Gregory Chase has been played on General Hospital by two different actors. The character was initially played by James Read in 2018, but Gregory Harrison took over the role in 2020 and has been playing it ever since.
Gregory Chase has two children: Harrison Chase and Hamilton Finn. His wife is Jackie Templeton, Harrison Chase’s mother and Hamilton Finn’s stepmother.
Harrison’s portrayal of a character who experiences ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) won praise for its genuineness and subtleties.
Gregory Harrison, a seasoned American actor, plays Gregory Chase on the long-running soap opera. One of Gregory Chase’s major plotlines is his battle with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a progressive neurodegenerative disease. This story explores the emotional and physical challenges that people with ALS face.
As per Michael Fairman TV, Harrison shared insights into the technical and emotional aspects of portraying a character with ALS. He discussed the challenges of incorporating the physical symptoms of the disease into his performance while maintaining emotional authenticity.
He said—
“He’s not going to be able to continue to keep up the disguise of a completely healthy fella.”
The actor talked candidly to Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos from General Hospital) about the difficulties he faces when portraying an ALS-diagnosed character in a State of Mind YouTube series.
He said—
“He’s a complicated character anyway, but we’ve added now ALS into the equation and that’s a really fun technical calibration for me. It’s a relatively quick demise – three to five years, generally for ALS, and it moves along pretty quickly. “
He also spoke on the intricacies of playing such a character—
“Where am I going to put in that slip and fall? Where am I going to put in that tremor in my hand? Where I am going to put in the stumble, or the slur of this word or that word?”
Harrison also shared details of his personal battles with addiction and seeking treatment at the Betty Ford Center, proving the depth of his personal experiences that he brings to his role as Gregory Chase on General Hospital.
Gregory Chase’s storyline in General Hospital
When Gregory Harrison’s character on General Hospital revealed in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) following a collapse in Alexis’s office, it marked a significant turning point in the show’s narrative. His health rapidly deteriorates after learning this, and he is forced to move in with his son Finn.
Brook Lynn and Chase speed up their wedding plans to include Gregory, outlining the close relationship between the Chase family. The story delves into the complexity of familial ties, especially those among Gregory and his sons Finn and Harrison Chase, as they face the obstacles presented by Gregory’s sickness.
Gregory’s encounters with Nina Reeves and Tracy Quartermaine add to the tricky web of relationships and tensions in the General Hospital plot. Gregory stepped down from his position as publisher of The Invader due to conflicts with Nina Reeves and Violet’s worries regarding his condition.
Despite the initial miscommunication, his relationship with his son Hamilton Finn improved over time. However, things did go south when it was discovered that Gregory’s wife, Jackie Templeton, was also Finn’s one-night stand, adding to the family’s chaos.
