Kelly Monaco is set to exit General Hospital after more than two decades on the hit ABC daytime soap opera, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly.
Monaco, 48, will bid farewell to the town of Port Charles through a story line this fall, the insider tells Us. Soap Opera Network was first to report the news of her departure.
Monaco has played the role of Sam McCall on General Hospital since 2003. Previously, she portrayed Livvie Locke on the soap Port Charles. She was nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards for the series in 2003 and General Hospital in 2006.
Monaco competed in the first season of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars 19 years ago, ultimately winning the coveted Mirror Ball trophy. In 2012, she was a contestant in the series’ All Stars edition. She and her pro dance partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, placed third that time around. (Afterward, Chmerkovskiy made a cameo on General Hospital as a boxer.)
When soap opera stars leave their roles, it can be as shocking as their shows’ plotlines. Alison Sweeney surprised longtime Days of Our Lives fans in 2014 when she announced she’d be exiting the series after 21 years. “I’ve been on Days of Our Lives since I was 16 years old, and I have never […]
In 2017, Monaco returned to Dancing With the Stars to perform the rumba with Terrell Owens and dance pro Cheryl Burke.
Earlier this year, actress Lindsay Hartley filled in for Monaco during an episode of General Hospital. Hartley had previously stepped in for the longtime star for a handful of episodes in 2020 and 2022.
Monaco appeared in the show’s 60th anniversary primetime special in January. She and Chmerkovskiy, 38, reunited for the occasion.
“I put my dancing shoes back on for the @GeneralHospital primetime special (featuring a special appearance by @valentin),” she captioned a pic of herself and the dancer via Instagram. “’General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars and Storytelling’ airs tomorrow (January 4th) at 10pm on ABC. Don’t miss it!”
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