The ‘General Hospital’ family has welcomed many new actors this year, playing everything from a surgeon to a music executive
Credit: Lisa O’Connor/AFP/Getty; Presley Ann/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- General Hospital, the longest-running soap opera, has welcomed many new cast members in 2026
- Several stars have joined as a surgeon, detective, music executive and more
- The growing cast replaces a slew of actors who have exited the show this year
Several General Hospital stars have exited the cast in 2026 — making way for many new additions.
ABC’s enduring soap opera, which premiered on April, 1 1963, has welcomed at least nine new actors since January 2026, including Alimi Ballard and Jonathan Bennett.
In April, executive producer Frank Valentini teased “big plans” for the current season on X in celebration of the daytime show’s 63rd anniversary.
From a new villain to a surgeon and a music executive, Port Charles is expanding with a variety of characters and enticing storylines.
So, who has joined General Hospital this year? See every actor who has become part of the cast in 2026, so far.
01 of 09
Andrew Hawkes
Credit: ABC
Andrew Hawkes made his debut on January 14 as new antagonist Ross Cullum. Ross is the director of the World Security Bureau (WSB).
Hawkes described his character to TV Insider in January 2026 as “quietly ruthless, dangerous [and] single-minded.”
He also revealed the first time he saw a General Hospital call sheet — with plans to film 145 pages of dialogue — he was shocked. “I was like, ‘This is a hilarious joke,’ but no, that’s exactly what they do,” he told the outlet. “They’re incredibly good, and it’s a machine and a half.”
Apart from a one-day appearance on soap opera The Young and the Restless in 2014, Hawkes has appeared in episodes of NCIS (2015-16), Chicago P.D. (2015) and Dexter (2006-12).
02 of 09
Jonathan Bennett
Credit: ABC
Bennett joined the General Hospital cast as Det. Joe Fitzpatrick on May 18.
“I started my career on soaps, and when the opportunity to go and play a really fun character on General Hospital came up, it felt like a no-brainer,” Bennett told PEOPLE in April. “I learned how to act on daytime television when I was 19 years old. Now I’m coming back, but I have a few more tools in my tool belt, so this should be fun!”
Previously, the Mean Girls star played JR Chandler on All My Children from 2001 to 2002. He’s also starred in a handful of holiday TV movies and appeared in shows like Veronica Mars (2004-05), Station 19 (2020-21) and Doctor Odyssey (2025).
03 of 09
Dean Geyer
Credit: ABC
On the same day General Hospital celebrated its 16,000th episode, Dean Geyer made his debut as the surgeon and former WSB agent Tristan Roberts.
His character was named after the late Tristan Rogers, who played Robert Scorpio on General Hospital on and off from 1980 to 2025, per TV Insider.
Geyer told the outlet his “heart was beating out of [his] chest” on his first day on set, but the cast welcomed him with open arms.
“I never usually get nervous, but the show is so different to what I’m used to,” he said. “Things run very differently; the lingo is different.”
Before joining the soap, Geyer starred in many TV roles including Neighbours (2008-09), Terra Nova (2011) and Glee (2012-13).
04 of 09
Grady Eldrige
Credit: Araya Doheny/Getty
Grady Eldrige plays the music executive Simon on General Hospital. He made his debut on July 15, and his character is on the hunt for new talent to bring under his label.
While General Hospital marks Eldrige’s first soap opera role, he’s appeared in other TV productions including Doctor Odyssey (2024), The Sex Lives of College Girls (2024) and Hacks (2026), as well as movies such as Office Romance (2026).
05 of 09
Sienna Goerisch
Credit: ABC
Sienna Goerisch joined General Hospital on July 15 as Amelia Corinthos. She took over the role for twins Sequoia and Serenity Mork Macko, per Soap Opera Digest.
The young actress’ role on the soap opera is her first major gig.
06 of 09
Kayden Brenna Tokarski
Credit: ABC
Kayden Brenna Tokarski took over the role of Emily “Scout” Cain, the daughter of Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) and Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco), starting on July 20. She succeeds Cosette Abinante, who played Scout starting in 2022.
Tokarski called the role “a dream come true” on Instagram in June.
“So honored to be joining the @generalhospitalabc family!!” she captioned the post. “Biggest thanks to @markteschner @fvalentinigh for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to work on this iconic show.”
Tokarski previously appeared in TV productions, including Gaslit (2022), and movies, including Roswell Delirium (2023) and Bruton (2026).
07 of 09
Troy Lennon Appel
Credit: ABC
Troy Lennon Appel depicts Hudson, a mysterious businessman who first appeared in Port Charles in an episode that aired on July 30.
“Working on GH has been nothing short of an incredible, fast-paced experience,” Appel told TV Insider in June. “Everyone is very professional; they’re on top of every intricate part of this very established, well-oiled machine, and I’m just trying to keep up and not halt the process in any way.”
Appel has appeared in a handful of other productions, including The Price for Silence (2018), Revenge Best Served Chilled (2022) and Lethally Blonde (2024).
08 of 09
Kelly Kruger
Credit: ABC
Kelly Kruger joined the soap on July 30 as Serena Williams, the biological daughter of Scott Baldwin (Kin Shriner) and the late Dominique Stanton (Shell Danielson). The role was previously played by Carly Schroeder.
“So excited to be back on your screens again!!,” Kruger wrote on Instagram in July. “I am the luckiest person in the world to work with these amazingly talented people on GH. Thanks for welcoming me with open arms.”
Prior to joining the General Hospital family, Kruger became known for her roles in The Young and the Restless (2002-19), Entourage (2007) and Blue Mountain State (2010-11).
09 of 09
Alimi Ballard
Credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty
Ballard made his debut as William Baines on Sept. 3.
Ballard celebrated his cast announcement on Instagram, writing “Let your aunties know that I’m here to cause some Raucous. I promise to be gentle – ish.”
He added, “Thank you @generalhospitalabc for the exceedingly Extraordinarily WARM welcome. 💫💕 Juust Absolute CLASS. 🙏💫 Let’s Rumble shall we..”
Ballard isn’t new to the world of soaps. The actor previously starred in Loving (1993-95) and its spinoff The City (1995-96). He’s also known for his roles on Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1997-98) and the police procedural Numb3rs (2005-10).
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