Fans of General Hospital are wondering who Dex Heller’s (Evan Hofer) parents actually are and if he’s holding a family secret. Hints have been given that there may be more to his past—and family tree—than we first thought.
Evan Hofer, who plays Dex, talked to Soap Opera Digest earlier this year about the possibility that he's another General Hospital character's son, such as John "Jagger" Cates (Adam Harrington) or Jason Morgan (Steve Burton). When he was asked who he would prefer his father to be, Hofer replied, "Oh, gosh, everybody’s! I’ve met John in passing, and he’s very kind, and I haven’t had any scenes with Steve, but I have hugged him at work."
General Hospital fans immediately speculated that Dex and Jason might turn out to be related. Others are leaning into the theory that Dex is the son of Sonny Corinthos, someone he was originally hired to destroy. Other links to the Corinthos crime family aren't out of the realm of possibility, especially now that Dex has left behind his illegal ways and is in the police academy.
Who is Dex Heller on General Hospital?
Having a secret past wouldn't be completely out of character for Dex, he has had quite a few secrets since he landed in Port Charles. Viewers of General Hospital first met him in May 2022 when he temporarily replaced Chet Driscoll as Volonino’s Gym manager. Dex worked to get Sonny to trust him, but it was soon revealed that Michael Corinthos had hired Dex from a security firm to take Sonny down.
For about two years, Dex was a key figure in Sonny’s organized crime family, and during that time, he fell in love with Sonny's ex-step-daughter, Josslyn Jacks. Dex saved Sonny’s life by taking a bullet for him, even though Dex was secretly still working against Sonny.
Michael realized that Dex and Josslyn were secretly dating, then Josslyn found out that Dex had been working for Michael, and eventually, Sonny found out about Dex and Josslyn, as well—issues that put all of them in some danger. Ultimately, Dex had recordings of Sonny that could have brought him down, but Michael gave them to his mother to use as leverage with the SEC when Carly Spencer was charged with insider trading. Ultimately, Carly decided to destroy the evidence, and Dex was tasked with staying undercover to protect Sonny.
After Sonny learned the truth about Dex working for Michael and Carly, he ordered Dex to leave town. Dex broke up with Josslyn and left town, but she quickly tracked him down, and he returned to Port Charles. Eventually, Dex went to Police Commissioner Anna Devane and confessed. To his surprise, she offered him a job on the police force.
Who could Dex Heller really be?
Hofer told Soap Opera Digest that he thought that Dex would make a good officer on General Hospital because he’s fiercely loyal, but he’s not doing it to win Josslyn back. If anything, Hofer explained, Dex doesn’t think he deserves to be on the force or with Josslyn. He noted that the biggest change for him is that he won’t be working as much with Maurice Benard (Sonny) anymore.
When I read the script that I was not going to work for Sonny anymore, I actually cried in public just because I knew I wasn’t going to get to act with Mo as often. He’s been such a huge part of my life since I’ve been here. He’s been such an incredible mentor and friend to me, both in work and outside of work. - Evan Hofer (Dex, GH) to Soap Opera Digest
However, if Dex's family tree ties him to the Corinthos family, Hofer could get his wish. Dex came to General Hospital already knowing—and trusting—Michael Corinthos. He was willing to get involved with Sonny while betraying him, something that could have easily cost him his life on any given day. Is there a deeper connection to the Corinthos family that we don’t know about?
With Carly's legal woes behind her and her request that Michael bury the hatchet with Sonny, will Dex being on the right side of the law have any bearing on what unfolds next? What happens now that Sonny is unmedicated, spiraling, and out to take Ava down? Is this what Hofer was referring to when he told Soap Opera Digest, "There are too many historical intricacies that I don’t understand to say, but I just know whatever the writers decide in whatever cool way sounds good to me."
Until we know for sure, fans have been speculating that Dex’s father could be anyone from Sonny to Ric Lansing, who, perhaps just coincidentally, is returning to the show this month.
General Hospital airs daily on ABC, or catch episodes on the ABC app, ABC.com, DIRECTV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube TV, and Hulu.
