"Reality, and on-screen is so far apart” — General Hospital fame Bradford Anderson defends co-star Cameron Mathison amid fan backlash

By Poushali Guharauth

Modified Jun 16, 2025 09:25 GMT

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Drew Caine of General Hospital is currently riding a wave of criticism from fans as the character moves from one cringeworthy action to the next. From manipulating Willow to blackmailing Portia and framing Tracy, Drew has his hands on all the dirty pies. The verbal attacks on Drew have turned into raps and insults against the actor, Cameron Mathison.

Some of his co-actors have come out in favor of the actor, pointing out that the characters of Drew and Mathison are two separate entities. Recently, Bradford Anderson, who plays Damian Spinelli on General Hospital, cleared the misconception in his podcast, That's Awesome with Steve Burton & Bradford Anderson, which he co-hosts with Burton, who plays Jason Morgan in the soap. Anderson commented on how different real-life Mathison was from his reel-life character:

"It’s just so funny cause they are so far apart, reality, and on-screen is so far apart."

He went on to emphasize how Mathison, in person, was a likable personality. Playing a negative role was a challenge for him, and he was brave enough to take on the challenge of playing a creepy and hateful character. In Anderson's words:

"It’s so funny, he really seems to be like ‘alright let’s go’ there’s no protecting this anymore...I think, like anybody, he’s used to being liked, and he’s an eternally likeable fella. It has to be a new experience, and I think he’s handling it so well."

Anderson referred to other shows and projects where Mathison played positive characters, such as Ryan in All My Children, and other romantic roles in Great American Family and Hallmark Channel's romcoms. His co-host, Steve Burton, agreed with him.

Incidentally, on some of his previous talk shows and interviews, Cameron Mathison also spoke about fans responding to him with hatred over his character, Drew. People's strong emotions about his character have so far made him feel honored.

Meanwhile, the long-running ABC daily soap will continue to twist story arcs to add to the viewers' interests as Drew tries his next nefarious action to clear his image.

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General Hospital: What caused fan wrath against Drew to spill over?

Drew Caine's character has undergone significant change on General Hospital over the years. The character who arrived in town as the aggrieved twin of Jason Morgan was initially a likable personality who teamed up with Carly and Sam in romantic relationships. However, his transformation since his assault inside the prison almost a year ago seems to have turned him into a villain.

After having a no-strings-attached relationship with Nina Reeves, he kissed Willow on July 4, 2024. This soon escalated into a full-blown affair, thanks to Drew stalking Willow. After their questionable intimacy in the children's nursery following Sam's death, he became a universally disliked character.

Since he manipulated Willow into worshipping him, attacked Tracy, blackmailed Portia, sided with Sidwell, and tried to destroy Curtis, he garnered several enemies in Port Charles. However, recently, his dirty trick of trying to poison little Wiley against Michael was an all-time low.

While General Hospital fans have been angry with Drew for a long time, his recent deplorable actions have pushed fans to demand that Drew leave town for DC. Some fans are also asking for the actor, Cameron Mathison, to be fired. This prompted his co-stars to come forward in his defence to say that Mathison is very different in his personal life from the character he plays on screen.

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What is up with Drew on General Hospital next?

Drew got Ric Lansing onboard to represent Willow in court, in her custody battle with Michael. He also tried some evil tricks to spoil any possibility of Willow and Michael's patch-up, including interfering in the former's trip to Germany to meet Michael, and poisoning Wiley against the child's father.

However, none of his dirty tricks worked, and Willow lost custody of her children. Drew next consulted Michael Knight's Martin Grey to see if a re-appeal was a possibility. Having learned that the options were a dead end, he approached Jason with a request for Michael.

The General Hospital spoilers suggest Jason will likely refuse to do his bidding. Left with very few options, Drew may again plan something sinister. However, he has too many secrets that may tumble out of closets in the upcoming episodes.

On one hand, Willow is wondering whether her association with Drew caused her to lose more than she deserved. On the other hand, Curtis is planning an attack on the Congressman using Jacinda. Whether this plan succeeds in derailing Drew remains to be seen.

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Continue watching General Hospital as Drew's fate unravels in the upcoming episodes on ABC and Hulu.