Drew on “General Hospital” went from a good guy fans love to one of the most hated characters in soap history. Co-head writers Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten have spoken out on the hot topic as fans lose patience with villain, Drew, and take their frustration out on his portrayer, Cameron Mathison.
‘General Hospital’ Writers Reveal Why They Made Drew Evil
There is no question that Drew is far from the good guy fans loved when Billy Miller played the character. Mathison stepped into the role a couple of years after Miller’s exit, and, for the most part, the character was still a good guy.
In late 2023, there was a shift in Drew, and soon an evil, horrible, despicable guy emerged. Etten and Korte opened up to Soap Opera Digest about the major shift in the character and why it was necessary.
“I think there are a number of things that played into it. From my point of view, the Quartermaine family, which is so integral to the show’s composition, thrives when there is conflict within it,” Etten shared.
The writer added that a certain element of the family was lost without AJ (Sean Kanan) and Edward (John Ingle) on the canvas, and as Tracy (Jane Elliot) took on the head-of-the-family role. Etten explained that there needed to be an antagonist in that core Port Charles family.
“Drew, to me, seemed positioned best, as a newcomer to the family and as a relative outsider within it — and with a really blank slate of a past — to step into the role as an antagonist, or an adversary from within,” the writer expressed.
Korte added, “The Quartermaines needed an A.J. They needed an Alan. And Drew was ideally positioned.”
The moment that the character changed really shifted for the head writers was when Drew had an affair with Willow (Katelyn MacMullen), who was married to his nephew Michael (then Chad Duell). Korte and Etten admitted they really leaned into Drew viewing himself as a hero in the affair situation, and have used that as Drew’s line of thinking, the more evil he becomes.
They further shared that the change in Drew “arose out of intrinsic character traits.” “General Hospital” fans hoping to see Drew revert to his old nice-guy ways or grow a conscience shouldn’t hold their breath.
Drew is in the thick of his villain era, working with Ava (Maura West) to frame Sonny (Maurice Beanrd) for the attack on Sidwell (Carlo Rotta) and Curtis (Donnell Turner), keeping his daughter Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) away from her family and covering up Jack’s (Chris McKenna) murder, just to name a few.
Cameron Mathison Under Fire as Drew on ‘General Hospital’
The Great American Family star and Hallmark alum has faced his fair share of backlash over the change in Drew. Mathison revealed that a fan threw things at him at a grocery store. The actor has also had plenty of fans yell at him over his alter ego’s behavior.
Some of Mathison’s “General Hospital” family have come to his defense since Drew turned evil. Laura Wright (Carly) most recently stood up for her friend and reminded fans that there is a difference between an actor and a character.
MacMullen has also stood up for Mathison, calling her co-star “phenomenal” and the work he does on the hit ABC soap “incredible.” Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) defended Mathison during an episode of his That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason).
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Why ‘General Hospital’ Turned Drew Into a Villain