Report: Kelly Monaco Leaving After 21 Years

A longtime General Hospital fan favorite is reportedly leaving the ABC daytime soap. Kelly Monaco is set to exit after over two decades, with her character, Sam McCall, anticipated to be killed off, according to Soap Opera Network. (TVLine has reached out to ABC for confirmation.)

Monaco will make her final appearance as Sam this fall, the report states, also noting that Monaco was “blindsided” by the decision.

Monaco debuted on General Hospital as Sam in 2003, following a three-year role as Livvie Locke on the spinoff Port Charles. Initially introduced as a con artist and bad girl, Sam was revealed to be the long-lost daughter of attorney Alexis Davis and mob boss Julian Jerome. Over the years, she evolved into one of the cornerstone characters of the long-running soap. Monaco has received two Daytime Emmy nominations, one for Port Charles in 2003 and another for General Hospital in 2006.

General Hospital has recently experienced significant changes. Chris Van Etten has been reinstated as co-head writer alongside Elizabeth Korte. Also, Emma Samms will return as Holly Sutton next month, and Jonathan Jackson resumed his role as Lucky Spencer last week. Despite the upheavals, General Hospital continues to thrive, having won its fourth consecutive Daytime Emmy Award for best daytime drama this June.