Gregory Chase died peacefully in his sleep on the May 20 episode of General Hospital. His loss will affect the other characters in his orbit and have a real-life effect on his portrayer, Gregory Harrison’s castmates.
Amanda Setton, Josh Swickard Say Farewell
Aside from mob wars, another kind of story that GH does well are tragic, health-related deaths of characters. Stone (Michael Sutton) and Mike (Max Gail) come to mind as both characters sadly passed from AIDS and Alzheimer’s, respectively. So we knew when Gregory Chase (Gregory Harrison) was diagnosed with ALS — aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease — there wasn’t going to be a miracle cure to save him. Pitting characters against real-world ailments makes for great stories, and Gregory’s is one that fans will remember. One element they’ll lament, though, is the fact that Gregory and Tracy (Jane Elliot) never got the chance to pursue a romance, which was only hinted at.
His castmates have come out to share their thoughts on working with Harrison, whom they adored. Josh Swickard, who plays Gregory’s son, Detective Harrison Chase, and Amanda Setton, Chase’s new bride, Brook Lynn Quartermaine, spoke to Soap Opera Digest in a recent interview. (Get behind the scenes at Brook Lynn and Chase’s wedding.)
Swickard explained that often when working with an actor who plays your parent, the lines between the characters and their portrayers can get blurred. “He really felt like a father figure to me in so many ways,” he said of his costar, adding, “Still does. He’s such a good human being. He’s been around the block in life, in Hollywood, and then some, and he’s just a wealth of knowledge. And he’s a humble human being.”
Swickard and Setton Learned a Lot From Harrison
Swickard also stated that he learned a great deal about acting from Harrison and admitted, “So I’m sad to lose him. And if there are any tears shed on screen…there wasn’t much acting going on.” Setton chimed in and shared her touching point of view, remarking, “I’m going to miss him a lot. I have such genuine love and respect for Gregory. I think he’s an incredible person and an incredible actor and a true artist who cares so much. He is always so prepared, so professional, so collaborative, so detailed, and specific with his prep and his choices.” Like Swickard, Setton also found Harrison’s teachings to be highly informative to her craft and expressed that she would deeply miss him as a scene partner.
Swickard plans to continue his off-screen friendship with Harrison and explained, “He lives out by the water, and we’ve set some surf dates in the future. So we’ll stay in touch. And we said that we’re all going to go [to] dinner soon. We’re trying to keep things on the books so we can all keep up with each other.”
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Other Castmates Said Goodbye
Harrison was so beloved by his co-workers, that many of them took to social media to say goodbye to a man who had become more than a castmate, he was a friend. Among them were Michael Easton, who plays Gregory’s other son, Finn; Nancy Lee Grahn, Gregory’s close friend Alexis; James Patrick Stuart, who plays Valentin and was excited when TV star Harrison joined the cast; and Jophielle Love, who plays Gregory’s granddaughter Violet, who shared several touching photos of her and Harrison together. Take a look below at what everyone had to say.
Jophielle Love (Violet)
Michael Easton (Finn)
Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis)
James Patrick Stuart (Valentin)
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