'General Hospital' James Patrick Stuart Talks Valentin Return?

wGeneral Hospital fans have been wondering if Valentin would be leaving Port Charles for quite a while, especially considering his recent return. With it confirmed that he will be leaving, his actor, James Patrick Stuart, has opened up about his exit from the soap. Stuart has also teased whether or not he will return.

General Hospital Is Sending Valentin Cassadine Off To Steinmauer

Stuart, previously known for his work on All My Children, first appeared as the character in 2016. Appearing off and on from the soap over the years, the character recently returned in late January 2025.

However, recent events on the soap have seen Valentin’s crimes catch up with him. Soon, the character will be sent to a prison in Geneva. Since then, the character has said his goodbyes to his loved ones, from his daughter Charlotte to his former lover, Anna.

Valentin on 'General Hospital' - YouTube — Valentin on ‘General Hospital’ – YouTube

Speaking with Soap Opera Digest, Stuart himself recently noted how short-lived the character’s return had been. After being happy to hear about the emotional reactions the character’s departure caused, he noted, “Yeah, that was all too brief. I had a good old time. It was three weeks in L.A., which is no longer my hometown.” He noted, “I’m not on contract, so [Valentin going to jail] was no skin off my teeth.”

However, even early on, Stuart began to hint his exit from the soap could be just as temporary. He noted, “But who knows? Who knows what’ll happen in the future.”

It was noted, while Valentin has been sent to Steinmauer Prison, other villains have escaped from the place. Stuart was asked if he was even interested in returning.

The actor shared, “Yeah! I love Frank [Valentini, executive producer]… To be in his presence is an honor and to be working on his show is an honor. The cast and crew really admire him, and that’s palpable — and I like to be a part of that.”

Stuart mused on how soaps work. As he shared, “You know as well as I do that stories get written and [characters] get put in corners all the time, but if they come up with something that serves the show, of course I’d be happy to be there. I think whatever happens next, it’s a clean slate.”

The Actor Also Touched On The Real ‘Tragedy’ Of The Character

Stuart also touched on a co-star he enjoyed working with. He noted, “I sure hope that I get to work with Finola [Hughes, Anna] again, because I just think that when you put the two of us in a room, she and I really enjoy each other.”

“We enjoy the work, we enjoy rehearsing, we enjoy breaking down the text, we just think in similar ways and I don’t get my feelings hurt when she gives me a note and she doesn’t get her feelings hurt when I throw out an idea to her. We just work well together.”

James Patrick Stuart - YouTube — James Patrick Stuart – YouTube

Stuart also touched on what he thought of how the character’s departure played out. He noted, “Well, I knew that he had to pay. I’ve always liked playing, when Valentin Cassadine ends up in a relationship, considering his traumatized childhood….”

“I like the idea that he’s never really been able to have a successful relationship. The profound tragedy is that he feels things so deeply and he needs and longs for, but has always lacked the ability to, show up as a real person in a relationship, to really get to know somebody.”

“He falls back to what works: making money in nefarious ways, punishing people for imagined wrongs. I just like the tragedy of that character, so it makes sense that every once in a while, he has to go to prison.”

Did you see how Valentin’s story recently played out on General Hospital? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.