As one of the longest-running TV series ever, General Hospital frequently welcomes new characters and says goodbye to old ones.
Of course, this doesn’t make every goodbye any less difficult for devout GH fans though, many of whom have followed the larger-than-life since since its early days. The latest cast member rumored to be leaving Port Charles is none other than Dante Falconeri, played by Dominic Zamprogna. But is there any truth to this rumor?
Dante’s time in Port Charles
Dominic Zamprogna joined the cast of General Hospital in 2009 as undercover cop Dante Falconeri. Since his introduction, Dante has gotten married, found his estranged father, started a family, gotten shot more than once, and had many more outlandish plotlines as is common in General Hospital. Zamprogna’s performance has been critically acclaimed, making him one of the most beloved cast members of the show. He has received three Emmy nominations for his work, two for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and one for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
There is no evidence to back up the rumors that Zamprogna will be leaving the role of Dante. However, it wouldn’t be unprecedented, as he did take a break from playing Dante in 2018. After being cast on the show in 2009, he spent over 10 years playing the cop until he announced that he would be leaving General Hospital in 2018.
He returned for a few episodes in 2018 and 2019 until finally announcing that he would be rejoining the cast full-time in 2020. On June 22, Zamprogna marked the 15th anniversary of his character’s introduction to the show. He shared in an exclusive chat with Soap Opera Digest about how he had just had the toughest year of his acting career right before getting cast as Dante. He had spent months auditioning, as he and his wife had just bought a new house, but he didn’t have any stable work.
Is Dante leaving General Hospital for good?
While he was grateful for his role in General Hospital, 10 years into his time playing Dante, he realized that he had never explored the professional scene of the States. He had moved to the States from Canada for the show and wanted to see what opportunities would be available for him as a free agent. He wanted to do his “due diligence” and make connections in the industry. Zamprogna referred to his time away from General Hospital as a “mental health break” as he felt that he needed to do something new for a while.
He eventually returned to the show because, despite the new connections he was making, he missed his GH family and loved playing Dante. He concluded that his time away from the show was beneficial and he has other projects he is working on now despite being back on GH full-time. He also expressed his gratitude to the General Hospital family for welcoming him back with open arms in 2020. So, fans can rest easy as it doesn’t seem like Dante is going anywhere anytime soon.