Kelly Monaco is leaving General Hospital after appearing on the ABC daytime soap for 21 years. She will be making her final appearance as Sam McCall this fall.
According to Soap Opera Network, who first reported the news, Sam is set to be killed off. And while soaps are famed bringing ‘dead’ characters back to life, it really does look like this could be the end for Monaco in GH.
The actress is said to have been “blindsided” by the decision to write her out of the show, according to sources. Since first appearing in 2003, Monaco has filmed more than 2,200 episodes of General Hospital.
Before joining General Hospital, Monaco was best known for her role as Livvie Locke on Port Charles, the half-hour spinoff of General Hospital, on which she played her role from 2000 to 2003. Since 2003, Monaco played the con artist Sam McCall who aimed to reverse her family’s bad luck. The character is the biological daughter of mob boss Julian Jerome, played by William deVry, and attorney Alexis Davis, played by Nancy Lee Grahn. Her character is also the illegal adoptive daughter of Cody McCall, played by Stanley Kamel.
Monaco has been nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards throughout her career, first in 2003 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Port Charles and again in 2006 for her portrayal of Sam on General Hospital.
In August 2020, Sam was briefly recast with Lindsay Hartley who temporarily played the role. Hartley later reappeared as the character several episodes in January 2024 as well as earlier this month.
Monaco’s exit comes during the return of fellow General Hospital veterans including Jonathan Jackson as Lucky Spencer, whose return on the soap opera was announced on Friday. Rick Hearst also returned as the character Richard Lansing on Aug. 22 after an eight year break. In July, Emma Samms was reported to reprise her role as Holly Sutton.
In 2005, Monaco competed during the inaugural season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars where she won the Mirror Ball trophy. She returned to the dance competition series in 2012, with professional dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy who later appeared on General Hospital as a boxer. She returned once more in 2017 for the show’s 25th season.
A final date for Monaco’s last appearance on General Hospital is not known at this time.
General Hospital, Weekdays, ABC