Though first reported as a rumor last month by Daytime Confidential, veteran writer Ryan Quan is officially exiting “General Hospital,” where he has served as a breakdown writer since early 2025, in order to return to his old stomping ground at “Days of our Lives,” working alongside Jeanne Marie Ford as the show’s co-head writer. He replaces current co-head writer Paula Cwikly.
According to TV Insider, Quan will begin work at the show in July, with Cwikly transitioning to a consulting role as she continues her long relationship with the Corday Productions-produced soap opera. Ford and Cwikly were named co-head writers in July 2024, following Ron Carlivati’s departure as head writer. The pair’s material began appearing on-screen with episodes aired in April 2025.
“We are lucky to have Ryan back in the fold,” said Ken Corday, the show’s executive producer. “There are very few people who have such a deep knowledge and understanding of our show’s history. Stay tuned!”
Due to the show’s advanced tape-to-air schedule, material written by the writing team led by Ford and Quan will not appear on-screen until at least the midpoint of 2027.
A graduate of the University of Los Angeles (UCLA), Quan had previously been a part of the writing team at “Days of our Lives,” starting as a writer’s assistant in April 2007, the same position he held from 1999-2005 at “Passions,” before working his way up, holding several other positions at the soap throughout his tenure, including dialogue writer, breakdown writer, and, was credited as the show’s co-head writer from September 2016 to July 2017, working alongside Dena Higley, following the exit of Josh Griffith (current head writer at “The Young and the Restless”).
With Carlivati taking over from Quan and Higley as head writer with episodes that began airing on July 19, 2017, Quan moved into the role of story consultant on the show, a position he held until he left to join the writing team at “General Hospital,” led by head writers Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten. He began his run at the ABC soap as a breakdown writer, starting with an episode that aired in March 2025.
Throughout his writing career, Quan has won three Emmy Awards as a member of the “Days of our Lives” writing team, receiving his first recognition in 2012. He also won in 2018 and 2022.
The Los Angeles native received his first Writers Guild Award in 2014 for his work on “Days of our Lives” in 2013, led by then-co-head writer Christopher Whitesell. He received subsequent award wins in 2021, for calendar year 2020, 2022 (for 2021), 2023 (for 2022) and 2024 (for 2023).
