Jason Morgan is a fictional character on the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
, ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
''. Created by
Thom Racina Thom Racina is an American television writer and novelist.
Personal
He hails from Kenosha, Wisconsin, went to school in Albuquerque and Chicago, where he got a MFA in Theatre Arts and Directing.
He is close friends with Sally Sussman Morina.
Posi ...
and
Leah Laiman
Leah Laiman (born August 29, 1946 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an American soap opera writer and romance novelist.
Career
Laiman got her start on daytime television during the early 1980s at General Hospital. Laiman succeeded former Head Writer, ...
, he is most notably played by
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
-winning actor
Steve Burton, who joined the cast in 1991 and vacated the role in 2012. Burton reprised the role in 2017. Jason was born offscreen in September 1981 and the character made his onscreen debut weeks later but was seen portrayed by a child actor in November 1981 as the son of
Dr. Alan Quartermaine (
Stuart Damon
Stuart Damon (born Stuart Michael Zonis; February 5, 1937 June 29, 2021) was an American actor and singer. He was best known for his 30-year portrayal of Dr. Alan Quartermaine on the American soap opera ''General Hospital'', for which he won an ...
) and his mistress,
Susan Moore (Gail Ramsey), later adopted by Alan's wife
Dr. Monica Quartermaine (
Leslie Charleson
Leslie Charleson (born February 22, 1945) is an American actress, best known for her role as Monica Quartermaine in the ABC daytime soap opera ''General Hospital''.
Life and career
Charleson was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Actress Kate Charles ...
). As one of the longest-running characters on the show, the role was played by various child actors from 1981 to 1988.
[General Hospital Official Site, Jason Morgan's Biography.]
In 2014,
Billy Miller was cast in the role. With Burton's 2017 return, Miller's casting was later
retconned
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
as Jason's twin brother,
Andrew Cain.
Development
Casting
The role was originated on November 11, 1981, by Quinn Carlson until June 3, 1982.
Child actor Bryan Beck stepped into the role on September 8, 1982,
appearing until December 26, 1988.
On December 19, 1991, Burton stepped into the role on a contractual basis as a
SORASed Jason Quartermaine.
In November 1999, ABC confirmed that Burton had decided not to renew his contract which expired in December, in order to pursue other opportunities.
Burton last appeared on contract on January 27, 2000.
In June 2000, ABC confirmed that Burton would reprise his role for a six-week stint starting on August 25, 2000, until he last appeared on October 10, 2000.
In December 2000, it was announced that Burton would return to the series once again and began airing on January 29, 2001.
In January 2001, Burton announced that his return was only temporary due to his commitment to film a pilot for his
DreamWorks Television
DreamWorks Television was an American television distribution and production company based in Universal City, California, that was a division of DreamWorks. It folded into Amblin Television in 2013.
History
DreamWorks Television was formed ...
development deal. Whether he returned to the role full-time would depend on whether the series was picked up. The pilot was not picked up, Burton landed a role in a major motion picture leading to his departure on April 23, 2001.
Burton returned to the series on contract in 2002 during May
Sweeps
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
, airing on May 24.
In late 2008, Burton's contract expired and forcing to make a decision on re-signing with the show. After months of speculation, he announced in a public appearance that he re-signed with the show. Burton stated that he would be willing to take a pay cut because he understands that money is a lot tighter now than it has been in recent years and stated that he is blessed to have a job right now.
In 2011, rumors began circulating that Burton could depart from the series due to contract negotiations. However, in May 2011 Burton announced via
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that he had re-signed with the series again.
On August 23, 2012, Jamey Giddens of the website Daytime Confidential reported that contract negotiations were not going well and Burton was close to walking away from the series.
On August 28, 2012, Burton confirmed in an interview with ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
''s Michael Logan that he would exit the series and agreed to stay long enough for the producers to write his character out properly. Following the announcement that
Sean Kanan
Sean Kanan () Perelman; born November 2, 1966) is an American actor, producer, and author, best known for his portrayals of Mike Barnes (in ''The Karate Kid Part III'' and ''Cobra Kai''), A. J. Quartermaine (on ''General Hospital''), and Deacon ...
(
A. J. Quartermaine
A.J. Quartermaine is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. Born on-screen in 1979 as the only biological child of the iconic Drs. Alan and Monica Quartermaine, A.J. was " SORASed" in 1991, re ...
) was returning to the series in an undisclosed role, rumors began circulating that Kanan might be a recast of Jason. Kanan's resemblance to Burton fed into the rumors.
On September 2, 2014, executive producer
Frank Valentini
Frank Valentini is the executive producer for the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. He previously held the position of executive producer, director, and composer for the ABC soap opera ''One Life to Live''. From 1986 to 1992 he worked as stag ...
announced on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that former ''
All My Children
''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 20 ...
