From Port Charles to Hollywood: General Hospital actors who made it big

General Hospital has had many celebrities make guest appearances on the show, but it has also launched larger careers for many of its cast members. It has been said by several soap stars that performing in a daytime drama is a good place for actors to really hone their craft because of the fast pace, because they usually only get one to two takes on a scene, and the amount of script pages and dialogue they have to churn out in a short amount of time.

Let’s take a look at several celebrities who got their start on GH.

Demi Moore

The actress played newspaper reporter Jackie Templeton from 1982 to 1984 and went on to launch a major movie career. Such films as Ghost (1990), Indecent Proposal (1993), and G.I. Jane (1997) are but a few of the many projects she’s appeared in. She’s continues to act to this day, having recently been in 2022’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and has made many TV appearances, including Empire and Brave New World, among others.

Meghan Markle

Markle's father, Thomas Markle, worked behind the scenes on GH as a lighting director, so it's not surprising that his daughter appeared in a 2001 episode of GH, playing a nurse named Jill during the Joseph Sorel murder investigation. She went on to be in several films and TV shows. Appearing on such shows as Fringe, CSI: Miami, and Castle, among many others. Since then, she’s also been in a few films, including Horrible Bosses (2011) and Dater’s Handbook (2016). She’s more widely known as the Duchess of Sussex, after marrying Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, in 2018.

John Stamos

The star of Full House and its sequel series, Fuller House, Stamos is popular worldwide. Since 1985, he’s been a frequent guest performer with the iconic band the Beach Boys and even toured with them early in 2024. But he hasn’t forgotten his humble beginnings when he played Blackie Parrish on General Hospital from 1982 to 1992. Blackie is a character that’s still talked about today.

Mark Hamill

Before saving a galaxy far, far away as Luke Skywalker in 1977’s Star Wars, Mark Hamill appeared as Kent Murray on GH in 1972. The actor went on to become a huge fan favorite, and he is well known for being a lover of comic books. He has nearly 30 award wins under his belt, notably taking home the Annie Award for Best Achievement for Voice Acting for his voiceover work as the villainous Joker in Batman: The Animated Series in 1994.

Ricky Martin

Martin was beloved as Miguel Morez on General Hospital, a character he played from 1994 to 1995. The show helped launch his music career, and he went on to great success with his 1999 number one hit song "Livin’ La Vida Loca." He’s also had a few other Billboard Top 100 hits like "The Cup of Life" and "Shake Your Bon-Bon," but none of them ever got to number one.

Miguel was recently mentioned on GH when Kristina's girlfriend Blaze left town to go on a world tour with Miguel.

Jonathan Jackson

Fan favorite Jackson originated the character of Lucky Spencer on General Hospital in 1993. He left the show in 1999 and returned a couple of times over the years (with recasts playing the part in between). He has now returned to the show in 2024. He did go on to carve out a musical career for himself, as well as starring in the family film Tuck Everlasting and the hit series Nashville.

Amber Tamblyn

From 1995 to 2001, Tamblyn played the nice-as-can-be Emily Quartermaine on GH. She would go on to star in the hit nighttime show Joan of Arcadia and continued to appear in several shows up and down the dial. She’s also been in several movies including The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) and its sequel in 2008, as well as 2006’s remake of the Japanese film The Grudge 2, as well as other films.

Future Star: Nicholas Chavez

Chavez blew away fans with his first acting job playing Spencer Cassadine on General Hospital from 2021 to 2024, and his character’s pairing with Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) had fans comparing the couple to the legendary Luke and Laura Spencer (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis). Now, he’s made the move to streaming and will be starring in the highly anticipated Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Odds are, with his great acting talent, he’s going to join the ranks other GH cast members who’ve gone on to great fame.

Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Taylor and James Franco

Elizabeth Taylor, the legendary star of the silver screen appeared in such classics as Cleopatra (1963) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), which are just the tip of the iceberg for her legendary career. In 1981, she requested to appear on GH, where she created the memorable character of the villainous Helena Cassadine, who famously cursed Luke and Laura on their wedding day. That episode garnered a whopping 30 million viewers and is still talked about to this day.

James Franco was another major movie star who wanted to be on General Hospital. He appeared on the show from 2009 to 2012, playing the sadistic, performance art serial killer known only as Franco. The Spider-Man 2 star has been in a string of hit movies, and it was fun to see things go the opposite way with a celebrity of his status appearing on a daytime drama. Among the nearly 150 projects he’s appeared in are Pineapple Express (2008), 127 Hours (2010), and Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011).