Who are Cameron Webber’s parents on General Hospital? Explained

General Hospital is one of the longest-running daytime dramas in the world, dating back to 1963. The setting for the show is Port Charles, a fictional town full of complicated relationships, dramatic medical situations, and constant intrigue about mob families and hospital personnel.

Over the years, General Hospital has become synonymous with a deep history of rich characters and complex family ties. Another interesting relationship is that of Cameron Webber, the eldest son of Elizabeth Webber. His parents are Zander Smith and Elizabeth Webber.

It sometimes confuses old as well as new fans because Cameron bears Elizabeth's maiden name, while his biological father is Zander Smith, the former mob enforcer with a tragic past.

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Who is Zander Smith on General Hospital?

Zander Smith first appeared on General Hospital in 2000, played by Chad Brannon. He was a young fellow who had gone around in the world of organized crime. He appeared as a mob enforcer and indeed quickly proved to be one of the more rebellious members.

His early storyline followed a tumultuous romance with Emily Quartermaine, from one of the most influential families in Port Charles. Even though they were connected, Emily's lingering emotions for Nikolas Cassadine brought conflict into their relationship, ending in heartbreak.

Zander's breakup with Emily pushed him into Elizabeth Webber's arms and into the conception of Cameron. Tragically, Zander's life was cut short by being shot by the police.

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Who is Elizabeth Webber on General Hospital?

One of the integral characters, Elizabeth Webber had been part of General Hospital since 1997. Coming from the noble Webber family, her father, Jeff Webber, was one of the town's most respected doctors in town.

Elizabeth experienced many ups and downs throughout life, including tumultuous romances, tragic personal losses, and a long service as a nurse. In General Hospital, Elizabeth dated Zander, for a brief time because at the time she was still under the marriage law with Ric Lansing. She gave birth to Cameron as a result of that relationship.

Elizabeth raised the child for years as a single parent. At times, she sought the help of her ex-husband Lucky Spencer and her other partners, Jason Morgan and Ric Lansing. Due to their love for one another, Elizabeth made sure that Cameron was brought up to be a good person despite his father's absence.

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How did Zander Smith's death affect Cameron's life?

Despite Cameron never knowing his biological father, Zander Smith's death became an irrevocable factor in Cameron Webber's life. Zander died in a shootout in Port Charles when Cameron was just a baby. He was involved in the criminal underworld and had a lot of problems weighing on him at the time.

Hence, Cameron grew up without any closer connection to his father; much of Zander's legacy was a mystery. Elizabeth had made up her mind to stand behind her son in a secure surrounding and steered clear of conversations about Zander's complicated past.

Nonetheless, Zander's absence along with the unstable presence of other men in Elizabeth's life created an emotional gap that Cameron had to live with throughout his childhood and teenage years. The void of a stable father figure in Cameron's life weighed heavily on his character development at General Hospital.

Although Lucky Spencer was there briefly to help fill in that father role and Franco Baldwin was also present to help him later, Cameron still developed abandonment feelings. He matured really fast and sometimes took on adult roles even when he was young, in order to support his mother and younger brothers.

Cameron often wondered about Zander’s past and what kind of person he was. He also grappled with how his own life came into existence. The events that led to his birth were shaped by forces much bigger than himself, leaving him searching for a sense of identity.

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Interested viewers can watch General Hospital on ABC every weekday.