Soap operas are notorious for their high cast turnover rates, but when Chad Duell announced that he was leaving “General Hospital” in November 2024, the show’s devotees sat up and took notice. Duell’s run as Michael Corinthos (the son of the late A. J. Quartermaine and hellraiser Carly Corinthos) spanned fifteen years, taking his character through multiple twists and turns. Why did he leave the soap? Duell needed a change following a personal tragedy. “A lot of stuff’s been going on in my life,” he said on “The Daily Drama Podcast” in December 2024. “There’s a few things behind it but one thing I did say is my dad passed away and I’m still coming to terms with that.” Duell went on to say that he was feeling a bit “stifled” and that “sometimes you need to take drastic steps or make yourself feel uncomfortable to take a step.”
Duell made sure to add that he “left the door open” for a return to “General Hospital” when he spoke with executive producer Frank Valentini, with no bridges being burned. He also noted that he’d played Michael for so many years that he had to figure out who he is as a person versus simply an actor. “Come January, I have a few things planned that I wanna do for myself, and it’s different because I have a kid now, but also at the same time, for him, and me as well, and everybody, it’s doing what’s best for me, spiritually, mentally,” he said. The show also has to move on from Duell, and it’s doing just that: Since Michael is such a vital part of “General Hospital,” the top brass moved to recast the role with little delay.
Rory Gibson is the latest Michael Corinthos
Rory Gibson began playing Michael Corinthos in May 2025, becoming the latest in a line of actors to inhabit the role. Dylan Cash (“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”) and Drew Garrett (“The Mentalist”) both had stints as Michael prior to Chad Duell, with the character having undergone more than one rapid age-up. Gibson carefully familiarized himself with Michael’s background and place in Port Charles society, but he wanted to avoid repeating Duell’s quirks. “You don’t want to necessarily copy anything that anyone’s done before, and I know Chad really owned this role and he did incredible, incredible work, so I tried to stay away from watching too many old episodes and was more looking things up online,” he told TV Insider.
As is often the case when TV characters need to be unexpectedly recast, “General Hospital” didn’t bother to give a creative explanation for Michael’s new face, with Gibson simply stepping into the storyline. Since Michael’s on-and-off-again relationship with his girlfriend Sasha (played by Sofia Mattsson) had just hit another snag, the new boy had ample opportunity to win viewers over, and he managed to do so. For Gibson, making the fans happy is what matters, and that includes his family. “My family watched ‘General Hospital’ religiously when I was growing up,” he said. “My grandma and my mom were diehard fans.” Needless to say, they were thrilled when he was confirmed as the new Michael Corinthos.