Who is Damian Spinelli on General Hospital? Everything you need to know

Damian Spinelli is a unique and serious long-term character on General Hospital, first introduced to viewers in 2006. He quickly stood apart from other characters because of his unusual cadence in speech, his ability to never meet a computer he cannot master, his strange mixture of comic relief and heartfelt affections, and that personality was the makeup of Spinelli's character.

Primarily portrayed by Bradford Anderson, he's become a fan favorite and a pivotal supporting character in many sufficiently large storylines. His dialogue, rich in nicknames and hacker capabilities, made him an invaluable resource to the Port Charles criminal underworld and also to their law-abiding citizens.

Spinelli's purpose has changed over the years. He started working for Jason Morgan as part of a plan to frame Sam McCall and became one of Jason Morgan's most trusted allies.

As a character, Spinelli formed very close relationships with many residents of Port Charles, such as Maxie Jones, and they have a daughter, Georgie. No matter how infrequently Spinelli appears, when he comes back, he finds a way not to be just solving a high-profile robbery or aiding the FBI, but usually returning and having the hapless, always being loyal to an old friend.

Who is Damian Spinelli on General Hospital?

Damian Spinelli first appeared on General Hospital on November 13, 2006, as a college-age computer hacker for Lorenzo Alcazar. He was initially introduced as a temporary character, but due to the fan reception, he was made into the regular cast.

Spinelli was introduced as some rapid-fire, idiomatic, and slang-ridden modality of speech, usually full of internet-slang and inventive nicknames, (calling Jason Morgan, "Stone Cold," for example) and it was clear he was a character and presence with no overlap to anything else in the universe of television or serial story-telling.

Throughout his time on the show, Spinelli has been a part of many story arcs, including crime-fighting, comic relief, and romantic drama, instrumental in Port Charles, that spans it all into Hipster reality.

We have seen him working with and for Jason Morgan and Sonny Corinthos, and Sam McCall, while regularly imparting consequential information to the police or the mob regarding ongoing investigations.

His romantic stories have included a long serpentine history with Maxie Jones, of which he produced a daughter Georgie, a continuing romantic stand with Ellie Trout, of which he had life with bears, solidarity, life, and passed resumes in Portland, Oregon, only to return for brief accidents in Port Charles for brief stints of time.

His tales have varied from comedic, like his alter ego, "Jackal P.I.," to more serious stories, even in the stories around a custody fight for his daughter. Spinelli has also appeared in the spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift, further affirming his position in the franchise. Even when he moves away from Port Charles, he tends to return frequently to help his friends, usually due to his digital skills.

About Bradford Anderson, the actor who plays Damian Spinelli on General Hospital

Anderson's relationship with his character Damian Spinelli is evident, since he has been the primary actor for Spinelli since the character's appearance on the show in 2006 (with the notable exception of a brief recasting with Blake Berris in 2017).

Anderson is a native of Meredith, New Hampshire, where he studied acting at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and got his start in stage acting, which eventually led to work on-screen.

He has been nominated five times for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role as Spinelli (from 2009 to 2014). The actor's performance of Spinelli honors the character's eccentricity while allowing for Spinelli's emotional moments to shine.

Anderson spoke about the type of feedback he has had from co-workers or fans about working through Spinelli's particular speech pattern, which drew from several inspirations and influences and was made possible by his early inspiration--the "Spicoli" character from Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Anderson has been in Veronica Mars, NCIS, Castle, and Homeland in addition to his work at General Hospital, and is also part of the musical and comedy duo "Stone Cold and the Jackal" with General Hospital co-star Steve Burton.

He has two daughters, is married, and, when not acting at General Hospital, continues to do live performances and develop his podcasting career. Spinelli's continued appearances allow the character Stewart, and the character to keep the name Damian Spinelli, the character consistently played by Anderson, to remain relevant for long-time viewers.

Fans can watch General Hospital on ABC.

About the author

Preethika Vijayakumar is a Daily Soap writer at Sportskeeda with a keen interest in pop culture. Although a law student, her curiosity about the world and passion for writing inspired her to explore and analyze the complex narrative and diverse character arcs that define the daily soaps.

With experience as a legal content writer, Preethika also achieved a notable accomplishment as her work was published in a book about criminology and victimology. As a fellow binge-watcher, Preethika aims to provide insightful analysis based on her firsthand viewing experiences, ensuring accuracy and relevance in her writing.

Outside of professional endeavors, she enjoys reading, playing guitar, and creating ceramics. Her favorite celebrity is Jensen Ackles, and if given the opportunity, Preethika would love to be a part of his show, Supernatural, although she isn’t sure she could last until the end.

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Edited by Bharath S