Gold Star

from Soaps in Depth, April 10th, 2007 issue

There was a tragic irony to the events that recently unfolded around General Hospital's Jason Morgan. While a life he created was growing inside of Elizabeth, the life from which he came had died. His father, Alan, had a fatal heart attack before being able to tell his son that he loved him. and before Jason could tell him it was mutual. "All along, you wanted me to come back," he sighed in shaken disbelief as he looked at his father's lifeless body. "I didn't make it in time." Steve Burton proved once again that Jason is anything but "stone cold." Underneath the hard shell flows warm blood that feels pain, love and remorse. For that ability to dig into his character's true self, we honor the actor.

Sorrow and Regret

Standing above his father, Jason was fueled with rage that he'd chosen to be led by his hatred of Craig, whom he intended to kill for torturing his family. Unanswered questions raced through his head as he search for the "why" behind his behavior. Why had he chased after Craig? What did he think killing him would accomplish? "I was wasting time. So I let him go," Jason said of his adversary. "The last thing he said to me was, "We only get one father." Sounds simple. Maybe it is. We only get one father, and you were mine. And when you needed me.." The truth was too painful to admit. "I wasn't here," he finished.

An Expression of Love

Sitting at his father's feet, Jason said that Elizabeth was pregnant, with his child, which gave him insight into Alan's parenting plight. "When I walked out, when I changed my name, when you tried to protect me, I said I hated you. All those things you tried to talk to me about and make me understand, and I'd look at you and I'd feel like I couldn't give you what you wanted. You just wanted me to love you...you wanted me to be happy." Jason bowed his head, choking on his words. "That's all you were trying to say to me." He reached for his father's hand. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you until now, and it's too late. I know that you love me. I know that now."

A Round of Applause

Burton has always joked about Jason's icy stare and preference for few words. But that was the Jason of yesteryear. His gaze has become hypnotic, like a silent film star whose greatest tool is his expressive face. His words are no longer few and far between but rather carefully chosen articulations of his inner workings. Burton is a master craftsman, who has the personal depth to convey the complexities of his conflicted character.

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