Roger Howarth Is Back After His Mysterious General Hospital Hiatus. Here's What Happened

Although Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt (Roger Howarth) has been part of a tense storyline where he was involved in covering up the fact that Nikolas Cassadine (Adam Huss) is not dead on "General Hospital," he hasn't been seen for a while. Fans have been wondering where he's been, along with his lover, Ava Jerome (Maura West), who seems to have been kidnapped by Austin's cousin, Mason Gatlin (Nahtanyael Grey).

Howarth historically hasn't done many interviews or opened up about his personal life, so there was no way to know why he hasn't been seen in Port Charles recently. The reason for that could lie in his interview on "Stone Cold and the Jackal" podcast, hosted by soap vets Bradford Anderson and Steve Burton, posted on July 24, 2019. When they mentioned that he didn't generally do interviews, he explained that he considered himself "dull." "Believe me, I spend a lot of my time with my thoughts," he stated, hilariously adding, "It's pretty much the same one over and over." On September 13, 2023, Howarth posted a video on Instagram announcing that he'd finally created an account there as a birthday gift to himself. He addressed the fans, saying, "I would love to make a bunch of mischief with you...and my kids are right, I do talk too much." 

So, clearly, Howarth can talk about himself and his life, and he finally answered the question regarding his whereabouts in a recent post.

"General Hospital" star Roger Howarth posted a selfie at a gym, captioning it, "Work. Progressive overload is the theory that whatever you do next should be more challenging." He explained, "After a month off for Covid and knee MRI, I am back. And...accountable to you. Another gym post in 30 days. In that time, we can both try something new and difficult! Deal? It's a way for us all to support and lift one another up. Peace. Seriously... peace." Fans were happy to see him again and glad for his health. One follower who enjoys his posts lovingly wrote, "Roger, I hope you know how delightful and inspiring your account is each time you post."

Many responded with their own diet and exercise regimens, and Howarth was delighted to read them, replying to one with, "All that sounds amazing! So great." A huge amount of the fans found his posts inspiring, with one exuberant follower responding, "Glad you're feeling better. I've been a fan since 'OLTL.' You are my favorite! Taking you up on the challenge! Time for me to get moving!" 

We're hoping Howarth is ready to get moving, too. His "GH" character, Austin Gatlin-Holt, is connected to a mysterious gang, and we still don't know what this evil organization's endgame is or even who they are. We can't wait for the actor to return to the screen and move the story along!