To say that General Hospital fans were left a little confused following the November 16 episode is something of an understatement. Viewers were pleasantly surprised when they heard the name "Lucas," but were left puzzled when someone other than Ryan Carnes appeared on-screen.
On social media, fans asked oodles of questions. "Did the show create another character named Lucas and forget that they already [had] a Lucas?" asked one fan. The more prevalent questions, however, were perhaps the more obvious ones: Did GH recast Lucas? Is this a temporary recast? Where is Ryan Carnes? Is he okay?
The Soap Central team had all of the same questions, so we posed them to a show spokesperson. GH, however, had no comment on the role being recast.
Lucas is now being played by actor Matt Trudeau. He's had guest roles on The Chicago Code, Chicago Fire, and Detroit 1-8-7. His role on General Hospital is his first foray into daytime.
Carnes first appeared as Lucas in 2004. He exited the show in 2005, but returned in 2014. The actor's on-screen appearances have been sparse over the past few years. In September, Carnes held a virtual fan event and gave no indication that Lucas was being recast.
It is unclear if Trudeau has taken over the role permanently, though there are whispers that Carnes will not be returning. It is also not known at this time if Carnes was asked to reprise his now-former GH role. Soap Central will continue to monitor the situation, and we will provide additional information as it becomes available.
What is your reaction to GH's Lucas being recast? Are you confused by the show not having a statement about the recast? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
