After months out of sight and time in a high-security prison overseas, General Hospital‘s Valentin Cassadine is finally back in Port Charles, and James Patrick Stuart is loving every second of it. In a recent interview, Stuart discussed Valentin’s big return, his unexpected team-up with Carly, and all the unresolved drama with Anna.
James Patrick Stuart explains Valentin’s return to Port Charles in General Hospital
When Valentin got hauled off to Steinmauer earlier this year, even James Patrick Stuart had no clue if he’d be back. Things began to change in September when Valentin appeared on a video call with Jack Brennan. That was the first tease. Then, Charlotte showed up at the prison with Carly, and fans knew something was brewing. Now, Valentin is back in Port Charles, on the run, hiding at Carly’s place. They’re working together to take down Brennan.
Stuart shared that one of the highlights of coming back has been finally getting real screen time with Laura Wright. Even though they’ve known each other since the early ’90s, they’d never teamed up on-screen before. “Isn’t it fun?” he laughed, remembering a years-ago chat about hoping they’d work together someday (via Soap Opera Digest). “And now, all these years later, it’s like, ‘Here we are!’ And so when we’re on screen together, it’s just like, ‘Well, of course you’re going to see something [in terms of chemistry], we’ve known each other for decades!’”
Unsurprisingly, fans are already buzzing about a possible romance between Valentin and Carly. Stuart didn’t rule it out. “I’d be a fool not to!” he joked. With Anna now in danger, he’s hoping their paths cross again. “Any opportunity I get, I want to work with Finola,” he said, adding that Valentin’s obsession with Anna isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
As Valentin nears his 10-year mark on General Hospital, Stuart can’t help but feel grateful, especially since he’s spent the entire run as a recurring character. “It was supposed to be 10 days!” he joked. Now, nearly a decade later, Valentin’s comeback proves he still has plenty of story left to tell.
