Chad Duell On His GH Exit: ‘Sometimes You have to Take Drastic Steps’

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Chad Duell’s announcement that he was leaving General Hospital as Michael Corinthos, a role he’s played since 2010, took the daytime world by storm last November. The actor recently opened up about the reasons behind his departure and how he’s coping with it to co-stars Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) and Steve Burton (Jason) during an episode of their Daily Drama Podcast.

Opening Up

“It’s just a life adjustment,” began Duell, reflecting on the move. “A lot of stuff has been going on in my life… This break, there’s a few things behind it.” A painful personal loss topped his list of reasons. “My dad passed away, and I’m still coming to terms with that,” he explained. “Also, my intention was to spend some time back in Arizona, but that’s becoming a little harder to do. Luana [Lucci, Duell’s partner] has school. Dawson [their son] goes to this daycare out here… Right now I’m just more about doing things mentally, physically. [I’m] preparing myself for whatever next chapters [come].”

Those “next chapters” could include a return to GH at some point, since the soap’s executive producer, Frank Valentini, “left the door open there,” noted Duell. “So we’ll see what happens in the future. But right now I’m just trying to grow in ways that maybe I feel like I’ve stifled myself… Sometimes you have to take drastic steps or make yourself feel uncomfortable to take a step. That’s kind of what I have not allowed myself to do in a long time, is to step into more of an uncomfortable situation and grow instead of just [being] comfortable and complacent. That’s the journey at this moment.”

Once the holiday season officially wraps, Duell plans on taking those next steps. “Coming in January, I have a few things planned that I want to do for myself,” said Duell, noting that it’s what’s best for him spiritually and mentally. “Everything, too, will only reflect my energy in a better way towards everybody around me. And I want to make sure that I take care of myself as well, which I haven’t always done.”

Duell, who made his GH debut on April 20, 2010, marveled at the fact that he’s spent 14 years of his life on GH. “Time flew by since I started there. It’s insanity,” he said, acknowledging that he settled into the “comfortable and safe job… But safety and comfort [are] the enemy of progress a lot of times… I feel like I had a very strong complacency and comfort for such a long time that my identity was wrapped up in that. Who I was was the show and the character I’ve done for so long.

“It’s going to be a process kind of unraveling that and really seeing who I am, especially now in my life,” Duell continued. “It’s going to be a little journey… I don’t know what the future holds, but there’s a lot of work I have to do to achieve the potential that I know I have; not just in career-wise, but in a lot of aspects. I feel like I’ve been in that bubble of comfort for such a long time. As an artist to be repeating the same kind of thing can kind of be a little stagnant, but I’m still extremely blessed to be able to [have been on GH] for as long as I have.”