The Emotional General Hospital Scene That Was Almost Too Much For Steve Burton
If there's one thing soap operas are never short on, it's emotional moments. No one knows this fact better than Steve Burton, who has been on some of daytime TV's biggest hits, like "The Young and the Restless," and of course, "General Hospital." In January 2024, the star made a triumphant return to "General Hospital" after leaving the series in 2021. Clearly, Burton has quite a bit of experience when it comes to performing heart-wrenching scenes. Yet, in a recent episode of "Daily Drama," the podcast he hosts with his friend and costar, Bradford Anderson, Burton proved that diving into emotional scenes isn't something an actor can always simply get used to. He talked about one scene that caused him to break down and almost leave the set.
"GH" fans know that Burton's character, Jason Morgan, doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve. So, when one scene struck a major chord with Burton, fans were shocked to see Jason shedding a tear. The emotional moment in question featured Jason receiving a letter from his mother, Monica Quartermaine, played by Leslie Charleson since 1977. The letter's words, "Jason, I believe in you," didn't just have a profound effect on the character; they surprised Burton with their potency, too, calling this moment "a very hard scene for me to do."
Burton is putting acting first
When Steve Burton was faced with a powerful mother-son moment in the "General Hospital" script, he told Bradford Anderson on their podcast, "I was so emotional, I couldn't even get it out." It that moment, though, he chose to prioritize his performance, and it paid off. "I was literally going to walk off the set," he explained, adding that he realized, "Next take, it's not going to be the same." His effort was worth it, resulting in an authentic performance and a scene full of emotion.
Burton's emotional connection to this scene likely wasn't just about the content. It may also be a result of his outlook. In March 2024, he told Soap Opera Digest that these days, he is "way more in tune with my emotions than I've ever been in my life ... I'm not gonna leave anything on the table in my life anymore." He added, "I always say, 'We have one life, don't settle.' And that goes across the board." This mentality certainly has a positive effect on how he embodies Jason Morgan. He said, "With acting, I'm just gonna leave it all on the table, and hey, if it's awesome, it's awesome. And if it happens not to be that day, then it's not. But I always wanna go the extra mile in anything I do. I'm just gonna give it 110% every day." Clearly, Burton's current state of mind is helping to make "General Hospital" more real than ever.