Emmy Winner Rick Hearst Returns to ‘General Hospital’

The returns keep coming! After a near five year absence, fan favorite Rick Hearst (ex-Whip, B&B; ex-Matt, Y&R) is returning to ABC’s General Hospital as Ric Lansing!

Soap Opera Digest reports the actor begun filming and will first air on Feb. 24.

Introduced in 2002, attorney Ric Lansing was revealed to be the half-brother of mob boss Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard). There’s no love-lost between the brothers, who have battled for power, respect and many women over the years. Ric managed to find happiness with Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) for a short time – but his affairs, including one with Alexis’ daughter Sam (Kelly Monaco), resulted in him losing his family.

In 2009, Ric made one last power play to usurp power from his brother and the newly merged Corinthos-Zacchara organization. After it failed, Ric decided to take a job offer in Los Angeles. His final scene was with Claudia Zacchara-Corinthos (Sarah Brown), whom Ric believed might be carrying his child. After threating to take the baby should it turn out to be his, Claudia warned Ric that her father’s reach extended to the West Coast as well. “Don’t worry about me,” said Ric with a smirk. “I’ll be back.” It would be the last time viewers saw or heard from Ric again.

Hearst left GH to reprise his role as Whip Jones on CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful, a role he originated in 2002.  Just a few months later, he reunited with Brown, who also jumped ship to B&B to play Sandy/Agnes, Whip’s cousin. Hearst made his final B&B appearance on June 16, 2011.

Rick Hearst made his daytime debut in 1989 as Days of our Lives’ Scott “Scotty” Banning. A year later he took over the role of Alan-Michael Spaulding on CBS’ Guiding Light, where he stayed until 1996. From 2000-2001, he toiled at The Young and the Restless as the psychotic Matt Clark. Over the course of his daytime career, Hearst has been nominated for seven Daytime Emmy Awards, taking home three wins — one for Outstanding Younger Actor in 1991 and two for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 2004 and 2007.

Ric has missed a lot in the five years since his departure, most of which involve his now teenage daughter, Molly (Haley Pullos). Why is Ric returning now? Will he play a role in the escalating mob war between Sonny and Julian? Will he rekindle things with Elizabeth, his ex-wife? The possibilities are endless!

TVSource Magazine has reached out to ABC, who was unavailable at press time. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.