13 General Hospital Stars Who Were on The Young and the Restless First

The late Geary played David Lockhart on Bright Promise from 1971-72 and in 1973, Y&R's first year on the air, he played the nasty George Curtis, who raped heroine Chris Brooks. Then, in 1978, he began his incredible run as GH's Luke Spencer, the antihero who stole Laura Webber Baldwin's heart and saved the world from a deep freeze via the Cassadine clan's weather machine. Geary played Luke of and on through his retirement in 2015, earning a record-setting eight Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor.

After a short Days of Our Lives stint as Jake Hogansen, Reeves spent a decade (from 1991-2001) as ambitious heartthrob Ryan McNeil, who was ultimately felled by a fatal gunshot wound that came to him courtesy of his deranged ex, Tricia Dennison. The actor returned to daytime in 2009 to take on the role of Steven Lars Webber, the doctor son of Heather Webber and Jeff Webber and Elizabeth Webber's half brother. He was written out in 2013, but popped back up for a visit in 2024.

Hearst arrived on Y&R in 2000 as recast villain Matt Clark with two soap roles (Days of Our Lives' Scotty Banning and Guiding Light's Alan-Michael Spaulding) under his belt and a Daytime Emmy on his mantle (for his work as Alan-Michael). In 2001, Matt was killed off (or so it seemed), but Hearst wasn't idle for long: in 2002, GH brought him aboard as Ric Lansing, the vengeful attorney who was revealed to be the half brother of Sonny Corinthos. Hearst nabbed two more Daytime Emmys (for Supporting Actor) before leaving the show in 2009, returning from 2014-16 and again in 2024, a comeback that's still going strong.

After a run on Guiding Light as Lizzie Spaulding, Y&R cast Rylan in 2010 as Victor Newman and Ashley Abbott's daughter, Abby Newman. She played Abby until 2013, when GH made her an offer she couldn't refuse: signing on as Luke and Laura's daughter, a role that Julie Marie Berman had just vacated. Rylan remained in Port Charles until 2020.

West was already a Daytime Emmy winner for her work as Carly Tenney Snyder on As the World Turns when, following that show's 2010 cancellation, she was snapped up by Y&R to play a recast Diane Jenkins. West stayed in Genoa City from 2010-11, and in 2013, GH came calling with her next career-defining, Emmy-winning character: Ava Jerome.

In 2013, Daytime Emmy winner Stafford said good-bye to Y&R, where she had played Phyllis Summers starting in 1994. The following year, she signed on to GH to create the role of Nina Reeves, the long-comatose wife of Silas Clay. She left after five years and was lured back to Y&R, where she continues to play Phyllis (and picked up another Emmy in 2024).

GH made the high-risk decision to recast the role of Jason Morgan in 2014, two years after Steve Burton hung up his black T-shirt and leather jacket (and soon moved to Y&R to play Dylan McAvoy). The job went to mega-popular Y&R alum Miller, who had won three Daytime Emmys for his portrayal of Billy Abbott. He played Jason until 2017, when Burton returned to reclaim the Jason character and Miller's alter ego was revealed to be Jason's secret twin, Drew Cain. The actor left the show in 2019 and sadly passed away in 2023.

Erin made her daytime debut on Y&R in 2008 in the role of Abby Newman, staying until 2010 when Emme Rylan took over. In 2015, Erin was selected by GH a recast Kiki Jerome following Kristen Alderson's departure, and she took home the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Younger Actress for her portrayal in 2019. That same year, Kiki was brutally murdered, ending Erin's run, but in 2023, Y&R hired her again — in a completely new part, that of Claire Newman, Abby's niece!

In 2008, Hendrickson joined the Y&R cast as Chloe Mitchell after playing twins Frankie and Maggie Stone on All My Children. In 2017, Chloe was written off, and in 2018, Hendrickson landed in Port Charles as a prosecutor determined to bring Sonny Corinthos to justice. Her time on GH came to an end in 2019, and she soon returned to Genoa City.

Watros, a Daytime Emmy winner for her Guiding Light role as Annie Dutton, signed on to play Y&R's Kelly Andrews in 2013, departing in 2014. When Michelle Stafford vacated the role of Nina in 2019, the show turned to Watros to succeed her as the quirky, ethically flexible magazine editor.

McKenna notched his first soap credit when he was 12, playing Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live from 1990-93. He returned to daytime as Y&R's murderous cop Mark Harding from 2014-15. Then, in 2025, GH turned to McKenna to take on the recast role of WSB bigwig Jack Brennan.

Chad Duell's 2024 announcement that he was exiting GH as Michael Corinthos after nearly 15 years as Carly and Sonny's son sent shockwaves through the fandom. As his successor, GH selected Gibson, who had played Y&R's Noah Newman from 2021-2023. He made his debut in 2025 and quickly made the role his own.

From 2007-19, Goddard was a central figure on Y&R as Cane Ashby, the son of Genevieve and Colin Atkinson, roles played by GH legends Genie Francis (Laura) and Tristan Rogers (Robert). Then, in 2025, the actor arrived on GH as shady Professor Henry Dalton, who wound up murdered and whose corpse was stuffed into Laura's car.