There’s a new Michael Corinthos in town and he’s being played by a familiar face.
Chad Duell, who has played Michael on General Hospital for 15 years, had his last appearance on Jan. 21. Within the episode, Michael was sent to a clinic in Germany to treat his burns after he was caught in an explosion at his father Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. Chad first announced his departure on the ABC daytime drama in November. General Hospital has finally brought back a full-time replacement for Michael and he’s now being portrayed by Rory Gibson.The actor made his debut on last week Friday’s episode (May 23) during the annual Nurses’ Ball at Port Charles. Rory is a familiar face in the soap world as he best known for playing Noah Newman on Young and the Restless from 2021 through 2023. He spoke to TV Insider about taking on the fan-favorite role ahead of his debut episode.
Rory first shared to the outlet that he didn’t initially audition for Michael on the iconic soap. He had originally sent in a tape for the character of Vaughn (Bryce Durfee) and did a chemistry read with Eden McCoy (Josslyn Jacks). Afterwards, he had a “nice little chat” with executive producer Frank Valentini and Rory said, “I could kind of see the wheels turning as we were talking.”
Rory shared that, after that conversation, he got a callback but for the role of Michael.
“It was super, super top secret,” he recounted. “I came in and screen-tested for that with Kate Mansi (Kristina Corinthos)and Katey MacMullen (Willow Tait), and it went well. They were super warm and welcoming. A couple weeks went by, and they brought me in for another screen test with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Laura Wright (Carly Spencer). About a week after that, they locked me in, and it’s been a nice little journey ever since.”
He added how his family watched GH “religiously” when he was growing up and how excited they were especially his grandma and mother, who were “diehard fans.”
Rory shared how he prepared for the role and was mindful to make it his own especially following Chad’s shoes.
“You don’t want to necessarily copy anything that anyone’s done before, and I know Chad really owned this role and he did incredible, incredible work, so I tried to stay away from watching too many old episodes and was more looking things up online,” Rory said.
He shared that the show provided him with a “huge” summary of who Michael is which Rory called helpful. Along with that, Rory also utilized his friend Jenna, whose a diehard fan, for information during “endless phone calls.”
“So, I got a pretty in-depth summary of who Michael was and where he might be in his life right now, considering all the traumatic things that led up to the point of me getting there,” Rory continued.
Rory teased a but if what Michael is feeling in his recent return to Port Charles: “He is at a huge crossroads in his life. He has a thirst for vengeance and justice because it’s no secret what Drew (Cameron Mathison) put him through. I think he’s at a place where he so badly wants to have a calm and peaceful life, especially after everything he’s gone through, but I don’t necessarily see that happening for him.”
Rory concluded the interview expressing his elation at playing Michael as well as what’s to come for the character.
“I loved playing Noah, but I do feel a really strong connection to this character of Michael,” he said. “I feel like he has a lot more at stake and with the storylines that he’s woven into; there’s so much suspense and so much consequence behind all of them. It’s terribly, terribly exciting to play and challenging to play, so I’m feeling very fulfilled in this new role. It’s been very intense, but I’m loving every second of it.”
