The actor reflected on his Port Charles beginnings in a 2023 interview with Soap Opera Digest, noting, “I’d read for [Casting Director] Mark Teschner a few times; he just kept bringing me back for different things. This time in particular, I was originally reading for a different role, a love interest for Kristina, who, of course, is now my sister on the show! They liked me enough where they brought me back for a secret audition. I thought it was for the same role, but I was actually reading for Michael, who was already being played by somebody. There were only two of us in the room and it felt like, ‘Oh, this is pretty serious!’ I felt confident going in there and a few days later, my manager told me, ‘Hey, man, I have some crazy news.’ That’s when I found out that, ‘It’s not for the part [you thought it was]. They like you enough to make you one of the main characters in one of the families on the show.’ It was so surprising, but I was excited because it seemed like it was a much more stable character to be playing on the show.” Duell marveled, “Now I’ve been there 13 years, and when I think about that, I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s crazy how long I’ve been on!’ ”
Life has certainly changed a lot over the course of those many years for Duell, who is now a Daytime Emmy winner and father to a son, Dawson, who was born in August 2023.
Do you think GH should recast Michael or leave the role open for a possible comeback by Duell? Sound off in the comments below!
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