General Hospital's Gregory Harrison's Other Life As A Hallmark Star

Soap opera stars and Hallmark stars have some overlap. Alison Sweeney spent just over 20 years on the NBC soap "Days of Our Lives" and has also starred in Hallmark films like "The Wedding Veil" and the series "Murder, She Baked." Ryan Peavey appeared in "General Hospital" before landing the Hallmark film "Unleashing Mr. Darcy."

As one of the older stars to frequent Hallmark Media programming, Gregory Harrison has enjoyed a decades-long career as an actor. His career has led him to film, television, and even Broadway. Among the titles on his lengthy resume are both soap operas and movies and series for Hallmark. 

On "General Hospital," Harrison plays Gregory Chase. However, as of 2023, the future of his character is uncertain due to an ALS diagnosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Regardless of how much longer he will have a character to play on "General Hospital," Harrison has found a second home with Hallmark.

Gregory Harrison has had a recurring role on Hallmark's longest-running television series "Chesapeake Shores" since the show's second season. He plays Thomas O'Brien, also known as Uncle Thomas. Harrison spoke about the role on the Hallmark Channel's "Home and Family" show (via YouTube). He explained that one aspect of the show that he particularly enjoyed was working with his "brother from another mother" Treat Williams, who sadly passed away in June 2023. 

They played actual brothers in "Chesapeake Shores," but the actors had known each other since 2001 when they both had roles in the Broadway musical "Follies." Another notable film in Harrison's Hallmark catalog is "Cloudy With a Chance of Love," in which he plays a self-absorbed news anchor who is more than meets the eye. It was entirely different than his prior roles, but Harrison relished the challenge. "I really threw myself at it and I had a great time [filming]," he told "Home and Family."

Some of Gregory Harrison's Hallmark roles have affected his life off-screen as well. He had a supporting part in "Nine Lives of Christmas." The film is centered around a fireman who, at first reluctantly, adopts a cat. The movie inspired Harrison to adopt a cat himself. In an interview with Parade, he revealed that his cat, Doobie, is "very relaxed. I can flip him upside down and spin him on a hardwood floor." Harrison also discussed going from television sets to theater stages and back again. 

As the actor explained, "Without stage to intermittently throw into the mix, I would be miserable, and without film or television to run to from stage, I would be miserable. They require different acting muscles, so to speak." The "General Hospital" star spoke highly of his partnership with Hallmark overall, enthusing, "Hallmark and I get along very well. They like me and I like doing movies for them." Hopefully, this means fans can expect to see him in more Hallmark programming in the future.