General Hospital (GH) spoilers indicate that the clock is ticking for Michael Corinthos. After all, back in November, the character’s portrayer, Chad Duell announced on his Instagram that he was leaving the show after 15 years on the soap.
Shortly after this, GH’s Executive Producer, Frank Valentini confirmed Chad’s departure on the social media platform, X, stating that there were no imminent plans to recast Michael.
GH fans have been buzzing about the exit since, which is anticipated to happen sometime in the new year.
Duell recently appeared on the Daily Drama podcast, hosted by fellow GHers, Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Damian Spinelli).
The actor revealed his decision behind leaving the soap, and his answers may surprise many GH viewers.
One interesting tidbit from this interview is that it seems as if Duell has already wrapped up his GH run, so fans should expect Michael’s departure from PC to be coming up, shortly, as the soap shoots several weeks ahead of broadcast.
Duell lists a “few” reasons behind his decision to leave the show, as he notes, “A lot of stuff has been going on in my life.”
The actor goes on to say that his father passed away recently and he’s still coming to terms with this.
Duell also states that the break from GH will allow him to spend some time in Arizona and will help him do things physically and mentally to prepare himself for the next chapters in his life.
It’s clear from the DD podcast interview that the decision to leave the soap had nothing to do with GH, but rather the idea that Duell just needed a break and time to explore other work options.
The actor made it clear that the show has left the door open for a return, should Duell decide to come back.
But would Duell consider a Port Charles comeback?
He noted to co-hosts Burton and Anderson that, “We’ll see what happens in the future, but right now I’m just trying to grow in ways that maybe I stifled myself. Sometimes you have to take drastic steps or make yourself feel uncomfortable to take a step and that’s kind of what I have not allowed myself to do”.
This makes sense. After all, Duell entered the role of Michael at the 22 and now is 37, so he may also attempt to see if there are other projects he can dive into, outside of GH.
In addition, Duell will likely also use this opportunity to spend more time with his 15-month-old son, Dawson, and he mentioned launching a new skincare line, Pura Beauty – an endeavor he’s been working on with his real-life girlfriend, Luna.
General Hospital spoilers suggest that Michael is set to go out in a very big way.
GH’s Co-Head writers, Chris Van Etten and Elizabeth Korte recently offered a preview of what fans should expect in 2025, noting that Michael’s exit will surround a “shocking act of violence” that “has his plans go up in smoke.”
