Damian Spinelli
Damian Spinelli | |||||||||||
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General Hospital character | |||||||||||
Portrayed by |
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Duration | 2006–present | ||||||||||
First appearance | November 13, 2006 | ||||||||||
Classification | Robert Guza, Jr. | ||||||||||
Introduced by | Jill Farren Phelps | ||||||||||
Book appearances | The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli | ||||||||||
Spin-off appearances | General Hospital: Night Shift | ||||||||||
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Damian Spinelli[3] is a fictional character on the ABC daytime drama, General Hospital, played by actor Bradford Anderson from November 13, 2006, to December 16, 2013. Spinelli was also one of the characters in the first season of General Hospital: Night Shift, which premiered on July 12, 2007.[4] On May 6, 2014, it was announced that Anderson would be returning to play Spinelli. He returned on May 20, 2014. He later returned once more in late 2014 and again on February 13, 2015. Spinelli returned on October 15, 2015.[5]
Casting and characterization
In September 2006, General Hospital put out a casting call for a "college-aged kid" who was a cross between
Anderson initially played the character on a
Anderson also pulled double duty as Spinelli was one of the
Spinelli is known for using nicknames for a variety of characters,[15] all of which are derived from one of their perceived attributes; for example, he has dubbed Jason "Stone Cold"[7] for his taciturn and unemotional personality.
On May 24, 2013, Anderson confirmed on Twitter that he had decided not to renew his contract, but would remain with the series on a recurring basis.[16] In late 2013, it was confirmed that Anderson would exit the series, alongside co-star Emily Wilson.[17] Anderson returned to the series on a recurring basis.[18] In December 2016, it was announced that Blake Berris had been temporarily cast in the role, due to Anderson being unavailable, due to a "scheduling conflict".[19]
Storylines
2006–2009
Damian Spinelli is introduced as
Spinelli becomes friends with
In early 2009, Spinelli becomes friends with
2010–2016
In early 2010, Spinelli is devastated to find out Maxie slept with Franco, but he tries to forgive her. He creates a fake investigation to have Maxie help him solve, in hopes it will showcase his bravery and remind Maxie of when they first became close. However, they get stuck in a drain pipe and Maxie catches
Spinelli is ecstatic in early 2011 when
In early 2012, Spinelli moves in with Maxie when she needs a roommate, in hopes of winning her back. Maxie confesses to killing Lisa Niles because she feels guilty about her cousin Robin Scorpio's death. Maxie is sent to prison, and when Spinelli uncovers evidence that proves Matt is the true killer, Maxie urges him to keep her secret. Spinelli reveals the truth and Maxie tells him she will never forgive him. Maxie marries Matt so she won't have to testify against him, but Matt confesses and is sent to prison. Maxie eventually forgives Spinelli and wants to be friends, but Spinelli cuts her out of his life. Spinelli is hired by Olivia Falconeri in June to investigate Heather Webber, leading to Heather's arrest.
He later assists Jason in investigating Sam's presumed dead baby. While doing so, he enlists the help of lab tech Ellie Trout. The two form a connection and start dating. Maxie declares she still loves Spinelli, but he chooses to stay with Ellie. Ellie learns the extent of Maxie and Spinelli's past and chooses to break up with him because she did not want to be his second choice. Spinelli reassured her that she wasn't, and asked her to meet him on the roof of General Hospital during New Year's Eve if they were meant to be together. On her way to meet Spinelli, Ellie gets hit by a car and Spinelli gets drunk, wrongly believing that he had been stood up. Maxie finds him on the roof and takes him home. The two have a one-night stand, but when Spinelli learns of Ellie's injuries, he rushes to her side and they get back together.
Maxie later learns that she is pregnant with Spinelli's child. However, she passes off the child as Lulu and Dante's, whom she had agreed to be the surrogate for, but ended up miscarrying. After Maxie gives birth to a baby girl, Spinelli finds out the truth. He chooses to keep the secret, though, to let Dante and Lulu raise his daughter, whom they name
Spinelli returned almost two years later, after Ellie broke up with him, and decided to try and win Maxie back. However, Maxie was now falling for Nathan West. Maxie broke up with Nathan, and she and Spinelli tentatively started over. After Ellie came back to town, wanting Spinelli back, he and Maxie realized they both were in love with other people, and broke up amicably. Spinelli and Ellie returned to Portland with Georgie. Spinelli makes periodic returns, often to help Jason and Sam uncover information.
General Hospital: Night Shift
While playing with Jason's gun, Spinelli accidentally shoots himself in the foot. Since Spinelli is not licensed to carry a gun, Jason tells the police he shot Spinelli and is sentenced to community service at the hospital, where Spinelli visits him often. Various plots occur that have later impact on the main series. As a form of thanks for covering for him, Spinelli designs a video game based on Jason, called the "Stone Cold Saga." This is later used by
Also during this time, Spinelli develops a crush on one of the nurses,
Book appearances
The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli was released on April 5, 2011, coinciding with the series' 48th anniversary on April 1, as well as a similar novel-writing on-screen storyline.
References
- ^ GH March 6, 2009, Episode
- ^ Shelly Altman and Chris Van Etten (Head writers); William Ludel (Director); Scott Sickles (Script writer) (October 26, 2018). General Hospital. Season 56. Episode 14147. ABC.
- ^ "Character Damian Spinelli Biography -- General Hospital -- ABC.com". ABC.com. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
- ^ Soaps.com. 2007-04-11. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
- American Media, Inc.Retrieved October 15, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Bradford Anderson". Union Leader. newhampshire.com. 2011-04-26. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
- ^ Michael Fairman On-Air On-Soaps. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- ABC Soaps in Depth, May 22, 2007
- ^ a b c West, Abby (2011-04-05). "'General Hospital': Carolyn Hennesy on 'The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli'". Entertainment Weekly. ew.com. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
- ^ "Local actor makes the grade: Meredith native Bradford Anderson lands recurring role on daytime soap". Foster's Daily Democrat. 2007-01-28.
- ^ Diliberto, Joe (2008-06-26). "Day of the Jackal". Soap Opera Digest. soapoperadigest.com. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
- ^ "Making the Rounds at General Hospital". Blogcritics Magazine. 2007-02-26.
- ^ "February 26, 2007 News". soapzone.com. 2007-02-26.
- ^ "General Hospital - Comings & Goings". Soaps.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2007. Retrieved June 5, 2007.
- ^ "Damian Spinelli: Man of a Thousand Nicknames". SoapNet. soapnet.com. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
- American Media, Inc.May 24, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ Simms, Richard M. (December 12, 2013). "Spinelli's Out, And He's Taking Ellie With Him!". ABC Soaps In Depth. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
- American Media, Inc.Retrieved June 1, 2016.
- American Media, Inc.Retrieved December 24, 2016.
- ^ SoapCentral. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
- ^ "Combined Hardcover & Paperback Fiction". The New York Times. 2011-04-24. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
- ^ a b MSN TV (2011-04-05). "Carolyn Hennesy & Bradford Anderson Talk 'The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli'". MSN. msn.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2012.