GH’s Johnny Wactor Reveals How His Mom Made Him the Man He Is (EXCLUSIVE)

It’s been more than ten years since Johnny Wactor left South Carolina to chase his dreams in Hollywood, but he’s still close to his mother, Scarlett. “I try to go back
home as often as I can — and my mom actually helped me with my GENERAL HOSPITAL audition,” Brando’s portrayer revealed to Soaps In Depth. “I would call her, and she would run lines with me.”

With the role top-secret at the time, however, Scarlett didn’t know she was helping her son land in Port Charles! “After I booked it, I went home for the winter holidays and saw her… but I still wasn’t able to tell anybody,” he recounted. “So I didn’t get to tell her until my first episode aired. It was doubly cool for her.”

While Wactor wishes he could be home to spend this holiday with Scarlett — who he brags was “the ‘cool mom’ in high school” — he knows his dad and two little brothers will take care of her. And, of course, he always does his part from a distance. “Ironically, being away from her usually on Mother’s Day makes it more special, since I don’t get to see her as much,” he explained. “What I do to celebrate her varies — from flowers to spa days.

In any case, Wactor remains eternally grateful for all that his mother has helped him achieve — both as a man and an actor. “She’s the keystone to the family,” the GH star said. “She’s strong and resilient” — and she instilled in him those qualities, too. Especially in showbiz, “you’ve got to believe in yourself when nobody else does — even if it’s just Mom and you!”

Love GH? Be sure to join our We Love General Hospital Facebook group to chat about all the latest storylines and juicy gossip! 

This story originally appeared in our print magazine