General Hospital Star Departs Show After 21 Years

General Hospital will bid farewell to one of its veteran actors, Kelly Monaco, who is set to exit the show after an impressive 21-year run.

The medical drama, the longest-running scripted show in U.S. history, celebrated its 60th anniversary last year. Monaco has portrayed the complex character Sam McCall since 2003, evolving from a vengeful con artist to a private investigator over the years.

The 48-year-old actress is expected to make her final appearance this autumn, after being featured in more than 2,200 episodes, according to Variety. Soap Opera Network was the first to break the news, suggesting that the decision had been made to “terminate” Monaco’s character.

Sam McCall, a dynamic figure on the show, is the daughter of mob boss Julian Jerome, played by William deVry, and attorney Alexis Davis, portrayed by Nancy Lee Grahn. Conceived after a one-night stand and subsequently placed for adoption, McCall’s backstory has captivated audiences for years.

In 2006, Monaco earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for her role, highlighting the impact of her performance. Before joining General Hospital, Monaco played a similar character, Livvie Locke, on the show’s spin-off, Port Charles, from 2000 to 2003. When Port Charles was canceled, Monaco, along with several other cast members, transitioned to the main show.

Sadly, the soap opera has recently been overshadowed by tragedy following the murder of cast member Johnny Wactor, who played Brando Corbin. Two teenagers have been charged with the killing of the 37-year-old actor.

Wactor was shot dead in the early hours of May 25 near Pico Boulevard. He and a coworker encountered a group of four men attempting to steal his car’s catalytic converter. When Wactor confronted them, he was tragically killed. Catalytic converters are often targeted because they contain valuable metals like rhodium, platinum, and palladium.

Emmy-nominated actress Kirsten Storms, who portrays Maxie Jones on the show, expressed her shock and sorrow over Wactor’s death. “I don’t typically do posts like this, but Johnny was such a special person and it feels important to put these words out there,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Johnny was one of those rare ‘real individuals’ that you almost never come across… For some reason, we talked about the deep stuff. He was a safe space for those conversations and, in turn, he would talk about his life,” Storms continued.