'' and ''
The Young and the Restless
''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, Wi ...
'' actor
Billy Miller would join the cast as Jason.
On September 30, 2014, Miller's air date as Jason was revealed to be on October 1.
In June 2017, it was announced that Burton would return to the series in an undisclosed role, later referred to as "Patient 6." In November 2017, it was announced that Burton had reprised the role of Jason, while Miller's casting was
retconned
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
to the character of
Andrew Cain.
On November 23, 2021, Burton announced that he had been released from his contract due to failure to comply with the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
vaccine mandate. Burton filmed his last scenes on October 27 and made his final appearance as Jason on November 19.
Characterization
Steve Burton's early years on the soap as the "rich, wholesome preppy" Jason Quartermaine would come to a shocking, and dramatic end in 1995 after a car accident caused by his brother, A. J. leaves the character as a brain-damaged
amnesia
Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...
c. Following Jason's split from the Quartermaines, except for his sister Emily and grandmother
Lila Morgan Quartermaine
''General Hospital'' is the longest running American television serial drama, airing on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a District General Hospital, general hospital (hence the titl ...
(
Anna Lee
Anna Lee, MBE (born Joan Boniface Winnifrith; 2 January 1913 – 14 May 2004) was a British actress, labelled by studios "The British Bombshell".
Early life
Anna Lee was born Joan Boniface Winnifrith in Ightham, (pronounced 'Item'), Kent, the ...
), and a change of his surname to ''Morgan,'' he would become the right-hand man for mob boss,
Sonny Corinthos
Sonny Corinthos is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. Maurice Benard has played the role of the manic depressive mob kingpin, living in Port Charles, since the character's storyline originated on August 13, 1993. Sonn ...
(
Maurice Benard
Maurice Benard (born March 1, 1963) is an American actor. In 1993, he was cast as Sonny Corinthos on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''.
Early life and career
Benard was born Mauricio José Morales in Martinez, California, the son of Martha ...
).
At the time, Burton was considering leaving the show and joked that a producer noted that he played every scene, the same way, as if someone was about to die. Burton's decision to stay stemmed from a conversation with Benard who gave him advice on how to improve. While still portraying Jason Quartermaine, the writers saw the chemistry between him and Benard and decided to create Jason Morgan.
With a new personality shift, Burton's Jason went from "preppy and wholesome" to "angry, stoic and emotionless." In the early stages of his transformation into Jason Morgan, he would experience fits of rage and was even given the nickname "anger boy." Post accident, as Jason matured the fits of rage subsided, Jason was very light and fun during his relationship with Robin Scorpio. It wasn't until after he was hurt multiple times that Jason grew darker and more intense. Jason was seen as ''"stone cold," '' and he didn't show much personality, unless it was with his closest loved ones. Despite the drastic change, Burton described his character as "vulnerable, caring, honest, and honorable" around those that he loves.
Burton welcomed the change in story for his character, noting that it can sometimes become annoying playing "just plain nice" all the time.
Within the mob and despite constant conflicts with law enforcement, Jason operated as a
vigilante
Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority.
A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
often taking down criminals who targeted the
Corinthos family
The Corinthos family is a fictional family from the ABC Daytime soap opera, ''General Hospital.'' Created and introduced by Bill Levinson in August 1993, current patriarch Sonny Corinthos, was the first member to arrive in the fictional town of ...
and tried to bring illegal substances and weapons into
Port Charles, New York
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
. Jason was known to show loyalty and compassion to those he held closest to him. His acts of extreme loyalty and compassion could be seen through his friendships with Sonny and Carly, his romantic relationships and his relationship with his nephew Michael, who he raised for the first year of Michael's life. The passing years also saw a thaw in Jason's relationship with the Quartermaines. The death of his father Alan and a shooting that left Michael in a year-long coma opened his eyes to what the Quartermaines experienced after his own accident. For that point on, Jason was shown to be more open to a relationship with his mother Monica, and eventually his grandfather
Edward Quartermaine
Edward Quartermaine is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. The character was created in 1978, originally played by David Lewis. John Ingle stepped into the role in 1993, and besides a brief ...
(
John Ingle
John Houston Ingle (May 7, 1928 – September 16, 2012) was an American actor best known for his roles as scheming patriarch Edward Quartermaine in the ABC soap opera '' General Hospital'' and Mr. Threehorn, the father of the main characte ...
). The extent of the thaw with his family could also be seen through Jason's decision to name his son,
Daniel Edward
Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...
, after his grandfather.
Storylines
1980s
Jason was conceived out of his father,
Alan Quartermaine's (
Stuart Damon
Stuart Damon (born Stuart Michael Zonis; February 5, 1937 June 29, 2021) was an American actor and singer. He was best known for his 30-year portrayal of Dr. Alan Quartermaine on the American soap opera ''General Hospital'', for which he won an ...
