Kelly Monaco, who has played Sam McCall on General Hospital since 2003, is off the soap, according to Soap Opera Network.
The end of General Hospital's Sam McCall
The outlet reports that Monaco was "blindsided" when she heard the news. Sam, a beloved character to legions of fans, is set to be killed off this fall. This death will have a ripple effect throughout Port Charles, as Sam is a Cassadine, a Jerome, and a longtime heroine who was once part of the popular pairing of Jason and Sam.
Monaco joined the GH cast in 2003 after a run on the show's spinoff series Port Charles, where she played Livvie Locke and Tess Ramsey. Sam was introduced to the GH scene as a con woman who had an affair with Sonny and became pregnant. When Jason volunteered to claim the baby as his own, the couple known as "Jasam" was born. Sadly, Sam's baby died, but Jason and Sam later had a son they named Danny.
During Monaco's time on GH, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award. She also earned her spot as a dancing sensation when she won the first-ever Mirror Ball Trophy on the reality competition series Dancing With the Stars. In 2012, Monaco returned to the show for an all-star competition.
Since 2020, actress Lindsay Hartley has pinch-hit for Monaco several times, including just last week when Hartley portrayed Sam during the baby Irene funeral scenes.
Last October, Monaco celebrated her 20th anniversary as Sam and expressed her gratitude for her years on General Hospital
"It’s wild to me that I’ve been a part of ABC for twenty-something years and GH for 20 years," Monaco told Soap Opera Digest. "I was in my early 20s when I started! GH is such a legendary show and I consider it my second home. Every day when I drive to the lot, I am just so honored to be a part of it."
There is no word yet as to when Monaco will last air as Sam.
