'General Hospital' Viewers Are Noticing That Jack Brennan Looks a Little Different

On Dec. 13, 2023, longtime General Hospital viewers met Jack Brennan. The character, a W.S.B. field agent and head of the Port Charles office, was first played by British-Australian actor Charles Mesure.

However, on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, fans of the long-running soap opera saw a new actor take on the role of Jack Brennan. So, what happened? Here's what you need to know.

On Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, it was announced Charles Mesure had decided to leave his role as Jack Brennan on General Hospital. A show spokesperson confirmed the news to Soap Opera Digest, stating, "Charles Mesure opted to exit the role of Brennan. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

Charles Mesure's final episode as Jack Brennan aired on Thursday, January 30. Starting on Tuesday, February 4, fans saw Chris McKenna, soap opera veteran and One Life to Live alum, take over the role of Jack Brennan.

With decades of soap opera experience dating back to the early 1990s, Chris McKenna is a trusted actor in the genre. And so, in February 2025, he shared details about the General Hospital hiring process in an interview with TV Insider, calling it a "quick" turnaround.

Chris recalled getting a late-night call on Sunday about a chemistry read with star Laura Wright, arranged by executive producer Frank Valentini. Though he hadn't seen the actress in 30 years, Chris agreed to meet her. When he reconnected with Laura on a Tuesday, the actors shared a hug and a quick catch-up.

The actor also revealed that when he first arrived for the reading, he didn't know who he was auditioning for on General Hospital.

He told the outlet, "They wrote a scene for the audition that was in the spirit of Brennan, but they didn't use the name. So, it was a unique scene just to get the feel of the character and to see how the chemistry was between Laura and me, and it was great."

Chris McKenna added that while he's "still learning" who Jack Brennan is, he feels "really comfortable" on General Hospital. Chris said that he enjoys playing a "meaty character" like Jack Brennan, noting that although he's been portraying similar characters for years, this role offers a fresh "fun little twist."

Unlike his past roles as "kind of a CIA agent" in casual attire, this version is more of a "Bond-ian" character in a suit. All in all, Chris McKenna finds it exciting to establish this new role and build a relationship with Laura's character.

Plus, he looks forward to each new script!

In July 2024, Charles Mesure, the original Jack Brennan, sat down with Soap Opera Digest and opened up about his initial hesitation when auditioning for General Hospital. It was his first-ever soap opera audition, so that makes sense!

He disclosed, "When [this audition came up], I'll be honest about it, I thought, 'I'm an old dog. I'm not sure if I can learn any new tricks! I'm not sure if I can adapt to the huge amount of dialogue that these fantastic actors on shows like General Hospital can learn. I'm not sure if I can suddenly be a leading man again at the age of 53!' So, I had doubts about going in [to read for the part]."

However, his concerns quickly faded after meeting casting director Mark Teschner and reading alongside Laura Wright, who he described as "so superb" and "a gracious host" during their chemistry read.

At the time of the interview, Charles Mesure reflected on his time at General Hospital with enthusiasm, saying, "I've had an absolute ball every single day." This really makes you wonder what might have changed since then...