General Hospital fans know Rory Gibson as the new face of Michael Corinthos, but few realize how close he came to losing it all. Just a couple of years ago, Gibson was struggling to make ends meet — and even had no home to call his own.
From Daytime Security to Financial Strain
Before stepping into Port Charles, Gibson was a familiar face on The Young and the Restless as Noah Newman. Initially on contract, his role shifted to recurring, meaning fewer paychecks and less stability. Unfortunately, those “as-needed” calls stopped coming at the worst possible time.
The actor had just booked a small role in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire and was testing for several high-profile projects. But the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes brought everything to a screeching halt. With no acting income and no fallback work, his situation spiraled fast.
Speaking to Maurice Benard on the State of Mind podcast, Gibson revealed that both his and his fiancée Alicia Ruela’s incomes vanished almost overnight. Ruela’s modeling work dried up just as his acting opportunities disappeared.
“I already wasn’t making a ton of money,” Gibson admitted. “Neither of us were making any money, and we couldn’t afford rent. We had to bounce out.” For nearly a year, the couple lived a nomadic existence, couch-surfing with friends. The experience left them humbled, yet determined to keep chasing their dreams.
Starting Over from Scratch On General Hospital
In 2024, things began to shift. Gibson took a job as a trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp, slowly rebuilding his finances while the entertainment industry recovered. “It’s like I was resetting in a strange way,” he explained. “Life started to get kind of comfortable again.” The struggle also brought perspective. Gibson embraced the reality that acting comes with unpredictable highs and crushing lows, but for him, the passion outweighed the hardship.
While grateful for his time at The Young and the Restless, Gibson admitted he wasn’t feeling creatively fulfilled there. General Hospital, however, has been a completely different story. “Whereas now, it kind of does feel that way,” he said of his new role. “I feel extremely fulfilled.” From financial uncertainty to a prime-time spot on one of daytime’s biggest shows, Gibson’s journey is a reminder that resilience pays off.
General Hospital has given him more than a role — it’s given him the stability and satisfaction he fought so hard to find. And for fans, it’s proof that even in the soap world, the best comebacks happen off-screen too. For more exclusive celebrity stories and General Hospital updates, stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily.