Kelly Monaco Will Return to ‘General Hospital’ for Final Episode After Character’s Death
Kelly Monaco is saying goodbye to General Hospital and her character, Sam McCall, after more than 20 years on the soap opera — but her recent death scene won't be the last time viewers see her on the beloved soap opera, Us Weekly can confirm.
While Monaco's character, Sam McCall, died on the Wednesday, October 30, episode of the ABC series, the actress, 48, will make one final appearance — which will include some heartbreaking goodbyes likely in store — on an upcoming episode later this week.
Tuesday's episode featured Sam coming out of a surgery successfully and getting engaged to Dante (Dominic Zamprogna). However, later began crashing and doctor's were ultimately unable to revive her.
Us Weekly confirmed in August that Monaco was set to exit General Hospital in the fall after portraying the role of Sam McCall in more than 2,000 episodes since her 2003 debut.
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Monaco initially remained tight-lipped on her departure but appeared to address it for the first time in a since-deleted Instagram comment on a September Soap Hub post, responding to a user who claimed she was “monotone, had no primary roles and [was] just boring” as well as refused to take a pay cut, which Monaco had already disputed.
“‘No primary role’.. do your homework,” Monaco replied. “When Billy Miller was fired, Sam’s storyline stopped. Stripping Sam of every characteristic she had. Something I worked for decades to build… Slowly dismantling her, into a character that I did not recognize, let alone the audience. Call it what you will… retaliation at it [sic] finest. I will give a proper statement. The truth will set you free.”
In October, Monaco reflected on her final moments on the General Hospital set. “Last scene with the Davis girls. ????????,” she captioned an Instagram photo with costars Kate Mansi, Nancy Lee Grahn and Kristen Vaganos. “Still doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Prior to Kelly’s post, her mother, Carmina Monaco, revealed that the Daytime Emmy nominee filmed her final scenes on September 27, just days before her 21st anniversary on the show.
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“I want to take this moment to reach out to Kelly’s incredible fans and express my deepest gratitude for the unwavering love, loyalty and support you’ve shown her throughout her time on General Hospital,” Carmina wrote via X. “On this final day, just four days shy of the anniversary of her first episode on October 1, 2003, Kelly will close the door of her dressing room for the last time.”
Carmina acknowledged that the moment was “difficult” for Kelly, but she noted, “Knowing that she has had such an incredible, devoted fan base has given her strength. You’ve stood by her through every twist and turn, celebrating her achievements and providing comfort in the hard times.”
She concluded: “Your love and dedication have meant more than words can express, not only to Kelly but to all of us who care so deeply for her. Thank you for being there, for believing in her, and for reminding her of the impact she’s made. We will always be grateful for you standing with her through it all.”