After refusing to comply with the vaccine mandate at “General Hospital,” Ingo Rademacher — who has played Jasper “Jax” Jacks on the long-running soap opera since 1996 — was ousted from the show, and Monday was his final episode. Jax went on a business trip, just as he did several times before. On Nov. 8, ABC confirmed Rademacher’s departure.
But there are others. “General Hospital” viewers, there’s currently a deeper mystery: Is Steve Burton, who has played the popular character Jason Morgan off and on since 1991, also defying the “General Hospital”Vaccine requirement and so leaving for the same reasons? Burton’s departure has been Rumored to be rumored in fandom for several weeks, but an ABC spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment, and Burton’s publicist did not answer several inquiries from VarietyAbout his status on the show.
At “General Hospital,” all cast and crew in Zone A —which comprises those present on set when the actors aren’t wearing masks, and the actors themselves —All children must be vaccinated by Nov. 1.. The show films weeks ahead, so Rademacher’s goodbye episode, and possibly Burton’s on Friday, were filmed before the rule went into effect. On Monday’s episode, after a tunnel collapse on Cassadine Island (fans will know what that means), an unseen Jason is likely under a pile of rubble.
The set of “General Hospital”becameWorkplaces that are contentious. BurtonPositive for COVID in mid-August, saying he’d been “exposed at work.” And Rademacher, who frequently touts anti-vaccine propaganda on Instagram, clashed with his vaccinated castmates — and with fans, who caused #FireIngo to trend.
The news of Rademacher’s firing broke earlier this month after the actor shared a transphobic meme on his Instagram account. On Nov. 7, the day of that post, Rademacher’s “General Hospital”Cassandra James (trans) is her co-starTweet: “I am aware of a transphobic post shared by a fellow General Hospital actor. Shame on you. You have some serious unlearning and education to do. I feel deeply disappointed that such a public display of ignorance could come from our GH family.”
It was a long night. “General Hospital” star and outspoken vaccine advocate Nancy Lee Grahn, whose character Alexis is best friends with Rademacher’s Jax,James was supported by tweets — and named Rademacher as the actor in James’ tweet.
“The fellow actor, #IngoRademacher, is mercifully no longer a part of the #gh cast,”Grahn tweeted. “Transphobia & misgendering are disgusting & should be unacceptable in any industry, including soaps/acting. I stand with my costar, @cassandrajames_, & the trans community.” “General Hospital” star Maurice BenardAlso tweetedin support of James.
Burton’s possible departure has been much quieter. Somehow, though, some fans deduced that he, too, wouldn’t want to comply with the vaccine mandate at “General Hospital.”Rumours that Burton is leaving are rifeTwitter, and the sites that cover soap operas have raised the question as well.
It is not uncommon for soap operas to recast popular characters or bring back deceased characters. In the past, the Jason character has been played by other actors, as Burton has pursued other projects — and that is certainly possible again if Burton has in fact left. Except for a few episodes of 2008, Rademacher has always played Jax. Which doesn’t mean that the character couldn’t be recast, should the “General Hospital”Jax is needed urgently by the storyline, but there are no plans for Jax to be recast.
The networks still have four daytime dramas. “General Hospital,”ABC owns the ABC Television Network, and is the only one to have instituted a vaccine policy. NBC’s “Days of Our Lives,”And CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful”Continue to rely upon testing, social distancing, and other CDC-recommended guidelines when setting up their protocols.
Rademacher hadn’t appeared on “General Hospital”Since Oct. 27, In his final scene in Monday’s episode, and possibly his last appearance as Jax ever, he said, “I’m kind of on the outs with everyone in Port Charles right now” — perhaps a wink at the audience.
As for Burton’s Jason, several of the show’s characters continue to look for him, vowing not to give up. That is the question. “General Hospital”Fans: Is he gone already?