Why is Michael Easton leaving General Hospital? Everything to know

Michael Easton's character Dr. Hamilton Finn made his exit from General Hospital on June 27, 2024, marking the end of the actor's stint as Finn on the soap since 2016. Finn's storyline ends because of his alcohol addiction spiral, after which he is sent to a rehabilitation facility. In the show, his daughter Violet stays back with Finn's brother, Chase, as the character leaves.

In a recent interview for Soaps.com, Michael Easton opened up about his exit from the soap, and talked about the Instagram video he posted, to inform fans of his upcoming exit. Easton mainly remarked about filming in a way that would allow him to say goodbye to his co-stars and said how attached he was to the show. However, his leaving was not his own decision. Michael Easton's Finn is leaving General Hospital due to the writers' choice who felt it was time for the character to bid goodbye.

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Why is Michael Easton leaving General Hospital?

Michael Easton's character got written off General Hospital, but it was not the actor's decision to exit the show. In an interview for Soaps.com, Easton explained his thought process in the last few days of his filming schedule:

"The last couple of weeks were very raw and very draining. Every day was emotional, because every day was not only doing the work, it was also good-bye ... And it happened so fast."

He further added,

"I do appreciate the writers giving me so much material going out the door, but from an actor standpoint, I would like to have had just a little more time to add a little more subtlety and a little more nuance to it."

Finn's final storyline involved the character spiraling deep into alcohol addiction after his father's death, causing a breakup with his girlfriend Elizabeth. Finn's addiction worsened to the point where he collapsed and injured himself. His daughter Violet walked in on him in that state and got very worried.

At that point, Finn's brother Chase intervened and took custody of Violet. Finally, Finn accepted the suggestion of going to rehab so that he could fight his addiction and be better for his daughter. He shared tearful goodbyes with his loved ones as he prepared to leave. Easton shared his own experience of bidding goodbye to a show he had grown so attached to:

"And honestly, when I walked out, I was just filled with gratitude and love for my castmates, love for the crew. I got to work on General Hospital for 10 years and I’m so grateful for that."

He continued,

"I think if you let anything else enter your heart, it just becomes like poison to you, and that poison in your heart will halt you from creating beautiful things going forward."

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Is it possible for Finn's character to be back on the soap?

Michael Easton as Hamilton Finn in a still from General Hospital (via @generalhospitalabc / Instagram)

Currently, Hamilton Finn has been sent to rehab to deal with his alcohol addiction in General Hospital. The minimum stay in the rehab facility has been revealed to be 3 months on the soap. This means that Finn will not be returning for 3 months, at the very least.

However, Michael Easton seems to be bidding a longer farewell to General Hospital. In an Instagram post on his account, Easton thanked his fans and fellow cast members for an incredible experience, one that he would carry in his heart even in the future. This indicates that Finn might be off viewers' screens for longer.

Ultimately, Easton said, he has done everything for his supportive fans and hopes they will be there for him in the future as well. He said:

"I feel like I have this really amazing relationship with — I’ll say fans, but I think of them more as friends ... I don’t do lots of interviews and until a few months ago, I wasn’t even on any form of social media. But they’ve stuck by me and they understand me and I think I understand them."

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Audiences can watch new episodes of General Hospital airing on weekdays on ABC.