Cameron Mathison has officially reached a major “General Hospital” milestone. Five years ago, the former “All My Children” star arrived in Port Charles as the new face of Drew Cain, stepping into a role with an already complicated history.
Since then, Drew Cain has undergone one of the more dramatic character transformations on the soap, and fans certainly have thoughts about where his story has taken him. However, many viewers are making an important distinction between their feelings about Drew and the actor who portrays him.
Read on to see what “GH” fans had to say about Mathison’s five years in Port Charles.
Cameron Mathison Celebrates Five Years as Drew Cain
“GH” stars Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson recently took to their Stone Cold and the Jackal social media pages to share another “On This Day in General Hospital History” post with fans.
The duo marked Mathison’s Port Charles anniversary, writing, “2021: ALL MY CHILDREN alum Cameron Mathison (ex-Ryan Lavery) made his first appearance as a new-look Drew Cain.”
Of course, Mathison stepped into a character with a history that was already anything but straightforward.
Drew first arrived in Port Charles in 2014 and was portrayed by the late Billy Miller, who had previously starred as Billy Abbott on “The Young and the Restless” from 2008 to 2014.
The character initially had amnesia and went by the name Jake Doe, eventually beginning a romance with Elizabeth Webber. “Jake” was later believed to be Jason Morgan, who had supposedly undergone facial reconstruction.
That explanation didn’t stick for long.
The storyline was rewritten again in 2017 when Steve Burton returned as Jason, revealing that Miller’s character wasn’t Jason after all. Instead, he was Drew Cain, Jason’s identical twin brother who had been separated from him at birth.
After Miller’s departure and Drew’s presumed death, Mathison eventually took over the role in 2021, beginning a new chapter for the already complicated character.
What Happened to the ‘Old Drew’?
While Mathison is celebrating five years as Drew, the character viewers are watching today is considerably different from the man fans originally came to know.
Drew was introduced as a decorated Navy SEAL with a largely heroic, Boy Scout-like personality. Over the years, however, the character has evolved dramatically, eventually becoming one of Port Charles’ more antagonistic residents.
For many fans reflecting on Mathison’s anniversary, the biggest issue wasn’t necessarily who was playing Drew. They simply missed the man the character used to be.
“When Drew was nice before he became villainous,” one viewer remembered.
Another fan was considerably more direct about which version they wanted to see again.
“We all want the old Drew Cain back, the version who’s a real good guy instead of the vindictive one that we’re watching lately,” the viewer wrote.
One fan even offered a very soap-appropriate explanation for Drew’s personality transformation.
“Maybe he’s still there and we’ve been watching a clone,” the viewer joked, before admitting it was probably “wishful thinking.”
For another fan, the request was simple: “I miss this Drew. Bring him back.”
However, not everyone believes Drew can or should return to his former self.
“There is no way to redeem him, for the love of God, write him out,” one frustrated viewer argued.
After years of increasingly questionable decisions, some viewers clearly believe “General Hospital” has taken Drew beyond the point of redemption. Others, however, are still holding out hope that the character they once rooted for is somewhere underneath his current behavior.
‘General Hospital’ Fans Separate Cameron Mathison From Their Feelings About Drew
While Drew’s transformation has proven divisive, several soap fans made an important distinction between their feelings about the character and their opinions of Mathison himself.
Long before Mathison arrived in Port Charles, ABC soap viewers knew him as Ryan Lavery on “All My Children.” The actor portrayed Ryan for more than a decade, making him a familiar face to daytime audiences years before he inherited the role of Drew.
“Love Cameron since ‘Ryan Lavery,’” one longtime viewer wrote.
The fan also remembered Billy Miller fondly and admitted they initially hoped the late actor would eventually return as Drew. However, they said they “easily accepted Cameron as Drew” and placed their frustration instead on the character’s dramatic personality shift.
Despite Drew’s current direction, the viewer continues to hope that the character will eventually find his way back to the man he once was.
Another fan expressed a similar sentiment, making it clear that their frustration lies with the writing rather than Mathison.
“I love Cameron Mathison. I don’t like nor do I understand why the writers decided to want the viewers to loathe Drew so much,” the fan commented.
Of course, not everyone has ever been particularly invested in Drew, regardless of who portrayed him.
“Only 5 yrs? Seems longer,” one viewer joked. While the fan remembered loving Mathison as Ryan Lavery, they admitted they were “not a fan of Drew no matter who played/plays him.”
Five years after Mathison first stepped into Drew Cain’s shoes, fans clearly have complicated feelings about the character’s journey. However, many of the reactions to his anniversary make one thing clear: their frustration with Drew isn’t necessarily a reflection of the actor portraying him.
For soap fans who fondly remember Mathison’s years as Ryan Lavery or the more heroic version of Drew Cain, the bigger question may be what comes next. After such a dramatic transformation, some “General Hospital” fans are still holding out hope that Drew will eventually find his way back to the man he once was.
