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Michael Easton is saying goodbye to “General Hospital.”

Easton, who has played at least three other characters on the series during his more than 10-year run, announced his exit on Instagram early Wednesday morning. He captioned the post, “Thank you for your kindness. My heart is filled with love and gratitude. #gh #goodbye.”

In a video message accompanying the post, Easton said, “I’ve always been partial to the Irish goodbye. That’s where you leave the party without actually telling anyone you’re gone. But I thought you all deserve better, so I just want to let you know that I just filmed my final scenes here at ‘General Hospital.’”

“I’ve loved every minute that I’ve been here,” continued Easton. “I want to thank the entire cast and crew for allowing me to share their stage this past 10 years. Most importantly, I want to thank all of...

Richard Roundtree, known for his role as Shaft in the series of films, died at the age of 81. The actor has left a legacy in both film and television for generations to come.

Roundtree made his debut in film as John Shaft in Shaft about a private detective who is hired by a mobster to help rescue his daughter who was kidnapped by Italian mobsters. The actor would go on to reprise his role of Shaft in the sequels Shaft’s Big Score (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973). A reboot of Shaft starring Samuel L. Jackson was released in 2000 with Roundtree appearing as “Uncle” Shaft. Roundtree also played the role in the short-lived CBS series.

Other films in which Roundtree appeared in include Embassy (1972), Earthquake (1974), Man Friday (1975), Diamonds (1975), Escape to Athena (1979), City Heat (1984), George of the Jungle (1997), What Men Want (2019) and The Haunting of the Mary Celeste (2020), just to name a few.

Richard Roundtree, best known for his popular role in the Shaft franchise, has died.

According to new reports, Roundtree passed away on Oct. 24 following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. The beloved actor's family is said to have been at his bedside at the time of his passing. Roundtree's agency, Artists & Representatives, as well as his longtime manager, Patrick McMinn, confirmed the actor's death to Deadline. He was 81 years old.

“Artists & Representatives Agency mourns the loss of our friend and client Richard Roundtree,” a statement from Roundtree's agency noted. “His trailblazing career changed the face of entertainment around the globe and his enduring legacy will be felt for generations to come. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

As an actor, Roundtree is very well known for playing John Shaft, the titular role, in the celebrated 1971 movie Shaft. His performance earned him a...

As confirmed by Deadline, Richard Roundtree, the groundbreaking star of the original "Shaft" franchise has died as a result of pancreatic cancer. He was 81. Roundtree was a gifted athlete who played for New Rochelle High School's nationally-ranked and undefeated football team but later dropped out of college after he was scouted by Ebony Fashion Fair founder Eunice W. Johnson and began modeling for companies like Duke hair products and Salem cigarettes. A few years later, he joined the Negro Ensemble Company theater group in New York City, where he became a fast leading man. This led to a successful career in front of the camera, where Roundtree would become colloquially known as the "first Black action hero."

He appeared in a number of Blaxploitation films in the 1970s, but he became a cinematic icon as detective John Shaft in the films "Shaft," "Shaft's Big Score!," "Shaft in Africa," and the short-lived series adaptation.

Richard Roundtree, who played the iconic lead character in the 1971 movie Shaft and its sequels, has died at the age of 81. The actor passed away on Tuesday “after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer with his family at his bedside,” per our sister site Deadline.

“Artists & Representatives Agency mourns the loss of our friend and client Richard Roundtree,” the actor’s agency said in a statement. “His trailblazing career changed the face of entertainment around the globe and his enduring legacy will be felt for generations to come. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.

Richard Roundtree, who broke ground with his signature role in the Shaft movie franchise, died October 24 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer with his family at his bedside. He was 81.

Roundtree’s career spanned five decades and included everything from his most popular blaxploitation role to a very early appearance on As the World Turns in 1956 to being a Season 2 main cast member on Ava DuVernay’s OWN series Cherish the Day last year.

He is best known for playing detective John Shaft in the 1971 action thriller and its sequels, Shaft’s Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973) as well as the short-lived 1973 Shaft TV series.

For his performance in the original film, Roundtree was nominated for a New Star of the Year Golden Globe and hailed as the first Black action hero. More importantly, the films made Shaft a cultural hero, a symbol of Black power onscreen, at the box office and beyond.

Paul Eckstein, co-creator and executive producer of the drama series Godfather of Harlem and an actor who appeared multiple times on Star Trek: Voyager and other shows, has died. He was 59. A spokesperson for MGM+ and ABC Signature told Deadline that he died unexpectedly in his sleep on June 6.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of our brilliant colleague, Paul Eckstein,” MGM+ and ABC Signature said in a statement. “Working on the series was a labor of love for Paul, who based the show in part on his family’s personal history. Paul was passionate, a creative force, known for his kindness, and generosity. He was a mentor and friend to many, and he will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and his longtime collaborator Chris Brancato.”

Family and friends described Eckstein as “many things: a celebrated storyteller, a devoted husband,...

Dawn Stern has landed the lead role in the ABC Family drama pilot Nobody, from Desperate Housewives writer Kevin Murphy.

Nobody centers on Jessica Drake (Stern), a mother who gives up her own identity to save the life of her daughter. In doing so, however, she finds that she must pay the price of being erased from the memories of her family and the rest of the world.

Jessica ends up working for a covert ops branch of heaven dedicated to fighting the forces of darkness on Earth -- while continuing to make sure her family is safe.

The pilot starts shooting this month in Vancouver.

Murphy is executive producing Nobody, based on the comic book created by Alex Amado, Sharon Cho and Charlie Adlard. He also is writing the pilot.

Noreen Halpern, John Morayniss, Jason Netter and Ken Levin also are executive producing.

Blueprint Entertainment will produce the one-hour project for ABC Family.

Stern was a series regular on NBC's Viper and Fox's 413 Hope St. She also has appeared on such series as UPN's The Parkers, CBS' The Young & the Restless, Fox's Wanda at Large and ABC's Thieves. Her film credits include The Fugitive and Original Gangstas.

Stern is repped by Robert S.