It’s hard to keep a bad Cassadine down. Hence, the return of Victor Cassadine, after his second presumed death, really didn’t come as a surprise to General Hospital fans. Originally portrayed by Thaao Penghlis (Tony/Andre, Days of our Lives), the character is now being played by former The Nanny star and daytime veteran Charles Shaughnessy (ex-Shane, Days of our Lives). Here’s a quick rundown on the GH villain.
General Hospital: Welcome Back Victor Cassadine
Victor was introduced as Mikkos and Tony Cassadine’s brother in 1981. The trio conspired to steal the Ice Princess diamond in a plot to control the weather and take over the world. Luke Spencer (Tony Geary) foiled their scheme, and Victor was sent to prison, after a fling with Tiffany Hill (Sharon Wyatt). He was later presumed dead.
Alive and Scheming
In 2014, Victor appeared alive and well at Dr. Robin Scorpio-Drake’s (Kimberly McCullough) door, revealing he was the new WSB director. He asked Robin to bring Helena Cassadine and Stavros Cassadine, whose bodies were being preserved at a cryogenic lab, back to life.
When she refused, he announced that “Jason Morgan” was still alive but in cryogenic stasis. Realizing she could help “Jason,” Robin agreed to Victor’s plot. (It turned out Robin was actually helping Jason’s twin, Drew Cain, with whom he’d been switched.) Ultimately, Robin concocted a serum, which Victor insisted she inject into “Jason.” When he came back to life, Victor had Robin carted off; then prepared to resurrect Helena and Stavros.
General Hospital: In Other Evil Deeds
Victor shot and killed Robert Scorpio’s (Tristan Rogers) WSB partner, O’Reilly, in 1981. He was also responsible for the death of Patrick Drake (Jason Thompson) and Sabrina Santiago’s (Teresa Castillo) son, Gabriel. He manipulated Rafe into running Patrick’s car off the road, an accident that resulted in Sabrina giving birth prematurely and the child ultimately perishing.
He also conspired with Levi to steal Felicia’s (Kristina Wagner) Aztec jewels, which led to Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms) and Lulu Spencer’s kidnapping. When Nathan West (Ryan Paevy) came to their rescue, Victor hesitated shooting him upon learning he was Liesl Obrecht’s (Kathleen Gati) son. Instead, he locked up Nathan, Maxie, Lulu, and Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) at Crichton-Clark Clinic.
The Obrecht Connection
It turned out Victor and Liesl had a General Hospital past as lovers, and Victor realized Nathan could be his son. Initially, Liesl denied it but later claimed it was true. However, DNA tests eventually proved the pair weren’t related, infuriating Victor. He pulled a gun on Liesl when Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) burst into the clinic. As Anna was arresting him, Liesl picked up Victor’s gun and shot him, determined to keep Nathan from learning the identity of his real father – the evil Cesar Faison (Anders Hove). Victor appeared to have died, after setting off a bomb in the clinic.
Back with a New Face
Viewers were stunned to find out Victor was very much alive in 2021 and is now played by Charles Shaughnessy. The character orchestrated a plane hijacking for Liesl and her new lover, Scott Baldwin (Kin Shriner), then had the pair chloroformed. Victor’s henchmen tossed an unconscious Scott out of the plane, mercifully with a parachute, and took Liesl hostage. Liesl awoke to learn she was being held hostage by Victor, who disapproved of her new relationship.
General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Port Charles, check out all the latest that’s been posted on GH spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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