General Hospital Character Recap: Damian Spinelli

A “coffee importer” is only as good as the company he surrounds himself with. And on General Hospital, Sonny Corinthos certainly struck gold when he hired cyber genius and nickname enthusiast Damian Spinelli.

Who Is Damian Spinelli?

Port Charles University student Damian Millhouse Spinelli found himself recruited by the villainous Lorenzo Alcazar to assist in his decimation of Sonny Corinthos’ hold on Port Charles.

Though he dutifully falsified evidence against Sam McCall, Spinelli eventually found himself running afoul of his boss – a situation that forced him into hiding. He made the acquaintance of Lulu Spencer but their proximity resulted in them both winding up as Alcazar’s hostages.

Jason Morgan ran to their rescue but a fearful Spinelli decamped to his grandmother’s Tennessee abode. Lulu joined Jason on his quest to locate the talented computer hacker, and they eventually convinced him to return with them.

Once safely ensconced in Port Charles and on Sonny’s personal payroll, Spinelli not only helped clear Sam’s name but he also worked with Lulu to prove that her mother did not murder Rick Webber.

The caper served to strengthen the romantic feelings that Spinelli had for Lulu but she did not reciprocate. Instead, Spinelli realized that Georgie Jones, another woman he had cultivated a friendship with, was interested in him.

Fair Maximista

However, the same night that revelation dawned, Georgie was strangled to death by the Text Message Killer. A distraught Spinelli became determined to suss out the slayer and he was joined in his quest by Maxie Jones, Georgie’s older sister.

During the course of their investigation, Cooper Barrett emerged as the most likely suspect, but Maxie protested that he was innocent. They eventually deduced that the culprit was Diego Alcazar but he perished during a subsequent confrontation.

Afterward, Spinelli and Maxie remained close, though a series of obstacles – including his infatuation with undercover FBI agent Winnifred Leeds and her attraction of Johnny Zacchara – threatened to drive a wedge between them.

Still, the duo persisted and grew ever closer. When Spinelli proposed marriage, Maxie accepted – but only in order to spare his feelings. When Spinelli learned about her hesitation, he insisted that they have a “Non Wedding” in which they pledge their intention to get married someday. 

Soon after, Spinelli was crushed when he learned that Maxie slept with psychotic artist Franco. In a bid to remind his lover of their adventure-filled beginnings, Spinelli concocted an investigation for them to solve together… but his adult scavenger hunt resulted in Maxie developing hypothermia.

When Spinelli becomes depressed over Jason’s voluntary entrance into Pentonville, Maxie engineered a fake romance with GH physician Matt Hunter, hoping to make him jealous and spur him into action.

Spinelli, however, informed her that she was free to see other people. Meanwhile, he found his services in great demand and in short order he helped uncover the identity of an international crime lord (alias The Balkin), located Brenda Barret’s missing son, and assisted Diane Miller in authoring The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli.

He soon found himself thrust back into Maxie’s orbit when he shielded her from a bullet fired by Lisa Niles. For a time he adopted the persona of his fictional counterpart Jackal PI, but he quickly recovered and set out to prove that Maxie’s confession to murdering Lisa Niles was false.

New Beginnings 
He and Maxie became momentarily estranged when he produced proof of Matt’s guilt but their relationship significantly improved – and once again turned physical when Spinelli feared that his latest girlfriend, lab technician Ellie Trout, had dumped him.

Ellie had in actuality been run over by a car – hence her no-show at the rendezvous point Spinelli had arranged. He and Ellie reunited and weathered the revelation that Maxie was pregnant with his child. A three-way custody battle ensued between himself, Maxie and Lulu and Dante (who had been told the baby was theirs, the result of Maxie acting as a surrogate).

Spinelli obtained full custody and relocated to Portland, Oregon when Ellie received a lucrative job offer – but not before he and Maxie agreed to name their daughter Georgie.

Damian Spinelli – Present Day

Spinelli made a number of reappearances – including one in which he and Ellie were estranged and both vied for the affections of others – and he frequently found himself involved in further exploits (such as the hunt for Patient Six’s true identity and locating Cesar Faison’s son).

Most recently, Spinelli and Co. resettled in Port Charles, owing to Ellie’s accepting a job offer in nearby Point Claire. And though he is heartened that Georgie and Maxie are now in such close proximity, Spinelli remains dubious about Peter August’s sudden shift from villain to hero.

Hoping to save Maxie further heartache, he has made it his mission to uncover exactly what Peter is up to – and if it paves the way for Sam and Jason to reunite, all the better.  General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.