Many jaws hit the floor when someone shot Austin to his death on General Hospital in the recent episodes. The ABC soap once again proved that it is not afraid of killing off key characters. Or even doing away with highly effective performers like Roger Howarth, or Charles Shaughnessy for that matter. However, it is to be kept in mind that just because GH says Austin is dead does not necessarily mean he is dead. After all, we did recently see Nik return, right?
So, can Austin still be secretly alive somewhere on General Hospital? Or has Roger Howarth really bowed out after portraying three different characters on the same soap? Let’s find out from the man himself! The soap star recently sat down with Soap Opera Digest to speak the truth behind his exit. From a show that he has given 10 extensive years of his career. “It took me a minute to kind of adjust, to kind of hear the news. It took a second for me to let that settle in,” Roger admitted.
He shared that a few weeks before his exit, he received a call from General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini. The show-runner told the actor that the production won’t be offering him a renewal when his contract is up. Frank explained that they needed to kill Austin off to move the story forward. Once the initial shock settled, Roger said he realized how lucky he had been with GH. He took getting axed in his stride and said that the people on top had to make the decision. They make such decisions for a living. Pointing that it’s their job and nothing personal.
Will Roger Howarth Find His Way Back To General Hospital?
Speaking about his experience on General Hospital, Roger asserted that he has always loved it. He always enjoyed coming to the sets doing his lines and his scenes with all the really cool people. The actor really did give the impression that Austin surely is gone for good. But does that mean Roger Howarth has to go, too? For now, yes. But hey! He has played three different characters on the soap! And actor Michael Easton is on his fourth one!
So you never know! A few months down the line, the makers might tap into Roger Howarth to start portraying a new character and match Michael Easton’s record! And honestly, we would love that! Would you like to see Roger Howarth back as an all-new character? Tell us in the comments. Meanwhile, stay tuned to TV Season & Spoilers for more General Hospital updates on this possibility!