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Most soap opera actors work together for so long — sometimes decades — that they become like a second family. They’ll spend time together outside of work, create other projects together, and sometimes even date. In some cases, the actors’ real-life families will join their actor family members on screen.
Whether it’s real-life children playing on-screen-children, partners joining the cast, or an unexpected sibling switch-up, ABC’s General Hospital has been known for keeping it all in the family when it comes to its growing cast of characters.
Joshua Benard (Son Of Maurice Benard)
Maurice Benard has portrayed beloved mob boss Sonny Corinthos for almost 30 years, earning him three Daytime Emmy Awards for his emotional storylines involving his real-life bipolar diagnosis, Sonny’s father’s Alzheimer’s battle, and losing his good friend Stone Cates to HIV.
And while Sonny may have a dozen children running around Port Charles, in real life, Benard’s son is following in his father’s footsteps. Joshua Benard first appeared on General Hospital in 2018 when he played a younger version of his father’s character and appeared on the soap again in 2022 as a new teenage character named Adam.
Michael Saucedo (Husband Of Rebecca Herbst)
Actor Michael Saucedo has been married to General Hospital vet Rebecca Herbst for over 20 years, sharing three children with the actress who has played Elizabeth Webber since 1997.
Saucedo is no stranger to the soap, having played Juan Santiago off and on since 1994, and is the reason he and Herbst met. Saucedo returned to GH for one episode in 2013, during which time Juan caught up with his old friend Elizabeth and told her he is now married to a wonderful woman named Becky, a nod to his real-life marriage to the actress.
Kate Grahn (Daughter Of Nancy Lee Grahn)
From All My Children to Santa Barbara, Nancy Lee Grahn has spent decades on daytime television. But her longest stint has been as Alexis Davis on General Hospital, a character she’s portrayed consistently since 1997.
During the show’s 2014 Nurses Ball, a slew of cast members performed a variety of acts, including a special appearance by Grahn’s real-life musician daughter Kate Grahn, who supplied background keys and vocals for Grahn’s on-screen daughter’s performance with her boyfriend.
Harper Rose Barash (Daughter Of Kirsten Storms And Brandon Barash)
Not long after Maxie Jones and Johnny Zacchara hooked up on General Hospital, their portrayers Kirsten Storms and Brandon Barash married and had a daughter in early 2014.
Harper Rose Barash made her GH debut alongside her mother in 2015 when she played Maxie’s daughter Georgie. Ironically, Georgie’s father is played by Bradford Anderson, who played in the same band as Brandon Barash from 2011 to their farewell in 2013.
Helena Mattsson (Sister Of Sofia Mattsson)
Actress and model Sofia Mattsson arrived in Port Charles in 2018 as Sasha Gilmore, the supposed daughter of Nina Reeves and eventual wife of Sonny Cornithos’ cousin Brando Corbin.
Due to unknown reasons in early 2022, the character of Sasha had to be temporarily recast, giving Mattsson’s real-life sister Helena Mattsson, best known for her roles on The Rookie and American Horror Story, a shot at the daytime role for two episodes.
Vanessa Arevalo (Wife Of Cameron Mathison)
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While Cameron Mathison may be best remembered for his countless roles in Hallmark Channel movies, the actor has also been on the soap scene since 1997, with his most recent gig as Drew Caine on General Hospital.
Mathison has been married to his wife Vanessa Arevalo since 2002, and 20 years later, got to work alongside her on GH. Arevalo played Mia, an executive coach who meets with Drew to help him enhance his role at ELQ.
Titus Gabriel Jackson (Son Of Jonathan Jackson)
Jonathan Jackson has played Lucky Spencer, the son of soap supercouple Luke and Laura, off and on since 1993. The role earned the actor five Daytime Emmy Awards, with his last appearance on the show being in 2015 to send off a retiring Anthony Geary.
It was during his second stint on the show from 2009 to 2011 that Jackson was joined on-screen by his real-life son. Titus Gabriel Jackson, then an infant, was brought on to play Aiden, the young son of Lucky and Elizabeth.
Wes Ramsey (Boyfriend Of Laura Wright)
Soap opera veterans Laura Wright and Wes Ramsey first met on the set of CBS’ Guiding Light, where Wright played Cassie Layne Winslow and Ramsey played Sam Spencer. The two actors didn’t connect again for 15 years until the 2017 Daytime Emmy Awards, and the rest is history.
Their reunion led to a romantic relationship that eventually led to Ramsey joining Wright as part of the GH cast. Ramsey played villain Peter August until the character’s death in 2022, but not before sharing a few scenes with his real-life love.
Caitlin Reilly (Daughter Of John Reilly)
The late John Reilly became a huge part of the GH cast in the 80s when he portrayed Sean Donely, the director of the WSB who would end up on adventures involving Luke Spencer, Anna Devane and Duke Lavery.
After Reilly’s death in 2021, General Hospital paid tribute to the vet with an episode featuring many of Sean’s old friends all gathered at his Ireland home. The episode also included a special guest star, Caitlin Reilly, the real-life daughter of John Reilly who portrayed Sean’s daughter Annie.
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