By now, General Hospital fans have seen or know from social media, that the character of Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo) met his maker on today’s March 25 episode of the ABC daytime drama series. Marco was stabbed by WSB Director Cullum (Andrew Hawkes), was rushed to GH, Dr. Isaiah Gannon (Sawandi Wilson) performed surgery to save him, but he still passed away.
On this emotional day for actor, Adrian Anchondo, not only did he say farewell to the character he created on-screen, but it was the end of the line for the LGBTQ love story of Marco and Dr. Lucas Jones (Van Hansis), something that is not lost on Anchondo.
After his final scenes aired on the East Coast, Anchondo took to his Instagram account with a post that contained images from Marco’s sad end, Adrian’s goodbyes at the set, and a moment where he took a liquor shot in honor of Marco … RIP.
Photo: ABC
HIS MOTHER WOULD BE PROUD
Anchondo, made his Port Charles debut a year ago in March, and over time, viewers saw different shade of Marco: the good, the bad, the vengeful, but it appeared his love for Lucas would win out, until he stole the vials of Britt’s medications and then everything went bust.
Sharing his sentiments on his time on GH, Anchondo expressed, “I started this journey with a story about my mother, how she was with me in spirit at my screen test for Marco, hiding in the compact she used to do her make up in while she watched soap operas on the couch. Now, I know she is looking down and proud of me for all the work I’ve done in the past year on one of the best shows ever created. She is proud of me for showing up every day and leading with kindness and respect, for fighting through my insecurities and anxiety, and for letting my heart shine through a character that had questionable intentions.”
REPRESENTING THE LGBTQUI AND LATINO COMMUNITY ON DAYTIME TV
“I’m also proud of myself for doing the work, for representing the LGBTQI and Latino community, and for constantly recognizing the magic that every single person on the show creates,” the openly gay actor said.
Taking the temperature of GH fans, who were hoping against hope that today Marco would survive, Adrian added, “I know fans are sad (believe me I’m still grieving) but I’m just one small piece in a much bigger picture. This isn’t about me, it’s about what’s best for the story. I can’t believe the amount of love I’ve received especially in the last few days. I hope I made you proud. To my queer fans, don’t be discouraged, we will keep spreading our love and fighting for that happy ending.”
FINAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In his final “Thank You’s,” Anchondo acknowledged several key cast members who he attributes helping him get through the hard times and those who showed him the love.
“Thank you General Hospital, ABC and Disney for making a dream come true” he began.”Thank you Mark Teschner (casting director, GH) for seeing something in me and Frank Valentini (executive producer, GH) and the Directors for bringing that something out of me. You changed my life and I will be forever grateful. Thank you to Colton Little (Andrew, DAYS) for being by my side, running lines. hyping me up, and holding me through the sad parts.Thank you to my Grandma and cousins for cheering me on. Thank you to the amazing cast especially Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) for your wisdom and kindness. Carlo Rota (Sidwell) for your support, guidance and friendship, and of course to my amazing friend, Van Hansis for holding my hand in more ways than one – you made it easy to fall in love with you. Thats a wrap on Marco! I hope everyone loved him as much as I did. We went out with a bang. On to the next big thing”
