Tyler Christopher On How A GH Fave Became A DAYS Newcomer

When Nikolas Cassadine fell out that window (the first time) on General Hospital (GH) last year, Tyler Christopher had every intention of returning to the show.

He left to take some personal time just after winning the Daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series during his contract negotiations. When the final offer from GH came, it wasn’t what the actor was expecting and he walked away.

(By then Nick Stabile had briefly played the role, with Nikolas falling out a window a second time–after being shot.)

“When I came back, the offer just didn’t make sense financially for me,” Christopher said in the August 28 issue of Soap Opera Digest. “They said, ‘Sorry, that’s all we can do’ and I said, ‘I understand’ and that was it.”

Apparently, Christopher did not have to wait long for another offer to come along. Surprisingly, Days of Our Lives (DOOL) contacted him in January of this year just after hiring Ron Carlivati was head writer, a man who Christopher credits with writing him an Emmy story.

Christopher told Digest that DAYS told him they wanted him, but being six months ahead with story and having a new head writer come on, it took until summer to make things happen.

“It’s taken this many months for Ron to figure it out, but he and I knew we wanted to work together again,” Christopher said.

This new gig reunited the actor with former GH co-stars Stephen Nichols and Mary Beth Evans. Nichols played his onscreen uncle (and father figure) for years and Evans played the older woman who took Nik’s virginity.

As for Nikolas Cassadine, the actor understands if one day GH decides to recast, but admits it would upset him a bit. “I wish whoever it is well…and I hope they give the character as much of themselves as I gave to him.”

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