For months, General Hospital fans have watched Rocco Falconeri struggle under the weight of an unimaginable secret. Between Ross Cullum’s relentless pursuit, the fallout from the pier shooting, and Britt Westbourne taking him on the run, the teenager has been pushed to his emotional limits.
However, according to actor Andrew Hawkes, who portrays WSB Director Ross Cullum, the storyline almost took a far darker turn.
During a recent appearance on Maurice Benard’s State of Mind podcast, Hawkes opened up about his early days on the ABC soap and revealed that Cullum was originally intended to have a much shorter run in Port Charles.
The actor admitted he was extremely nervous when he first joined the cast and was highly critical of his own performances after watching his earliest episodes.
Hawkes recalled worrying that he might be let go shortly after filming began, joking that he warned his wife not to be surprised if he received bad news before the holiday break. Despite those fears, the opposite happened.
Not only did Hawkes remain with the series, but his character’s fate was also dramatically altered.
According to the actor, Cullum was originally supposed to die after being shot on the pier during the now-infamous confrontation involving Rocco. Instead, the storyline was changed, allowing the character to survive and continue playing a major role in the ongoing drama.
The revelation offers a fascinating look behind the scenes and highlights how different Rocco’s journey could have been.
Had Cullum died from the shooting, the emotional consequences for Rocco might have been devastating. The teenager has already struggled to cope with the trauma surrounding the incident, the secrecy, and the growing danger surrounding his family. Taking a life would have added an even heavier burden to an already heartbreaking situation.
The decision to keep Cullum alive also allowed the storyline to expand in unexpected directions. His continued presence has intensified the threat facing Britt, Rocco, Dante, Lulu, Sonny, and several other Port Charles residents while creating new layers of suspense.
At the same time, fans have embraced Hawkes’ portrayal of the complex and dangerous antagonist. What began as a short-term role has evolved into one of the show’s most talked-about storylines.
While Rocco’s future remains uncertain and the danger is far from over, one thing is now clear: the story unfolding on screen today is very different from the one originally planned.
And for both Rocco and General Hospital viewers, that change may have altered everything.
