Drew’s Shooter Revealed! ‘General Hospital’ Star Katelyn MacMullen Reacts to Big Twist

Katelyn MacMullen, Cameron Mathison - 'General Hospital'
Spoiler Alert
ABC

Drew Cain’s (Cameron Mathison) shooter was finally revealed on the Thursday, January 8, episode of General Hospital, and the truth hit close to home — it was his wife, Willow Cain (Katelyn MacMullen)!

The bombshell came during Willow’s trial, when she took the stand. Through a series of flashbacks that filled in the missing pieces of that fateful night four months ago, viewers learned that Mrs. Cain plugged two bullets into Drew’s back. For MacMullen, the development came with little advance notice. “I found out about a week and a half before we shot the flashback scenes,” she says. “On one hand, I was a little surprised. On the other, we were all so curious, as a cast, as to who did it, so it was kind of exciting to know that it was Willow and to then be able to figure out why she did it.”

Katelyn MacMullen - 'General Hospital'

ABC

What made the twist even more compelling was that Willow had long been considered an obvious suspect, yet the show’s decision to actually go there still delivered a true soapy surprise. “Usually, there might be someone who comes out of left field, and everyone’s like, ‘Oh, I never thought of that,’” points out MacMullen. “But for them to confirm that it was, in fact, one of their prime suspects, and the way they did it, was really interesting.”

That lingering uncertainty informed MacMullen’s performance well before the truth was revealed. “Up until that point, I suspected that it could have been Willow, but I didn’t know for sure,” she relays. “So, it was kind of fun to play around in that gray area of, ‘Did she do it? Did she not do it?’ and to work in a way where it could be her, but it also couldn’t be her. And then once I knew that she was the shooter, it was more like, ‘OK, now she’s kind of fighting for her life here.’”

As MacMullen sees it, Willow’s actions were driven by desperation — specifically, losing custody of her children, Wiley Corinthos (Viron Weaver) and Amelia Corinthos (Sequoia and Serenity Mork Macko). “From my perspective, she felt like she had no choice,” explains the actress. “I think she’s been in a place of psychological distress, and she doesn’t quite know who to trust. She’s been backed into a corner of, ‘You must do this to get your kids back,’ but then that didn’t work, and then it was, ‘You have to do this to get your kids back,’ but that didn’t work either.”

Further complicating matters was Drew’s influence. “As she’s come to realize, Drew was isolating her and keeping her in a position of powerlessness so that he could use her for his own needs,” MacMullen adds. “So, she knew that if he remained in the picture, she was never going to have her life or her children.”

For MacMullen, whose character has largely been portrayed as a moral anchor since arriving in Port Charles in 2018, exploring Willow’s darker side has been a welcome departure. “I feel like in life, people go through these ebbs and flows of being the hero of their own story or maybe the villain,” she notes. “And I think the beautiful part of playing a role for, now going on eight years, is that I’ve gotten to see that ebb and flow with her of experiencing the highs and now the absolute lows of her life. Living through all these things that have brought out the worst or the best in her has been, on one hand, challenging, but also a cool gift of working in this particular genre where you’re playing the character for so long.”

'General Hospital' shooter

ABC

Offscreen, the revelation sparked plenty of amusement, especially for MacMullen and Mathison. “Well, obviously, we had a good laugh about it because we always wondered,” she details. “We both were like, ‘Oh, my gosh, it was Willow. That’s so crazy,’ because in all these scripts, it’s always them as this team. But it really kind of shows that she’s been faking it with him for a while.”

She reports that Mathison also appreciated the pivot. “He thinks it’s great,” MacMullen enthuses. “Cameron is a great sport, and he’s an incredible guy, and working with him is such a pleasure. We’ve just had a blast.”

The rest of the cast has also leaned into it. “There’s definitely some new, I don’t want to say nicknames, but people are like, ‘What’s up, Killer?’” MacMullen chuckles. “But it’s all in good fun, to keep things light. I love that there are so many tentacles to this story. I think we’re all quite intrigued by it. It’s been quite fun to just chat about and joke about and then experience because we’re all in it together and we’re like, ‘Dang, this is a crazy fun time.’”

