Steve Burton says it's 'amazing' to return to “General Hospital” after firing: 'Always felt like home'

The actor was dropped from the soap in 2021 for refusing to comply with a COVID vaccine mandate.

Steve Burton is glad to be back on General Hospital after being fired from the soap in 2021 for refusing to comply with a COVID vaccine mandate.

The actor, who plays mobster Jason Morgan, recently told Entertainment Tonight that life has been "amazing" since he returned to the sudser in March.

"It's been amazing to come back to the show. It's always felt like home," Burton said on the red carpet at the Daytime Emmy Awards. "I love the cast, I love the crew, and life is amazing right now. It really is, truly."

Related: Steve Burton is returning to General Hospital after Days of Our Lives exit

Burton, 53, was dropped from General Hospital in November 2021, after he refused to abide by the ABC series' COVID-19 vaccine mandate. He said in an Instagram video at the time that he'd applied for "medical and religious exemptions" to the mandate but his appeals had been denied.

"Which, you know, hurts, but this is also personal freedom to me. I don't think anyone should lose their livelihood over this. But with that being said, you know me," Burton said. "I'll always be grateful for my time at General Hospital. I love it there. I grew up there. I grew up with some of you. I'll always be grateful. And I believe when one door closes, multiple doors open. That's always been my perspective, so I am excited to see what the future brings."

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Following his departure from GH, Burton landed a role on the Days of Our Lives spinoff Beyond Salem, before joining to the main series in 2023.

But Burton still had some unfinished business in Port Charles, and made a surprise appearance during General Hospital's 60th-anniversary special to announce he would be returning to the show. He reprised his Daytime Emmy-winning role three months ago, marking his third return to the series. He previously played Jason from 1991 to 2012, and again from 2017 until 2021.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.