), affair with
Susan Moore (Gail Ramsey). Jason was born at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. When Jason was born, Alan supported him financially, but was fighting for custody of his other son,
A.J. Jason lived with his mother and
Scott Baldwin
Scott "Scotty" Baldwin is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its now-defunct spinoff ''Port Charles''. The character debuted played by child actors in the 1960s until Kin Shriner assumed the role in 1977. Sc ...
(
Kin Shriner
Kin Shriner (born December 6, 1953) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Scott Baldwin on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its spin-off, ''Port Charles''.
Early life
Shriner and his twin brother, actor Wil Shriner, w ...
) up until her death, upon which he lived with Susan's aunt,
Alice Grant (Lieux Dressler). Then he moved into the
Quartermaine
Quartermain or Quartermaine is a surname which may refer to:
People
* Allan Quartermaine, (1888–1978), British civil engineer
* Buck Quartermain (born 1967), ring name of American wrestler
* Joel Quartermain (born 1977), Australian musici ...
mansion with Alan. Alan's wife,
Monica (
Leslie Charleson
Leslie Charleson (born February 22, 1945) is an American actress, best known for her role as Monica Quartermaine in the ABC daytime soap opera ''General Hospital''.
Life and career
Charleson was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Actress Kate Charles ...
), initially rejected Jason, but eventually grew to love him and later adopted him. Jason and A.J. were sent off to boarding school as children.
1990s
When a newly
SORASed Jason and older brother A.J. return to town, Jason, who is a successful student and athlete, is treated as the family favorite while A.J. is failing and dealing with alcoholism. Jason has relationships with
Karen Wexler
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, it originally was set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the ...
(Cari Shayne),
Brenda Barrett (
Vanessa Marcil
Vanessa Marcil ( ;) is an American actress. She is best known for her television roles as Brenda Barrett on ''General Hospital'', Gina Kincaid on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', and Sam Marquez on ''Las Vegas (TV series), Las Vegas''.
Early life
Marc ...
),
Robin Scorpio
Robin Scorpio is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its primetime SOAPnet spin-off '' General Hospital: Night Shift'', originated and portrayed by Kimberly McCullough on and off for over 30 years since ...
(
Kimberly McCullough
Kimberly Anne McCullough (born March 5, 1978) is an American actress and television director. She is best known for her role as Robin Scorpio on the soap opera ''General Hospital'', a role which she originated at age seven, playing the characte ...
) and
Keesha Ward (
Senait Ashenafi). Jason supports Monica through her health crisis with
breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
and adores his adoptive sister,
Emily Quartermaine
Emily Quartermaine is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. The role was originated on January 20, 1995 by Amber Tamblyn, who portrayed the role until July 11, 2001. Natalia Livingston subsequently played Emily from A ...
(then
Amber Tamblyn
Amber Rose Tamblyn (born May 14, 1983) is an American actress and writer. She first came to national attention in her role on the soap opera ''General Hospital'' as Emily Quartermaine at the age of 11. She followed with a starring role on the pr ...
). In December 1995, an intoxicated A.J. runs his car into a tree. Jason, who was attempting to stop A.J. from driving, is in the passenger seat and hits his head on a large boulder after being ejected from the car. Jason has brain injuries that result in total memory loss.
Upon waking up from his coma, Jason had no recollection of his past and resented all of the Quartermaines except his grandmother
Lila Quartermaine
''General Hospital'' is the longest running American television serial drama, airing on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a District General Hospital, general hospital (hence the titl ...
(
Anna Lee
Anna Lee, MBE (born Joan Boniface Winnifrith; 2 January 1913 – 14 May 2004) was a British actress, labelled by studios "The British Bombshell".
Early life
Anna Lee was born Joan Boniface Winnifrith in Ightham, (pronounced 'Item'), Kent, the ...
) and sister Emily. His personality drastically changes.
Jason eventually turns his back on his family, and changes his surname to Morgan,
Lila's maiden name. Jason meets Robin again on a bridge and they begin a friendship which turns into a romantic relationship. Robin encouraged Jason to develop relationships with Lila, Emily, and Monica, and he stood by Robin at the Nurses Ball, where she shares with Port Charles for the first time that she is HIV positive. Robin leaves for college at Yale University, and Jason asks her friend
Sonny Corinthos
Sonny Corinthos is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. Maurice Benard has played the role of the manic depressive mob kingpin, living in Port Charles, since the character's storyline originated on August 13, 1993. Sonn ...
(
Maurice Benard
Maurice Benard (born March 1, 1963) is an American actor. In 1993, he was cast as Sonny Corinthos on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''.
Early life and career
Benard was born Mauricio José Morales in Martinez, California, the son of Martha ...
