Michael E Knight has been portraying the recurring role of Martin Grey in the ABC soap opera General Hospital since 2019, but why did he leave the show? Martin left Port Charles in a February 2024 episode. Since then, there has been much speculation about his disappearance from the plot. Even though he returned on the Wednesday, September 18 episode, the fans still want to know why he was gone for so long.
Here is everything we have learned about why Michael E. Knight’s Martin Grey had been absent from General Hospital.
Why Did Michael E. Knight’s Martin Grey Leave General Hospital?
Michael E. Knight revealed in a recent interview that he initially left General Hospital on a three-month break. His character Martin discovered that his girlfriend, Lucy Coe, had betrayed him, having colluded with her former boyfriend Scotty Baldwin. This prompted Martin to leave town.
However, while Knight was on his break, the writing staff of the series underwent significant changes. It made him wonder whether his character would be part of the show’s future. “By the time it got to August, I was thinking, ‘Okay, well, you know, no harm, no foul,’ ” Knight recalled during an interview with Soap Opera Digest.
Knight, who also played Tad Martin in All My Children, was thankful for the years he spent on General Hospital. “Frank [executive producer Frank Valentini] brought me on initially to work with Roger [Howarth] when I was trying to make my health insurance. And I will love Frank for the rest of my life for doing what he did, because four days turned into four years,” he explained.
The actor continued, “So, to me, I already had the brass ring in my pocket. I wasn’t going to complain about four days turning into four years! I’m one grateful monkey, you know what I mean?”
Eventually, Knight was brought back after Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten became the head-writing team on the series. “My first loyalty is to Frank, always,” he stated. “And when Frank called me and told me about bringing me back and gave me the lowdown [about the show’s plans for Martin], I was a very happy guy.”
