Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco)

Samantha McCall is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital portrayed by Kelly Monaco since October 2003 and has since renewed her contract.

Character portrayal
The role of Sam has been portrayed by Playboy's April 1997 Playmate of the Month and the first champion on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, Kelly Monaco, since October 1, 2003. In 2006, Monaco was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role. Sam is the biological daughter of Alexis Davis who had Sam as a teen and was forced to give her up by Sam's grandfather, Mikkos Cassadine. Sam was adopted by Cody McCall and Evelyn Bass. Cody and Evelyn's older son, Danny McCall, was mentally handicapped. Evelyn decided that she didn't want Sam, so she took her son Danny and left. Sam was raised by Cody, who taught her how to salvage and run cons. When Sam found out about her mother and brother, she went to find them. In an accident, Danny burned his mother's house down with her inside. Sam continued to run cons as her father taught her while using the money to take care of Danny. She married several wealthy men in order to scam them out of their money, and provide a life for herself and her brother. In August 2009, fans were shocked by a casting call for the character. Despite rumors and speculation, Monaco's co-stars Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) have denied that she is departing from the show. If Kelly Monaco were to leave the fan favorite role behind, it would leave a major hole in the canvas and the ratings would likely plummet as many fans are pleased with the Jason and Sam reunion. The casting call that was put out also describes another character, Claudia Corinthos, who's actress is leaving the series. Kelly Monaco re-signed with the series until August 2010.

Arrival and initial romances (2003 - 2004)
Sam arrived in Port Charles on October 1, 2003 and quickly teamed up with Jasper "Jax" Jacks to find the 5 lucky cards of the Dead Man's hand, which would save Jax's father's life. When Jax's father died, there was friction because Sam also perused the cards. After consummating their relationship, Jax breaks up with Sam after he discovers Sam's involvement in tampering his car and Sam begins a sexual relationship with Sonny Corinthos, in which she soon got pregnant and made an enemy of Sonny's wife, Carly Corinthos. Jason Morgan (Sonny's right hand man) asked her if he could pose as the baby's father so that Sonny and Carly could stay together, but Sonny soon learns that Sam is carrying his child. It was around this time that Sam began a friendship with Jason and the two almost got married up until Sam declared that she didn't love him at the time and she didn't want to make a false commitment. During the Port Charles Hotel fire, Sam slept with Jax, causing friction between her and Sonny, so she went to live with Jason as he was posing as her baby's father. Jason and Carly had also protected Sam from her abusive ex-boyfriend Nico. When Sonny's new-found daughter, Kristina Corinthos, needed stem cells from Sam's unborn child, Sam initially refused but after a confrontation with Alexis she went into labor, causing her baby to be stillborn and the child was buried in November 2004 as Baby Girl McCall. Jason and Sam had decided to name her daughter Lila Morgan after Jason's late grandmother Lila Morgan Quartermaine, but was never made official, the child was buried as Baby Girl McCall.

New loves (2004 - 2009)
Sam and Jason admitted their love for one another. In January 2005, they become engaged, and also become foster parents of sorts when Sam agrees to care for the child of a young mother named Bridget. Jason names the baby Hope, but Bridget decides that she wants her baby back. To avoid a court battle, Jason decides Hope should be returned to her mother. Sam is hurt and angry at this decision, but she is there for Jason when he loses his memory in 2005. Sam convinces Jason to undergo a controversial treatment administered by his old girlfriend, Dr. Robin Scorpio. After Jason loses his memory, he and Sam fall in love all over again and he proposes to her a second time before he begins his treatment. The treatment is a success and causes him to regain his memory.

In March 2006, Sam learns that she had been adopted. During an encephalitis epidemic, Alexis Davis receives an antidote instead of Sam's brother, Danny McCall. Before he dies, Danny tells Sam how glad he was that their parents "chose her." Sam is angry and blames Alexis for her brother's death. However, DNA tests reveal that Danny was not her biological brother. She and Jason find records indicating that Sam was born to a 16 year old Alexis (whom she hates) on May 11th, 1980. After Sam takes a bullet meant for Jason from a stalker who harmed Sam for nearly a year, Alexis forces Jason to break up with Sam, for her own good, leading Sam to have Alexis walk in on Sam and Alexis's husband in bed. Instead, Jason sees through the window, and returns home where Elizabeth Spencer shows up. They have a one night stand and she becomes pregnant. Sam and Jason reconcile but break up after Sam witnesses the kidnapping of Elizabeth's son Jake and initially keeps quiet about it, and then proceeds to set up a fake dangerous encounter in the park where Elizabeth was with her two sons. Sam is also caught in the Metro Court hostage crisis, in which she struggles to save many of the residents. Sam hired Elizabeth's husband, Lucky Spencer, as her bodyguard so she could seduce him. She slept with Lucky on September 17, 2007. Sam and Lucky were lovers while Lucky and Elizabeth awaited their final divorce proceedings. Sam was terrorized by Diego Alcazar, masked as the text message killer and Elizabeth and Lucky saved her. Lucky and Sam continued their relationship but Lucky could not handle Sam working for mobster Andrei Karpov, causing friction and eventually a break-up. In November 2008, she and Elizabeth (along with Jake and Cameron) are tortured by Russians while Jason is distracted in Port Charles. Sam saves the children and helps Jason rescue Jake when he is kidnapped. Sam makes a new friendship with Lucky's ex, Elizabeth. After a hospital crisis in February 2009, Lucky and Sam had a very civil break-up and decided to remain friends.

Reconciling with Jason (2009 - present)
In January 2009, a distraught Damian Spinelli visited Sam when he was hacked by FBI agent Winifred Leeds because the Feds were tracking his movements. Spinelli was arrested by the FBI, but Jason was able to get Spinelli released by making a deal with the Feds. When the Feds go against their word and make Jason betray Sonny, Sam breaks into the room where the FBI stores the evidence and destroys it, saving both Jason and Spinelli. Jason, appreciating this, helps set up a P.I. organization for Sam and Spinelli through his accountant Bernie Abrahms who was previously a private investigator. Sam helps Jason by gathering evidence against Claudia Corinthos to prove to Sonny that she was involved in Michael's shooting. Sam is suspicious of Claudia when she hears that Claudia is pregnant with Sonny's child. Sam faces a crisis when Kristina is causing trouble in Port Charles, and was possibly responsible for Claudia's car accident. Sam goes to Jason, who also says that Michael Corinthos was responsible. Sam is slowly reconciling with Jason. Sam and Jason go looking for Sonny's kids Michael and Kristina and they are to become closer on their trip. When Spinelli informs Sam that Alexis confessed to running Claudia off the road, she realizes Kristina was the driver who ran Cladia off the road, not Michael. After Jason gets injured from a fight with Jerry Jacks, Sam finds him buried underneath some rubble and saves his life. On August 25 2009, Jason and Sam make love in the room of the church. On August 28, 2009 Sam and Jason find Michael and Kristina in Cancun, Mexico. As of August it looks like another try for Jason and Sam is in the works. On September 1, 2009 Sam and Jason bring Michael and Kristina home. Sam and Alexis get into and argument over whether or not Alexis was being to lenient on Kristina. Later Sam goes to the penthouse to meet Jason and discuss what happened, they end up kissing as Maxie and Spinelli walk in.

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