The Saddest Day for General Hospital :Chad Duell Tearful Reveal Will Leave You Emotional 😭

General Hospital spoilers and updates report: Chad Duell has revealed why he left GH and talked about it to Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson on their Daily Drama podcast. The Michael Corinthos portrayer explained to Steve (Jason Morgan) and Bradford (Penelli and Bole) all about it. Here’s what he said:

Chad Duell is stepping away from his role as Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, a character he has portrayed for an impressive 15 years. He started at age 22, and now he’s 37. We’ve learned that his final appearance will be sometime in the upcoming year.

While the choice to leave was his own, the reasons behind it remained a mystery until now. As revealed in the latest episode of The Daily Drama podcast, in a sense, as has been speculated, Chad is on a leave of absence. However, it’s not physically health-related. After playing intensive Michael storylines for 15 years with practically no break, he simply feels he needs one.

He went on to explain: Diving straight into the conversation, Duell opened up about his time away from the show. He said, “There’s been a lot happening in my life during this break. So much to process. One significant reason is that, as many know, my dad passed away and I’m still grappling with that loss.”

His dad’s passing also explains his short times away in the past months. He continued, “I had hoped to spend some time back in Arizona, but that’s proving to be more challenging than I anticipated.” He went on to mention that Lana, his significant other and mother of his son, is currently attending school, and his son Dawson is in daycare in Arizona.

He concluded, “At this moment, I’m focusing on my mental and physical well-being, preparing myself for the next chapters ahead.”

Frank Valentini, the executive producer of GH, has indicated that there’s potential for more Michael storylines in the future. Chad Duell shared his thoughts, saying, “We’ll see what unfolds ahead, but for now, I’m focusing on personal growth in areas where I feel I’ve held myself back.”

He added, “Sometimes you need to take bold steps or push yourself out of your comfort zone to move forward, and that’s something I haven’t fully embraced yet.”

Duell also expressed, “I have several plans in mind that I want to pursue for myself,” acknowledging the journey ahead will take time, including his new skincare line, Pora Beauty. He added, “There’s a significant amount of work I need to put in to reach the potential I believe I have in my career and various aspects of my life.”