Fans of “GENERAL Hospital” are still shocked by the news that Kelly Monaco is surprisingly leaving the soap after two decades as Sam McCall.
Since it was announced that Kelly’s character would be killed off later this year, viewers have blamed Sam’s inglorious exit on unimaginative storytelling.
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Reacting to the news that Kelly was fired from the soap opera after 21 years, one Reddit user wrote: “Wow. Not a good move in my opinion.”
“I feel like the problems with her character are the fault of the writers and the transitions in the writing team,” they commented in a discussion forum for the show.
“She’s a great actress, but she hasn’t been used in a meaningful or interesting way in a long time,” the GH viewer pointed out.
“The time commitment of Pikeman and the back and forth with other storylines was exhausting. I hate the whiplash and also hate to see her go,” they concluded.
Read more about General Hospital
Soap Opera Network first reported that ABC had decided to axe the 48-year-old’s character, revealing that Kelly was “blindsided” by the decision.
She first joined the cast as Sam in 2003 after playing Livvie Locke on the General Hospital spinoff “Port Charles” for three years.
Since then, she has filmed over 2,000 episodes as Sam, the daughter of mob boss Julian Jerome (William DeVry) and lawyer Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn), who was conceived after a one-night stand.
She was later illegally adopted by Cody McCall (Stanley Kamel) and his wife Evelyn Bass.
Kelly was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for her portrayal of a rebellious con artist turned private investigator on “General Hospital” in 2006.
Fans are criticizing the show’s decision to cut Kelly’s character. One writes: “Sam is one of the best characters and Kelly is a long-time veteran. This is terrible.”
Another viewer vowed never to boycott the soap if Kelly’s character was fired, adding: “This is absolutely devastating and if Sam/Kelly leave I will never watch General Hospital again.”
At the time of writing, Kelly had not yet commented on the reports of her exit.
Restructuring of the cast
While one character is unfortunately leaving Port Charles, three new ones are supposedly on their way to the fictional city where “General Hospital” is set.
According to a message posted on the show’s Reddit subreddit, newcomer Emmanuel Jalbert has been cast in the role of Gerard.
Cast of General Hospital
General Hospital has been airing since the early 1960s.
The cast of the legendary soap opera includes:
- Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos)
- Chad Duell (Michael Corinthos)
- Katelyn MacMullen (Willow Corinthos)
- Robert Gossett (Marshall Ashford)
- Josh Swickard (Harrison Chase)
- Gregory Harrison (Gregory Chase)
- Michael Easton (Hamilton Finn)
- Kirsten Storms (Maxie Jones)
- Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri)
- Kelly Monaco (Samantha McCall)
- Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth Webber-Baldwin)
- Cynthia Watros (Nina Reeves)
- Maura West (Ava Jerome)
Celebrity appearances:
- Demi Moore (1982–1984)
- Meghan Markle (2002)
- Mark Hamilton (1972)
- Kristin Davis (1991)
- Eva Longoria (2000)
- George Takei (1985)
- Elizabeth Taylor (1981)
Gerard’s story will be woven into the plot of Lucky’s (Jonathan Jackson) comeback, including infiltrating Pikeman to save another new character, a doctor named Isaiah.
Star Trek: Discovery actor Sawandi Wilson will play Isaiah’s role, he confirmed on Instagram last week.
THE NEW RESIDENTS OF PORT CHARLES
“NEW CHARACTER UNLOCKED,” Sawandi captioned his announcement post. “So excited and grateful to be a part of this!!
“Port Charles Wha Gwan (a Jamaican phrase that translates to ‘What’s going on?’ or ‘What’s up?’),” he added.
Finally, Carlo Rota, who has appeared in the films “24,” “Jane the Virgin,” and the Canadian sitcom “Little Mosque on the Prairie,” among others, will join the cast of “General Hospital” in a role that has not yet been confirmed.
“But they fire someone who doesn’t want to take a pay cut??? That has to make sense!” commented one Reddit user, referring to Kelly’s impending departure.
In response, another fan claimed: “They’ve done this before.
“The firing of a long-time actor opens up the opportunity for him to take on several additional roles,” they continued.
“During Covid there was an influx of new characters when Steve and Ingo were let go. Having Jonathan back as Lucky led to characters like Blaze being axed,” the fan pointed out.
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