"I want to stay on General Hospital forever!” — Josh Kelly explains contract shift, upcoming projects, and his love for playing Cody Bell

Rumors spread rapidly - was Cody Bell on General Hospital leaving Port Charles? In a candid chat with Soap Opera Digest on August 11, 2025, Kelly set the record straight, explaining that the change was his own decision.

He's not leaving the show. Instead, he's making a change that will give him more freedom to do other creative work while maintaining his commitment to the soap opera that has become his second home.

Kelly’s portrayal of Cody Bell since 2022 has made the character a real one with charm, loyalty, and vulnerability. Cody's past is full of family secrets, emotional discoveries, and strange connections. He is the son of Mac Scorpio and Dominique Baldwin.

"I want to stay on General Hospital forever!" — Josh Kelly told Soap Opera Digest on August 11, 2025, when addressing his contract shift.

Josh Kelly states that it's a decision for flexibility, not departure

Josh Kelly explained that his move from contract to recurring status was entirely voluntary. The main reason? To have the freedom to pursue other projects while continuing to appear on General Hospital. One of those projects is a film with his real-life girlfriend and GH alum Chloe Lanier. The two are also planning a sequel to Kelly’s action movie The Workout. 

“I just wouldn’t be able to do that if I was on contract,” he said, acknowledging that the show’s demanding schedule leaves little room for long-term outside work.

He praised Executive Producer Frank Valentini for accommodating his schedule in the past. Kelly shared that while filming The Workout, Valentini “bent over backwards to make it work.” Still, juggling night shoots for the movie and day shoots for GH sometimes made him feel like he was letting one project down. This new arrangement gives him more balance without stepping away from the role he loves.

A fresh chapter for Cody Bell

Even with the contract change, the storyline for Cody is far from slowing down. In current plots, Cody’s romantic sparks with Molly have been complicated by a twist - Kristina, Molly’s sister, hires Cody to interact with Ava, a blackmailer involved with Molly’s father. The result is a web of drama that Kelly calls “fun and interesting.”

Kelly loves working with Kristen Vaganos, Maura West, and Kate Mansi, crediting them with helping him find a creative groove. 

“I really think this is the hardest and best acting gymnasium in the world,” he said.

General Hospital portrays Cody Bell’s journey in Port Charles

Cody Bell entered General Hospital with a dramatic splash - literally - skydiving into the Metro Court pool in 2022. Cody was Dante Falconeri's childhood friend, and his story slowly came together, showing a complicated past. At first, people thought Cody was the son of Leopold Taub. But in the end, he admitted that his real father was Mac Scorpio, something he had been hiding for personal and financial reasons.

Cody was given up for adoption and raised by the Bell family. Before he found a home in Port Charles, he had to deal with being left alone, losing things, and keeping things a secret. He has a history with Brook Lynn Quartermaine and knows some private things about her past. He also has strong ties with Sasha Corbin. 

Cody has become more emotionally attached to the town as he has grown closer to his new family, which includes Mac, Felicia, Maxie, and young James West. During the 2024 Fourth of July party, when he finally told Mac the truth about being his father, it was a turning point that will never be forgotten.

Cody has valued time with his family a great deal. He finally gave in to the love he had been avoiding for a long time when he saw the Scorpios again at Christmas 2024. This sense of belonging now defines him and gives him more depth than the charming and sometimes careless persona he first showed.

Kelly makes fun of the fact that he's not done changing things, especially when it comes to love.

"I won't leave the show until they let Cody date Tracy!" he said with a laugh.

Kelly doesn't think of becoming a recurring character as taking a step back. It's about giving himself room to grow in all parts of his career while still staying at General Hospital. His film projects, like the one he's working on with Chloe Lanier, give him the chance to be more creative, while GH keeps him in touch with a passionate fan base and castmates he loves.

The deal shows that the actor and producers understood each other: the actor needs flexibility, and the show needs continuity. Fans can be sure that Kelly isn't planning to leave Port Charles. Instead, he's looking for a way to stay there for a long time.

General Hospital episodes are available to stream on ABC.