The latest installment of The Daily Drama Podcast — brought to you by DailyDrama.com — saw hosts Steve Burton (Jason Morgan, General Hospital) and Bradford Anderson (Damian Spinelli, GH) giddily welcome back “repeat guest” Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing, GH).

Rick Hearst, Back To The Daily Drama

When last we saw Rick Hearst and his alter-ego, it was July 2016. That also marked the actor’s last appearance on a daytime soap.

In the intervening years, he moved to Atlanta, started a business with his mother, guested on Daytime Divas and Dynasty, taught acting alongside former GH costar Natalia Livingston (ex-Rebecca Shaw; ex-Emily Quartmaine), and upped sticks yet again, this time for New Jersey. (PHEW!)

As for what precipitated his return to the ABC sudser: “About June I got contacted via Google Voice, and my Facebook, and my Instagram, all these different means of connecting with me from our casting director Mark Teschner and I’m like, ‘That’s an awful lot of intent for just a ‘Hey buddy, how you been sort of thing?” And so I knew something was potentially up. And he basically said what would you think about maybe coming back for a little bit? Your daughter’s going through all this stuff…

“It’s been eight years; let’s be realistic. I never thought — which you should never say that — I never thought there would be the potential or possibility of me returning. And I was cool with that. I understand storylines change, direction of shows change, it is what it is. But when he did say that, I was like, really? …Then I had to say, ‘What’s the story? It’s great to come back, but who am I connecting with? Who am I going to be working with?’ And then he mentioned me working with Kristen [Vaganos, Molly Lansing-Davis] and the situation there.”

And while Hearst was sold on a short-term reprisal, Burton opined that he’d be sticking around for the long haul and gushed: “Frank’s making some moves right now. Something’s going on here. The energy of the show is incredible. Bringing back people who have so much value to the show.”

On returning to the GH studio, Hearst marveled: “It was, and is still, home. You realize how deeply connected you are, how deeply connected I was to this show. It was my family for xy amount of years. My first day I felt like I was very out of body…It is very much a full-circle thing.”

And as for the greatest advice he could give any young actor: “Live your life while you have this great gift of being able to be a storyteller and be passionate about that. And don’t take it for granted.”

The latest installment of the Daily Drama Podcast is a rollicking good time. But don’t just take out word for it. Check it out in full then take to the comments section and share your thoughts. And afterward, why not give Daily Drama’s brand-new app a try? It’s got Burton’s and Anderson’s seal of approval. after all.

Show Notes:
Introduction – 0:12
Introducing The Guest – 0:19
What A Coincidence – 0:42
How The Return Came About – 1:36
Getting Back Into The Swing Of Things – 7:51
Coming Home – 14:24
No Exit – 18:18
Playing Catchup – 21:20

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