MacMullen expects a wide range of responses once the truth plays out on air. “I think it’ll be fun because there will be people who are like, ‘I knew it,’ and then other people that will be like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I didn’t see that coming,’” she offers. “So, I think it’ll be fun to see whether it confirms people’s suspicions or goes against their suspicions.”

Katelyn MacMullen, Cameron Mathison - 'General Hospital'

ABC

As one of the central players in this tale, MacMullen says she was grateful to be entrusted with such heavy material. “It’s meant everything,” she reflects. “It’s been so much fun and so awesome, and I don’t think we even quite realized where the story would go or what would happen. But the fact that they’ve kept building on it has been such a joy. I feel really honored to be a part of it in any way, because I think the writing has just been so, so incredible.”

And the reveal is only the beginning of what promises to be an even more dramatic shift for Willow. “She’s shocked and determined,” teases MacMullen. “There was so much pent-up anger, and it’s finally come out. The cool thing about this story is that it’s gone in so many different directions, and the possibilities are endless, and I’m excited to see where it goes.”

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  1. E

    eventide

    well that was a great reveal - so glad Michael is innocent - he's too pretty to go back to prison 🙂

    1. R

      Rosie

      She is he’s very handsome and he’s the right person for this role. Chad played his cards and you know bye-bye leave him out. Do not replace Rory cause he can get up there and he can have the nice look but then he can have the look that you don’t see him coming, but he’s coming for you Chad didn’t have that look. You could always read him too fast and too well that’s how Willow got away with what she did And I can’t wait for her to get up there and reveal that she played him the whole time she didn’t have this hero complex oh no she had a cunning complex and she got and she used who she wanted for that moment.

  2. S

    Shrone

    It’s about time that this storyline is ending

    1. B

      BailchicBailey

      I dont think it’s over. I read she is found not guilty and has another secret about the shooting.

      1. V

        V

        I think Alexis will confront her about shooting Drew and she will say if you dare tell, I will make sure you never see Scout again cause you let Danny be around and I will make sure Danny goes to jail. So Alexis will be forced to try to clear her and not say anything about her shooting Drew. Alexis will threaten to tell Drew but Willow will say Drew loves me, he would never believe you. Besides Drew already knows it was me but he loves me and forgave me.

    2. R

      Rosie

      Totally agree it’s so nauseating one 826 episode was priceless there at the end and the two Denwit wanna be PI‘s who are like quick to judge that it always was Michael and then they found out it was psycho girl yeah about that stick cheer irrelevance and let the actual yeah person do their job yeah that being Nathan because the other Dewitz don’t know how to get their foot out of Anything that being Dante and being chase and Dante should’ve never been on the case conflict of interest Chase should’ve never been on the case and he should’ve never been allowed to do anything undercover he needs to go. He could be a garbage disposal. Person said he could be whatever he wants to be, but he’s compromised the police force beyond it all because of his vitriol and trying to pin everything on Michael so I wonder how much humble pie he’s gonna be serving up because I don’t suspect this is gonna be over. I suspect he’s gonna get up there and state that Michael drove her to this. Nobody drove her to nothing. She was already damaged goods after all look who her mother is look who her grandmother was psychos and murderers all the way around.

      1. R

        RAPPAT

        They are all compromised. Chase & Nathan bias to Willow and Dante bias to Michael. Nathan is Willows cousin. Chase is the idiot ex-husband that still loves her. And Dante is Michael's brother. They all should be removed from the case.

      2. L

        Lee

        Its a soap . Get over it

  3. L

    Linda

    I've said many times when commenting on FB that it was Willow. You could see that the shadow belonged to a woman. I believe Willow blocked it out but while on the stand it all came back and continued to lie. I still will be glad when this over and Willow is found out, get the help she needs and be finally be done with Drew.

    1. G

      Guest

      No, she did not block it out; her remembering what she did indicates that all the horrible things that she did after her mental breakdown in court last year was completely of her own free will...

