Jason Morgan ('Stone Cold') - General Hospital

Now, I realize that some of you out there are not or never were General Hospital fans, but I am. I have been since my daughters were small and I was a stay-at-home mom. I was there for Luke and Laura's wedding, for when Elizabeth Taylor was a guest star and when they still held the Nurse's Ball every year. I've watched characters come and go and some of the characters played by different actors over the years. I think there were three different Lucky Spencers; only for the original actor, Jonathan Jackson, to return to end his story line. I've watched characters die and come back from the dead. Kids have gone from 5 years-old to 12 years-old over the weekend. At least once a year, there was one calamity or another; explosion, hostage situation, train wreck and more than I can remember.

Through it all, one character who never changed, never died and came back. Steve Burton has always been Jason Morgan....'Stone Cold'....per his pal, Spinelli. For 21 years, we have watched him change in appearance (who wouldn't during 21 years?) and go from a young college kit to one of Port Charles' biggest mobsters. Two things never changed with him though; his beautiful blue eyes and his soft heart which he liked to hide most of the time.

The role of Jason Morgan will come to an end in the near future. In Steve Burton's own words below, he explains why and where he is going. His last date of filming with be September 28th but has offered to stay a few extra weeks if necessary to bring his story line to a close. But, that's the kind of guy that he is. 

And, he's moving to Tennessee!!! He's been here and he loved it. I can understand that....being that I would never leave after being here for a year now. It's a great place to raise a family.

Burton: "I've been through 21 years of ups and downs with GH — regime changes, cast and crew changes, budget cuts, shakeups of one kind or another, and it's been nothing but a huge positive in my life and for my family. I have no complaints, no negative feelings at all. But it's time to go. I'm going to take some time off and do nothing but relax, just enjoy life a little bit with my wife and kids. I've bought a home in Tennessee, way out in the country outside Nashville. [Laughs] Probably too farout in the country! I've been talking about leaving GH and moving there for the last seven years. The timing was never right and then the economy crashed and I couldn't sell my house in California. I went there many years ago when I did the movie The Last Castle and loved it. Tennessee reminded me of growing up in Ohio. The people are nice, it's family oriented and, now that my kids are 6 and almost 9, I want to get them planted. My contract was coming up at GH so we put the house up for sale again and it went in, like, eight weeks. That opened the door for me to leave GH".

Actually, I haven't really watched GH in almost a year; ever since there was buzz about it being cancelled like other day-time soap operas. I did, however; still follow the daily recaps on the General Hospital site. But, now with Jason Morgan stepping away now, I don't think I'll continue. It just won't be the same without 'Stone Cold'. And, I don't think I'm alone.

Best wishes to Steve Burton and his family!!!