Cameron Mathison: Cameron Mathison opens up about playing General Hospital’s most hated man

Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) did not just fall from grace on General Hospital. He came crashing down with incredible force. After being shot twice by Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) and later being paralyzed by her, Drew became a man who could only blink while the fallout swallowed him whole. The arc bordered on operatic but hasn’t lost its sting. Mathison addressed it all on Good Morning America TV without flinching.

From hero to Port Charles pariah on

General Hospital

Mathison was on GMA when the hosts rattled off Drew’s rap sheet, from seducing his nephew’s wife to ending up poisoned and immobilized in his own home. He did not flinch. “He’s just not a good human,” Mathison said, almost amused by the understatement.

For three decades, he had played decent men: former Navy Seals, heroes, romantics…the guy you rooted for. This turn felt different. He admitted it had been strange watching America recoil. “It’s been really fun, but at the same time, it’s bizarre being hated so much in America and on the canvas.” The actor has dealt with apples being chucked at him in grocery stores, magazines being swatted at him in public, and a near run-in with a car. The reaction surprised him, which meant the work was striking a nerve.

He described the current storyline as messy, dark, and oddly freeing. After years of playing good guys, he now gets to explore selfishness without apology. “I’ve never played a character this dark, this deceptive, this mean, this cruel,” he stated with a grin, surprisingly admitting, “I get to go to work and just let it all out.” He chuckled at that last statement. (Find out about Mathison’s recent health update.)

General Hospital, the blink heard around daytime

General Hospital's Drew, prisoner of Willow. | Image Source: ABC

At the moment, Drew can only communicate with his eyelids. Mathison laughed about a clip that showed him doing nothing but blinking. “That’s a great acting opportunity,” he joked, aware of the absurdity.

Still, he took the material seriously. He called the arc bizarre and challenging, a transition into what he described as Drew’s demise. The character’s spiral, he suggested, felt like karmic recoil. Actions caught up with him, and the consequences hardened.

Off-screen, Mathison sounded grounded. Six years cancer-free, grateful, steady. On-screen, he lets Drew unravel completely. He even compared the captivity to Misery, a man trapped and forced to endure the consequences of his own cruelty. “Remember Misery?” he stated, adding, “Where I'm held captive by this woman who's just injecting poison into me, keeping me in paralysis, and I can't do anything but listen and blink.”

He knows the contrast of nice Cameron versus mean Drew has startled people. But for him, it works. Playing Port Charles’ villain gave him a place to release what real life required him to hold together. And if the blinking keeps audiences talking, he seems more than willing to keep his eyes open.

General Hospital is available on ABC and Hulu.