Michael Easton has suggested that his recent departure from General Hospital is likely permanent.
In an interview with Soap Hub published on Wednesday, July 3, Easton, 57, spoke about his exit, saying, “I think there was a finality [to my exit], and there was a finality for me to it, too.”
Despite this, he emphasized that he remains enthusiastic about continuing in the soap opera world, stating, “I’m not done. I’ll be trying to find that right part, that next great storyline … I don’t know where that will come from.”
Easton’s departure from General Hospital came last month, ending his role as Dr. Hamilton Finn after over a decade on the ABC series.
His character’s exit involved checking into rehab, a storyline Easton expressed a desire to have explored more deeply.
“From an acting standpoint, I would have liked to have just brought a little more subtlety and nuance to it,” he said.
“I had to get to a point very quickly. I was the beneficiary of a lot of really good writing and directing. I got to work with some really wonderful actors.”
Easton praised several of his costars, including Rebecca Herbst, Finola Hughes, Nancy Lee Grahn, Josh Swickard, and Gregory Harrison.
He noted that Gregory Harrison’s character’s death significantly influenced Dr. Finn’s storyline involving depression and addiction.
“I have such an affinity for Gregory [Harrison],” Easton shared. “He’s a wonderful actor. He’s equally, if not more, wonderful as a human being. I became very close with him.”
Among his costars, Easton found saying goodbye to his onscreen daughter Violet, played by Jophielle Love, to be the most difficult.
“I have a daughter [in real life], and so Jophielle and I had this immediate connection,” he said. “People said that our relationship looked so natural, as if we’d known each other in past lives.
I think [Jophielle] is going to do amazing things both as an actress and as a singer. She’s going to do amazing things in life.”
Easton expressed deep gratitude towards the show’s cast and crew, concluding the interview with a note of thanks. “I’m so indebted to the cast and crew,” he said.
“I always think anytime you have any sort of success as an actor, the real person who should be acknowledged is the person you’re working with.”
In his Instagram exit announcement on June 26, Easton conveyed similar sentiments, stating, “I’ve loved every minute that I’ve been here. I want to thank the entire cast and crew for allowing me to share their stage these past 10 years.”
He added, “Most importantly, I want to thank all of you for the kindness and love you’ve shown me and my family. I won’t ever forget you.
And as I walk out here for the last time, and with apologies to the great Lou Gehrig, I feel like the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.”
Easton began his tenure on General Hospital in 2012, reprising his One Life to Live character, John McBain. He transitioned to his role as Dr. Hamilton Finn in 2016 as a full-time cast member and received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2018 for his performance.
