James on General Hospital — Everything You Need To Know

Since little kids aren’t always seen very often on soaps, some viewers have found themselves wondering “Who is James on General Hospital?” Well, if you’re one of the fans who need a refresher on Maxie’s son, we’re here to help fill you in! James West was born in 2018 and played by Sally Brown as an infant, followed by Beau and Jet Marciano, Caleb and Kyler Ends took over in August 2019 for an episode, and then Owen and Curtis Rufca stepped in as James in December of that year. On April 6, 2023, GH recast the role again with Gary James Fuller.

Maxie Jones revealed she was pregnant at Thanksgiving dinner in 2017, and her husband, Nathan West, was overjoyed. Although he was a little concerned that he couldn’t trust that his mother, Dr. Liesl Obrecht, gave him the correct medical records for his father. However, Dr. Kim Nero assured Nathan that his son was healthy. Tragically, Nathan was killed in the line of duty when the cop tried to rescue his pregnant wife who was being held hostage by Cesar Faison and never got to meet his baby boy.

After leaving the Nurses Ball in 2018, Maxie’s water broke in Peter August’s car and he ended up having to deliver her baby boy right there on the side of the road! She decided to name her son James Malcolm West after Nathan’s given name, James, and her stepfather, Mac. Maxie was released from the hospital but being born prematurely, James had to stay just a little while longer.

Maxie had been raising James by herself, although Peter very nearly became his stepfather before his litany of crimes were finally exposed. After giving birth to James’ baby sister, Louise, Maxie hid her with Brook Lynn Quartermaine (who pretended she was her daughter, Bailey) and left Port Charles with James and Georgie to get away from the drama. Unfortunately, Peter had been tracking Maxie and told Nina Reeves that if she doesn’t help him get Louise, he was going to abduct James!

James performed with his sister, Georgie, at the 2023 Nurses Ball where they made their grandmother disappear and couldn’t get her back! (The kids didn’t realize that Obrecht had been abducted!) And a month later, the boy was enjoying a meal at Kelly’s with his grandma when he met Cody Bell, who tried to reassure James there was nothing to be nervous about going to summer camp.

With James and Georgie constantly bickering, Maxie was desperate to move out of their small apartment and into a house. James was very excited when the family moved into Dante and Lulu’s old home. He also enjoyed the Halloween party at Kelly’s with all the other Port Charles youngsters.

In January 2024, Cody bought James a pair of new riding boots, which made Spinelli a little jealous, but Cody assured him it was just a gift for the kid and he had no designs on Maxie. Tracy was surprised to find James in the Quartermaine stable, helping Cody with his work but appreciated the bond the two shared. When Maxie and Spinelli reunited, James and Georgie told their mom they wanted him to move back in and were excited when Maxie agreed. 

On the Fourth of July, James asked Cody if he could be his brother and they spit-shook on it. So the kid was understandably upset when Mac declared that he couldn’t take riding lessons with Cody anymore. He sneaked out of the house and went to the stables to ask if he’d done anything wrong, and Cody reassured him. Back home, James could tell something was going on and no one was telling him the truth. Later, during a family outing in the park, James took off again and went to the stables looking for Cody. Hearing Willow and Nina approaching, he hid in the boathouse where he overheard Willow talk about feeling guilty for kissing Drew. With everyone looking for James, it was Cody who found him after the kid went into the water to get his frisbee. Everyone was grateful to Cody for saving James’ life and Mac told him that Cody is actually his uncle. James was very excited by the news, and happy he could take riding lessons from his Uncle Cody.

In September, while Ned Ashton was keeping an eye on him, James asked about kissing and if sad and guilty were the same thing. Since Ned wasn’t sure what he was talking about, James revealed that he’d heard Willow say she felt guilty about kissing Drew!