How GENERAL HOSPITAL Kept Steve Burton’s Return a Secret!
In case you missed it, GENERAL HOSPITAL kicked off the new year with a huge casting announcement during its primetime special, 60 YEARS OF STARS & STORYTELLING: the return of Steve Burton as Jason Morgan! The Daytime Emmy winner made a surprise appearance at the end of the anniversary program, dramatically appearing from behind a closed door to join co-stars Laura Wright (Carly) and Kelly Monaco (Sam) on the stage. “Big things are coming to Port Charles!” Burton teased as the camera faded to black.
The primetime special — which included appearances from famous GH alumni like Rick Springfield (ex-Noah), John Stamos (ex-Blackie), and Amber Tamblyn (ex-Emily) — was filmed last month. But it was important to the soap to keep Burton’s comeback under wraps, the actor explained in an interview with Daily Drama. “We tried to keep it super low profile in the building,” he said of the cloak and dagger activity on the day he taped the scene. “Here’s the thing: Once you start telling makeup, hair, wardrobe, it’s hard. It’s supposed to be hush-hush, but I’m going back in the building. You can’t just drop me in the dressing room and then take me up to stage and shoot something without people noticing.”
Burton made his GH debut back in 1991 as Jason Quartermaine, the son of Alan and Monica, who later became Jason Morgan following a brain injury. The actor parted ways with the soap in 2021 and briefly hopped over to THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS, where he played Dylan McAvoy from 2013-’17. He returned to Port Charles later that year to reclaim his role, which had been recast with the late Billy Miller. (The soap retconned the storyline to have Miller playing Jason’s previously unknown twin, Drew Cain, the character currently being played by Cameron Mathison.)
While the actuality of Burton’s return was successfully hidden from those not on the need-to-know list, the possibility of him reprising his Port Charles character has been the talk of the Twitterverse ever since he announced on Jan. 3 that he was exiting DAYS OF OUR LIVES as Harris Michaels after wrapping his one-year contract with the Peacock sudser! “It was incredible going back,” he said of his cameo on the 60 YEARS special. “Just the welcome back from everybody on the lot, starting with the people at the gate. It was amazing.”
With his work at DAYS done, Burton is expected to begin taping scenes on GH any day now — and has an idea of how his alter ego should make his first appearance! “When Jason first turned into Jason Morgan, I drove through the Quartermaine den on the dirt bike to rebel,” he recalled. “So, I should just ride through Sonny’s wall on a Harley.”
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