Who is Ric Lansing on General Hospital? Everything you need to know

General Hospital premiered on April 1, 1963, on the ABC television network. Over the six decades of its successful run, the show has witnessed the entry and exits of various actors, actresses, and characters.

Rick Hearst plays Ric Lansing on General Hospital. Lansing is the son of the late attorney and mobster Trevor Lansing and his late mistress/fiancée Adela Corinthos. He is the maternal half-brother of the late mob boss Sonny Corinthos. Ric is the father of his only child and Assistant District Attorney Molly Lansing-Davis, who is following in his footsteps as Assistant District Attorney.

Although Rick Hearst has been playing Lansing ever since the character's entry in 2002, in 2007, Nick Kiriazis also portrayed the character briefly, before Hearst was back and continued to play the role.

Recently, on August 22, 2024, Rick Hearst appeared as Ric Lansing on General Hospital. He comes to meet his daughter Molly, portrayed by Kristen Vaganos, as she grieves the loss of her baby. She is surprised by her father's unexpected visit but also thankful. She hugs Ric and says:

“I’m so glad you’re here. I just feel so alone.”

---

Ric Lansing's story arc on General Hospital

Ric comes to town with a secret: he is the half-brother of mafia king Sonny Corinthos and is very bitter regarding how their mother always babied Sonny over him. Determined to destroy Sonny, Ric kidnaps his pregnant wife, Carly Corinthos, keeping her held captive in a panic room to raise her unborn baby as his own.

Ric then marries Elizabeth Webber and fathers a daughter, Molly Lansing-Davis, with her. It is his repeated manipulative and deceitful actions that also lead to the breakdown of their marriage. His involvement with mob rival Faith Rosco embeds him deeper into criminal life.

Together, they plot against Sonny, among others in the mob world, but often find their plans are foiled, leading to friction and distrust in organized crime. As District Attorney in Port Charles, Ric uses his office to persecute his enemies, most notably Sonny, bending and twisting the law for his needs and often having that backfire, getting him into more trouble and danger.

He is also allied at various times with unsavory characters, including drug lords Lorenzo Alcazar and Claudia Zacchara. For example, his relationship leads to several points of conflict with Claudia, which eventually results in her death and has a lasting impact on Ric and those around him.

Indeed, relations with his daughter, Molly, are among the few bright spots in Ric's life. Among all the questionable things Ric has done, he unconditionally loves Molly and tries to protect her but then exposes her to much peril.

After multiple double-crossings and several failed schemes, Ric runs from Port Charles, yet he keeps showing up periodically, digging up old conflicts and dealing with some of the fallout.

---

Rick Hearst's take on returning to General Hospital

In exclusive news released by TV Insider on August 21, 2024. Rick shared his thoughts regarding the character.

“While he may not be the best father, his intent is to be the best father,”

He further added that the character always intends to be a forthright human being. That's one of the things he likes about the character. He concluded by stating:

"He can go anywhere, he can connect with anybody, and at the same time, you never know what’s in store but you always know it’s going to be something that can be questionable.”

---

Interested viewers can watch General Hospital on ABC.