‘All My Children’ Alum Daniel Cosgrove Joins ‘General Hospital’ as ‘Consummate Politician’ Ezra Boyle

The Doctor Is In

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Daniel Cosgrove will make his General Hospital debut on March 21 in the newly created role of Ezra Boyle.

The opportunity to join the ABC soap came his way at the start of the year, but Cosgrove admits he wasn’t sure what to think when he first got the call from his reps. “On January 1, New Year’s Day. I had two missed calls from my agent and my manager, and then a text from my manager saying, ‘Oh, hey, give us a call when you can,’ ” he relays. “And I was like, ‘This is the day that my agent or manager is getting rid of me.’ I gave a call, and they asked if I would be interested in reading for a part on General Hospital. If you asked me a few months back, I probably didn’t have an interest, but as soon as the opportunity was presented, I was just like, ‘Yeah.’ ”

That role was the recast for Jack Brennan, which went to Chris McKenna — “Which totally makes sense,” says Cosgrove — but there was an upside for the actor. “I got to read with Laura Wright [Carly Spencer], who I hadn’t seen since my Guiding Light days,” Cosgrove notes of the show where he played Bill Lewis and she played Cassie Layne. “And then they asked if I’d be interested in this new character and I said, ‘Absolutely,’ and that was Ezra Boyle. They told me a little bit about him, and one or two people I’d be working with, but they kind of kept things tightlipped. Now, I probably have been filming for the past month and a half.”

Being back on a TV set at all is an unexpected turn of events for Cosgrove, who took a step back from the business in recent years. “I haven’t been auditioning,” he explains. “I took time off with the [actors’] strike [in 2023]. I got a real job,” — teaching acting and selling Jeeps — “and I was kind of thinking I was out of the business. And then this just reignited something in me, such an appreciation and such an excitement and a love. I mean, I get to work hours early and I don’t want to sound corny, but each and every day is just a blessing.

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However, Cosgrove admits he had some concerns before his first day. “I thought I was going to have so much rust that memorization was going to be difficult, but not at all,” he reports. “I’ve been able to completely focus on what I need to do. And the way I learn lines, I adlib, I sing them. I do everything.”

As for how his alter ego fits into the Port Charles canvas, Cosgrove reveals, “He is part of the political storyline and he’s a consummate politician. At first, he seems to be aligning with Drew Quartermaine [Cameron Mathison] and there’s some shenanigans going on, but the character is kind of mixing it up with a lot of the cast, from Genie Francis, Mayor Collins, to the Quartermaines, to just kind of creating a little bit of a thorn in the side to some of the good folk of Port Charles. He comes across as maybe a little arrogant and full of himself, but it’s definitely been fun so far. I’m working with such a fantastic cast.”

Reconnecting with Mathison has also been fun for Cosgrove. The actors hadn’t crossed paths since they were on All My Children in the ’90s, where Mathison portrayed Ryan Lavery and Cosgrove was Scott Chandler. “I started All My Children in October ’96 and I believe Cameron started sometime in early ’97,” Cosgrove recalls. “It was his first show, it was my first show. We were in one of these foursome storylines for a little bit in the beginning, and that was a blast. I really hadn’t seen him since probably around that time — maybe I ran into him at an event or something in between — so we were just doing a lot of reminiscing, and we looked at some pictures of those old Pine Valley days and it was really great. At the same time, we’re talking decades, but it just seemed like maybe a couple of years. We were in our mid-20s then and you’re working to get your start. I was single and now here we are, in our 50s, I’m married with four kids, and we’re creating some more memories.”

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The East Coast-based actor is commuting to Los Angeles for the new gig, but that’s fine with him. “We’ll see how it goes,” he allows. “I’ve commuted in the past, so it’s just part of the job.”

A job he couldn’t be more thrilled to have at this stage of his life. “There’s just so much gratitude for the opportunity to do this,” Cosgrove reflects. “I was on set and I just had the dialogue in my head of, ‘This is where my path has led me. This is what I’m best at.’ When I’m on a set, I love it. And now, being older and having all the experiences that I have, all of my favorite moments aren’t when I got this job or nailed this scene or did this or that. It’s all my relationships. I think about the people that I have worked with, specifically at Guiding Light, Days of our Lives [where he played Aiden Jennings], All My Children, and other shows. And it’s those relationships with not just actors but with people in the crew, and the laughs and those connections that we’re able to make that I remember. I never really took it for granted when I was younger but now, I have a true appreciation. I’ve lived a bunch, and what I really love is that I get to go to work and maintain these relationships.”

Something he hopes to do in the foreseeable future. “I’m excited when the next script comes for my next show,” Cosgrove enthuses. “It reminds me of waiting for the Sears Roebuck Christmas catalog when I was a kid. I can’t wait to see what’s next for my character.”

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