James Patrick Stuart addresses romance speculation while emphasizing Valentin’s lingering obsession with Anna.

On General Hospital, Valentin escaped WSB custody, slipped into Carly’s house, and promptly became the world’s most irritating houseguest, equal parts menace and unwanted roommate. It’s a setup that shouldn’t work on paper, yet it does immediately, because Valentin isn’t returning as a conquering villain or a romantic lead. He’s returning sideways, unmoored, and slightly desperate. And according to James Patrick Stuart, that’s exactly why this version of Valentin works so well.

Key Takeaways

Valentin returns off-balance, not dominant, which is why the storyline clicks.
James Patrick Stuart says the comeback felt natural, especially opposite Laura Wright.
Carly and Valentin’s history allows humor without softening the danger.
Valentin’s flexibility lets him warn, joke, and threaten in the same breath.
The role’s decade-long run reflects continued trust from the show.
You Can Go Home Again
Stuart spoke with Soap Opera Digest about stepping back into Valentin’s shoes after months of absence and uncertainty about whether the show would even call. He described the return less as a plan and more as a pleasant shock, one that dropped him straight into scenes with Laura Wright (Carly) and into a dynamic that already felt lived-in. “Isn’t it fun?” he said.

The chemistry with Wright doesn’t come from manufactured tension or forced spark. It comes from shared history and comfort, from two actors who don’t need to explain anything to each other onscreen. Stuart pointed out that the Carly-and-Valentin pairing works because it allows for lightness without undercutting stakes, a balance soaps often forget they’re allowed to strike.

That tonal flexibility is what makes Valentin useful at the moment. He can trade warnings, land jokes, and still feel dangerous. He’s not driving the story alone; he’s collaborating on it.

Old Obsessions, New Angles
Stuart also leaned into the humor baked into Valentin’s current predicament, crediting the genre’s need for comic relief and citing moments that let the character acknowledge the absurdity without winking at the audience. “Well, I had a parachute,” he deadpanned of Valentin’s escape, and that line tells you everything about his latest approach.

Romance speculation comes with the territory, and Stuart didn’t dismiss it. “I’d be a fool not to!” he said, not ruling anything out. He noted that Carly is struggling with her relationship to Jack (Chris McKenna) and pondered a romantic triangle. However, Valentin is still head-over-heels for Anna (Finola Hughes), which could change the dynamic. As he hilariously put it: “Well, I guess that would be a square.”

He also explained his shock at a job that was supposed to be only for 10 days turned into a decade in the blink of an eye. “It was one of those things where I was really just hoping to get a down payment for my wife’s car,” he enthusiastically noted, explaining that without a contract, the powers that be must really like him because they keep coming up with great stories for Val.