7 Things to Know About General Hospital’s Mike Corbin

Sonny’s long-missing father, Mike Corbin, is back on the General Hospital (GH) scene.

Introduced in 1995 and portrayed by Ron Hale until his retirement in 2010, Mike is now being played by Barney Miller vet Max Gail.

Longtime viewers know that Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Mike’s relationship has always been strained, and for good reason. For anyone in need of a refresher course on the character, here are 7 things to know about Mike Corbin.

1. Gambling Man
Mike has battled a lifelong addiction to gambling, spending time in and out of rehabs, trying to kick his habit. Sonny has bailed him out of trouble numerous times, paying off his debts to loan sharks.

2. Deadbeat Dad
Mike abandoned Sonny and his mother, Adela, when Sonny was a boy. Not surprisingly, Sonny harbored major resentment toward his father for years. He even blamed Mike for his mother’s second marriage to Deke. The abusive cop battered both Adela and Sonny for years, ultimately killing Adela during one of his rages.

3. Hello Luke
The first person Mike met upon arriving in Port Charles was Luke (Anthony Geary), who ended up giving him a job at Luke’s Club. Luke was actually the person who reintroduced Sonny and Mike. They hadn’t laid eyes on one another for years and didn’t even know they were father and son.

4. Onto Kelly’s
Luke got Mike a room at Kelly’s, where he immediately started flirting with Ruby. Eventually, Mike ended up the manager of Kelly’s diner. It turned out to be a costly move for the establishment, when some Russian mafia men who Mike owed money to beat him up and torched the place.

5. Love Life
Aside from his marriage to Adela, Mike had a relationship with Janine Matthews, who birthed his late daughter, Courtney. He also dated Amy Vining, Tammy the hooker ,and Marcy Scanlon (on sister soap, Port Charles). His heart now belongs to the lovely, Rita (Susanne Spoke).

6. Good Grandpa
Although his fatherhood skills were sadly lacking, Mike has fared well as a grandpa. He was always fairly close to his grandkids, Michael, Morgan, and Kristina, doling out cookies and hot chocolate whenever they visited him at the diner. And he once gifted Morgan with a special baseball card.

7. The New Mike
Since surfacing on February 6, 2018, the new Mike is a new man – no pun intended. He’s been on the wagon for years and is enjoying a healthy relationship with Rita. However, his memory seems to be failing. He referred to Carly (Laura Wright) as Courtney and misplaced $10,000 in cash that he was supposed to deliver for his job.

General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for air times.