) for a job. His loyalty and hard work impress Sonny. Jason becomes Sonny's personal enforcer in his
mob business.
Robin returns in 1997 and was with Jason when he was shot for the first time by the Tin Man. Jason was operated on and saved. Robin begged Jason to leave his dangerous life behind. When Jason refused Robin begged Sonny to fire Jason. Initially hesitant, Sonny finally relented. Jason was infuriated when Sonny told him he was fired, and knew Robin was to blame. He and Robin broke up, and Robin made plans to leave town again. Jason met Robin on the bridge, and they said a last goodbye.
To help
Carly Benson
Carly Corinthos is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', a soap opera on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network, portrayed by Laura Wright from 2005. A collaborative effort between the writers, Carly – originally played by Sar ...
(then
Sarah Joy Brown
Sarah Joy Brown, sometimes credited simply as Sarah Brown (born February 18, 1975), is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for originating the role of Carly Corinthos on the American daytime drama ''General Hospital'' from 1996 to 200 ...
), Jason pretends to be the father of her baby. Carly develops
postpartum depression
Postpartum depression (PPD), also called postnatal depression, is a type of mood disorder associated with childbirth, which can affect both sexes. Symptoms may include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and chan ...
after giving birth to her son,
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
, and leaves town. Robin returns to Port Charles and Jason confesses that the child is A.J.'s. Jason and Michael bond with Robin during Carly's absence.
Dr. Tony Jones (
Brad Maule
George Bradley Maule (born October 11, 1951) is an American actor best known for his role as Tony Jones on the American television serial General Hospital. He played the role from 1984 until February 2006.
Acting RolesREDEARTH88(Gregory Atkin ...
) kidnaps Michael and Robin. Jason eventually rescues them both. At trial, Carly shoots Tony in a moment of temporary insanity and is remanded to a mental facility. In Carly's absence, Jason and Robin reunite. After Robin is almost killed in an explosion, Jason leaves the mob. Carly is released from the hospital, which puts a strain on Jason and Robin's relationship. Robin tells A.J. that he is Michael's father, and Jason temporarily loses custody of Michael. A.J. and Carly marry, and a judge awards joint custody to Jason, A.J. and Carly. Jason fears his hatred of A.J. will hurt Michael and signs away all rights; however, he remains an integral part of Michael's life. Jason comforts
Elizabeth Webber
Elizabeth Webber is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network, played by Rebecca Herbst. Elizabeth is the granddaughter of the show's original lead character, Steve Hardy ( John Beradino) and dau ...
(
Rebecca Herbst
Rebecca Ann Herbst (born May 12, 1977) is an American actress, known for playing nurse Elizabeth Webber on the ABC Daytime drama ''General Hospital'', a role she originated on August 1, 1997, and Suzee, an alien, on the Nickelodeon show, '' Spa ...
) over the supposed death of her boyfriend,
Lucky Spencer
Lucky Spencer is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap opera, ''General Hospital''. He is the son of Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura Spencer (Genie Francis). His birth having been announced on-screen in 1985, a ten-year-old Lucky was ca ...
(
Jonathan Jackson). Carly misunderstands their relationship, and sleeps with Sonny while Jason is shot during a confrontation with
Anthony Moreno(
Steve Inwood) and
Joseph Sorel(
Joe Marinelli
Joe Marinelli is an American actor. Born of Italian parents, he was raised in Meriden, Connecticut, and moved to Southern California in 1961. His father George was a WWII veteran whose goal was to show his family the wonders of the United States ...
). When Jason returns to Sonny's apartment, he discovers Carly's betrayal and runs out. Elizabeth finds an unconscious Jason in the snow, and enlists the help of
Bobby Spencer
Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer, RN is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera '' General Hospital'', portrayed by Jacklyn Zeman. She debuted in December 1977, after playing Lana McClain on the sister-soap '' One Life to Live''. Zeman went ...
(
Jacklyn Zeman
Jacklyn Zeman (born March 6, 1953) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Barbara "Bobbie" Spencer on ''General Hospital''. She is sometimes credited as Jackie Zeman.
Early life and education
Zeman was born in Englewood, New Jersey ...
) and Sonny, before sneaking him into her studio.
Nikolas Cassadine
Nikolas Cassadine is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. Originated by actor Tyler Christopher in 1996, he left the show on July 14, 1999. Due to Nikolas' importance on the soap, he was imm ...
(
Tyler Christopher) sees Jason and Elizabeth together and accuses Elizabeth of moving on too quickly, prompting Elizabeth to say that she and Jason are sleeping together before throwing Nikolas out. During his recuperation, Jason and Elizabeth are romantically drawn to each other, but a relationship is never established. When Jason recovers, he is still unable to deal with the betrayal of Sonny and Carly, and leaves town.
