Dear readers, many moons ago I toured in a theatre group for three years of life on the road. And often times we would wake up and ask that question, “Where are we? What city is this?” because while being in a new town every day is thrilling, it also gets confusing.
I found myself with that familiar confused feeling this week as I was spending time in Genoa City, Wisconsin, because it suddenly looked a lot like Port Charles, New York. Have you noticed how many long-lost residents of General Hospital have ended up on The Young and the Restless?
I want you to know I made this list off the top of my head with minimal Googling. I did have to Google the character names of Judith Chapman on General Hospital and Genie Francis on The Young and the Restless, but I knew the rest by heart. And if you see any omissions on my list, feel free to let me know!
General Hospital and The Young and the Restless‘ common denominators
I will list the actor, the roles they played on each show, and decide which show can claim them should there be a custody battle.
Jason Thompson
- Patrick Drake, General Hospital
- Billy Abbott, The Young and the Restless
On a personal note, I love Jason Thompson. I met him once at an event. He knew who I was and had read my old Soap Central column or was at least aware it existed. He could not have been nicer.
I first saw Jason on General Hospital as dreamy Dr. Patrick Drake. He was beloved, in a front burner storyline, and was on the General Hospital canvas from 2005 – 2016 according to IMDB. A good long run on General Hospital. I was distressed to lose him. But you know what? He made the right move because his role as Billy Abbott has been fire. He’s been on The Young and the Restless from 2016 to present and has had storylines as Billy Abbott that sweet Patrich Drake would never have been able to touch.
At present, Patrick and Robin Scorpio’s (Kimberly McCullough) daughter Emma Drake (Braedyn Bruner) is on a front burner storyline on General Hospital, so even without Patrick’s physical presence, we still feel him. But over on The Young and the Restless, Billy Abbott is lighting up our screens in a fiery storyline about revenge, betrayal and self-destruction. This is definitely Emmy worthy work from Jason Thompson.
Verdict: General Hospital found him, but The Young and the Restless gave him wings. The Young and the Restless can claim Jason Thompson as their guy.
Billy Miller
- Drew Cain, General Hospital
- Billy Abbott, The Young and the Restless
Interestingly enough, the Billy Abbott character was first embodied by the incomparable Billy Miller. His run on The Young and the Restless was from 2008 – 2014. His character lit up my sky. Billy falling in love with Victoria (Amelia Heinle) was my favorite romances for Victoria, bar none. Billy Miller had this internal light, and you could always see the twinkle in his eye. I am still grieving his loss. Billy left The Young and the Restless opening the door for Jason Thompson to take over his role as Billy.
Billy Miller went to General Hospital and was intended to be a recast of Jason Morgan when Steve Burton left the soap, but a few years later that changed when Burton returned to the show. Suddenly, the man we thought was Jason Morgan turned out to be Jason’s identical twin who’d had Jason’s memories implanted using brain mapping technology. We adored Billy’s version of Drew. He was a wonderful love interest for Sam McCall, played by the beloved Kelly Monaco, a fantastic dad to Oscar Nero (Garren Stitt), and a military hero. We loved him.
A new direction
But now Cameron Mathison has stepped into the role, and the writers have taken Drew in a completely different direction. We hate him so hard. Not Cameron Mathison, but the demon version of Drew the writers cooked up is one we can’t stomach. Hey Cameron, let Drew get killed off on General Hospital and The Young and the Restless will most likely find a spot for you. I don’t want you to be unemployed, especially since the loss of your home, but Drew is irredeemable.
But back to Billy.
Verdict: Who gets to claim Billy? This one is a toss-up. He was on both shows for five years, give or take. Fans of both shows adore him. I call it a tie.
Sharon Case
- Dawn Winthrop, General Hospital
- Sharon Newman, The Young and the Restless
Readers, did you remember that Sharon Case started out on General Hospital as Monica’s long lost daughter Dawn Winthrop? I did. Sharon appeared on General Hospital from 1989 – 1990 in 66 episodes per her IMDB account. But on she’s been on The Young and the Restless from 1994 – present starring in 3441 episodes.
Dawn was briefly engaged to Ned Quartermaine (Wally Kurth) (What is it with mothers and daughters sharing lovers in Port Charles?) But she left Ned for a dude named Decker Moss (Michael Watson) who I can still see in my mind’s eye. She was murdered shortly thereafter.
But Sharon Newman on The Young and the Restless? She is a main character, a tragic heroine who has endured more loss and heartache than anyone should have to handle. She has lost one child to an auto accident and seems on the verge of losing another in the same way this week.
