RELIEF! Roger Howarth signs new contract at GH

RELIEF! Roger Howarth signs new contract at GH

General Hospital fans who worried about Roger Howarth's status with the show can breathe a sigh of relief because he has signed a new deal with the ABC soap.

General Hospital fans have been on edge since it was reported that the ABC soap and Franco's wildly popular portrayer, Roger Howarth, were having a tough time reaching a new contract deal. However, fans can begin to rest easy because it seems the two parties have finally worked something out: Soap Opera Digest reports that GH and Howarth have inked a new deal, meaning the actor will be staying put in Port Charles.

GH head writer Jean Passanante took to Twitter to assure "Frizzies," the affectionate term for fans of Franco and Elizabeth, that they need not worry about Howarth leaving. She also added that she "[c]ouldn't be happier" that Howarth will be staying put.

Howarth first appeared on GH as his One Life to Live character Todd Manning in 2012 and began playing the role of Franco in 2013 after ABC and Prospect Park entered into a lawsuit over OLTL characters.

This isn't the first time fans have heard about contract negotiations between Howarth and the show. In May 2016, ABC executive Nathan Varni took to social media to refute reports that the two parties were engaged in unpleasant contract negotiations.

How do you feel about Howarth and GH having successfully worked out contract negotiations? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

Enjoyed this article? Join the conversation in our General Hospital forum! Click here to connect with fans and dive into discussions now.