    2. R

      Rosie

      Heck, no she didn’t just remember on that stand snap out of it my gosh you gonna be another Drew he’s gonna be blown out of the water when he finds out that psycho nail .2.0 getting him in she was going through every step in that little demented mind of hers, that’s where they showed it at. She didn’t have no altered state Are you kidding me is bad enough that these idiot riders are getting up there and going on and now you unbelievable I just pray that nobody in the right mind thinks that oh she had auto body experience and oh she lost her mind for a minute. No she doesn’t. She’s done said that she was gonna get up there and do everything anything to get her children so she sold herself out from the very beginning total manipulation and now Chase is gonna be drugged out although they’ll try and play that cuckoo card like you wanna play it crazy in that family runs look at cycle mommy dearest must go on the record yet again I think Michael witnessed psycho coming out of there and to that day that’s what he was trying to do is protect her Not he was trying to protect the children. God bless you for thinking that oh she had an altered alternate experience and stuff like that that she lost whatever no you don’t just all of a sudden remember something like that don’t happen. Please no Heather Weber 10.0 on our hands here she went to the extent remember this terrorizing Sasha & baby leaving them to go out of the country and then everything else went down the ambulance

  4. G

    Guest

    When I saw the flashbacks, they seemed to imply that Willow had intended to shoot Drew from the very beginning; which honestly surprised me because I thought the reason that she stole the gun was because she originally intended to kill Michael (but waiting for the right moment to do so) and that she had only changed her revenge plan after she learned of Drew's betrayal (his relationship with Nina) so that Michael and Dew go after each other and kill each other. Also, the other surprising thing is that since Willow remembered what she did, it also meant that she truly did all those horrible things of her own free will; which means there was NO split personality involved at all. Unfortunately, the flashback of her stealing the gun did NOT show WHEN it happened; as I've been under the impression that she did so after she took baby Daisy from her crib; which resulted in everyone taking quite some time to locate baby Daisy. I suspect that Willow will be outed as Drew's shooter when the trial concludes next week, but we have to cross our fingers and hope that she somehow has another mental breakdown that will cause her to slip up and accidentally admit what she did to baby Daisy...

    1. R

      Rosie

      Totally agree I thought she was gonna take Michael out because of the kids but then when that idiot chase told her about Drew‘s house situation well she thought she do drew in and then go back and get Michael at the same time or trying to make it look like he set her up and that way he bought a prison and she get the kids, but what she didn’t factor in the idiot is that whack Waka doodle Wiley has got ringtones and so she just got blown out of the water it was confirmed. I wanted it to be Monica at first, so she go out in a MACKAVELI way but hell no when a person tells you that she’s been rehearsing that’s a red flag when a person says she’ll do anythingto get her kids back that’s another red flag and when a person marries the very person they shot and failed in killing them. That’s why she fainted in that hospital. She didn’t lose her mind at any point in time that was all theatrics. She was looking for sympathy and she didn’t get it. Can’t wait for idiot chase idiot Alexis to be blown out of the water that they have been played forget that idiot Nina she’s a psychopath too. They’re all narcissist.

      As for Drew, oh that’s gonna be the best piece right there cause you know she’s gonna go crazy off on him so now the twits are gonna have to come forward and say they were there. They heard the twinkle twinkle. I’m a dumb dumb and that will seal God willing Willow’s little cuckoo for cuckoo pops storyline don’t be stupid riders and make her oh she was crazy at the time. Hell no

    2. V

      V

      I think Wiley shot Drew. He took the gun. He had access to it. He shot Drew because he hurt not only him but his mom and destroyed his family. Then called Michael not knowing Michael saw him go into the house as he was driving up. (Michael was going there to confront Drew)Michael got out the car and was about to go up to the house when Wiley called him and said he was actually Drew’s but left and ask Michael to come home. So Michael went home, not knowing Drew was shot. Mean while Willow was in the house already and saw Wiley run out the back. She knew Drew’s actions had drove her son to shoot him.’Thinking about all the people he hurt, Wiley, Emila, Scout, Danny, Rocco, Curtis, Portia, Stella and herself. She thought he needs to die cause he keeps ruining lives. so she picked up the gun and shot him again. Then she returned the gun to the Quartermaines. Once they found out Drew was Shot and Anna showed up with a search warrant but couldn’t use it cause it had the wrong address, it was then Michael took the gun and hid it over Elizabeth’s. Willow knew she put it back and that Michael planted it there. Michael planted it there because it’s her fault Drew was able to hurt Wiley! Both Michael and Willow know Wiley did it but they are feeling each other out to see if they other one knows. Hence the looks they give each other. Once Michael refused to let her see her kids, she figured if he goes to jail she can see her kids. I think she’s going to try to kill Drew again fyi.

