Former General Hospital actors Nicolas Bechtel and Ryan Paevey have opened up about the negative effects of hurtful fan comments.
Bechtel, 19, played Spencer Cassadine in several seasons of the show, while the latter played Nathan West on the show for a total of five years.
Bechtel began by writing that he would temporarily suspend his acting career to pursue higher education and expressed that many of the show’s fans seemed to disagree with his decision to step away from the show.
“I’m heading off to college in the fall and I fully understand that I’m not everyone’s cup of tea and I’m okay with that,” he posted on Twitter last month.
The actor went on to write that he was fully aware of the often harsh messages that certain overzealous General Hospital fans were sharing online.
Former General Hospital actors Nicolas Bechtel and Ryan Paevey spoke out about the negative effects of hurtful fan comments in a series of messages shared on X earlier this year; Bechtel is seen in 2020
‘I follow the hashtag #gh and all the negativity that comes with it is really sad. “Actors, writers and producers read things on social media and it’s very discouraging,” he wrote.
Paevey responded to the message in kind, stating that negative interactions with fans were part of his reasoning for “why I quit” the show.
The performer went on to write that he was particularly alarmed by the caustic messages from soap opera fans he often saw online during his time on General Hospital.
“Soap Twitter was one of the most caustic online environments I have ever experienced…crowds of armchair judges with no ability or experience to judge people who work hard to entertain,” he wrote.
The actor concluded by writing that he didn’t ‘miss’ dealing with rude fans of the show at all.
While Bechtel returned to the show for a guest appearance in 2020 before the role of Cassadine was recast, Paevey’s character Nathan West was killed off in 2018.
The latter of the two appeared in several Hallmark Channel movies, including Two Tickets To Paradise and Fourth Down and Love, over the next few years.
However, Paevey recently revealed that he could potentially take a year-long break from acting in several messages shared on his X account.
The 19-year-old performer played Spencer Cassadine in several seasons of the show, while the latter played Nathan West on the show – which recently saw Steve Burton return to its ranks – for a total of five years; Paevey is seen in 2022
Bechtel began by writing that he was temporarily putting his acting career on hold to pursue his higher education and expressed that many of the show’s fans seemed to disagree with his decision to step away from the show.
The actor went on to write that he was fully aware of the often harsh messages being shared online by certain overzealous General Hospital fans.
Paevey responded to the message in kind, stating that negative interactions with fans were part of his reasoning for “why I quit” the show.
Paevey recently revealed that he may be taking a year-long break from acting in several messages shared on his X account.
The interpreter wrote via Us weekly that his last year in the entertainment industry had “left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth.”
He then expressed that he was embracing the idea of taking “some time away from a world so full of fake friends and empty promises.”
After several of his fans reacted with surprise and began reaching out to ask about his well-being, Paevey insisted that he was otherwise doing well and was looking forward to the rest of 2024.
‘I had a great career. I like my simple life in my store, helping my little brother and browsing frequently. “I have a lot to be grateful for, I will find a way to stay afloat without performance income,” she wrote.