Longtime 'General Hospital' Actor Roger Howarth Set to Depart Soap After Over a Decade
Roger Howarth, beloved 'General Hospital' actor, sadly reveals his departure after 11 incredible years Fans brace themselves as Dr Austin Gatlin-Holt's character faces a tragic demise, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats Stay tuned for the heart-wrenching episodes ahead
ABC/Christine Bartolucci
Roger Howarth will soon be working his final shift on General Hospital as the actor confirmed he is leaving the daytime soap opera.
A few weeks ago, I received a call from someone I've known for a long time and care about deeply, executive producer Frank Valentini. He told me that when my contract with ABC was up, I would not be offered a new contract and that the character of Austin would be killed off. It was a decision we both felt was necessary to move the story forward, Howarth, 55, shared with Soap Opera Digest on Monday, November 20. Howarth first joined General Hospital as Todd Manning in 2012, a character he had previously played on One Life to Live from 1993 to 2012. Later, he took over the role of Franco Baldwin in 2013. When Franco's storyline concluded in 2021, Howarth returned as a new character, Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt.
Dr. Austin met a fatal end in the show's episode on Friday, November 17, bringing an end to Howarth's 11-year tenure on the show. Initially shocked by his character's tragic demise, Howarth shared with Soap Opera Digest that he came to appreciate the opportunity to do something he truly loved for over a decade, alongside colleagues he genuinely enjoyed working with. He expressed gratitude for the great run he had and recognized that the decision was made by professionals in the industry.
Howarth remembered feeling “overwhelmed” with emotion on his final day of filming in October. “I love telling [stories] and I had the opportunity to do it for a long time. It’s not just that I felt that on my last day, I still feel that way, but I felt it pretty strongly on the set,” he revealed. “And everyone was very kind to me. The producers gave me flowers and I had the chance to express my gratitude and bid farewell to a lot of people who I truly admire.”
ABC/Christine Bartolucci
Howarth expressed gratitude to the General Hospital viewers, describing them as "the most loyal, smartest, most discerning, enthusiastic, supportive, bunch of people in the whole history of entertainment ever." He added, "Thank you for watching, thank you for all of your support and love. We’ve all tried really hard to please you and I’m glad we got to spend this time together. It was cool. I had a great time.”
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Howarth also expressed his gratitude to his fans on Instagram, stating "Three things that I know for sure… 1 Daytime fans are lovely, amazing, and supportive, and I am deeply grateful to each and every one of them," he wrote alongside a selfie of his shadow on Monday. "2 I enjoyed my time at General Hospital and wish the cast and crew the best and continued success. It was a pleasure working with you all. 3 Life is amazing. We just don’t ever know what’s gonna happen. How great! Turn toward the light. Always. Huge thank you to you all."
Multiple costars from Howarth’s General Hospital expressed their gratitude for the actor in the comments section. Actress Laura Wright commented, "Life is amazing- and so are you!!! ️," while costar Risa Dorken wrote, "Big time bummer. It was always a good day when I saw your name on the list, or your face in 'the hub.' Learned a lot from watching you. Thanks for the conversations & kindness.🩷 You’re a real good one. Love you Roger. Xx."
