Who is Max Gail? Everything to know as the actor makes a return to General Hospital

Max Gail is an American actor known for playing the role of Mike Corbin on General Hospital. According to the storyline of the ABC soap opera, Mike Corbin was introduced as the father of mob boss Sonny Corinthos and the late Courtney Matthews. Gail won the Daytime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Mike Corbin on General Hospital in 2019 and 2021.

In the episode of General Hospital that premiered on April 28, 2025, Max Gail made a surprising return to the show, reprising his character, Mike Corbin. While Sonny was recovering from major cardiac surgery, his late father, Mike, visited him in a dream. In his dream, Mike reassured Sonny when the latter opened up about his struggles.

More about Max Gail's life and career as the actor returns to General Hospital

Max Gail was born in Detroit, Michigan, on April 5, 1943. He pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College. For his higher education, he received a degree in Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. Gail made his acting debut in 1970 for the Little Fox Theatre in San Francisco, California, where he played Chief Bromden in the original stage production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Besides winning the Daytime Emmy Award in 2019 and 2021 for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Mike Corbin on General Hospital, Gail also received two consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Detective Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz on the sitcom Barney Miller.

Apart from playing Mike Corbin on General Hospital, Max Gail appeared in multiple films and television shows, enhancing his acting portfolio. Gail's fans can catch a glimpse of the actor in popular productions such as Magnum P.I., The Cool Kids, Underdog Kids, Dexter, Deadly Target, Mad Men, and Hawaii Five-0.

What happened in the storyline when Max Gail returned to General Hospital as Mike Corbin?

The latest episode that aired on April 28, 2025. In this episode, Max Gail returned to the daytime drama, reprising his role as Mike Corbin. While Sonny was in recovery, he had a dreamlike visit from Mike, his late father. When his father visited him in his dream, Sonny talked about wanting to leave the mob world in Port Charles.

Since Sonny was sedated after the surgery, he thought he was sitting at Kelly's diner with Mike Corbin. When Mike appeared behind the counter, Sonny asked him if he was dead. Mike told him he was not dead and this was just a visit because the surgery was successful.

As the show progressed, Sonny admitted that he should have gotten out of the mob world years ago. When he talked about Michael being caught in the crossfire, he realized he needed to leave the business behind for good. Sonny told Mike that he was trapped. He felt that he would become vulnerable if he stepped back. He added that more people he loved would get hurt if he decided to move forward.

After listening to Sonny's words, Mike reassured him, saying he had faith that Sonny could figure it out. Mike was surprised when Sonny talked about Jason wanting to quit the mob. Sonny's dream ended when Mike explained that it was time to return to his family. When he woke up in his hospital bed all alone, he thanked his father for visiting him in his dream.

Also Read: "This is feeling like a permanent good-bye" - Fans of General Hospital speculate if the show is setting up Sonny's exit after surgery

Fans of General Hospital can watch new episodes of the show on ABC and Hulu.

About the author

Aranya Dhar is an entertainment writer at Sportskeeda, where he covers all things pop culture and daily soap operas. With over 7 years of experience in the media and entertainment industry, he has previously worked as a copywriter at Inception Advertising and rapidly advanced from creative writer to assistant manager at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he led a team of writers.

He holds a master’s degree in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University, which motivated him towards writing. Aranya likes to capture the ethos of contemporary society and give words to the intersection of media and pop culture. His academic pursuits also included presenting research papers at international conferences and he is a member of the Comparative Literature Association of India.

In his free time, Aranya enjoys trekking in the mountains and finding spiritual fulfilment in nature. One can often find him sipping a cup of hot tea while admiring the flora and fauna in a remote village in the Himalayas. Believing there’s something to learn from everyone, he admires various personalities from Mozart, and Bob Dylan, to Anurag Kashyap.

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Edited by Maithreyi S