      1. C

        CatDMC

        Did you not watch the last episode or read the article?

    3. J

      Joaniegurl

      Nope. I think she stole the gun to shoot Drew and frame Michael so she can have the children. Amelia is her and Michael's child. I am Sick of her saying her Children. willey is Not her Son. michael let her play as Wiley 's mom. wiley Likes being with his father,while they were divorced.

  5. L

    Lily

    I'm curious to see how chase is going to react.

    1. G

      Guest

      He'll probably be the only one in Port Charles who refuses to believe that Willow is guilty; he'll also lose faith in the justice system because he'll assume that everyone who hates Willow and/or believes that she is guilty just wants Willow to be railroaded into prison for life. If Chase is obsessed with proving Willow's innocence, the stupidest thing he could possibly do is help Willow try to escape Port Charles with Wiley and Amelia; which would mean that Willow's escape attempt would then mirror/parallel Nelle's escape attempt with Wiley back in 2020, and that means the only thing that awaits Willow in the end is death... In fact, last year when Willow had an argument with Nina after learning that Nina went to Ric for help, Willow said that Nina deserves to lose everything; meaning Willow MIGHT have unknowingly foreshadowed her own possible death...

  6. G

    Guest

    I am of the honest opinion that the GH writers intended all along for Willow to become just as bad (or worse than) her twin sister, Nelle, and also to show that Willow cannot escape her family's curse of insanity.

    1. R

      Rosie

      Possibly that because the crazy tree doesn’t fall far from its route, which is psychopath Mena hopefully they won’t let her escape. Hopefully she’s busted and she spills her guts right there on that stand and the best thing that she could do is try and grab somebody’s gun and get taken out like a dog. I love dogs. OK we’ll just get rid of her. Don’t let this flail out anymore and let demented Nina go into whatever her little psychotic mental break and stop and get her the hell out of there too and well Drew oh, he’s got a lot coming to him because Cyd Wells is gonna do him in. You can be for sure that

    2. L

      Lee

      I agree . Belle will be back and they'll be partners in crime .

  7. J

    Just Me

    I said Willow OR Nina from the start. They both were doing Drew.at one time!!! Eeeeewwwww

  8. W

    Waterlady

    I knew it was Willow. Let's get on with Sidwell, his story is more interesting.

    1. A

      Anna

      Yep, I knew it was her the whole time, and I voiced my opinion on Facebook!

  9. S

    Sekdjk

    Alleluia!

    1. J

      Jjlinh068

      Good point I love you all made a point. And yes yes. Wanna Michale to be cleared in this. And it’s dirty to get Michale hands in shooting drew. I hate the man since he left Carly. But that’s make the scene interesting

  10. A

    Anna

    Everyone that watched knew it was Willow. There was no big surprise. Now can we be done with this stupid storyline. Cant wait for Chase to find out

  11. S

    Sharon Elliott

    Now if only T and K come forward with the news before the jury finds reasonable doubt and cuts her loose.Double jeopardy will be in play here and she 's home free.Of coarse that's probably where they're going with this.

  12. G

    Ghfan

    Now, the thing remains, will she be found not guilty. Then double jeopardy kicks in and she can't be charged for the same crime.

  13. M

    Maria

    I think and hope now that we all know the truth they don't drag it out. I am so sick of seeing that smug look on Drew's face. I know he's a great guy off GH but he makes it easy to hate him on GH !

  14. P

    PP

    How will they prove it? She has already lied on the stand.

  15. K

    Karen

    I knew it was Willow, and I haven't seen the reveal show yet! I was just waiting to see how long it would take for her to remember. When she came back to the hospital all wet and dazed, come on, how could you not know? Then even in the shadows when Drew was shot you could tell it was a woman because I saw a piece of longish hair like it was pulled up but wasn't fully up behind the ear. Maybe I notice to many little things? Looking forward to watching the actual reveal!

  16. L

    linda

    I think T and K went to the wrong attorney to say anything, unless they went to hire Alexis to be their attorney. They should have gone to Dante or the D.A.