Sharon Case started on General Hospital, but she is The Young and the Restless through and through. General Hospital fans can say we knew her first, but The Young and the Restless fans have known her the longest and have loved her the hardest. And she never ages. Gorgeous then, gorgeous now.
Verdict: Sharon Case made her mark in Port Charles, but she’s a Genoa City resident through and through. The Young and the Restless holds the bragging rights to Sharon Case.
Matt Cohen
- Griffin Munro, General Hospital
- Detective Burrow, The Young and the Restless
This is new. Matt Cohen just showed up in Genoa City this week. He introduced himself as a detective, but by the end of the day on Friday, we are fairly certain he is not a cop at all.
This shady character is a far cry from Matt’s stint on General Hospital as Father/Doctor Griffin Munroe, who starred on General Hospital in 276 episodes intermittently between 2014 – 2022. Griffin Munroe was a man deciding between Ava Jerome (Maura West) and God, and guess who won? Damn straight she did. God was no match for the feminine wiles of Ava Jerome.
Verdict: As of today, Matt Cohen’s new character has only been in two episodes of The Young and the Restless, so at present, the General Hospital snags the honor. But let’s see how this unfolds. Perhaps his character has legs and will become a fixture in Genoa City. He’s in L.A. now, but the GCPD is down one detective with Chance (Connor Floyd) biting the dust on the Crazy Train in France.
Tamara Braun
- Carly Spencer/Kim Nero, General Hospital
- Sienna Bacall, The Young and the Restless
Tamara is a special case. She was on General Hospital as two separate characters over the span of 715 episodes. She was Carly Spencer from 2001 – 2005 and returned as Kim Nero from 2017 – 2019.
When Sarah Joy Brown left as Carly #1, I was positive I would hate the replacement based on my adoration of SJB. And then Tamara Braun walked in, and I was instantly smitten with her. She brought something new to Carly, and she had immediate chemistry with Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos). I loved them together. When she left General Hospital, I was sure I’d hate the replacement, and I actually did hate that one. No names mentioned. OMG she was not Carly. No way, no how. She only lasted a few months. When Laura Wright came in, it was lightning in a bottle. She was instantly Carly, and I have adored her ever since.
But back to Tamara. Her new role on The Young and the Restless is very fresh, just like Matt Cohen, she just arrived in Genoa City this week. Like Detective Burrows, she seems shady. I am not sure if all of these L.A. characters are going to stay in L.A. and launch a spin-off of some sort or move to Genoa City. It seems like if they were just bit players in a side story, the casting people wouldn’t have brought in people like Tamara Braun and Matt Cohen.
Verdict: For now, Tamara Braun is General Hospital’s to claim, but we shall see how her storyline develops over on The Young and the Restless.
This brings me to my next multi character actor.
Roger Howarth
- Todd Manning; Franco Baldwin; Austin Gatlin-Holt, General Hospital
- TBD, The Young and the Restless
Roger Howarth loved Port Charles. How do I know? It was so nice he did it thrice!
Roger first came to Port Charles in the big One Life to Live migration of 2012 as Todd Manning, but then there was a lawsuit by Prospect Park prohibiting General Hospital from using the One Life to Live characters, so Todd Manning morphed into serial killer Franco, previously played by James Franco. It was an odd transition and at first it was too nuts for me, but Howarth took Franco from a serial killer with a brain tumor to a loving stepdad and in my opinion Elizabeth Webber’s (Rebecca Herbst) best love match. And since they were so happy and so perfect for one another, and Liz’s kids finally had a father figure, the writers killed him off.
Then, General Hospital brought him back in a third role which never really took off or went anywhere. I will never understand what they were trying to do or why they killed a popular couple like Liz and Franco only to bring him back as someone else with no clear storyline.
Now, Roger is on his way to Genoa City, but all the press releases just say that he’s going to be in a “mystery role.” Oh goodness that sounds exciting. I’ve already decided who I want him to be involved with; Phyllis because the two of them were love interests on General Hospital as Nina Reevs and Franco, and they were wonderful together.
Verdict- General Hospital. But really One Life to Live, if only it were still around.
So, while we are speaking of her, let’s talk about Michelle Stafford.
Michelle Stafford
- Nina Reeves, General Hospital
- Phyllis Summers, The Young and the Restless
I have watched Michelle as Phyllis Summers for decades and that character is a hurricane. There are days in my life when I need to be assertive and I think, “What would Phyllis do?” then I dial it back by 20. Haha. But her character is undeniable and always in control of any scene she is in.