2000s
Jason marries Brenda to avoid testifying against each other in a murder trial. They are cleared of the charges, and later get divorced. Soon after, Jason ends up falling in love with Sonny's sister,
Courtney Matthews
Courtney Matthews is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. She is the daughter of Mike Corbin and Janine Matthews, and the half sister of mobster Sonny Corinthos. Courtney was portrayed by Ali ...
(
Alicia Leigh Willis), and they begin a relationship, despite Sonny's disapproval. Courtney and Jason marry, but a miscarriage and the stress of the mob life tear them apart, and they annul their marriage. When Jason discovers that Sonny's mistress,
Sam McCall
Sam McCall is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. Created by Charles Pratt, Jr. and Robert Guza, Jr., the character made her debut on the episode airing on October 1, 2003, portrayed by Ke ...
(
Kelly Monaco
Kelly Marie Monaco (born May 23, 1976) is an American actress, model, and reality television personality, best known for her portrayal of Sam McCall on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'' and as the first season winner of the reality TV comp ...
), is pregnant, he pretends to be the father of Sam's baby so Sonny will stay with his wife, Carly. The two bonded as the pregnancy advanced, and Sam wanted Jason to be a part of her baby's life. Sadly, Sonny and Sam's daughter is stillborn, but Jason helped Sam cope with the loss, and the two eventually fall in love and got engaged. When all three of Sonny's children are kidnapped, Jason and Sam rescue them from A.J., who is killed soon after. Jason takes a drug to remember A.J.'s killer, but later causes memory loss. Sam convinces Jason to go on an experimental drug that Robin finds, to help him regain his memory. The drug works but causes a brain aneurysm. They moved back to Hawaii where they plan to spend the last days of Jason's life. Jason later changes his mind, and has an operation that saves his life.
When Sam is shot and almost dies, Sam's mother
Alexis Davis (
Nancy Lee Grahn
Nancy Lee Grahn (born April 28, 1956) is an American actress known primarily for her work in daytime soap operas, portraying Julia Wainwright Capwell on '' Santa Barbara'' from 1985–93 and Alexis Davis on ''General Hospital'' since 1996.
E ...
) guilts Jason into breaking up with Sam for the Summer of 2006. Jason later changes his mind, and tries to reconcile with her, but witnesses Sam sleeping with
Ric Lansing
Ric Lansing is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera ''General Hospital''. The role has been portrayed by Rick Hearst, who joined the series on November 8, 2002 and exited the series on June 25, 2009. Following a five-year absence ...
(
Rick Hearst
Rick Hearst (born January 4, 1965) is an American actor. He is known for roles in American soap operas.
Early life
Hearst was born Richard Charles Herbst on January 4, 1965, in Howard Beach, New York and raised in Dallas, Texas.
Personal life ...
). Jason goes home and Elizabeth shows up. They sleep together, and Elizabeth ends up pregnant. Elizabeth claims Lucky is the father, but later tells Jason the truth during the
Metro Court hostage crisis. Elizabeth gives birth to a son,
Jacob Martin Spencer. Sam finds out about Jake's paternity, and she and Jason began a 2-year break up. Jake's paternity is revealed to Lucky, but they agree to let Lucky be the father. Jason and Elizabeth start dating and get engaged, but when Michael is shot and left in a coma, Jason breaks up with Elizabeth. Jason ends up taking over Sonny's business after Sonny decides to leave the mob since it's too dangerous to his family. Sonny tries to rejoin the mob, but Jason prevents him access. Sonny tries to regain his power by marrying
Claudia Zacchara
Claudia Zacchara is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. Claudia is the daughter of New York City mob boss Anthony Zacchara. Claudia was portrayed by Sarah Brown beginning January 31, 2008. She left the role of Cla ...
(
Sarah Joy Brown
Sarah Joy Brown, sometimes credited simply as Sarah Brown (born February 18, 1975), is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for originating the role of Carly Corinthos on the American daytime drama ''General Hospital'' from 1996 to 200 ...
), daughter of rival mob boss
Anthony Zacchara
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city ...
(
Bruce Weitz).
When Jason's friend and trusted associate
Damian Spinelli
Damian Spinelli is a fictional character on the ABC daytime drama, ''General Hospital'', played by actor Bradford Anderson from November 13, 2006, to December 16, 2013. Spinelli was also one of the characters in the first season of '' General Hosp ...
(
Bradford Anderson
Bradford William Anderson (born September 21, 1979) is an American actor best known for his role as the young Hacker (computer security), hacker criminal Damian Spinelli, Damian Millhouse Spinelli (a.k.a. The Jackal), on the television soap opera ...
