After an eight-year absence, actor Rick Hearst is set to reprise his role as Ric Lansing on ABC’s “General Hospital,” TV Insider reported on Thursday.
According to the outlet, Hearst will begin taping at the Prospect Studios set in Hollywood next week, with his first scenes scheduled to air during the week of August 19-23, 2024.
Speaking with Stephanie Sloane, Hearst noted that the show had “been very much on my periphery and not in my consciousness for eight years,” so it was surprising when he started getting calls and messages from the show’s casting director, Mark Teschner, telling him to call him.
“I’m like, ‘You know, as much as I love Mark and I love that he would reach out to me, that’s awfully intense. Something’s up,” Heast pointed out to Sloane about his road back to the show, noting that after connecting with Teschner, their conversation went like this: “‘What’s the story, what’s happening?’ So then he told me and I kind of look at it as, ‘Daddy’s home and here to take care of his daughter and anything that entails.'”
Viewers will recall that Ric is the father of Molly Lansing-Davis (now played by Kristen Vaganos, previously played by Haley Pullos) through his relationship with Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn). In story, Molly is preparing for the birth of her and TJ’s (Tajh Bellow) child, who is being carried by Molly’s sister, Kristina Corinthos-Davis (Kate Mansi), via surrogacy.
Upon his return to the studio, Hearst shares that he is looking forward to reconnecting with some of his former castmates, including Grahn, Rebecca Herbst, Maurice Benard, Steve Burton and Laura Wright, all of whom he worked alongside during his previous stint on the show. He’s also looking forward to meeting Vaganos, who took over the role of Molly last year following the abrupt departure of Haley Pullos.
“I’ve heard wonderful things about her and I’m looking forward to meeting her and just being an open book for her so that it helps drive whatever story that we’re going to be in,” an enthused Hearst told TV Insider.
Hearst’s return to “General Hospital” coincides with previous reports of the show looking to bring back past characters with their familiar portrayers. Earlier this month, it was announced that Jonathan Jackson would be reprising his role as Lucky Spencer on the series after last appearing on the show for a brief run in 2015.