When Michelle joined General Hospital in 2014, I was over the moon. She originated the character of Nina, and she had one of the best pairings on General Hospital in eons. Valentin (my soap crush) and Nina were this beautifully broken mess, and they were impossible to resist.
If you have been reading my work the past two decades it will come as no shock to you to hear that I am a huge fan of Michelle’s work. To me, she is one of the actors. I can’t take my eyes off of her when she’s in a scene. I never fast forward her scenes either. But I knew she’d eventually go back to The Young and the Restless. General Hospital couldn’t keep her. She was too much of a staple on that The Young and the Restless. Sure, Gina Tognoni was engaging in the role, but the role belongs to Michelle.
Verdict: The Young and the Restless gets the win here, but General Hospital gets points for having the good sense to hire her for a while.
Rory Gibson
- Michael Corinthos, General Hospital
- Noah Newman, The Young and the Restless
Readers, when Chad Duell said he was leaving General Hospital I was sad right up until the day Rory Gibson walked into the Nurses Ball as Michael Corinthos and scooped his son Wiley (Viron Weaver) in his arms. That was it for me.
In my humble opinion The Young and the Restless wasted this man’s talent. We never saw this brooding, sultry, layered character acting in Noah Newman. Rory has grabbed the role of Michael Corinthos with both hands and is wringing every ounce of fire out of him. Every scene he is in he owns, and he has instant chemistry with his dad Sonny (Maurice Benard) mom Carly (Laura Wright), his brother Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), ex-wife Willow (Katelynn McMullen), and every other scene partner.
Verdict: General Hospital gets the bragging rights as they have made the best use of this actor and should sign him now to a multi-year contract.
Maura West
- Ava Jerome, General Hospital
- Diane Jenkins, The Young and the Restless
I first saw Maura West on The Young and the Restless as Diane Jenkins in 2010. When she started General Hospital in 2013, I kept asking myself where I knew who from. Her stint on The Young and the Restless was memorable, but not long. Maura only did 97 episodes on The Young and the Restless, and over 1100 on General Hospital as the feisty, lethal but lovable Ava Jerome.
Maura is one of my favorites and another actor who has chemistry with everyone. I’m still rooting for her, and Nikolas Cassadine (ex-Adam Huss) should he ever get out of prison. While Susan Walters is now Diane on The Young and the Restless, I wonder how differently the character would have turned out if Maura had stayed in Genoa City.
Verdict: General Hospital. Maura is Ava and Ava is a General Hospital Jerome.
Now let’s discuss the late great Tristan Rogers
Tristan Rogers
- Robert Scorpio, General Hospital
- Colin Atkinson, The Young and the Restless
Oh, I loved this man. Not only was Tristan on General Hospital and The Young and the Restless, but also on Studio City and the Bay, General Hospital: Night Shift, and The Bold and the Beautiful. He was wanted by all soaps everywhere and I get it. He was handsome, charming, talented, and brought eyes to any project he touched.
Right now, on The Young and the Restless, he is still involved in a major plot. Although his character Collin Atkinson has died, his son Cane (Billy Flynn) is swept up in Collin’s final con. I loved Collin, his relationship with Jill (Jess Walton), and yes, I knew he was a scoundrel. But just like Jill, I couldn’t stay away.
But all that said, Robert Scorpio was a General Hospital legend. It was Tristan’s first sudsy home and his longest running role. The adventure storylines of the 1980s with Robert and Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) brought new life to daytime. Robert was a superspy, a wonderful father, the love of Holly Sutton (Emma Sams) and Anna Devane’s (Finola Hughes) life, and a daytime legend.
Verdict General Hospital. But I can’t think of a soap lover who doesn’t want to claim him as their own.
Steve Burton
- Jason Morgan, General Hospital
- Dylan McAvoy, The Young and the Restless
Jason “Stone Cold” Morgan is a soap icon. His origin story is dark. A handsome and wealthy young medical student hops into the car with his drunken idiot brother, crashes, nearly dies, loses his memory, and becomes a hit man for the mob. Is there anything soapier than that? When Steve made the decision in 2013 to move to The Young and the Restless, it sent shockwaves through the soap world. Apparently, he and his family needed him to have a more flexible schedule, and The Young and the Restless offered him what General Hospital couldn’t.
When Dylan McAvoy walked into his first scene and didn’t have a black leather jacket on, it was weird to see him in normal clothes. I loved Dylan’s relationship with Sharon (Sharon Case) if only to bust her free from the Newman brothers for a while.
