20 Celebrities You Completely Forgot Starred on “General Hospital”

Chandra Wilson joins celebrities like Meghan Markle, John Stamos, Demi Moore and Stephen A. Smith, who have appeared on the ABC soap opera over the years

Several stars have taken a stroll around the fictional Port Charles, N.Y., the setting of the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital.

Both the longest-running scripted drama and the longest-running American soap currently in production, General Hospital — which marked its 60th anniversary in 2023 — has seen its share of memorable moments, many of which include celebrity cameos. The Emmy Award-winning daytime drama has seen some famous faces pop up in episodes and helped launch the careers of then-rising stars.

"Being on General Hospital didn't just change my life, it gave me a life," John Stamos — who played heartthrob rocker Blackie Parish from 1982 to 1984 — said on the 2024 ABC primetime special General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars & Storytelling. "I am so grateful for the show and everything it has done for me. That was the beginning."

From Molly Shannon's pre-Saturday Night Live fame to Meghan Markle's career on the soap before becoming the Duchess of Sussex, here are the stars who have had roles on General Hospital.

Molly Shannon

Shannon appeared on a 1993 episode as a potential surrogate mother for Dominique (Shell Danielson) and Scott Baldwin (Kin Shriner).

"Happy 60th General Hospital. I just want to say that Mark Teschner cast me years ago on General Hospital," the SNL alum shared on General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars & Storytelling. "It was my first acting job ever. And I'm so grateful."

Roseanne Barr

In 1994, comedian Roseanne Barr became one of the four actresses to play the role of Jennifer Smith, the daughter of mobster Frank Smith (Mitchell Ryan).

Val Chmerkovskiy

On a 2012 episode, Dancing with the Stars pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy made a cameo as a boxer opposite Nancy Lee Grahn's Alexis. He then made a special appearance with his former DWTS dance partner Kelly Monaco — who has played Sam McCall on General Hospital since 2003 — for the show's 60th anniversary special.

Stephen A. Smith

Sports TV and radio host Stephen A. Smith has made recurring appearances as Brick — the Corinthos' surveillance/tech expert — since 2016. He also previously played a reporter for a 2007 episode.

Nick Viall

The Bachelor alum Nick Viall took on the role of red carpet reporter alongside Nina Cassadine (Michelle Stafford) for Port Charles' annual Nurses Ball, a charity event for HIV/AIDS awareness and research.

John Stamos

While today Stamos is best known as Uncle Jesse from Full House, the actor first gained recognition for his role as Blackie Parrish on General Hospital. The role even earned him a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 1983 for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series.

Meghan Markle

Before becoming the Duchess of Sussex, the former actress got her start on General Hospital (in fact, it was her very first acting credit!). She briefly played a nurse named Jill on a 2002 episode while still a student at Northwestern University.

Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill played Kent Murray on the series in 1972, just a few years before taking on the role of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise.

During WIRED's Autocomplete Interview video series in 2023, Hamill talked about his experience on General Hospital.

"I wasn't a real fan of soap operas, but everybody there was so nice and it was a great education to learn how to find your light, how to hit your marks," he said. "And I was on for nine months, which was perfect. And I still have great memories of working there."

Kristin Davis

The Sex and the City actress played a nurse named Betsy Chilson in 1991. Though they never crossed paths on General Hospital, Davis and Stamos later worked together in the 2012 Broadway revival of The Best Man.

"[We starred on the show] years apart, or I would have been following him around the halls," Davis joked during an interview with ABC News in July 2012.

Demi Moore

From 1982 to 1984, Demi Moore played a journalist named Jackie Templeton on the series.

Eva Longoria

Before starring on the ultimate soap opera Desperate Housewives, Eva Longoria had a brief uncredited stint on an episode of General Hospital in the role of Brenda Barrett Lookalike in 2000. Shortly after, she booked a starring role on The Young and the Restless as Isabella Bra?a from 2001 to 2003.

Amber Tamblyn

Early in her career, Amber Tamblyn played Emily, the adoptive daughter of Stuart Damon's character Alan Quartermaine, from 1995 to 2001.

For the show's 60th anniversary special in January 2024, the actress visited the set and reunited with some of her former cast and crew. Around that time, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants alum also wrote a blog post sharing memories of working on the show: "It was that lack of fear or hesitation as a young actor that would turn what was originally supposed to be a three-month recurring role on General Hospital into a seven-year, full-time gig and one of the best acting experiences I have ever had in my career. The actors I worked with, or even didn't work with but knew from set, were all like extended family to me, and I cherished my time working there through the turmoil of my preteens and teenage years. They took care of me, on set and off."

James Franco

After expressing an interest in doing soap operas to his manager, the creators of General Hospital wrote James Franco into the show as a new character named Franco in 2009, per Entertainment Weekly. The actor even gave them a bit of direction with the role.

"I said, 'I want to play an artist, and I want him to be crazy.' And they wrote this character that was better than I could have ever asked for," the actor told Vulture in 2010. "It was their idea to call the character Franco. I said, 'That's crazy. Thank you.' "

Ricky Martin

As Ricky Martin established himself in the music scene in the early-'90s, he also appeared on General Hospital in 1994 as bartender Miguel Morez. "I learned a lot," Martin recalled of his time on the show to PEOPLE in 2021. "but, honestly, it was insane."

George Takei

By the time George Takei ventured into the soap drama world in 1985, he was already known for his role as Sulu in the Stark Trek. On two episodes of GH, he played Mr. Diem, the mayor of the Asian Quarter.

Elizabeth Taylor

Famed actress Elizabeth Taylor had a brief stint on the series in 1981 as villainess Helena Cassadine, who famously crashed the wedding of Luke and Laura.

"I'm wild about General Hospital," Taylor told PEOPLE at the time. "Someone from [ABC] came to see me when I was doing The Little Foxes in New York, and I agreed to do the soap when I got to L.A. I had a ball."

Nathan Parsons

Nathan Parsons first gained prominence for playing Ethan Lovett, the son of Luke Spencer and Holly Sutton, on the soap opera from 2009 to 2013. (He also returned for three episodes in 2015 and three more in 2020.) In 2012, the Roswell, New Mexico actor earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for outstanding younger actor in a drama series for his role.

Jonathan Jackson

Before starring on the series Nashville, Jonathan Jackson played Lucky Spencer — the son of Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura Spencer (Genie Francis) — on General Hospital from 1993 to 1999. The role, which he later reprised from 2009 to 2011 and 2015, earned him five Daytime Emmy Awards.

Chandra Wilson

Grey's Anatomy star Chandra Wilson has made multiple guest appearances on the medical soap opera — playing mental patient Tina Estrada in 2014, Dr. Francine Massey in 2018 and fashion magazine editor Sydney Val Jean in 2019 and 2023.

When asked in 2023 if anyone questioned the similarity between her characters, she told USA Today, "That's a running joke. I figure the next time I'll have to be blonde if I'm playing someone else."

Tequan Richmond

Tequan Richmond, best known for his role on Everybody Hates Chris, played TJ Ashford on the soap opera from 2012 to 2018.

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