Steve Burton headed back to ‘General Hospital’ after exiting ‘Days’

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Just a day after Steve Burton announced his departure from Days of Our Lives, the 53-year-old daytime star revealed he’ll be returning to General Hospital to reprise his role as Jason Morgan.

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Burton made the news official during ABC’s primetime special General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars & Storytelling this week. “Happy anniversary, General Hospital,” Burton said in a pre-recorded clip that was shared by the show’s official X page. “Stay tuned — big things are coming to Port Charles.”

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Burton played Morgan on General Hospital on and off from 1991 to 2012, then again from 2017 to 2021.  But he was fired from his role in 2021 after he refused to comply with the show’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

“I did apply for my medical and religious exemptions and both of those were denied,” he explained in an Instagram post at the time. “Which, you know, hurts, but this is also personal freedom to me. I don’t think anyone should lose their livelihood over this. But with that being said, you know me. I’ll always be grateful for my time at General Hospital. I love it there. I grew up there. I grew up with some of you. I’ll always be grateful. And I believe when one door closes, multiple doors open. That’s always been my perspective, so I am excited to see what the future brings.”

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Prior to the announcement that he’s returning to GH, Burton shocked Days fans with the news he had “just shot my final scenes” on the soap. On Days, Burton played Harris Michaels, a role he originated in 1988.

“I just want to say thank you so much to the cast, to the crew, to Days, everybody,” Burton said in a video posted by the Daily Drama to YouTube. “It’s been amazing. I can’t believe it’s been a year already, so thank you so much to the fans. I’m always so full of gratitude, so thank you. Stay tuned.”

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The soap shakeup comes after Burton finalized his divorce from Sheree Gustin last month, nearly two years after he revealed she had been impregnated by another man.

Last July, Burton talked to Deadline about leaving GH, telling the outlet that his departure was “rough.”

“Look, the circumstance was tough and you know, that’s just the way it is,” he told Deadline. “I’ll always be grateful for my time there. It was my family for so long. I grew up there and the fans have always been awesome to me.”

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X: @markhdaniell

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