Why Did Steve Burton LeaveGeneral Hospital? All About His Initial Exit and Upcoming Return

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Nick Agro via Getty

Nick Agro via Getty

Get excitedGeneral Hospitalfans, because Steve Burton isreprising his role as Jason Morgan.

A day after the soap starannounced his exit fromDays of Our Lives, the actor revealed he would be returning toGeneral Hospitalduring ABC’s primetime specialGeneral Hospital: 60 Years of Stars & Storytelling.

In the final moments of the special, Laura Wright (Carly) and Kelly Monaco (Sam) helped announce his return in a pre-recorded clip.

“You know what they say: When one door closes,” Wright said, with Monaco adding, “Another door opens.” They then turned their attention to the door in between them as Burton stepped out and told the camera, “Stay tuned — big things are coming to Port Charles.”

Burton first made hisGeneral Hospitaldebut in 1991. His character was first known as Jason Quartermaine, who sustained brain damage in a car crash which wiped his memory and led him to reinvent himself as Jason Morgan.

He remained on the series for the next 11 years, even winning a 1998 Daytime Emmy for outstanding supporting actor during his tenure. Though he exited the series in 2012, he returned in 2017 and remained a main character until November 2021.

As Burton makes his anticipated return to the show, here are all the details of why he left the series in 2021.

Why did Steve Burton leaveGeneral Hospital?

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Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney issued a mandate that required vaccinations for the casts of all of its U.S. productions.General Hospital’s vaccine mandate for Zone A, which includes the actors and all crew who are present on set when the actors aren’t wearing masks, went into effect on Nov. 1, 2021.

What has Steve Burton said about his exit fromGeneral Hospital?

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Burton shared the news of his exitin a video on his Instagram page later in November 2021. “I know there’s been a lot of rumors and speculations about me andGeneral Hospital. I wanted you to hear it from me personally,” hesaidin the clip. “Unfortunately,General Hospitalhas let me go because of the vaccine mandate. I did apply for my medical and religious exemptions, and both of those were denied, which, you know, hurts.”

Burton continued, “But this is also about personal freedom to me. I don’t think anyone should lose their livelihood over this. But with that being said, you know me, I’ll always be grateful for my time atGeneral Hospital, I love it there.”

In July 2022, Burton expanded on his exittoDeadlineduring an interview about his upcoming role as Harris Michaels on Peacock’sDays of Our Lives: Beyond Salem.

“Look, the circumstance [of hisGHdeparture] was tough and you know, that’s just the way it is,” Burton told the publication. “I’ll always be grateful for my time there. It was my family for so long. I grew up there and the fans have always been awesome to me. But again, some doors shut and other doors open and here we are inBeyond Salem. Wow.”

He also discussed what it was like having his “personal choices about vaccines” shared with the public when his exit was announced. “I’m a public figure and that’s just how life is,” he said. “It was my belief and I stuck to it and I knew it was gonna be that way. I knew some people would agree with it and some people wouldn’t agree with it. It’s a personal choice and that’s what I had to do.”“GHwas a huge part of my life and I’m so grateful for the opportunity there and the people there,” he continued. “I just don’t have anything bad to say. It was a handshake — ‘Hey, it doesn’t work for you. It doesn’t work for me.’ Okay, great. Awesome. That was it. And that’s okay. In life it’s perspective, right? It’s how you choose to handle it. We all have a choice in how to handle things. You could get angry and pissed off and bad-mouth people and take the low road and that’s not gonna get anyone anywhere, ever. I truly am grateful and I work from that.”

How didGeneral Hospitalwrite off Steve Burton’s character Jason?

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Shortly after Burton confirmed his exit fromGeneral Hospital, his character was written off the show. During an episode that aired in November 2021, a tunnel collapsed on Jason as he was trying to save his brother Drew (Cameron Mathison).

Though Drew survived, Jason’s body was never recovered. He was later pronounced dead to his loved ones, includinghis longtime friend-turned-love Carly. At the time,Varietyreportedthat the show would not recast Burton’s role, seemingly leaving the door open for his potential return down the road.

When did Steve Burton announce his return toGeneral Hospital?

During ABC’s primetime specialGeneral Hospital: 60 Years of Stars & Storytelling, which featured many past stars asthey reflected on the show’s legacy, Burton announced his anticipated return as Jason.

In the final moments of the special, Laura Wright (Carly) and Kelly Monaco (Sam) helped announce his return in a pre-recorded clip that showed him walking through a door.

Duringhis podcastDaily Dramawith costar Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) in January 2024, Burton spoke more about his surprise return, including how the show kept his segment in the anniversary special a secret.

“We tried to keep it super low profile in the building,” Burton said. “Here’s the thing. Once you start telling makeup, hair, wardrobe, it’s hard. It’s supposed to be hush-hush but I’m going back in the building…you can’t just drop me in the dressing room and then take me up to stage and shoot something without people noticing.”

“It was incredible going back,” he added. “Just the welcome back from everybody on the lot, starting with the people at the gate. It was amazing.”

When is Steve Burton reprising his role as Jason onGeneral Hospital?

Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty

In a video posted to theDaily Drama’s YouTube channel, the veteran soap actor shared a glimpse at his return to the ABC program’s set — and revealed thathis official return date is March 4.

At the beginning of March,PEOPLE shared the exclusive first lookat Burton’s return. In the image, Burton, who plays Jason Morgan, is clad entirely in black and stands behind a dumpster, one hand covered in blood.

source: people.com