Chad Duell leaves General Hospitalalmost 15 years after he first joined the cast of the soap opera.
The actor, 37, announced his departure from the series in an Instagram post on Saturday, November 23, writing that “[after] many amazing years with General HospitalI have decided to retire from the show.”
He continued: “This was not an easy decision for me, but it feels like the right moment in my life. I am beyond grateful [executive producer] Frank Valentini, the cast, crew and everyone behind the scenes who have been like family to me during this incredible journey.””To all the fans: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unwavering support and for allowing Michael Corinthos to be a part of your lives. Your love and encouragement meant everything in the world to me,” he concluded and added: “This is not goodbye – it’s see you later. Much love, Chad.”
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From left: Kristen Alderson, Bryan Craig and Chad Duell in a 2013 episode of ‘General Hospital’
Ron Tom/Disney General Entertainment via Getty
Duell has played Michael Corinthos, the son of AJ Quartermaine (Sean Kanan) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) on the ABC soap since 2010. He took over the role from Drew Garrett and won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a 2015 drama series.
While no replacement has been announced to play Michael, actor Robert Adamson has been portraying the character on and off starting in 2022 after Duell experienced scheduling conflicts, according to Soap Opera Digest.
Duell welcomed his first child in September 2023 with his girlfriend Luana Lucci. In an Instagram post at the time, the couple revealed the baby was a boy named Dawson.
“Welcome to the world lil Dawson πΆπ». It’s been a beautiful journey.. can’t wait to see the big man you’ve become ππ» @luanalucci,” the new dad captioned the post.
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Duell’s departure comes after PEOPLE announced in August that Kelly Monaco was leaving General Hospital. In an episode in October, her character Sam McCall was killed off, and Monaco stated in a since-deleted comment on Soap Hub’from Instagram in October that her exit from the show was “revenge.”
“When Billy Miller was fired, Sam’s story stopped. Stripping Sam of all the characteristics she had,” she wrote. “Something I’ve been working on for decades… I slowly dismantled her, into a character I didn’t recognize, let alone the audience. Call it what you will… retaliation for it [sic] the finest. I will make the appropriate statement. The truth will set you free.β
Monaco, who created the character of Sam and appeared in more than 2,300 episodes of the soap opera, she earned a 2006 Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress.
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