Marcus Coloma Reveals “How Much it Hurt” Leaving GH
After his final episode as GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Nikolas aired on January 26, Marcus Coloma made a stop to chat with his former castmates, Steve Burton (ex-Jason) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), on their podcast, That’s Awesome, about his time in Port Charles and what led to him parting ways with the soap.
Calling in from his current home in Clearwater, Florida (where his daughter attends school), Coloma explained that when he started work on GH right before the pandemic started in the fall of 2019, he envisioned it being a performance boot camp of sorts. “When I originally got offered GH, I wanted an intensive acting experience,” he shared. “What I love about soap operas is the storylines and the problem-solving you have to do is next level. It’s such a high level of difficulty in a lot of ways; you don’t have all of the cool tricks [like special effects] that can help you in different genres. So originally, that’s why I wanted to do it. I was like, ‘I’m going to do it for three years; I want to walk out of this place a better actor.’ I knew I was going to be leaving in three years.”
But as Coloma got to know his colleagues, the thought of leaving GH once his three-year contract ended didn’t seem so simple any longer. “You fall in love with the crew and everybody along with it. So, two and a half years in, this decision that was so clear in the beginning is getting complicated.”
The actor added that while “I knew the end was coming… it wasn’t like GH was saying, ‘Hey, Marcus, we want you to stay.’ There was no negotiation. And all I can say to that is… I don’t know why that decision was made, but I don’t feel any ill will and I didn’t feel like I got fired. It just felt like… there was maybe an understanding that I was going to be there for three years. The big surprise is how much it hurt. Even though I knew I was going to leave.”
In retrospect, Coloma confessed that not being asked to re-up his contract was the best thing to have happened. “That would have been a really hard decision,” he admitted. “I really do have some big goals and those goals would have never been realized if I would have stayed. And that’s not to take anything away from GH because I admire everything about it.”
Looking ahead to some of those next steps in his career, Coloma shared that he’s been writing and talking with his ex-wife, director Sophia Banks, about collaborating on upcoming projects. “I’m also investing a lot of time with my kid,” he said of their 14-year-old daughter, Coco. “I’m taking this little bit of time I have to really be Mr. Mom. I’m watching Instagram reels about how to clean with vinegar!”
We wish Coloma all the best on his future endeavors!
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