Easton Rocket Sweda Hits a GENERAL HOSPITAL Milestone!
It’s been a big summer for child actor Easton Rocket Sweda at GENERAL HOSPITAL! Just a few weeks ago, the 11-year-old celebrated his first anniversary playing GH’s Leo, and now he’s been added to the soap’s opening credits!
Sweda made his debut last August as Leo Falconeri, the son of Olivia Quartermaine and the late Julian Jerome. Over the course of the past year, Leo was diagnosed with autism — like his portrayer in real life! — and he was legally adopted by his stepfather, Ned. July 29 was the anniversary of Sweda’s first day at work on the soap, and to mark the occasion, he made a sweet video recalling how nervous he was to tape his first scenes, and how much he’s come to appreciate the opportunity he has to play a character on the autism spectrum like himself. “I want to thank [casting director] Mark Teschner, [assistant casting director] Lisa Booth, [executive producer] Frank Valentini, and everyone at GH for creating the autism storyline and believing I could be Leo,” Sweda wrote in the caption of the video he shared on Instagram.
Being on a television show for a whole year must certainly have been exciting for Sweda. But the tween found something else to be excited over at work this week, too! “Guys, look I’m in the General Hospital opening credits!” Sweda tweeted on August 18, sharing a photo of him standing in front of his official ABC gallery that appears in the soap’s title sequence. “This is the first time I’ve been in the drop down!”
Sweda let everyone know in the hashtags of his tweet just how much being in the GH intro meant to him, writing, “Thanks Frank Valentini and everyone at GH. #GeneralHospital #GH #Leo #Quartermaine #ThankYou #Love #AutismAcceptance #BestLife #Honored #fun.”
In addition to playing GH’s Leo, Sweda is one of the leads in the upcoming movie The Present. Filmed recently in Los Angeles, the family comedy stars Isla Fisher and Greg Kinnear as separated parents whose three children (Sweda, Shay Rudolph, and Mason Shea Joyce) scheme to get them back together. One of the children is a brilliant boy who discovers he can manipulate time using an enchanted family heirloom, then teams up with his siblings to return to the eve before their parents split up, hoping for a different outcome. As the kids’ schemes become more elaborate, along the way, the family learns valuable lessons about family ties and accepting things that are not within their control.
The Present was filmed in Los Angeles earlier this summer, so there is not yet a release date for the movie. But now that Sweda has been added to the GH opener, hopefully, that means we will see more of Leo in upcoming episodes!
Love GH? Be sure to join our We Love General Hospital Facebook group to chat about all the latest storylines and juicy gossip!