  17. V

    V

    I actually think either Wiley or Scout shot him first then ran out the back door and Willow saw them running out, so she picked up the gun so the child would not suffer. Thinking about all the people Drew made suffer made her snap. She thought he needs to die and shot him. Not just for herself but to save the children Wiley, Emilia, Scout, Danny and Rocco.

  18. C

    Crackerjackjmg

    I thought it was Willow all along. I thought after losing her kids in court she just snapped and the obvious target was self centered Drew. I read something recently about making it a DID storyline like Viki Lord had years ago on OLTL and I thought that would have been a fantastic idea and a way to redeem Willow. Now I don't know how they're going to do that. She's going to jail unless she gets acquitted and can't be retried for the same crime.

  19. D

    Doris Hagler

    Ok most of us knew it was willow so now what is what I’ve been thinking. Where will the writers go with this 🤨. I’m assuming mental illness a few months at ShaddyBrook and moving right along . This storyline has pass ran it’s course . At this point I just want to know who’s the baby daddy? We need to get Maury for Curtis and I’m hoping it’s not his baby so big head Portia and her boy toy can exit the show .

  20. D

    Demi Keller

    i hate willow going to be free, that bullshit

  21. S

    suzie4646

    Alexea has to stop thinking about herself and her grandchild and do the truth she has rights as a grandmother to see her grandchild. She’s slightly true tell her what to do threatening her. Why don’t she tape him threatening her so that she could play it when he denies it

  22. P

    Peanut

    No one cares anymore, stupid storylines and most have no conclusions..GH writers are awful.

  23. S

    Shelly

    Michael kids shouldn't have a killer for mother because she can shoot him next. Free Anna

  24. S

    Shelly

    Willow need to go to prison the jury's should found her guilty GH should make an example out of her for Drew .

    I stop watching GH for a while now because I can't watch Drew and willow.

  25. G

    GH Watcher for

    I knew it was Willow and I'm glad it was her, cuz I want her gone, Drew gone and Chase gone! I'm ok with Willow making a comeback appearance in a couple years though

  26. G

    Guest

    What twist? She shot Drew because of him sleeping with Nina and the losing of her kids. It is taking way to long to end this tired storyline.

  27. F

    Fellaway

    Willow being the shooter is a big twist? Not so much. She was the obvious suspect from the get. Now, Scout, if Scout had been the shooter, that would've been a twist.

    Willow is turning out to be quite a little sociopath, though, isn't she? That smirk, when Carly dumped the drink on Drew, said a lot.

  28. M

    MBT

    I had named Willow as the shooter a while ago and I'm so happy I was right!! But there is no way she will go to jail with this evidence because it could be argued that it still doesn't prove it was Willow. There are hundreds of people that could have that ring tone, nobody saw her actually shoot Drew, and they could argue she recently changed to that ring tone. What it will do is make sure that Michael doesn't get charged and will work against Willow getting her kids back. Drew will also remember hearing the ring tone, but will not admit it, because his hatred for Michael and framing him is the priority.

    1. J

      JFRANWILL

      Because Kia knows that ring

  29. T

    Tammy

    So does this mean that Willow will lose her kids permanently to her ex Michael and what will happen to Willow? Chase will be so devastated!!

  30. T

    Tammy

    So does this mean that Willow will definitely lose her kids to her ex husband Michael and what happens to Willow now?

  31. A

    a5young

    Someone was saying that Michael and Willow were in this together he knew that Willow shot Drew, and Willow was just playing Drew,if that's true, than that is a twist.

  32. A

    a5young

    They kept saying that Willow was the one that shot Drew, but I didn't believe it until Thursday, and the trial was very good, but today was not so good.

  33. G

    Guest

    I dunno I think it's too obvious that it is Willow... Yesterday Wiley was all worried about his phone and the ringtone changed and why didn't Michael turn her in as soon as it happened he obviously knew. I think there is way more to this

  34. W

    wpbpatfl

    It would be great if the truth only comes out after she is acquitted.

  35. G

    Guest

    Double jeopardy she’ll get her kids back but won’t be able to be tried for murder 🤔 how interesting as the plot thickens