Soap fan favorite Chris McKenna has spoken out about his final day as Jack Brennan on “General Hospital.” The actor has also shared what’s next for him following his exit from the hit ABC show.
Chris McKenna Breaks Silence on Final Day on ‘General Hospital’ Set
It’s been a couple of weeks since Jack’s dead body was found in the Metro Court pool by Charlotte (Bluesy Burke) and Danny (Asher Antonyzyn). They bolted, leaving the body floating in the pool. Then Drew (Cameron Mathison) and Ava (Maura West) discovered it and buried Jack where no one would find him, at least for now.
McKenna appeared on the latest episode of Steve Burton (Jason) and Bradford Anderson’s (Spinelli) podcast That’s Awesome. After he joked that Burton was on hand the last time he was killed off a soap which was when they were both on “The Young and the Restless,” McKenna got honest about his final day on “General Hospital.”
The actor explained that it wasn’t his first rodeo being fired. However that day he was working with teens, Antonyzyn and Burke, so he wanted to show them a positive way to how to handle being let go from a show.
“I was working with the kids. I try to be a mentor to some of the younger actors as well,” he shared, adding, “It was important to me to make sure, first of all, everybody else felt comfortable because everybody felt bad and felt sad and felt upset. I was like, ‘It’s fine. We’re okay. I’m going to be fine. So, let’s make sure everyone’s okay.’”
McKenna’s last day was right after Paige Herschell’s final day as Jacinda, so he wanted to be there for her and make sure she got the last day celebration she deserved. After all, by the time that McKenna’s final day on set arrived, he had already processed what was happening, so he could focus on his co-stars.
“I wanted to make sure that Paige got her flowers, and she had her attention and got her send-off appropriately. I wanted to make sure I hugged her and told her to finish strong,” the soap star spilled.
Again, the “One Life to Live” alum reiterated he’s been in this business long enough that being let go doesn’t rattle him anymore. It’s why it was so important to him that he could make sure Herschell, Burke, and Antonyzyn saw that, while life-altering, being fired from a show doesn’t have to be devastating.
What’s Next for Chris McKenna?
The actor was enjoying some family time in Florida when he spoke with Anderson and Burton. McKenna admitted it’s not all play and no work, although the extra family time has been a bonus of being let go from “General Hospital.”
When he’s not hanging with the family, McKenna has been keeping busy with work.
“There’s plenty of things on my plate that I have been meaning to get back to. I sold a script right before GH happened, and I have not been able to get back to it, and it got optioned,” he expressed. “I have the rights to a giant catalog of intellectual property now. I produced a podcast about it. I’m now working on a second script, and I’m dealing with producers. I’m actually working with a couple of people from GH. I won’t say who yet until we close deals. But, yeah, there’s been a bunch going on.”
McKenna admitted that he will always answer when the phone rings for a job. Right now, though, he has plenty to keep him busy. The actor also made it clear he’s always open to a return to the soap world, whether on “General Hospital” or another daytime drama.
