General Hospital recently bid adieu to a beloved character. During the Friday, Dec. 13 episode, fan-favorite Dex Heller, played by Evan Hofer, met his tragic end. Dex had been expected to make a full recovery after being stabbed several days prior, but unfortunately, he went into cardiac arrest while being visited by his girlfriend Josslyn (Eden McCoy) and friend Anna Devane (Finola Hughes).

The Emotional Departure of Dex Heller in General Hospital

Character's Initial Expectations and Fate

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, 27-year-old Evan Hofer revealed that he was "nervous" about how fans would react to the news. It was quite astonishing as his character was only supposed to appear on the show for "one to three months," yet he managed to leave a lasting impact. Just a few weeks before filming his final episode, he learned about Dex's fate. This unexpected turn of events only made him more grateful for the entire experience. "So my last few weeks were really just about soaking in how much I loved playing Dex and all the wonderful people at GH," he told the outlet. "I had an amazing two-and-a-half years there, and I wanted to do justice to the character in those final episodes."

Relationship with Series Veteran Maurice Benard

The actor also shared that he will deeply miss series veteran Maurice Benard with whom he had a significant plotline. "Mo [Maurice] has been truly special to me. I feel so fortunate to have worked with him from the very beginning. We hit it off on the first day, and it's all because of his warmth," he added. This bond between them added another layer of emotion to Dex's story.

Irony of Dex's Sudden Death

Hofer reflected on the bitter irony of his character's sudden death. After Dex had finally found love and someone who believed in him, it was a hard blow. "I think as the lover boy in me, I deeply love love. His relationship with Josslyn really impacted Dex the most in his efforts to get his life together, get out of the mob, become a police officer, and realize that he never thought he deserved anything good. He had a death wish for a long time, and then she gave him a reason to live," he told EW.

Impact on the Series and Future Opportunities

Looking to the future, Hofer reflected on how working in daytime soap operas has prepared him for whatever opportunities come his way next. "You start getting those 40 pages [of script] a day, and you think, 'How am I going to do all this the next day?' But it becomes second nature," he said. In terms of the series overall, Dex's death has created several big questions among the residents of Port Charles. Who was behind the stabbing? Could Dex's mentor-turned-enemy, Sonny, be to blame? These are the mysteries that now linger in the air.New episodes of General Hospital air weekdays at 2 p.m. ET on ABC.