Adrian Anchondo Explains Marco’s Tragic ‘General Hospital’ Exit

“He had a short journey, but it was full of love,” says General Hospital‘s Adrian Anchondo, whose alter ego, Marco Rios, drew his last breath on the March 25 episode.

Anchondo, who made his Port Charles debut last March, had an inkling his character might not go the distance. “Around August [2025], there were some signs and some speculations online,” he recalls. “I tried to ignore them, but it did make me feel like it was less a question of if and more of when and how it would happen. So, I just tried to give it my all. All I could do is be kind and giving to the people I worked with and know that I have no control and that I can’t take it personally. It’s not really about me. It’s about the story, and the story is more important than any one actor.”

Disney/Christine Bartolucci

When he finally learned how Marco’s story would end — stabbed by Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) after being exposed for stealing medication for Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) — Anchondo felt the twist honored his character’s journey. “When I got the script, I was like, ‘This is really powerful. This makes sense. This is a beautiful way to end Marco,’” he notes. “He got to go out a hero. He saved Britt and Lucas, so it was nice to go out with a bang.”

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Though he was at peace with the storyline, filming the final episodes proved emotional, even though he is no stranger to playing death scenes. “I’ve died plenty of times on stage,” he says. “And on NCIS: LA, I got shot by LL Cool J, and we were running, I think, on Melrose [Avenue] with guns, and it was crazy. I had the pellet that explodes in your shirt for blood to spatter everywhere, and that was wild.”

This time, however, the process was more prolonged. For Marco’s final arc, Anchondo filmed the stabbing, Marco’s discovery in Alexis Davis’ (Nancy Lee Grahn) office, and the subsequent surgery sequence. “It was a very long day of shooting and a lot of hours in makeup,” he recalls. “Luckily, I didn’t have a lot of lines because I was just getting operated on, but it was definitely hard. Van [Hansis, Lucas Jones] had a monologue over my body. Carlo [Rota, Jenz Sidwell] had a monologue over my body, and I had to pretend like I couldn’t breathe because I’m dead. But the tears were flowing during those scenes, and it was just so sad.”

Much of that emotion was rooted in the real-life bonds he formed with his castmates. “Those are real relationships that we developed over the last year that have gotten stronger even in the last half a year,” he says. ”With Van, I just became so much closer to him. Van and I had this amazing scene a couple of weeks ago where Lucas confronts Marco, and it was a really emotional day for both of us. He said, ‘I’m never going to forget this day. I’ve been doing this for years, and this is such a special moment.’ and I was like, ‘I agree.’”

His connection with Rota was just as meaningful. “Carlo is just such a pro,” Anchondo praises. “After about four or five months, we got to dive deeper into the characters, and I really felt like he was my dad for a while, especially in the last few months. I really appreciated him and his guidance.”

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Beyond those central relationships, Anchondo also relished collaborating with the rest of the cast, particularly with Kelly Thiebaud. “The biggest surprise and the most joy I got was working with Kelly,” he says. “Her character is just so fun and has so many different layers, and she just lights up the set whenever she’s there. I was glad that I got to have conflict with her, but then also helped save her life. I really would have loved for Marco and Britt to be friends at some point.”

 

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Looking back, Anchondo is grateful not just for the job itself, but for what the role represented. “My time was just so special,” Anchondo reflects. “I really want to thank Frank [Valentini, executive producer] and Mark [Teschner, casting director] for taking a chance on me and bringing such a unique character to daytime, especially a queer and Latino character during this time. It just felt so important to be seen and represented, and I couldn’t believe the amount of messages I received from fans just thanking me for showing multi dimensions in a queer character.”

Professionally, the experience also proved significant. “I got to do almost 80 episodes in a year, which is more than most actors get to do on primetime shows over the course of five years,” he points out. “I got to work with daytime legends, and it was so great to be in scenes with them. I felt like I was a part of a big family.”

Disney/Christine Bartolucci

The soap also had a lasting impact on his personal life. “I found love because of this show,” Anchondo explains. “When I got on the show, I messaged someone that I knew was on Days of our Lives, Colton Little [Andrew Donovan], and we started dating and it’s been wonderful. It’s crazy to see the reactions online of the two of us together. People really needed a happy ending. Even if Marco didn’t get to have the happiest ending, I feel like I got to have a happy ending in some ways.”

Since wrapping at GH, Anchondo has stayed busy pursuing new opportunities. “I’ve already had some great auditions for other stuff and callbacks for HBO, so it’s exciting,” he enthuses. “I think that this has opened the door for me. I would have loved to do many years on General Hospital, but I’ve been given a gift from Frank and Mark and the whole team. I feel like they helped me find my wings.”

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And in the ever-unpredictable world of soaps, a return is never entirely off the table. “I think four of the people that I’ve acted with on this show came back from the dead,” he muses. “So, you never know.”

Whatever the future holds, Anchondo clearly made an impression. Executive producer Frank Valentini tells TV Insider, “I enjoyed working with Adrian as did our cast and crew. He is a sweet and talented guy, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

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