Pride Month Spotlight: General Hospital's Lucas, Marco, and Terry

In honor of Pride Month, we are shining the spotlight on these accomplished actors and the characters they portray on General Hospital.

June is Pride Month, a designated period marked to celebrate the many contributions of the LGBTQ+ community to our society. It is a time used by many to reflect on the community’s fight for equality, acceptance, and human rights, as well as to celebrate their love, unity, and resilience.

Lucas Jones (Van Hansis)

Actor, producer, and director Van Hansis has brought new life to his character, Dr. Lucas Jones. As a teenager, Hansis began to focus on acting while attending a boarding school for the performing arts and went on to study drama at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting. Amongst other credits, he portrayed Luke Snyder in As The World Turns and Thom in EastSiders, both roles for which he received Daytime Emmy nominations.

Van Hansis began portraying Lucas Jones in October 2024, when Lucas moved back to Port Charles from Seattle and settled back into his life at the hospital amongst his family and friends. Since his General Hospital debut, Hansis has shown to have chemistry with every actor he has interacted with and has quickly become a fan favorite to watch. He acts with an ease that makes Lucas feel charming, relatable, and real.

Lucas is a character with a rich history and deep ties to Port Charles, and Hansis’s portrayal is giving the character the complexity and nuance he deserves. Being gay has been ingrained into Lucas’s story, but not the sole focus, which allows for richer, more authentic storytelling — a fact for which Hansis has expressed his appreciation. When talking with Maurice Benard on his State of Mind podcast, Hansis said he liked that Lucas being gay was just a “part of life.” Fans are definitely hoping Lucas will be around for a long while and are also looking forward to seeing how his budding relationship will play out with the new and mysterious Marco Rios.

Marco Rios (Adrian Achondo)

New to General Hospital, Marco Rios is a lawyer portrayed by actor, director, and writer Adrian Achondo. Lucas and Marco’s paths first crossed at a convention in Florida before he moved to Port Charles. Marco was later revealed to be the son of Jenz Sidwell, so it is not really known if their meeting was fate or part of a more nefarious plan. Now that he is working at Alexis and Diane’s law firm, things should get even more interesting.

In real life, Achondo has been busy juggling his acting career with his academic pursuits. He not only earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Elementary Education, but also a Master’s of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. On top of that, he is currently working on becoming a children’s book author. Achondo has a clear drive and passion to help others. In a recent Instagram post, he shared that “...no matter where you see me-on TV, behind the bar, or in a therapist’s chair-I will do everything I can to help members of my community create their own molds, and love themselves exactly as they are.”

Dr. Terry Randolph (Cassandra James)

Actor, writer, producer, and activist Cassandra James made history when she joined General Hospital in 2018. James is the first transgender woman to portray a transgender woman character (Dr. Terry Randolph) in a soap opera. Terry is an old childhood friend of Elizabeth Webber and currently shares Chief of Staff duties with Dr. Portia Robinson. James has brought grace, compassion, and a sense of humor to her portrayal of Dr. Randolph, who fans would definitely like to see more of in the future.

After graduating from the theater acting program at Ryerson University, James expanded her talents to become a writer, producer, and activist. As described on her IMDB, “she is passionate politically about her community and is outspoken about visibility and diversity in the industry.”

In 2024, she co-wrote and starred in the film short Claude, which was directed by Finola Hughes (General Hospital’s Anna Devane). On an Instagram post for the film, James commented, “Claude is proof that you can find beauty in something tragic, that telling your story connects you to others, and that love has the power to transform your life. Be love, be the change you seek in the world. You deserve it.”

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The passion and dedication these actors bring to their craft are impressive. They use their lived experience to bring depth and authenticity to their characters, which makes them more compelling and entertaining to watch, as well as enriches the General Hospital canvas.

To catch their performances and keep up with all the drama, watch General Hospital weekdays on ABC and Hulu.

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