Chad Duell On A “Surprise” Nelle Twist… And What’s Next for Michael

Michael and Nelle’s twisted storyline is about to erupt dramatically, and Chad Duell promises General Hospital viewers are in for an intense and stunning payoff.

The fate of the couple and their unborn child’s future reached a fever pitch on the show’s Friday cliffhanger, when their car swerved off the road. Will they survive? Will their baby? And then there’s the matter of the other car involved in Michael and Nelle’s crash, which belongs to another Port Charles citizen. But who?

Twisted Twist
“There is a kind of a surprise that happens,” teases Duell. “Something happens, and Michael gets stuck in a very very bad situation. It’s very emotional stuff. There’s a lot coming up.”

It all leads to the end of the road for Port Charles’ master manipulator Nelle, ushering in actress Chloe Lanier’s exit from the soap. Duell notes that he’s already taped his final scenes with Lanier. How does he think fans will react to them?

“I think they’re going to like the outcome, that they’re going to be happy with it,” he says. “I was happy with it. Michael is happy with it. I can say that.”

Bye-Bye Nelle
As for the last two years Duell’s shared the screen with Lanier as his leading lady, he says, “It was good working with her. She’s very talented. At the same time, I’m sure we’ll be in the same circles. As far as not working with her anymore, it’s unfortunate, but we’ll still be in each other’s lives.”

Duell also notes that Lanier’s departure “is open ended. She can come back.” So the Corinthos clan could be for an encore of Nelle horror theater should the actress opt to return to the soap at some point.

Moving On
In the interim, Duell is looking forward to what’s next; particularly how Michael’s experience with Nelle …continue reading on the next page —>

Continue reading on the next page…

In the interim, Duell is looking forward to what’s next; particularly how Michael’s experience with Nelle and his character moving forward.

“I hated being a pushover for a long time… having Michael give [Nelle] too much of the benefit of the doubt,” shares Duell.

“It’s nice that he finally woke up, that he finally got his crap together, took charge and pushed back. I hope that it’s a permanent change in him. Michael’s been through a lot. It’s nice that he’s finally grown a backbone.”

No More Crazy Stupid Love
While Duell hasn’t a clue what’s next for his character on the leading lady front, there are a few things he’s hoping for.

Namely, that the next woman Michael is involved with “is actually good to him… that she’s not trying to kill him,” he delivers with a smile. “I hope that Michael [comes out of this] stronger and knows what he’s looking for, instead of being the nice guy who’s trying to fix situations.

“I hope he’s going to be smarter about the next girl he chooses,” Duell continues. “After all the crap that’s happened to him already, I hope he’s going to be in a good relationship. That’s where I think [the writers] are going.”

Nurse Francesa (Celesta DeAstis), who Michael’s already dated, is an option. Plus, there are others. “Kiki (Hayley Erin) and Michael have a history,” points out Duell, before mentioning another actress on the canvas.

“I said Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) once. She’s older than him, obviously, but that doesn’t really matter. Abby (Andrea Bogart) was about 10 years older than him, and Michael does have an older personality.”

General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.