Kelly Monaco's General Hospital Costar Dominic Zamprogna Says He Checks in on Her 'Every Week' Following Her Exit

• Dominic Zamprogna said he was checking his General Hospital costar Kelly Monaco “every week” following her shock departure
• The actor said his friendship with Monaco “will not end” even though they are no longer working together
• Zamprogna reflected on his last scenes with Monaco, which he called “miraculous”

Dominic Zamprogna continues to keep up with Kelly Monaco after her departure from General Hospital after more than two decades.

The 45-year-old actor — who plays Dante on the ABC soap — opened up to Soap Opera Digest about building a friendship with Monaco, 48, after their characters’ story turned romantic in 2021.

“You quickly become friends with the kind of people you work with,” he told the newspaper. “You’re in the trenches for 14, 15-hour days and nights of shooting and everyone on the crew becomes like family, your actors become like family — you fight and love each other like family, and the three and a half years we’ve been together on the show it was a big, important period in my life and in the life of my character.”

From left: Dominic Zamprogna and Kelly Monaco in ‘General Hospital’.

Christine Bartolucci/ABC via Getty

Kelly Monaco will still appear on General Hospital This week after the shocking scene in the hospital

Zamprogna explained that he met Monaco “in a way I’ve never met her before”, adding: “She’s an amazing person. She’s tough as nails and admirable in so many ways, and it was great to become her friend. And that won’t be an end. There’s just still an end because you’re not working with someone anymore.”

Actor — who joined General Hospital in 2009 before leaving in 2017 and returning three years later — he went on to say that he saw a different side of Monaco when they worked together.

He noted that she is “softer than her tough Philly exterior and I never got to know that side of her before working with her. I myself have been in very emotional states with her and we became very able to say very personal things to each other and sort of talk [to] each other through moments I never would have expected to have with her because she gives off such a ‘tough girl’ vibe and is extremely cool and confident.”

He added: “But nobody’s always cool and confident and tough, and that’s what really endeared me to him. I just loved getting to know her, understanding who she really is, because she’s deep and complex.”

From left: Dominic Zamprogna and Kelly Monaco in ‘General Hospital’.

Christine Bartolucci/ABC via Getty

Mom Kelly Monaco describes the aftermath of the fire at the soap star’s house: ‘Very difficult for her’

Zamprogna said he remained in touch with Monaco following her shock exit from the soap after 21 years, saying: “I still check in on her every week.”

The actress’ departure came after Sam (Monaco) successfully came out of surgery and got engaged to Dante, but shortly after, she began to fall, and despite efforts to revive her, Sam died in the October 30 episode of the soap.

Zamprogna praised Monaco’s final moments on the show, recalling, “My monologues were her last scenes, so we finished those scenes and I actually said goodbye to Kelly here and there. She was amazing. Amazing, amazing, amazing.”

As for Monaco’s shock departure, Zamprogna said he hoped she would embrace the new chapter in her career.

From left: Kelly Monaco, Dominic Zamprogna and Nancy Lee Grahn in ‘General Hospital’.

Christine Bartolucci/ABC via Getty

Kelly Monaco leaves General Hospital After 21 years in the soap opera

“We live in a bit of a fake reality on the show. There aren’t many shows that are on the air as long as GH. There aren’t many actors who can say they’ve been in a show for a year, let alone 21 years.”

“I think sometimes you don’t want to know what life would be like without it because you’re used to something,” he continued. “But I’ve found that the greatest things in my life have happened when I feel like doors are closing. And I really tried to emphasize that to her.”

However, he did not close the door on Monaco returning to daytime series, saying: “It’s a soap opera. Who the hell knows what will happen?”

Kelly Monaco attends the 49th Daytime Emmy Awards at the Pasadena Convention Center on June 24, 2022 in Pasadena, California.

Amy Sussman/Getty

Monaco was cast as Sam in 2003. Since then, she has appeared in more than 2,000 episodes of the hit ABC soap. She even earned a 2006 Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress for the character.

In October, the actress broke her silence about her sudden departure, writing a since-deleted reply to a comment on Soap Hub’from Instagram: “What specifically do you have in your head, she didn’t get fired, she didn’t accept a pay cut, so she had to leave.”

Revealing why she thought she was let go, Monaco wrote in response: “’No primary role’… do your homework. When Billy Miller was fired, Sam’s story ended. Depriving Sam of all the characteristics she had.”

Mom Kelly Monaco describes the aftermath of the fire at the soap star’s house: ‘Very difficult for her’

“Something I’ve been working on for decades… I slowly took it apart, into a character I didn’t recognize, let alone the audience,” she wrote. “Call it what you will…retaliation to it [sic] the finest. I will make the appropriate statement. The truth will set you free.”

ABC previously declined PEOPLE’s request for comment on the matter.

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Monaco reflected on her time on the soap as she filmed her final scene on October 6.

“Last scene with the Davis girls,” she captioned an Instagram picture of herself sitting with her co-stars. ” 😘🥲🙏🏻 still doesn’t make sense to me.”

General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC (check local listings).

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Source: HIS Education