When you will finally see Jonathan Bennet bring a brand-new cop to General Hospital

Broadway and Mean Girls star Jonathan Bennett has announced more details about his new General Hospital character, including when you can see him in Port Charles!

Ready to make a splash on General Hospital

Jonathan Bennett will debut as Joe Fitzpatrick May 18 | Image: JPI

In the latest print edition of TV Guide, Bennett revealed his first air date is Monday, May 18th. He said that his character, Joe Fitzpatrick, is a police officer.

Bennett said when he read for the character, he got so excited that he called his agent and wanted to join the GH cast right away. Bennett, who played J.R. Chandler on All My Children from 2001 to 2002, is excited to get back to his daytime roots.

“Returning to daytime television was not on my Bingo card for 2026,” he said. “I feel like I hit the jackpot when this opportunity came because the character is something that I really wanted to play.”

Bennett explained the fast pace of taping at GH, which produces at least one episode every day in the studio, was hard to get used to after more than two decades away from the soap world.

“I had to retrain my brain,” he said. “But everyone made me feel so welcome that it took all the pressure off.”

Bennett noticed the fan interest and excitement for his character's debut, which he said has made him emotional.

Who is Joe Fitzpatrick?

Bennett is known playing Aaron Samuels in the iconic movie Mean Girls, and has been a productive actor on Broadway and in numerous Hallmark flicks, plus major comedies such as Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and the title role in Van Wilder: Freshman Year. He is nominated for a Critics Choice Award for his hosting role on the Hallmark Channel competition series Finding Mr. Christmas.

In real life, Bennett is married to Jaymes Vaughan. Some fans have speculated Joe he will be the Lucas Jones' (Van Hansis), new love interest. Currently, Lucas is still grieving Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo).

Bennett has not addressed that, or whether his character will be a gay man, closeted or not.

The PCPD and its many problems

Jonathan Bennett and new GH co-star Ryan Paevey | Image: JPI

There’s no question that Joe’s presence as a police officer will shake up the current situation in the Port Charles Police Department.

Acting commissioner Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) and Detective “Nathan West” (Ryan Paevey) are embroiled in a coverup over the shooting of WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes). They had a heated argument over the fact that Dante’s son, Rocco (Finn Carr), was the shooter and that “Nathan” kept that fact from Dante. Their friendship and professional relationship were seriously strained after their talk on the May 12th episode.

Of course, Dante doesn’t know that Nathan is really Cassius Faison, pretending to be his late twin brother, and that Cassius is in league with Cullum and Sidwell (Carlo Rota). And that they’re the reason Commissioner Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) is in a mental health facility in France.

Former detective turned beat cop Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard) is about to get in a scandal of his own if those pictures of him and his ex-wife, Willow Cain (Katelyn MacMullen), half-naked in running clothes, are seen. Any appearance of an affair with a congresswoman could put his career in jeopardy, once again. Not to mention his efforts to adopt Phoebe with his wife, Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton).