Actors are let go from soap operas all the time. But their departures aren’t usually announced until after they’re done filming so the storyline isn’t spoiled. But GH star Steve Burton accidentally slipped and revealed a huge TV star coming to the daytime drama soon. Fans think a beloved role is getting recast after the original actor was fired. Keep reading for all the details.
Steve Burton Teases Famous TV Star Joining Soap
Steve Burton joined General Hospital as Jason Quartermaine in 1991. He’s played the character on and off ever since. The actor took a brief break earlier this year to spend time with his new wife.
After 35 years in soap operas, including a stint at Days of Our Lives, Steve Burton has seen many characters recast and it isn’t always an easy transition. He shared his thoughts on recasts in a recent podcast episode with co-star Bradford Anderson.
Steve Burton said that it can be hard for actors to get caught up on a character’s long history. He revealed that a big TV star recently joined GH as a recast, but didn’t know much about the character. Steve Burton offered to educate the unnamed actor with the character’s backstory.
“So, there’s a guy on the show right now who’s come on the show, and you guys will see him,” Steve Burton shared. “I had some scenes with him, and I can’t say what it is yet. But I said, ‘Do you know exactly what’s happening?’ Because there was, you know, his decision-making in the scene had to do with events that have happened in history with some characters.”
Steve Burton didn’t name the actor but said he’s been acting for a “long, long time.” The soap star offered to give a quick lesson in the character’s history. “I said, ‘Do you mind if I just tell you kind of, you know, what this is, who this is, why they’re doing it, and what the involvement for me is?’”
The unnamed actor readily accepted help from the GH vet. Steve Burton was careful not to reveal too much about the upcoming recast. But soap opera fans love a challenge.
GH Fans Convinced Role Is Recast For Fired Actor
Talk show host John Oliver guest-starred on General Hospital earlier this year. However, he played a character that was created just for him. The ABC soap opera has let several actors go in the last few years. Chris McKenna recently left the show after Jack Brennan was murdered.
Longtime soap opera fans know that when an off-screen character is suddenly mentioned often, that character is probably coming back. Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) has been mentioning her father, Jasper Jacks, a lot now that she’s taken over as CEO of his company. But the last actor who played Jax was fired nearly five years ago.
Ingo Rademacher originated the role of Jax in 1996. The Australian businessman was part of an iconic love triangle with Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Brenda (Vanessa Marcil.) Carly (Laura Wright) replaced Brenda in the love triangle.
Jasper Jacks was last seen on-screen in late 2021 after Ingo Rademacher was fired for refusing to comply with ABC’s vaccine mandate. Steve Burton also refused to comply, but didn’t make a public fuss about it. Ingo Rademacher sued ABC over his termination. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed, but it’s unlikely the show would ever rehire him.
So, fans are convinced that the mysterious actor Steve Burton worked with recently is a recast for Jax. Sebastian Roche, who played Jax’s brother Jerry, said last year that he would be open to returning to the daytime drama.
Other fans suggested that the recast character could be Nikolas Cassadine. For now, fans can only speculate until the show officially announces the casting news. Share your thoughts on a Jax recast in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger