GH's James Patrick Stuart And Michael E. Knight: Best Friends In Reel Life And Real Life

Because soap opera actors work closely together for long hours at a clip almost every day of the week, it's no surprise that they become like a family, and often real world friends. On June 16, 2020, James Patrick Stuart (Valentin Cassadine, "General Hospital") posted a picture on Instagram of a chocolate cake under glass, next to the box it came in, which was from Zabar's — one of the most expensive eateries in New York City. He captioned it, "When Michael E Knight sends you a birthday present." Knight plays attorney Martin Grey on "GH," who is also Valentin's best friend, and the gift that Stuart posted is a testament to their real-life friendship.

In a Soap Central post from May 2020, Stuart explained about Knight, "Honestly, I love that man so much, and we have been friends for so long that there's nothing that could top the feeling of having him come back to a show that I'm having so much fun on." Stuart was referencing the fact he had seen Knight, as Tad Martin, acting opposite Cady McClain (Dixie Martin) on "All My Children," and observing how much fun they were having, he decided soap operas were where he needed to be, he explained.

Stuart was able to deftly jump onto the "AMC" ship as Will Cortlandt in 1989 and stated that Knight immediately became his mentor as well as friend. He studied Knight's acting over and over again, refining his craft.

"I will go as far as to say that [MIchael E. Knight] taught me everything," James Patrick Stuart said in his Soap Central interview, adding, "He laid the foundation for this medium in particular. He showed me how it was done, the way he did it." After becoming besties while working on "All My Children," Stuart and Knight's private lives intertwined to where they not only both got a chance to visit the White House in the 1990s, but Knight became the godfather of Stuart's son, Colin Michael. 

In a video interview with Michael Fairman TV which was streamed live on May 12, 2022, Knight discussed working on "AMC" and mentioned the fact that he was Colin's godfather. He was at home doing the video conference, and to illustrate how close the friends are, Stuart came out of a back room with a stack of laundry, stating, "Are you talking about me? I folded your laundry." He wasted no time inserting himself into the interview, hilariously exclaiming, "He has me by once a week to darn his socks." As things got wackier, Knight revealed that the pair often get up to a bit of mischief on set, sharing that just before a scene is about to commence, Knight puts on his southern accent and Stuart will do a Foghorn Leghorn impersonation, causing Knight to break character and laugh heartily.

On April 3, 2019, James Patrick Stuart posted a selfie of himself and Michael E. Knight on Instagram, lovingly stating, "One of my dearest friends in the world came over for lunch today. Sleep well because we solved all the [world's] problems. #friendsforever." In May 2020, both actors received Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series for "General Hospital." Soap Central asked Stuart how he chose scenes to submit for consideration, and he noted, "Michael Knight is always going to be the person that I turn to for advice, and I can't remember specifically, but I have no doubt that I turned to him at some point and asked, 'Will you watch this?' " He hysterically added, "And I know he watched it — and he probably gave me some notes!"

On May 11, 2020, Daytime Cares posted a comedic video in which Stuart interviewed Knight, pretending to think that he was the character Michael Knight (David Hasslehoff) from the TV series "Knight Rider," much to Knight's chagrin. Things got out of control as Stuart increasingly asked inappropriate questions, leaving Knight speechless. Stuart posted the video on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing, "Mikey and I are delighted by the response to our segment on Saturday's Daytimecares webcast. That is to say only half the audience realized we were joking. See what you think..." 

Their real-life friendship continues to shine in their "General Hospital" performances.