On General Hospital, Antonio Sabàto Jr. originated the role of John “Jagger” Cates in 1992, and while he was only on the show for just shy of three years, he’s been fondly remembered to this day. Fans around the world have wondered when and if Sabàto would ever reprise his role as Jagger, and they were shocked in February 2024 when Adam J. Harrington was recast as the character.
In a since-deleted Instagram video that was reported on by Michael Fairman TV, Sabàto spoke out about being recast and explained that people have asked him for decades when he would be returning to General Hospital. He said he had never been asked in the nearly 30 years since he left the show, and he would gladly reprise the character, remarking that:
The character’s only been played by me ’cause it’s part of who I am. It’s my life. It’s a character that is really a big part of my soul, that I dedicated my life [to], and that’s why it turned out to be great. I gave everything I have to that character and I would still do.
He then explained how people think the show wouldn’t hire him back because of his political views, which he countered with the following:
So, the truth and the fact of the matter is, people say, well, ‘you ruined your career because you voted for this, or political, or this and that.’ I shouldn’t be hired on my political views. I should be hired on my merit, on my acting abilities.
Let's take a look at the differences between both actors.
The General Hospital Stars Look Nothing Alike
Sabàto has dark hair, brown eyes, and a darker complexion. Harrington is blonde with blue eyes, and a fairer complexion. They couldn’t be more opposite in their appearance. In February, Harrington explained that he watched videos from the original stories and was taken aback by Sabàto’s amazing acting:
And I also thought, ‘There is no way I can even touch what Antonio Sabàto, Jr. did with the role in the past.’ Although I know it would be jarring for fans, in some ways, I was very happy that I didn’t look like I was going to try to mimic or echo at all what they had done with that storyline.
So, without trying to reinvent the wheel, the show and Harrington went in a completely different direction with the character.
Harrington’s Version Is Not The Nicest Guy
While Sabàto’s Jagger did have a beef with Sonny Corinthos, and even beat him up once, his life wasn’t very intertwined with the mobster. But Harrington’s John has a vendetta against Sonny and seems to have centered his life around taking Sonny down.
John is using Ava Jerome, as well as Sonny’s daughter Kristina Davis-Corinthos, to get at his perceived nemesis. His actions have been nothing short of vile, as he coerced Ava into writing a false statement about how Kristina attacked her. Ava also fears that John will kill her once she’s served her purpose—just what Sonny had warned her about. Sabàto’s Jagger would never have stooped so low for any reason.
He Originally Went By Jagger, not John
Antonio Sabàto Jr.’s character went by the nickname of Jagger. Now, the character goes by John, presumably to differentiate the portrayals. Upon learning that he was being recast, Sabàto stated in a defunct Instagram video:
So, now, they started a new character by the name of John. They don’t even call him ‘Jagger.' They call him ‘John.’
He added to his statement:
So, this is on them hiring a new person, which is fine. They could do whatever they want. But for all the fans around the world to speculate, or to say, ‘I ruined my career and all this stuff,’ no, that’s not it. So, now you know the truth. I’m gonna leave this out there for you to see.
While General Hospital's reasons for the recast remain unknown, John Cates's story is affecting a lot of characters right now.
You can watch new episodes of General Hospital weekdays on ABC and Hulu.
