On November 17th, Roger Howarth said his farewell to his 12-year stint on General Hospital as Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt. His departure shocked daytime fans, as his character was shot fatally 3 times and laid in a pool of blood at the show’s ending.

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What was passed off as a Friday cliffhanger, was confirmed by the actor in an interview with Soap Opera Digest that ABC executives did not “offer a new contract” upon renewal and that his “character Austin would be killed off.”

Although that news would be a disappointment to any actor with a stable recurring role such as that of “Dr. Nice Guy,” the actor later posted on his Instagram that he had to take a moment to “quickly adjust” and showed his gratitude by mentioning how “lucky I was to have been able to do something I really love” for so long. As fans are still dealing with the aftermath of the doctor’s departure, the question of “Why now?” becomes most blatantly obvious. Audiences still need to know “Why was Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt killed off?” and most mysteriously, “Who killed the doctor?” Here are some answers to provide devoted soap opera fans with the closure they need to move. 

Why the sudden exit from General Hospital?

Executive producer Frank Valentini called the shots and told Howarth that ABC needed to kill off Dr. Austin in order to “move the story along.” Who’s to say that the story couldn’t exist without Howarth? But with generations of audiences spanning 60 years in production, keeping a storyline cold is something General Hospital can’t afford to do. Instead, why not raise the flame, and make GH into a suspenseful whodunit? With Dr. Austin’s death opens to a laundry list of seedy culprits, having viewers tune in to reveal the killer means high ratings. 

As the mystery deepens, we can’t help but focus on Ava (Maura West), but there are other possible candidates to consider. Her vengeance is understandable given that Mason Gatlin (Nathanyael Grey), her cousin, abducted and nearly murdered her because of Austin’s betrayal. There are so many avenues the show can take, and keep the legendary soap on air for another 60 years. 

Roger Howarth and his alter ego, Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt

Roger Howarth first came to the General Hospital scene in 2012 as the son of the late Jimmy Lee Holt and Charity Gatlin. He went to Port Charles to question the will of his grandfather, Edward Quartermaine, and get the owning shares that his late father had been denied. Throughout his tenure at Port Charles’ General Hospital, his character has been depicted as dedicated, but not entirely honest, and a bit quirky and downright strange. The untimely nature of his death may be shocking, but murder may be probable when they are the type of person who uses people when it suits their needs.

From plotlines dealing with covering up a friend’s death, involvement with the mob, and threats from one’s own cousin, it’s not a far stretch that we find Dr. Austin in a pool of his own blood. I’m surprised that it took 12 years for his character to seemingly get what he deserves. Now the Emmy award-winning show can shift to a juicy murder mystery, which is always a crowd pleaser and can attract a new audience of true crime enthusiasts. 

Although Howarth has been a long-term anchor to the show, he’s no stranger to the world of soap operas. Howarth has been on daytime television for a long time now. Howarth played Todd Manning on One Life to Live before he joined GH. He had been on As the World Turns, Guiding Light, and Loving before that. He had primetime parts on Californication, The Flash, and Dawson’s Creek as well. With so many soap credits, Howarth is practically soap opera royalty, and finding another daytime role will come to him easily.      

What’s in store for Roger Howarth?

When Soap Opera Digest continued to ask if the soap vet would return to daytime television, he quickly replied, “100 percent,” and “If somebody’s gonna ask me, I’m gonna go!” With that in mind, there are plenty of soaps Howarth has not appeared in and can make a big splash. He’s never appeared on The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful or Days of Our Lives, so the opportunities are there for the television veteran. He can also handle a recast, as he did on both As the World Turns and even General Hospital.

Before there was Dr. Austin Galtin-Holt, Howarth took over the role of Franco Baldwin from James Franco (yes, that James Franco – a guest appearance Franco was interested in doing for a short run) in May 13, 2013 until March 11, 2021. Before playing the questionable doctor, he was the questionable photographer. A world renowned artist and serial killer, who was a master of manipulation and mind games. From sociopaths to sleazy physicians, Hawarth has a knack for picking eccentric characters. Perhaps company will come in threes, and he’ll reprise another oddity on General Hospital.