Peter August Is Back! ‘General Hospital’ Star Wes Ramsey Breaks Down Shocking Return

Wes Ramsey returned to General Hospital on Friday, January 23, reprising the role of Peter August in scenes opposite Finola Hughes‘ Anna Devane.

For the actor, whose character was killed off in 2022, the opportunity to step back into Peter’s shoes wasn’t on his radar. “It was a surprise, and it was also a pleasant surprise,” Ramsey notes. “Not something that I was anticipating, but certainly I was ready to step back into that world and do what I could to help out my old friends.”

Tapping back into the mindset of his complicated alter ego came more easily than he expected. “When I was notified about doing it, I didn’t have any of the material yet,” Ramsey explains. “But Peter August is the longest I’ve ever played a character, so for me it felt like putting on one of my old favorite suits or jackets that just was perfectly broken in and comfortable and felt very good to wear again. I knew it would be exciting and fun, and then the moment I got the material, it all just instantly came right back to life for me. Like riding a bike, it’s something you never forget when you’ve done it for so long.”

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Returning to the set itself felt just as familiar. “It felt like I was stepping into a dream from something that was super familiar,” Ramsey says. “The sound that my shoes would make on the stairs going up to the set, the sound a certain door would make when I opened it, those were all things that were triggering a tidal wave of very happy memories. Obviously, it was wonderful to see all my old friends and to shake hands and hug crew members, other actors, and people I hadn’t seen or crossed paths with in many years.”

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The scenes with Hughes were packed with emotional intensity and offered Ramsey the opportunity to explore the darker layers of Peter again. “Maybe I’m the only one, but I always saw Peter as being a product of his making, and maybe misunderstood in some ways,” Ramsey observes. “Certainly not when he’s wreaking havoc and in a vengeful mood, but he was groomed and taught, and in his own way, I think, abused by the same man that groomed and taught him. He didn’t have a choice to be born [Cesar] Faison’s son, or to be gifted with Faison’s genetics, but he certainly was taught by Faison. So, it made a lot of sense that Peter would be a symbolic manifestation of Anna Devane’s guilty conscience, based on some of the things she’s gone through in her life.”

Ramsey credits the writing team for crafting material that honored the character’s legacy. “The essence of Peter was not only there, but I thought it was beautifully written dialogue that was almost poetic, which I thought suited how we may remember Peter,” he praises. “I enjoyed that, and it made it very rich to wrap myself around the words that they gave me to say. It was something that was happening inside of someone’s mind, so there was no pulling of any punches. It gave us more to really dive into, which is what Finola and I always loved doing together for many years.”

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One sequence, in particular, left a lasting impression. “The moment they had me actually make physical contact with her was, I think, very powerful and frightening for both of us,” Ramsey says. “I hope it makes the audience actually have to wonder, ‘My God, is he actually really there in the room doing this to her? How is that even possible, and what would that mean?’ That was really fun for me in that moment.”

Reuniting with Hughes was one of the highlights of the experience. “It was absolutely wonderful,” Ramsey raves. “The greatest gift and the gift that keeps on giving is any time I ever have an opportunity to work alongside her. She instantly inspires me, and I always know when we get together that we’re going to have a lot of fun. I couldn’t have asked for a better scene partner to be able to reprise Peter than the great Finola Hughes, and the character of Anna Devane. I just think the two of them have such a wonderfully complicated dynamic, and they always did, and it was nice to know that when they needed to call on me, that it was for me to be able to stand alongside her.”

Ramsey feels his comeback reaffirmed his appreciation for the genre itself. “It’s such a wonderful medium for the imagination, and in that, anything is truly possible,” he reflects. “This was a wonderful example of that, after so many years, to be able to have some pivotal scenes at a very pivotal time in a big storyline. I was delighted to be able to step into the shoes and play my part and help move the story along, as I always loved to do in the past.”

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The only downside was not getting to drive to the studio with real-life love Laura Wright (Carly Spencer). “One of our favorite memories together was always carpooling to work together,” he shares. “We got to do it many times together, and we never took it for granted. Who knows? Maybe somehow, somewhere, some way, someday we might be able to carpool again.”

Ramsey was touched that Wright made sure he had use of her dressing room while he was filming. “Laura’s dressing room isn’t something that’s given away often or for anyone, and I thought it was very sweet that she made it a point to give it to me on that day,” he says.

If the opportunity to return as Peter were to arise again, Ramsey would be on board. “One of the things I’ve always loved about daytime television is when they joke about saying, ‘Never say never,’” he muses. “Peter was certainly a controversial figure in the world of GH lore, and I’m always open to anything that comes along in the future. I’m always game to come and play with my friends.”

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