) is set up and arrested for his illegal activities, Jason is forced to agree to a deal to gain Spinelli's freedom by getting Anthony arrested. The feds renege on their promise, and make Jason get Sonny arrested too, which Jason refuses. Spinelli is freed when Sam helps Jason destroy the evidence against him. Jason and Sonny reconcile, and Jason gives the business back. Michael wakes up from his year-long coma, and Jason suspects that Claudia is responsible for Michael's shooting. When Michael and
Kristina Davis
Kristina Corinthos-Davis is a fictional character ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. Introduced in 2002, Kristina is the daughter of mob kingpin Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and his former attorney -- Alexis Davi ...
(
Lexi Ainsworth
Alexandra Danielle Ainsworth (born October 28, 1992) is an Emmy Award-winning American actress. She is recognized for her roles as Kristina Davis on ''General Hospital'', Amber from '' Shameless'', and Jessica Burns in the 2015 film '' A Girl L ...
) run away to Mexico, Sam and Jason track the siblings, but encounter
Jerry Jacks
Jerard "Jerry" Aloysius JacksStated on-air on April 30, 2007 is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, ''General Hospital''. He was portrayed by Julian Stone from April 10, 1998 to December 14, 1999. In January 2007, the role was recast with ...
(
Sebastian Roché
Sebastian Roché (born 4 August 1964) is a French-American actor. He is known for his roles as Kurt Mendel in ''Odyssey 5'', Jerry Jacks in '' General Hospital'', Thomas Jerome Newton in ''Fringe'', Balthazar in '' Supernatural'', Mikael in bot ...
). Jason is shot and left to die by Jerry. Sam rescues Jason, and cares for him; the two reconnect. Jason and Sam find Michael and Kristina, and bring them back to Port Charles. He and Sam start dating again as lovers for the first time in 2 years. Jason and Sam find the proof they need to confirm Claudia's involvement in Michael's shooting. They hand it over to Sonny, who confronts Claudia. Cornered, Claudia takes a pregnant Carly hostage, and escapes. Michael ends up finding them before Jason & Sam can, and kills Claudia to protect Carly and his baby sister,
Josslyn Jacks
''General Hospital'' is an American television serial drama, airing on ABC. The show was created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital in an unnamed fictional city. The series premiered on April 1, 1963. In the ...
. To protect Michael, Jason covers up the crime and makes it look like Claudia disappeared.
2010s
Jason is stalked by obsessed artist
Franco
Franco may refer to:
Name
* Franco (name)
* Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975
* Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître"
Prefix
* Franco, a prefix used when ref ...
(
James Franco
James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in '' 127 Hours'' (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Ma ...
), who exposes Claudia's murder and gets Michael sent to prison. Jason makes a deal to go to prison to protect Michael, but they are both eventually released. After Jake dies in an accident, a grief-stricken Jason realizes how much he wants a family, and proposes to Sam; they get engaged, and marry soon after. During their honeymoon in Hawaii, Sam and Jason are drugged by Franco. He locks Jason in a room, and forces him to watch as he apparently rapes Sam. After returning to Port Charles, Jason kills Franco, but Sam finds out she's pregnant. A paternity test establishes Jason as the father. However, Sam is led to believe that Franco is Jason's fraternal twin brother. Another DNA test shows that Franco is the father, and Jason has a hard time accepting the news, separating the couple. Jason eventually tries to make amends with Sam the same night she gives birth to a baby boy, but they are led to believe her son died, and mourn the baby's death. Unknown to either, Sam's son was actually switched by
Heather Webber (
Robin Mattson
Robin Mattson is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the daytime soap operas ''General Hospital'', '' Santa Barbara'', and ''All My Children''.
Career
Daytime television
Mattson made her daytime debut as troubled teen Hope B ...
) and
Todd Manning
Thomas Todd Manning is a fictional character from the American daytime drama ''One Life to Live'' (''OLTL''). Created by writers Michael Malone (author), Michael Malone and Josh Griffith, the role was originated in 1992 by actor Roger Howarth. T ...
(
Roger Howarth
Roger Howarth (born September 13, 1968) is an American actor. He played character Todd Manning on the daytime drama ''One Life to Live'' (''OLTL''); the character earned Howarth a Daytime Emmy Award in 1994, and is cited as an icon in the soap ...
) with the stillborn
Victor Lord III
This is a list of characters that have appeared or been mentioned on the American ABC soap opera '' General Hospital''.
A Aaron
:( Chad Brannon, 2009)
Abigail
:(Ivy Bethune, 1987)
Sarah Abbott
:( Eileen Dietz, 1981–83)
::Roommate to Heathe ...
. It's also revealed that Jason is the baby's father because Heather switched the paternity test. The baby's "death" causes Jason and Sam's marriage to deteriorate, and they agree to divorce. Jason eventually figures out that the baby that died wasn't Sam's. He and Sam are eventually reunited with their son, whom they name
Daniel Edward Morgan. That night, Jason is shot by
Cesar Faison
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, it originally was set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the c ...
