GH Casting News: Andrew Hawkes Says a Heartfelt Goodbye to Port Charles as Ross Cullum Meets His End

ANDREW HAWKES REFLECTS ON HIS EMOTIONAL GENERAL HOSPITAL FAREWELL

TL;DR: Andrew Hawkes is saying goodbye to General Hospital after a six-month run as villainous WSB agent Ross Cullum, whose story reached its explosive end in the July 2 episode. In a warm exclusive, Hawkes reflects on an epic sendoff, the castmates he came to love, and why he would return to Port Charles in a heartbeat.

A Six-Month Port Charles Run Comes to a Close

Ross Cullum‘s reign of trouble is over. The duplicitous WSB agent met his end in the July 2 episode, closing out Andrew‘s six-month run in Port Charles. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Soap Opera Digest, Hawkes opened up about a goodbye he always knew was coming.

What began as a tiny guest arc turned into something much bigger. Hawkes originally signed on for three episodes, then six to eight, and by the time the cameras stopped rolling he had filmed around 40. Given how dastardly Cullum was, the actor always understood that the character’s exit was inevitable.

“I knew it was coming at some point,” he says. Even so, the farewell hit hard, because the role had become one of the richest experiences of his career.

Do you have a favorite Ross Cullum moment or a hunch about who is next to shake up Port Charles? Send your thoughts to amber@soapoperamagazine.com and we may feature you on the site.

Inside Andrew Hawkes’ Epic GH Sendoff

Hawkes went out with a bang. His final day of shooting was packed with stunts, a location shoot, a helicopter, and a special guest turn from comedian John Oliver. “It was an epic sendoff, without a doubt,” the actor says.

He spent much of that last stretch working opposite Ryan Paevey, whose character Cassius shared the bulk of his closing scenes. The two grew close, slipping off to the green room to run lines and block their beats so everything clicked once they hit the set. Hawkes describes Paevey as a genuinely cool, endlessly interesting guy, the kind who rides motorcycles, surfs, and makes jewelry in his downtime.

A theater-trained actor, Hawkes brought stage-level discipline to every GH scene. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re doing Shakespeare,” he declares, adding that the whole company showed up with that same commitment.

The Cast Bonds Andrew Hawkes Will Miss Most

Beyond Paevey, Hawkes lit up talking about the ensemble. He calls Carlo Rota, who plays Jenz Sidwell, enormously entertaining and terrific at his craft, and praises Kelly Thiebaud as a brilliant actress who lights up every scene as Britt Westbourne.

He saves especially tender words for Chris McKenna, who plays Jack Brennan. “If you don’t like Chris McKenna, I’m sorry, lose my number,” Hawkes laughs, calling him one of the genuinely good ones. He had warm words for the younger performers too, singling out Asher, Bluesy, and Finn as grounded, talented kids with bright futures ahead of them.

The experience even reached beyond the studio. Hawkes appeared on State of Mind, the mental health series hosted by Maurice Benard, where he opened up about his own struggles in the hope of helping others.

Why Andrew Hawkes Would Say Yes to Port Charles Again

After that grueling final day, Hawkes slept for roughly 12 hours and needed several days to process what the whole run had meant to him. He calls it one of the greatest experiences of his career and one of his proudest. He treasures the show’s fans, too, admitting that viewers who once wanted the villain gone came around once they met the goofball behind Cullum online.

Would he come back, whether as Cullum’s ghost or someone brand new? “I’d say yes in a heartbeat,” he says. For a run that was only ever meant to last a few episodes, that is a beautiful place to land.

Which Ross Cullum moment are you going to miss the most? Head to the comments below and share the scene that made you love to hate him.

Send Andrew Off With Your Favorite Cullum Memory

Six months, roughly 40 episodes, and one unforgettable villain later, Hawkes is closing this chapter with nothing but love for the show and its fans. Join us on our Facebook page to send him off in style and tell us the Ross Cullum moment you will never forget.

PICK YOUR POISON!

@soapoperamag 😈 Pick Your Poison, Because One of These Bad Boys Is Getting a Date of a Lifetime 😈 🎬 PRESS PLAY ON THE FULL VLOG 🎬 It is time to play the most dangerous game of would you rather. 🖤 Your choices? #JenzSidwell, the grief-fueled criminal who will not leave town until he gets his revenge, or #RossCullum, the smooth and deadly mastermind pulling everyone's strings. Both are trouble with a capital T, and both are strangely magnetic. So which villain gets your heart for one wild night? Choose carefully. #GH #GHSpoilers #GeneralHospital #GeneralHospitalSpoilers ♬ original sound – Soap Opera Magazine