Michael Easton Exits General Hospital — And His Final Airdate Is (Very) Soon!
Michael Easton is scrubbing out as General Hospital‘s Hamilton Finn.
The daytime-TV vet announced his exit in a video posted to Instagram early Wednesday morning, Los Angeles time — though Easton apparently “pre-taped” said video and then sat on it for a while, seeing as TVLine has confirmed that his final airdate is… tomorrow, Thursday, June 27!
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“I’ve always been partial to the Irish goodbye. That’s where you leave the party without actually telling anyone you’re gone,” Easton says in the video below. “But I thought you all deserved better, so I just wanted to let you know that I just filmed my final scenes here at General Hospital.
“I’ve loved every minute that I’ve been here. I want to thank the entire cast and crew for allowing me to share their stage this past 10 years,” he continues. “Most importantly, I want to thank all of you for the kindness and love you’ve shown me and my family. I won’t ever forget you. And as I walk out here for the last time, and with apologies to the great Lou Gehrig, I feel like the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.”
Easton’s exit news continues a busy week of GH news. On Tuesday, it was announced that five-time Daytime Emmy winner Jonathan Jackson is returning as Lucky Spencer. Prior to that, TVLine exclusively reported that Bryan Craig will reprise his role as Morgan Corinthos, the late son of Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Carly (Laura Wright), for one episode in early August.
Easton’s original move from One Life to Live, where he created the character of John McBain, to GH was first announced in January 2012, as the Llanview-based soap was still winding down its run. Fellow OLTL vet Frank Valentini, then new to GH as showrunner, said at the time, “I am confident viewers and fans alike will be excited for the arrival of John (played by Easton), Starr (Kristen Alderson), Blair (Kassie DePaiva) and Todd (Emmy winner Roger Howarth). Incorporating characters from One Life to Live continue the legacy of the show as we weave them into General Hospital.”
Come February 2013, though, legal/rights issues dictated that Easton, Howarth and Alderson all would have to exit GH as their OLTL characters. Months later, the three OLTL vets returned to GH in brand-new roles.
Easton’s new GH character, Silas Clay, was killed off in August 2016; a little over six months later, he resurfaced in yet another GH role, as Dr. Hamilton Finn.
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