General Hospital Cast

General Hospital Cast Notables

The General Hospital cast is among the most well-known soap opera actors in daytime. From Francis to Geary to Lee to McCullough, they have provided daytime viewers with some of the most memorable storylines on with their mixture of action, adventure and love in the afternoon.

Tony Geary

Anthony Geary joined the cast of General Hospital in 1978 as a minor villain who ‘raped’ fan favorite Laura Spencer. The chemistry between the two actors and their subsequent love affair began a controversial and enduring romance that is arguably the greatest love story ever told by a daytime drama. Though he was often involved in improbable storylines (Ice Princess anyone?), Tony Geary’s popularity remained high. He left the show in 1984 arm in arm with Francis’ Laura and returned sans Laura in 1991 in the role of Luke’s lookalike cousin Bill Eckert. The lookalike cousin part was killed off in 1993 when Francis returned to General Hospital and Geary has played the role of Luke Spencer since. Geary has won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Drama series six times, tying with Justin Deas and Erika Slezak for most wins by a single actor.

Genie Francis

Genie Francis began her tenure as the beloved Laura Webber Baldwin Spencer in 1976 at the tender age of 14. She shot to superstardom when her character was paired first with Scott Baldwin in a story of teenage love and later with Luke Spencer. Francis left the show at the height of the couples’ popularity in 1982, but returned in 1983 to help Tony Geary exit. The two made a huge splash in 1993 when they literally parachuted back into town with their son Lucky Spencer (then played by Jonathon Jackson). Francis is married to director/actor Jonathon Frakes and shares two children with him. Though Francis has appeared on Days of Lives (Diana Colville) and All My Children (Ceara Connor Hunter), Laura Spencer is her most enduring role. She returned for a brief stint on the show in November of 2006 to celebrate Luke and Laura’s 25th Anniversary. The actress won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama for her brief stint, an award that was 30 years overdue.

Maurice Bernard

Maurice Bernard came to the attention of daytime viewers when he played the role of Nico Kelly on All My Children from 1987 to 1989. He joined the General Hospital cast in 1993 as a sleazy strip club owner named Michael ‘Sonny’ Corinthos, Jr. His role gained popular attention when he was paired with Vanessa Marcil’s Brenda Barrett. He left the role briefly in 1997, but returned in 1998. Since then, Bernard has been paired with three actresses in the role of Carly (Sonny’s ex-wife) and confronted the difficulty of being bi-polar (a disorder that Bernard was diagnosed with and openly discusses in order to promote understanding of it.) Bernard won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama for his work as Sonny in 2003. He also appeared as Desi Arnaz in the television movie Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter in 1991.

Kimberly McCullough

Kimberly McCullough joined the General Hospital cast in 1985 at the age of 7 years old. The actress and her character have literally grown up on the screen. She won her first Daytime Emmy at the age of 11. McCullough portrays Robin Scorpio the daughter of fan favorites Robert Scorpio and Anna Devane. The actress’ most powerful storyline is arguably the tragic love story she shared with Stone Cates. The couple was a typical teenage romance of good girl goes for bad boy until Cates was diagnosed with H.I.V. The character died due to complications from AIDS but not before infecting his partner. McCullough’s portrayal of H,I.V. positive Robin Scorpio was a landmark for a daytime soap opera because she continues ‘live’ with the condition, pursuing her goals and romantic dreams. McCullough has portrayed the role of Robin Scorpio on General Hospital, General Hospital: Night Shift, All My Children and Port Charles.

Other General Hospital Cast Notables

• Steve Burton – The heir to the Quartermaine family suffered a brain injury in the mid-90s that led to a transformed personality and character dynamic. Burton took Jason from bland good boy to powerhouse bad boy and ‘hitman.’ Burton has also appeared in several projects, including The Last Castle with Robert Redford in 2001.
• Anna Lee – Veteran actress Anna Lee appeared in many classic films of the 40s, 50s and 60s including a role as Sister Margareta in The Sound of Music. Lee began as Lila Quartermaine in 1978 and was a beloved feature of the show until her death in 2004. Her controversial firing drew a fan backlash.
• Jonathon Jackson – Cast in the role of Lorenzo “Lucky” Spencer, Jr. Jackson shot to mini-stardom overnight. His meaty storylines with his powerhouse parents led to a pairing with Elizabeth Webber. Their love story was cut short when Jackson left the show to pursue his career, including a starring role in the film Tuck Everlasting.