General Hospital
CHRIS MCKENNA GETS REAL: Why Losing His General Hospital Job Hit Differently This Time Around
Chris McKenna opens up about being fired from General Hospital and facing that exit for the first time as a new father.
CHRIS MCKENNA OPENS UP ABOUT GETTING FIRED FROM GENERAL HOSPITAL AS A BRAND-NEW DAD
TL;DR: Chris McKenna sat down with “Stone Cold and The Jackal” to talk candidly about being let go from General Hospital, what it was like shooting his character’s grisly exit while already knowing the news, and what he’s building for himself now that he’s off the canvas.
He Was Already Gone Before Brennan Even Hit The Water
Chris McKenna sat down with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson on their podcast, “Stone Cold and The Jackal,” and got refreshingly honest about the end of his General Hospital run. By the time he filmed Jack Brennan’swaterlogged demise, he’d already known for weeks that his job was gone. Two full days were spent floating face-down in the Metro Court pool while GH’s Emmy-winning makeup team, led by artist Stephanie Riley, progressively turned him a convincing shade of decomposing green.
He held it together for everyone else on set, he said, because the crew was more shaken by the news than he was. Chris McKenna has been fired from shows before, more than once, and he wasn’t about to let this one rattle him in front of the room.
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He Made Sure Someone Else Got Her Flowers First
What mattered most to him wasn’t his own send-off. Fellow castmate Paige Herschell, who played Jacinda Bracken, found out she wasn’t returning at the exact same time he did, and her last day landed the day before his. Chris made it his mission to see that she got recognized properly before focusing on his own goodbye, right down to hugging her and telling her to finish strong.
But this exit came with a wrinkle none of his previous ones had: a new baby at home. “I’m not just waiting for the phone to ring,” he said of where his head’s at now, and it’s clear the fatherhood angle changed how the news landed for him this time, even if it didn’t change how he handled the room.
What’s Actually Next For Him
Turns out getting axed from Port Charles came with a silver lining. Chris McKenna had already sold a script right before landing the General Hospital gig, and he’s now deep into developing a second one while quietly discussing deals with a couple of unnamed General Hospital colleagues. He’s also acquired the rights to adapt the work of an author friend who passed away recently, a project he’s calling deeply personal, and he’s attached to direct at least one chapter of an anthology film built around it.
He didn’t shy away from crediting the outpouring from GH fans either, saying it’s already opened doors and generated real interest in what he does next.
Watch the full Podcast Here!
Port Charles’s Loss Might Be Someone Else’s Gain
Whatever comes of the scripts, the anthology, or the mystery GH collaborators he’s not ready to name yet, Chris McKenna made it clear this chapter isn’t closing quietly.
Head over to our Facebook page and tell us what you think General Hospital lost when Brennan sank to the bottom of that pool.
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