It’s not long now until General Hospital (GH) fans see Jonathan Bennett appear on the ABC daytime show as Joe Fitzpatrick. Of course, he’s known for other roles from shows like Mean Girls. However, he’s also widely known for Finding Mr. Christmas and Hallmark movies like The Groomsmen trilogy. Well, some fans wonder if his move to GH means the end of his Hallmark movies.
Famous For Christmas Movies
By now, you probably know that Jonathan Bennett is famous for Christmas movies. In fact, per Hallmark Stars, he’s been dubbed “The Gay King of Christmas.” Of course, that’s because of his well-known advocacy for the LGBTQ community which makes him popular. As he’s also good-looking, he’s popular with just about everyone.
Recently on Instagram, he shared a post by @generalhospitalabc, and it was the announcement that he’s soon joining General Hospital as Joe Fitzpatrick. While tons of ABC fans cheered him on, others seemed concerned that he’d left Hallmark Christmas Movies behind forever.
No More Hallmark?
In the comments section, one concerned fan wrote:
Guess he’s leaving hallmark like all the other leading men who are great did. Like hallmark said their (sic) getting rid of the older actor/actress they want fresh blood. He will be fazed out soon enough.
Where did that come from? Well, it seems that the rumors about dumping older cast members arrived when WGN9 reported about “an age discrimination lawsuit” filed back in 2024 by Penny Perry. 79 at the time, she claimed that Lisa Hamilton Daly seemed to want to shove older actors out.
Notably, she also claimed that actors like Lacey Chabert and Holly Robinson Peete were getting dissed by the producer. In the court documents, allegedly, Daly said, “Our leading ladies are aging out. We need to find new talent to take their place.”
Denials By Fans Remember
Although the claim was denied, many people still remember the lawsuit. So probably, that’s why the GH fans felt concerned. To lay your mind at ease, Jonathan Bennett responded in the comments, and directly told the General Hospital fan:
I’m not leaving Hallmark in the slightest. I’m full steam ahead [with] all my projects there.
Whew! That seems to be big relief to many folks. After all, more than one person in the comments agreed they’d heard the same story. Some of them felt sad that some great actors had actually left. But notably folks still see many of them on movies by Great American Family. Another actor on GH with GAF is Cameron Mathison (Drew Cain).
Viewers React
In the comments section, some people dissed GAF and said they prefer Hallmark movies. Meanwhile, others thought that he might have to tone down his LGBTQ side in Port Charles. Quite why that worries anyone seems a bit mysterious. Mainly, folks just seem very happy to see Jonathan Bennett anywhere on screen.
Here are a few more remarks from the discussion:
- I’m so excited!!’ Jonathan Bennett my absolute favorite.
- He’ll be a great asset to the show.
- One of the best casting decisions.
- You’ve just made my entire year with this! Best choice eva! You got a good one.
What are your thoughts? Are you happy to hear that the Hallmark Christmas Movies will still feature Jonathan Bennett? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your General Hospital cast news and updates.