Chris McKenna Calls ‘General Hospital’ Exit “Disappointing”: “But This Was A Gift”
Actor Chris McKenna has spoken about leaving ABC's General Hospital, describing the exit as "disappointing" but ultimately a positive experience. McKenna joined the long-running soap in February 2025 as WSB chief Jack Brennan, taking over the role from Charles Measure, before his character was killed off after being found dead in the Metro Court pool. The departure matters to soap fans as another notable exit from daytime television, and McKenna reflected candidly on the pattern of such endings recurring throughout his career.
Speaking to TV Insider, McKenna noted this marks the third time he has been written off or killed off a soap, having filmed his final GH episode in June 2026 and had several months to process the change. He also has a long daytime history, having debuted on One Life to Live in 1990 as Joey Buchanan, later playing Det. Mark Harding on The Young and the Restless, and guesting as Dr. Hayden on The Bold and the Beautiful in 2016. Despite the sad ending for Jack Brennan, McKenna said he was grateful for the role, citing the birth of his son during his GH tenure and hinted that he would return to screens "very soon".
- Chris McKenna's General Hospital character Jack Brennan was killed off in June 2026.
- It's the third soap to write off or kill off McKenna's character.
- McKenna says he's grateful for the role and hints at future TV work.
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Chris McKenna is an American soap opera actor best known to daytime television viewers for roles stretching back to 1990, when he first appeared as Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live. He has since worked across several major American soaps, including The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, building a long career in the genre. Most recently he played Jack Brennan, head of the fictional World Security Bureau, on ABC's General Hospital, one of the longest-running soap operas in the United States.
McKenna took over the role of Jack Brennan from another actor in early 2025, and his character was written out of the show earlier this year. Character exits and recastings are common in long-running soaps, which rely on frequently changing storylines and cast to keep audiences engaged over decades on air.
This matters to fans of the show and of daytime television more broadly, since cast changes on established soaps often prompt discussion about a show's direction and an actor's future plans. McKenna's own comments about his experience add context to how such departures are perceived by the performers involved.