Rory Gibson, Steve Burton: General Hospital's Rory Gibson shares his unique connection to Steve Burton

Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) has been scrambling to secure his alibi for the night of Drew’s shooting on General Hospital. To that end, he’s been trying to establish a friendship with Jacinda (Paige Herschell) in the eyes of everyone around him, so they’ll be believed. And while Jason (Steve Burton) has always been there for Michael and his family, he was in Croatia when the shooting happened and couldn’t help Michael with that. Off-screen, Gibson reflected on his own connection to Burton, which stretches back long before his first day on set. And as Gibson tells it, it’s a story that starts with a dog named Cloud.

A Screen Test and a Secret

Long before he landed the role of Michael on General Hospital, Gibson admitted, “I didn’t really know what to expect with Steve. All I knew is that I was very excited to meet him!” During his second screen test, which paired him with Laura Wright (Carly) and Burton, he was already carrying a secret he wasn’t sure he should share.

He had relayed a fun story to casting director Mark Teschner, who in turn implored him to tell it to Burton. Gibson swore he would only do that if he nabbed the part of Michael. As fate would have it, Gibson got the role, and during his first day on set with Burton, he finally let it out. “Yo dude, I just have to let you know, I technically named my dog after you,” he confessed. Burton was floored. “He was like, ‘What are you talking about?!’ ”

Gibson explained that he’s a longtime fan of the video game, Final Fantasy VII, where Burton voiced the iconic character Cloud. “Yeah, man, my dog’s name is Cloud, and it’s after your character in Final Fantasy VII!” Gibson laughed. Burton’s reaction? Pure disbelief.

First Scenes and a Lasting Bond

General Hospital's Liz, Jason, and Michael. | Image Source: ABC

Looking back, the General Hospital star chuckled at the timing. “Maybe I should have waited and had a couple more scenes with him,” he admitted. But Burton took it in stride, continuing to laugh in disbelief. Gibson explained that Burton’s reaction was a combination of being honored while also feeling, “That’s insane! That’s so funny that you did that!”

The honesty helped break the ice, and Gibson said Burton has been nothing but welcoming ever since. “I couldn’t say a single bad thing about Steve! He’s the man,” he gushed about his General Hospital co-star. He noted that while Jason is very stoic, even dangerous, Burton was a lot like Maurice Benard (Sonny) in real life. “He’s a bro, he’s a buddy,” he praised, noting that Burton is always brimming with energy and truly loves what he does for a living.

For Gibson, naming his dog after Burton’s video game role may have started as a private joke, but it’s since become a reminder that sometimes fandom and real life collide in the best way possible.

General Hospital can be seen weekdays on ABC and Hulu.