General Hospital has been keeping viewers on the edge of their seats with the mysterious return of Ethan Lovett and his connection to the late Delilah and her daughter, Phoebe. The show's exclusive interview with Nathan Dean, who portrays Ethan, offers a fascinating insight into the character's motivations and the potential paternity of Phoebe. While the plot thickens, one thing is clear: Ethan's actions suggest a deeper, more complex story than initially meets the eye.
Ethan's Return and a Surprising Connection
Nathan Dean himself was in the dark about Ethan's storyline when he first signed on to reprise his role. "I wasn't given many clues at all as to what I'd be doing," he reveals. "I saw the first script of him coming back and the reunion with Lulu and then talking about Luke a bit, but that was basically all I knew." But soon, a surprise awaited him: Ethan's connection to a baby. "There were some rumblings [backstage] about this other thing going on, something with a baby," Dean shares. "I was like, 'Hmm, what's going on with that?' And then, suddenly, it was like, 'Oh, wait! I am involved with that!’ That was sort of a fun surprise."
Ethan's return to Port Charles was shrouded in mystery, with him leaving messages for an unknown woman and growing concerned when she failed to show up. The revelation that Delilah had given birth to a baby girl, Phoebe, added a new layer to the intrigue. Dean hints at a deeper connection between Ethan and Delilah, saying, "The way I thought about it was, 'I'm flying halfway around the world to meet up with this girl, so there's obviously more to it.' Because Ethan is never the guy that's like, 'Let me bring [my significant other] home to meet the family.' He's never going to be that guy!"
The Mystery of Phoebe's Paternity
The question on everyone's mind is: Is Ethan Phoebe's father? Dean, like the fans, is eager to find out. "I can't wait to find out," he says with a smile. "As the plot continues to unfold, Ethan's pull to the baby will only grow stronger. Ethan is going to be making a lot of excuses to go to the Quartermaine mansion."
The role of Phoebe is shared by twins Luna and Lucia Creighton, and Dean describes them as "adorable" and "wonderful." He finds it easy to play Ethan's smitten demeanor, saying, "They steal all the focus. The cameras love them and they love the camera. They're always in a good mood. I don’t know what the trick is, I don’t know how they do it, but those are two of the happiest, most alert, excited babies I’ve ever seen in my life."
If Ethan is indeed Phoebe's father, there's a compelling reason for his reluctance to claim her. "This is a very complicated situation," Dean muses. "Ethan doesn’t necessarily need people digging into the circumstances of how we got here, what the relationship with Delilah was and why we had to come to Port Charles. But Ethan definitely wants to make sure that this kid is taken care of. He feels like he’s the reason that Delilah got killed and he doesn’t want to screw things up more than he already has."
The Sonny Corinthos Factor
Ethan's decision to work for Sonny Corinthos, the mob boss in Port Charles, adds another layer of intrigue. "He came into Port Charles with the mentality of, 'I'm going to keep you safe, Delilah,' and then he immediately goes to work for the mob boss in town? I think that was very deliberate," Dean notes. "That's about needing protection from someone. He's establishing a built-in army because he knows Sonny will go to war if someone comes at him. Ethan's thinking, 'Let me put myself behind that fence, because that's the safest place I can be.'"
A Complex Web of Secrets and Dangers
Ethan's actions and motivations are shrouded in secrecy, and Dean hints at a dangerous situation that Ethan is running from. "Whatever the full Ethan/Delilah story turns out to be, this is a stronger relationship than we've seen Ethan have or he wouldn't be burning her photo and doing all of these things," he says. "Obviously, there is a lot more to this relationship than we know about or that Ethan is willing to talk about."
As the mystery deepens, one thing is clear: Ethan's story is far from over. The question of Phoebe's paternity remains, and with it, the possibility of a shocking revelation. The show has successfully kept viewers guessing, and with Ethan's complex web of secrets and dangers, the intrigue is sure to continue. From my perspective, the show's ability to weave such a compelling and mysterious storyline is a testament to its skill, and I, for one, can't wait to see how it all unfolds.
