Port Charles is saying goodbye to another resident. General Hospital star Michael Easton confirmed his exit from the long-running soap opera on Wednesday in an Instagram video. The actor initially played Detective John McBain on One Life to Live from 2003 to 2012 and was supposed to reprise the role on General Hospital. Because of legal issues, he later played a new character, Silas Clay. After he was killed off in 2016, he returned as a new character, Dr. Hamilton Finn, just six months later.
“I’ve always been partial to the Irish goodbye,” Easton shared. “That’s where you leave the party without actually telling anyone you’re gone. But I thought you all deserved better, so I just wanted to let you know that I just filmed my final scenes here at General Hospital. I’ve loved every minute that I’ve been here. I want to thank the entire cast and crew for allowing me to share their stage this past 10 years. Most importantly, I want to thank all of you for the kindness and love you’ve shown me and my family. I won’t ever forget you. And as I walk out here for the last time, and with apologies to the great Lou Gehrig, I feel like the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.”
As for how Finn will leave Port Charles, Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Easton’s final episode airs today, June 27. How he will be leaving is unknown, but it will be yet another emotional departure. His exit comes just a month after viewers said goodbye to Easton’s on-screen father, Gregory Harrison, whose character, Gregory Chase, died in his sleep due to ALS. Nicholas Alexander Chavez, meanwhile, exited in April after landing a role in Netflix’s Monsters.
While it will be hard to say goodbye to Michael Easton, General Hospital will be welcoming back some familiar faces. TVLine reported that Bryan Craig is set to make a surprise return for a one-off in August, despite his character Morgan Corinthos dying in a car bomb in 2016. In addition, Jonathan Jackson will be returning as Lucky Spencer after departing in 2011, according to Deadline. Depending on how Finn’s story wraps up, it’s always possible that Easton will return later down the line, if the door remains open, that is. General Hospital has had a rotating cast over its long run, but it never gets easier seeing fan-favorites leave.