EMERGENCY DOOM

‘General Hospital’ Star Speaks Out on ‘Disappointing’ Exit

The actor blamed late-night host John Oliver’s cameo for sidelining his character.

Soap opera star Chris McKenna keeps getting killed off—and he’s not thrilled about it.

The 48-year-old soap star joined the cast of ABC’s General Hospital in February 2025, replacing Charles Measure as WSB Chief Jack Brennan. McKenna’s tenure on the show proved short-lived; he wrapped in June after his character was found floating dead in a pool.

“This is the third soap that has either written me off or killed me off,” McKenna told TV Insider. “I did my last episode in June, so I’ve had a few months to adjust.”

McKenna is a seasoned daytime actor, playing Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live from 1990-1993, then appearing as Mark Harding on The Young and the Restless from 2014-2015. His General Hospital death came during the show’s sixty-third season; GH is the longest-running American soap opera currently in production.

McKenna’s emotions following his exit are mixed.

“I’m really grateful,” he said. “It’s disappointing how it’s ending right now, but this was a gift. Between my son being born and having this place to go to work for the past couple of years, this has been just a fantastic time, and it’s been so much fun. I got to be introduced to an entire new legion of soap fans who weren’t familiar with me, got back into the daytime world and did some powerful work I’m really proud of, so it’s been a great experience. I have no complaints.”

He added that the show gave him “some of the best material I’ve ever been able to do on camera,” while also noting that factors like John Oliver’s guest appearance as the mysterious character “Z” meant Brennan wasn’t a major plot driver.

“I do think that Jack had an extremely unfortunate run of bad luck circumstances that influenced a lot of story since I took over,” he said. “But then John Oliver ended up becoming involved, and Jack gets sidelined during the big climax. Again, a decision I was very fond of. I loved John Oliver, and I was really excited about that whole thing, but Jack wasn’t involved in the climax anymore.”

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“I would have loved to have had a big, heroic martyrdom or a big grand speech. Unfortunately, I just played my dead body floating in a pool for two days,” McKenna said of Brennan’s not-so-graceful final scene, continuing, “It was bittersweet, but it was also kind of fun being in a suit in the pool.”

“I’m going to mourn Jack with everybody else, and this may be the end for Brennan,” he added. “But Chris is doing fine, and you’ll see him very soon.”

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Dana Herrnstadt Editorial Intern, Obsessed

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