(
Anders Hove), who kicks him into the water; Jason is presumed dead. Not long after he disappears, Sam finds out Jason is Danny's biological father.
Almost two years later, Jason was revealed to be alive, being held captive by
Victor Cassadine (
Thaao Penghlis). Victor gets Robin to revive Jason, then has him locked up to use his abilities. Jason manages to escape, only to be hit by a car. He is brought to General Hospital, and has multiple reconstructive surgeries to his face. Jason (
Billy Miller) wakes up with amnesia, and is tended to by Elizabeth. He believes his name to be Jake.
Helena Cassadine
Helena Cassadine is a fictional character on the American soap opera ''General Hospital'', famously originated by film actress Elizabeth Taylor in November 1981. After a brief stint by Dimitra Arliss in 1996, Constance Towers took over the role i ...
(
Constance Towers
Constance Mary Towers (born May 20, 1933) is an American film, stage, and television actress, and singer. She gained prominence for her appearances in several mainstream 1950s films before transitioning to theater, starring in numerous Broadway ...
) uses "Jake" through mind control to carry out her sinister plans. In the meantime, he and Elizabeth grow closer. When Jason is caught for his crimes, they find a chip inside his head that Helena uses to control him. Jason undergoes surgery to remove the chip, but still can't remember his real identity. Soon after,
Hayden Barnes
'' General Hospital'' is the longest running American television serial drama, airing on ABC since April 1, 1963. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In ...
(
Rebecca Budig
Rebecca Jo Budig (; born June 26, 1973) is an American actress and television presenter. Her career began in 1993, and in 1995, she was cast in the role of Michelle Bauer on the CBS soap opera ''Guiding Light''. In 1999, she was cast as Greenlee ...
) arrives, claiming to be "Jake's" wife, but she is exposed as a fraud. Elizabeth learns "Jake"'s identity, but keeps it a secret to pursue a relationship with Jason. Elizabeth and Jason's son, Jake, is found alive and being held captive by Helena. He is rescued, and returned to Elizabeth & Jason. "Jake" proposes to Elizabeth, and she accepts. He asks Sam for help to figure out his real identity. Spinelli and Carly figure out "Jake" is actually Jason. "Jake" finds out his true identity on his wedding day. Jason still can't remember his past, and decides to divorce Sam so he can marry Elizabeth. Sam figures out that Elizabeth knew who Jason was, and tells him. Heartbroken over her deception, Jason breaks up with Elizabeth.
While dealing with Jake's anger over his father leaving, Jason grows closer to Sam, and the two slowly start to rebuild their relationship. When Jake is almost hit by a car and Jason saves Sam from an explosion, the two eventually agree to start over. Sam asks Jason for a divorce, though, hoping to not pressure Jason into remembering their past. Jason reluctantly agrees. Soon after, Jason is in an accident, and ends up saving
Dante Falconeri
Dante Falconeri is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network, played by Dominic Zamprogna. Zamprogna made his debut on June 22, 2009. In 2018, Zamprogna announced his decision to leave the role, a ...
's (
Dominic Zamprogna
Dominic Zamprogna (, ; born April 21, 1979) is a Canadian actor and voice artist. He is perhaps best known for his roles on the television series '' Edgemont'', ''Battlestar Galactica'' and ''General Hospital''.
Early life
Zamprogna was born in ...
) life. While trying to rescue Dante, he starts having visions of Robin, Carly, Helena, Sam, and Sonny. Jason's memory finally returns, and he reconnects with his family and friends; despite reconnecting with Sonny, Jason decides not to go back into the mob for the sake of his family. Jason goes on the run with Sam when he is accused of murder. They find the evidence to clear Jason's name, and return to Port Charles. After returning, Sam found out that she was pregnant, and Jason was ecstatic; he proposed to Sam, and they remarried soon after. Jason investigated the car bombing that killed
Morgan Corinthos
Morgan Corinthos is a fictional character from the original ABC Daytime soap opera, ''General Hospital'', last portrayed by Bryan Craig. Morgan is the first biological child of Sonny and Carly Corinthos.
The character was created under head writ ...
(
Bryan Craig
Bryan Allen Craig (born October 27, 1991) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Morgan Corinthos in the soap opera ''General Hospital''.
Early life
Craig was born in Boca Raton, Florida, in 1991 to Lissett Craig & Donnie Craig, he ...
), Sonny and Carly's son, in an attempt to clear Sonny's name. He teams up with
Curtis Ashford (
Donnell Turner
Donnell L. Turner (born January 8, 1973) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Curtis Ashford on the ABC daytime soap opera, ''General Hospital''. He has one daughter, Whitney Mayo who resides in Spokane, WA.
