General Hospital fans were shocked to learn that Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) was let go last fall.
His failure to comply with the vaccine mandates cost him his job. He wasn’t the only one, either. Burton’s costar, Ingo Rademacher (Jasper Jacks), was also let go for the same reason. He chose to file suit against the network after being denied an exemption.
Steve Burton didn’t choose the same route, and now, he can be seen on the upcoming Days of our Lives spinoff, Beyond Salem.
Steve Burton addresses General Hospital exit
While speaking with Deadline about his return to daytime in Beyond Salem, the topic of General Hospital wasn’t off-limits.
After playing Jason Morgan for over two decades in Port Charles, some fans were devastated to see him go. It was especially difficult as he had returned from a five-year hiatus in 2017.
Steve Burton was asked about leaving General Hospital and said, “Look, the circumstance was tough and you know, that’s just the way it is.”
When asked whether it was hard to have his personal feelings about COVID-19 vaccinations out there, he replied, “No not really, because I’m a public figure and that’s just how life is. It was my belief and I stuck to it and I knew it was gonna be that way. I knew some people would agree with it and some people wouldn’t agree with it. It’s a personal choice and that’s what I had to do.”
Burton also joked about the wardrobe differences between General Hospital and Beyond Salem. Jason Morgan had one look, and Harris Michaels has many more.
Will Steve Burton land on Days of our Lives after Beyond Salem?
This will be the second go-round for the digital soap spinoff. Beyond Salem debuted last year on Peacock, and next week, the second season will drop, which includes Steve Burton as Harris Michaels, a character he originated n the NBC soap.
As of now, there’s no definitive answer that Burton could pop up in Salem, but given his relationship with Ron Carlivati (they worked together on General Hospital), it isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.
He revealed that he assumed The Young and the Restless might call him following his departure from GH. He went there when he left the ABC soap to play Dylan McAvoy. Once that was over, he returned to Port Charles and caused quite a stir after everyone had believed he was dead for five years.
Beyond Salem beat Y&R to the punch, and what happens next for Steve Burton remains unclear.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC, and Beyond Salem debuts Monday, July 11, on Peacock.