GENERAL HOSPITAL Stars Say Goodbye to William Ludel

Legendary GENERAL HOSPITAL director William Ludel retired in late September, and he was sent off to his seven-day weekends in style by the cast and crew with a day watching horseraces at Santa Anita Park!

Part of the GH directing team since 1993, Ludel has been nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards a whopping 20 times and has taken home nine of those coveted golden statuettes. He also worked as a director on ANOTHER WORLD, DAYS OF OUR LIVES, PORT CHARLES, and the GH spinoff NIGHT SHIFT.

On Instagram, Parry Shen shared a lengthy tribute to Ludel, thanking the director for being a vital part in helping him mold Brad’s quirky personality. “Bill will always be near and dear to my GH experience, because he set the tone for me in a medium where I was very unfamiliar in knowing what was ‘permitted’ in daytime,” Shen recalled. “To say I will immensely miss working with him is an understatement, but I am excited for this well-deserved next chapter in his life. On behalf of all the fans, cast, crew, and myself — thank you, Bill!”

As the GH family gathered at the racetrack for Ludel’s last hurrah, several actors shared photos from the get-together — and Tahj Bellow (T.J.) even put together a video highlighting the day’s events.

For more photos from the beloved director’s party, scroll through the gallery below. And please join us in wishing Ludel a happy retirement!