Personal life
Turner ...
), and they figure out the culprit was
Olivia St. John
'' General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the ci ...
(
Tonja Walker
Tonja Annette Walker is an American actress and singer, who is also a former beauty pageant titleholder who has competed in the Miss USA pageant. She is known for her role as Alex Olanov on ''One Life to Live'' and for her role as Olivia St. Joh ...
), who was trying to kill
Julian Jerome
Julian Jerome is a fictional character from the original ABC Daytime drama ''General Hospital''. Created by Ann Marcus and Norma Monty, the role was originally portrayed by Jason Culp from 1988 to 1990. William deVry took over the role upon the cha ...
(
William deVry
William deVry (born 20 April 1968) is a Canadian film, television theatre, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in American daytime soap operas, as Tim Dolan on '' Port Charles'', as Michael Cambias on ''All My Children'', as Storm L ...
). Jason ends up rescuing Sam after Olivia kidnaps her. Sam goes into labor, and Jason is forced to deliver their daughter,
Emily Scout Morgan.
Jason tries to help Sonny leave the mob, but ends up getting shot in an ambush. He goes into a coma for several weeks. At the same time, a man known as "Patient 6" (Burton) is seen in Russia with Jason's original face. Patient 6 makes his way back to Port Charles, just as Jason wakes up. Patient 6 claims to be Jason, and is eventually believed to be the real Jason by many. Franco, proven to not be Jason's twin brother, reveals that Jason did have a twin brother named Andrew, but they do not know where he is. It's revealed that
Andre Maddox (
Anthony Montgomery
Anthony Dwayne Montgomery (born June 2, 1971) is an American film and television actor, as well as graphic novelist. He is best known for his portrayal of Ensign Travis Mayweather on the UPN science fiction television series ''Star Trek: Enterpr ...
) used Jason and Andrew as part of a memory-mapping experiment, putting Jason's memories into Andrew, making them both believe they're Jason. Andre reveals that Patient 6 is Jason, and the "other Jason" is his twin brother,
Drew Cain
''General Hospital'' is the longest running American television serial drama, airing on ABC since April 1, 1963. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In ...
. Jason decides to find Faison, in hopes of figuring out why he and Drew were abducted. Meanwhile, he and Sam file for divorce, as she decides to stay with Drew. On January 22, 2018, Jason was fighting for Sam, in order to stop the wedding, but it was too late when she married Drew. In March 2018, during an earthquake that started shaking, Jason and Sam hide safely one month after the deaths of Faison and Nathan by his new enemy
Jim Harvey
James Harvey (born 2 May 1958) is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.
Playing career
As a player, Harvey began his career at Glenavon in his hometown of Lurgan, before joining Arsenal in 1977. He made only three Football L ...
(
Greg Evigan
Gregory Ralph Evigan (born October 14, 1953) is an American film, stage, and television actor. He began his career in theater, appearing in the Broadway production of ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', followed by a stage production of the musical '' Gr ...
) of Niagara Equities. Then in the aftermath of the quake, Jason and Sam developed feelings for each other. By March 23, 2018, she told her husband, Drew that she had feelings and love for Jason, her ex-husband, that had her break up with Drew, who moved out of her penthouse.
Reception
Burton's portrayal of Jason Morgan earned him two
Soap Opera Digest Awards
''The Soap Opera Digest Awards'', originally known as ''The Soapy Awards'' when introduced in 1977, is an awards show held by the daytime television magazine ''Soap Opera Digest''.
History
1977 until 1983
The Soapy Awards were an award presen ...
for Outstanding Younger Lead Actor in 1997 and 1998.
He was nominated for the 1997
and won the 1998
. He also received a
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 2000. He won two Soap Opera Digest Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 2003 and Outstanding Actor in 2005. Also in 2005, he received a nomination for the
and in 2012 he received a pre-nomination for the
.
With the 2014 casting of Billy Miller, Michael Fairman of ''On Air, On Soaps'' questioned: "Knowing now that Miller is taking on the role, do you think the Jason that comes to life after Robin revived him, will be a hitman, killer, or will he be Jason Quartermaine-esque or none of the above?"
See also
*
Jason Morgan and Sam McCall
*
Jason Morgan and Elizabeth Webber
References
External links
Jason Morgan profileat soapcentral.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Jason
General Hospital characters
General Hospital: Night Shift characters
Adoptee characters in television
Fictional assassins
Fictional characters with amnesia
Fictional murderers
Fictional bodyguards
Fictional socialites
Fictional vigilantes
Fictional businesspeople
Television characters introduced in 1981
Male characters in television
Fictional gangsters
Fictional crime bosses
Fictional criminals in soap operas
Fictional twins
Fictional identical twins