What happened to John York on General Hospital? Explained

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Actor John J. York plays Mac Scorpio in General Hospital (Image via Getty)

ABC's General Hospital premiered on American television on April 1, 1963, and has kept fans entertained with its varied storylines and character arcs. General Hospital is created by Doris and Ted Hursely and set in the fictional town city of Port Charles, New York. The show mainly revolves around the lives of the families namely—Corinthos, Quartermaine, Cassadine, and Spencer.

Veteran actor John York joined the cast of General Hospital in 1991 when he landed the role of Mac Scorpio. However, the actor was away from the show for quite some time. He took to X on September 14, 2023, to share with his fans that he would be taking a “little hiatus” from General Hospital due to health reasons. He said in the video:

"So last December of 2022, I was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes, or MDS, and multiple smoldering myeloma — two blood and bone marrow disorders".

John York mentioned in his post that he had to undergo "three bone marrow biopsies," several sessions of chemotherapy as well as a bone marrow transplant. Before the hiatus, his last appearance was on November, 2023. He returned to the show in June 2024.


John York as Mac Scorpio's character on General Hospital

Actor Jon York was introduced to the show as Mac Scorpio, Robert Scorpio's brother. Mac's relationship with Robert was a tumultuous one, with the two brothers blaming each other for their familial issues. Eventually, they resolved their issues and got closer to each other.

Mac Scorpio finally settled in Port Charles where he became a dedicated law enforcer. He opened and owned a nightclub called The Outback which became very famous among residents of Port Charles.

Mac also became the legal guardian of Robert and Anna's daughter, Robin, when they both were presumed dead. His character was always extremely protective of Robin and helped her whenever she was in a fix. Moreover, Mac Scorpio became the Police Commissioner of the Port Charles Police Department and pledged his allegiance to protect the residents of the town from all kinds of harm's way.

Mac's most significant romantic relationship on General Hospital was with Felicia Jones. The couple raised Felicia's two daughters, Maxie and Georgie, and despite being their adoptive father, Mac did everything he could to stay close to them.

Geogie's murder on the show left Mac devastated and he vowed to protect his near and dear ones. Meanwhile, Maxie underwent a heart transplant and Mac stood as her pillar of support during that time. When actor John York went on his medical break from the show, other characters on General Hospital like Anna Devane mentioned Mac briefly.

Recently on General Hospital, after John York returned to the show, he took on the role of a mentor for younger and less experienced law enforcement officers like Chase Chancellor and Dante Falconeri. After his comeback, John York's performance as Mac Scorpio was lauded by fans who followed his entire journey since 1991.


Interested viewers can watch the show on ABC Network and stream episodes on Hulu.

Edited by DEEPALI
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