On the most recent episode of his Daily Drama podcast, which he co-hosts with Bradford Anderson, actor Steve Burton announced that his recent return to “General Hospital” included signing a two-year deal with ABC that will keep him in Port Charles for at least that time. Burton’s comments are in response to speculation on social media that he wouldn’t be staying long-term, specifically that he only signed a three-month deal.
“Obviously, they are going for clickbait because nothing they’re posting is even remotely true,” Burton pointed out to Anderson, his “General Hospital” co-star, who also recently returned to the show, albeit on a recurring basis, as Damian Spinelli.
“They said that I only signed a three-month contract, and then I’m dying,” said Burton, summarizing discussions across various Facebook fan groups about his status on the daytime drama series. “Hey, guess what? It’s a two-year contract, and I’m not dying!” Burton continued.
In addition to appearing as Jason on “General Hospital,” Burton continues to appear on “Days of our Lives” as Harris Michaels, a character he originated in 1988.
Although he only signed a one-year deal with the Peacock exclusive series, which concluded in December 2023, due to the show’s advanced tape-to-air schedule, fans can expect to see Burton in Salem and Port Charles simultaneously through at least June.
After exiting “Days of our Lives” the first time, Burton joined the “General Hospital” cast in 1991 as Jason Quartermaine. By 1997, the character had lost his memories and began going by the name of Jason Morgan. Burton exited the ABC soap in 2000 only to return on a full-time in 2002. He again exited the series in 2012 before eventually ending up in Genoa City, playing Dylan McAvoy from 2013-2017. A few months later, Burton returned to “General Hospital” as Jason Morgan, only to exit again in November 2021 after being let go for not complying with the since vacated Disney/ABC vaccine mandate.
Return to Port Charles
Eric McCandless/Disney
Soon after taping his final scenes at “Days of our Lives,” Burton got the call to return to “General Hospital,” with the network formally announced his reprisal during a promo aired at the conclusion of the primetime special “General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars and Storytelling.”
“Happy anniversary, ‘General Hospital.’ Stay tuned. Big things are coming to Port Charles,” Burton said in the promo as he stood alongside co-stars Laura Wright (Carly Spencer) and Kelly Monaco (Sam McCall).
Watch or listen below to hear Burton discuss his first full week back on “General Hospital” in the latest episode of the Daily Drama podcast. He addresses his contract status around the 21:00 minute mark.