“It was one of the most fun things I have done,” he says of the “surreal” experience.
A golden bachelor is heading to Port Charles.
Guy Gansert, a former ER doctor who competed for Joan Vassos’ heart on the inaugural season of The Golden Bachelorette, is set to make a return to the network with a guest-star spot on, aptly, General Hospital.
Recently retired from the medical field, the 66-year-old former suitor will play a wildlife journalist named Geoffrey Beckett on an episode of the storied daytime soap set to air Wednesday, March 12. PEOPLE first broke the news. For a look at him in character, see below.
In a clip from the episode (above), Geoffrey meets with Cynthia Watros’ Nina to discuss some of his previous work, including one particularly “moving piece” about his trek through the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego. “My passion lies with exploring nature’s untouched, unspoiled places,” says Geoffrey in the scene.
But Nina might be interested in more than his writing. “For a man of the wild, you clean up very nicely,” she says.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Gansert said the guest role came about after he joked about it with one of the producers on the Golden Bachelorette finale. To his surprise, he received a Zoom invitation with Frank Valentini, the soap’s executive producer, and Dominick Nuzzi, head of production for ABC daytime, “within a couple of weeks.”
“They loved the idea of a real ER doctor who made it to the final two of The Golden Bachelorette,” said Gansert. “Even though I was ecstatic over being a cast member on The Golden Bachelorette, this was an exciting opportunity to actually act and be a part of an iconic show. This is all happening after deciding to hang up my stethoscope and retire after 35 years.”
It was a “surreal” experience, said Gansert. “The producers, directors, actresses were so incredibly kind and supportive and put me at ease. They were all welcoming. There was definitely a sense of family amongst all staff. It was one of the most fun things I have done. They made me feel special.”
Gansert, a father of four from Reno, came in second place on the first season of The Golden Bachelorette, which wrapped last autumn with Vassos choosing Chock Chapple.
