Chad Duell's 'General Hospital' Exit Explained: Actor Breaks Silence on What Happened & Why He Left the Show

Chad Duell is speaking out to explain why he decided to leave the soap opera General Hospital after nearly 15 years on the show.

The actor began playing Michael Corinthos on the ABC soap series back in 2010 and he announced his departure in November 2024. The show’s executive producer revealed at the time that there are no plans to recast his role at this time, but it could happen in the future.

Chad appeared on a recent episode of The Daily Drama Podcast and explained why he left the show.

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“It’s a life adjustment,” he said (via People). “A lot of stuff’s been going on in my life. There’s a few things behind it but one thing I did say is my dad passed away and I’m still coming to terms with that.”

Chad continued, “I’m preparing myself for next chapters. Obviously with [creator] Frank [Hursley] and everything, I left the door open there. Right now, I’m just trying to grow in ways that maybe I feel like I stifled myself in certain aspects, and sometimes you need to take drastic steps or make yourself feel uncomfortable to take a step. And that’s what I’ve not allowed myself to do in a long time, is step into more uncomfortable situations and grow, instead of comfortable and complacent.”

Chad noted that he felt he got lost in the work after playing Michael for so long.

“I had a very strong complacency for such a long time that my identity was wrapped up in that,” he said. “Who I was was the show and the characters that I’ve done for so long. It’s gonna be a process kind of unraveling and really seeing who I am. There’s a lot of work I have to do to achieve the potential that I know I have — not just career-wise but in a lot of aspects. I feel like I’ve been moreso in a bubble of comfort for such a long time.”

Chad teased some plans for the new year.

“Come January, I have a few things planned that I wanna do for myself, and it’s different because I have a kid now, but also at the same time, for him, and me as well, and everybody, it’s doing what’s best for me, spiritually, mentally,” he said. “Everything will only reflect my energy in a better way towards everybody around me. I want to make sure that I take care of myself.”

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