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Nicholas Alexander Chavez is officially leaving the sleepy town of Port Charles.
On May 3, the General Hospital star, 24, confirmed that he will not be returning to the ABC soap after taking a leave of absence from the show last summer in a statement shared to X (formerly known as Twitter).
“I’m so appreciative of the opportunity that GH gave me, and I wouldn’t be as busy as I am professionally if it weren’t for the talented producers, writers, directors and fellow actors,” he wrote.
After exchanging “extensive conversations” about his future on the soap with his mentor and friend, executive producer, Frank Valentini, they came to the same conclusion about Chavez’s exit.
Craig Sjodin/ABC/Getty
“While there are no current plans for me to return, we are still talking very openly about future possibilities for Spencer in Port Charles,” Chavez added.
“Beyond the people I’ve already mentioned, I want to take some time to thank and honor the GH fan base… especially the Sprina fans… who must be THE most loyal and kind fan base in the universe of entertainment,” the soap star continued. “Words fail to show the depth of my gratitude, thank you, I love you all very, very much.”
In late April, TVLine reported that the actor, who took on the role of Spencer Cassadine in 2021, would be departing the series. His character’s last on-screen appearance in January saw him presumably die after falling into the Seine River.
Viewers speculated that Chavez permanently left General Hospital after his name disappeared from the show’s closing credits in late March.
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty
Last July, Chavez went on temporary leave to film the second installment of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series Monster. Scheduled to premiere on Netflix this year, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story will tell the story of the Menéndez Brothers, Lyle and Erik, played by Chavez and Cooper Koch, respectively.
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Chavez took over the role of Cassadine from Nicolas Bechtel in 2021. The following year, he won a Daytime Emmy for outstanding younger performer in a drama series. He earned another acting nomination at the ceremony in 2023 for outstanding supporting actor in a daytime drama series.