But ultimately, Stone Cold belongs in Port Charles and has gone back to Carly, Sonny, his son Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) and the Quartermaines.
Verdict: General Hospital can claim Steve now and always, despite his detour to The Young and the Restless.
Daniel Goddard
- Professor Dalton, General Hospital
- Cane Ashby, The Young and the Restless
Cane Ashby was originated by Daniel Goddard, and he spent over 1000 episodes as Jill’s pseudo son, Lily’s (Christel Khalil) husband and dad to Charlie (Noah Alexander Gerry) and Mattie (Lexie Stevenson). Currently Cane is being embodied by Billy Flynn, who has done a wonderful job of reshaping the role and making it his own.
Meanwhile, over at General Hospital, Daniel Goddard is languishing. ABC made a big deal about Daniel joining the cast of General Hospital, yet he has only appeared in 13 episodes since April. Why? The character is an evil scientist who is testing on animals and maybe building cold fusion weapons at the PCU campus. Who knows? We never see him. Outback the beagle has had more scenes than Professor Dalton than the characters have.
An actor with Daiel Goddard’s considerable talent and charm should be in many more scenes. In fact, he might play well with Ava, even if it’s just a fling.
Verdict: The Young and the Restless wins this challenge. General Hospital has completely underutilized this amazing actor.
Judith Chapman
- Ginny Blake-Weber, General Hospital
- Gloria Baldwin, The Young and the Restless
Readers, did you know that Michael Baldwin’s (Christian LeBlanc) mother Gloria used to be Laura’ Spencer’s (Genie Francis) stepmom on General Hospital? Well, sort of. Ginny Blake was married to Laura’s adoptive father Rick Webber (Chris Robinson.
Verdict: The Young and the Restless. Gloria belongs to Glo by Jabot.
Genie Francis
- Laura Spencer, General Hospital
- Genevieve Atkinson, The Young and the Restless
I don’t think I need to build a case here. Laura belongs to General Hospital. Laura and Luke had the wedding that broke the soap opera TV ratings record that is still stands today. 30 million viewers tuned in to see Luke and Laura’s wedding. Laura is now the Mayor of Port Charles, although she does a lot more visiting people than mayor-ing in my humble opinion.
To be honest, I remember Genevieve being on The Young and the Restless, but that’s about it.
Verdict: General Hospital can claim Genie. Laura will always be the soap character that I hold dearest in my heart. She’s the reason I started watching General Hospital and one of the reasons I still watch.
Emme Rylan
- Lulu Spencer, General Hospital
- Abby Newman, The Young and the Restless
I first saw Emme as Abby Newman on The Young and the Restless. She was a spitfire, the Naked Heiress, and she made Victor’s (Eric Braeden) hair turn grey. It’s hard sometimes to reconcile the soft-spoken mom Abby with this wild child Abby that Emme Rylan brought to life. No matter.
When Julie Marie Berman left General Hospital and Emme stepped in as Lulu, I already liked her from The Young and the Restless and I was fine with the recast, although I dearly loved JMB.
Verdict: General Hospital on this one for the sheer fact that Emme was on General Hospital for 618 episodes and on The Young and the Restless only 229. But I still think that those 229 The Young and the Restless episodes were substantial in introducing us to Abby Newman.
Now, Emme is out of the soap world and Lulu has been recast with Alexa Havins who is doing wonderful work, and Anny Newman is played by Melissa Ordway. A completely different version of Abby, but a lovely one.
Finally, let’s talk about Hayley Erin.
Hayley Erin
- Kiki Jerome, General Hospital
- Abby Newman; Claire Newman, The Young and the Restless
Kiki Jerome was Ava Jerome’s daughter, and Morgan Corinthos’ (Bryan Craig) love interest. She was wild like Ava, a gambler and fearless. Sadly, she was murdered by General Hospital’s resident serial killer Ryan Chamberlain (Jon Lindstrom).
On The Young and the Restless, Hayley is currently playing her second role, Claire Newman. Her first role was as The Young and the Restless Abby prior to Emme Rylan. Claire is a daughter of Victoria Newman, so I expect she will be staying in Genoa City long-term.
Verdict: The Young and the Restless wins it, as Hayley has played multiple roles there and appears to be headed for a long run in Genoa City.
Did I miss anyone? Which soap-switchers do you miss on your soap?
Let me know in the comments!
Tamilu
You can check out more of Tamilu’s musings here.
If ATWT were still around they could lay claim to Maura West as Carly.