When Willow pointed the finger at Michael for planting Edward’s gun in her room on General Hospital, Dante didn’t exactly rush to defend his brother. Even though Willow is the one without an alibi, Michael’s excuse isn’t much stronger, and Dante knows it. As the investigation into Drew’s shooting intensifies, Dante is caught between being a cop and being a brother — and as Dominic Zamprogna revealed, he’s acutely aware of just how messy this is going to get.
Key Takeaways
- Willow accused Michael of planting Edward’s gun in her room, leaving Dante torn between family loyalty and police duty.
- Dominic Zamprogna says he knows exactly when fans will pick apart Dante’s actions.
- Dante acknowledges that Willow has no alibi — but Michael’s alibi is weak at best.
- Zamprogna pointed out that Dante is fully aware Michael could be guilty.
- Dante wants to protect his brother, but fears it could backfire if Michael really did it.
Between the Badge and Blood
Zamprogna, who’s spent 16 years playing Dante, told Soap Opera Digest that navigating the gray area between duty and family is second nature to him by now. “That’s part of this business that you’ve kind of got to get over,” he said, laughing about how often his character ends up in scenes that would never happen in real life. He’s fully aware of when fans are going to have something to say about Dante’s actions. “I know exactly when [what Dante is doing] will be picked apart!” he admitted.
When it comes to Willow’s (Katelyn MacMullen) accusation, Dante isn’t blind to how thin Michael’s (Rory Gibson) story sounds. He explained that as flimsy as Michael’s story is, Willow’s is non-existent, but Michael has an alibi. That’s why, for now, Dante is leaning on the evidence — but his gut isn’t giving Michael a free pass either.
Zamprogna didn’t sugarcoat it: “Dante is also fully aware that it could all be BS, and Michael is the one who did it.” (Learn about Michael’s two sides.)
A Brother’s Defense on Shaky Ground
The issue isn’t just what Michael says — it’s who he is. Zamprogna noted that Michael’s ruthless streak isn’t exactly new. The alibi involving Jacinda (Paige Herschell) isn’t helping either. “Yeah, he’s not really buying that,” Zamprogna said bluntly, adding that Dante is already hearing plenty from people who haven’t forgotten Michael’s past.
Still, Dante is trying to protect him — even if it might cost him. “The last thing he wants is for that to backfire, for him to defend Michael and then find out, ‘Oh, you actually did do this?!’” Zamprogna said. Dante knows what it looks like, and he’s not pretending otherwise.
And because soap irony is undefeated, there’s even a little humor woven in. Dante’s line about Michael “changing” after the fire at Sonny’s made the cast laugh, considering the role was literally recast. The actor deftly used it to Dante’s advantage, creating a cool Easter Egg within the episode, and nod to Michael’s recast.
