10 Actors Who Were Removed From TV Shows In 2021
4. Steve Burton - General Hospital
Steve Burton had steady work and even won a Daytime Emmy playing Jason Morgan in the ABC soap opera General Hospital. However in November 2021, he got himself fired after 30 years on the show for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
General Hospital enacted a vaccine mandate on November 1. Burton applied for medical and religious exemptions, both of which were denied. So, in a November 19 episode, a tunnel collapsed on his character, Jason Morgan, leaving him presumed dead.
Burton was fairly civil about his departure. He was grateful for his time on the show and expressed hope for a comeback at some point in the future. At the moment, ABC hasn't made any plans to recast his character, though Jason Morgan was played by two different actors before Burton joined General Hospital in 1991.
Likewise, Morgan has been played by three more actors during spells when Burton took time off the show to pursue personal projects. The longest of these was a three-year stint between 2014 and 2017 when the character was played by Billy Miller.