Before They Were Soap Stars: GH’s Steve Burton Is Out Of This World

Long-time General Hospital fans love to make fun of who Jason Morgan used to be back when he was plain, old Jason Quartermaine. Instead of a brain-damaged, non-smiling hit-man with a weakness for ladies in distress, Steve Burton as Jason Quartermaine was a sweet, goofy medical student, best known for his tacky, reindeer-adorned Christmas sweater.

Before They Were Soap Stars — GH’s Steve Burton

But, those who only mock Jason for his previous fashion choices must not know what actor Steve Burton was up to beforehand.

Surf’s Up!

From 1987 through 1981, Burton was a regular on the syndicated sitcom, Out Of This World. Out Of This World told the story of a perfectly normal teenage girl named Evie (Maureen Flannigan), her slightly flustered single mom, Donna (Donna Pescow, best known for Saturday Night Fever and the sitcom, Angie, but also formerly Lynn on All My Children)… and Evie’s long-distance dad. Who was an alien from Outerspace? Who lived in a shiny cube. And was voiced by movie star Burt Reynolds, during a very sad career lull.

Burton played Chris, Evie’s surfer dude boyfriend. Oh, and did we mention that Evie had supernatural powers courtesy of her dad, the cube, which had to keep hidden from the world?

We Should See Other People

Like Jason, Chris loved Evie, but more like a friend – take a lesson, Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright). Both of them would regularly date other people. You know, the way Jason periodically gets Carly’s permission to marry Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco)… though she absolutely did not approve of Jason and Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst), which is why that didn’t last long.

Or the way Carly keeps bouncing between Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Jasper Jacks (Ingo Rademacher)… while making sure Jason knows she’s got dibs on him, all the while.

By the end of the show’s run, Chris finally conceded that Evie will always be his girl. Which is all the encouragement Carly would need. To watch Burton in his sun-drenched glory days, click here.

General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Port Charles, check out all the latest that’s been posted on GH spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.