General Hospital Photo Gallery: Careers Launched, Famous Cameos

General Hospital celebrated 60 years on the air earlier this month and over the course of the long-running series, numerous careers have been launched on the ABC soap opera. GH doesn’t just help make stars. It attracts them, too. Big-name performers actually requested to appear on the show because they’ve also been fans of the program.

General Hospital: Seeing Stars

Before hitting movie or primetime stardom, some talented actors got their start in Port Charles — Demi Moore (ex-Jackie Templeton), who starred in Ghost, St. Elmo’s Fire, and G.I. Jane, and Amber Tamblyn (ex-Emily Quartermaine), who starred in Joan of Arcadia, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants films, The Ring, and is also an author, each got their starts in Port Charles.

There have also been music stars/singers who came on before, during, and/or after their success with GH — including Rick Springfield (ex-Dr. Noah Drake/ex-Eli Love), Ricky Martin (ex-Miguel Morez), and Jack Wagner (ex-Frisco Jones).

And let’s not forget all the people who were famous fans, most notably silver screen legend Elizabeth Taylor, who originated the role of Helena Cassadine. There might not have been a wedding (certainly not that soon) for Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis) had she not insisted on there being one in order to appear in Port Charles. Sammy Davis Jr., a devotee of daytime drama, played Bryan Phillips’s (Todd Davis) estranged, dying father Eddie in 1982.

As the show marks 60 years on the air, Soap Hub looks back at so many of these stars who have graced General Hospital and made it such an amazing show and a part of pop culture history. Be sure to check out this photo gallery to relive some of those memories.