Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst)


 * Ric redirects here. For other uses of the name, see Richard (disambiguation)

Richard "Ric" Lansing is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. The character has been played by soap opera veteran Rick Hearst, since 2002.

Casting and background
Rick Hearst originated the role in 2002. On June 14 and June 15, 2007, the role of Ric Lansing was played by Nick Kiriazis. In 2004, Hearst won a Daytime Emmy Award as "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" for the role, at the 31st Daytime Emmy Awards. He won again in 2007 in the "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" category. Hearst was taken off contract in April 2009, and left the show on June 25, 2009, to return to The Bold and The Beautiful as Whipple Jones III.

Before Ric was born, his father, Trevor, had an affair with Sonny's mother, Adela. Adela ended up getting pregnant, and Trevor sent her and Sonny to live in his vacation home located in Martha's Vineyard to prevent from his wife finding out about Adela. While pregnant, Adela accidentally fell down the stairs. Later, Trevor told Ric that Sonny had done it because of jealousy. After Ric was born, Trevor tried to make her put Sonny up for adoption, but instead she left with only Sonny. Because of this, Ric blames Sonny for not having his mother in his life. Just prior to arriving in Port Charles, Ric attended Harvard Law School.

Storylines
Five months after he arrives in Port Charles, he reveals to Sonny that he is actually his half-brother. After years of a tumultuous relationship with his brother he no longer wants revenge on his brother. Through the years, Ric has constantly wanted to drive a wedge through Sonny and Jason's brotherly relationship. Upon arriving, he flirts with Carly Corinthos, as a way of getting to Sonny. He soon dates Elizabeth Webber, whom he marries in 2003. After Elizabeth miscarries her child with Ric, Ric accuses Sonny responsible for the miscarriage and kidnaps his pregnant wife, Carly, keeping her hostage in a room and planning to steal their child. After Carly escapes, Sonny pushes Ric down the stairs and Elizabeth divorces Ric and sleeps with Zander Smith. After Zander's sudden death, Elizabeth discovers that she is pregnant and Ric agrees to raise the child. The two remarry but soon divorce due to Rics obsession with Sonny, and Elizabeth gives birth to Cameron Webber, who Ric never raised. Nonetheless, Ric has said many times that Elizabeth was the first person he ever loved, and she and Cameron were the most important people in his life.

Soon after, Carly is kidnapped by Lorenzo Alcazar and Ric decides to help Sonny and Jason find her, and Sonny allows him to become his advocate. This is part of Ric's revenge plan, however. Ric later insults Sam McCal, Jason's girlfriend, leading Jason to assault him until Sonny stops Jason from going too far. Ric soon pursues Alexis Davis, Soony's ex, and marries her. Ric bonds with Alexis and her daughter Kristina. Alexis becomes pregnant and gives birth to Ric's daughter on November 5, 2005. Throughout the pregnancy, Ric dates Reese Marshall, but Reese dies in a train crash. Ric reconciles with Alexis and he helps her discover that Sam McCall is her daughter. When Sam and Ric's respective relationships sour, they end up in bed, in which Jason and Alexis walk in. Alexis divorces Ric in December 2006. Since then, Jason was charged with Alcazar's murder. Ric tries his hardest to get Jason stuck in jail for life——putting Sonny's business in danger. Luckily for Jason and Sonny, Carly and Jerry Jacks find evidence that frees Jason. He even tries to put Sonny's girlfriend, Kate Howard, in jail for six months for his revenge scheme, but Ric's father comes to Port Charles and erases the charges. Ric tries to move on with Elizabeth Spencer, his ex, but she refuses, even though he admits she was the only one he truly loved. Ric and Skye Quartermaine go to Nikolas Cassadine's Black and White Ball together, where he is impaled with a sword. When he needs a blood transfusion, Sonny donates his blood, although he is hesitant. Before Alexis is taken off the island due to her own medical issues, Ric and Alexis agree to get past the events that took place during their shaky marriage.

Ric later goes to work for Anthony Zacchara and releases him from an asylum. Ric also gets Johnny Zacchara acquitted of murder, leading John's sister Claudia Corinthos to award him, with sex. Their relationship lasts until Anthony forces Claudia to marry Sonny, but Ric still sleeps with Claudia until she and Sonny get intimate. Ric later discoveres her involvement in Michael Corinthos's shooting, and after months of taunting Claudia with the information, he rapes her in April 2009 and reveals Claudia's secret to Sonny. Sonny, who distrusts Ric, asks him for further evidence and allows his wife to live with him until she is proven guilty. After Claudia becomes pregnant, Ric convinces Sonny that the baby could be his. But unexpectantly, on June 25, 2009, Ric flees Port Charles and moves to Los Angeles, in the hopes of leaving Sonny, Claudia, and all of his old demons behind, and building himself a new life there. In his final scene, he is seen entering an elevator and telling Claudia, "Don't worry about me. I'll be back," and smiling as the doors close.

On July 20, 2009, Claudia contacts Ric, telling him that Sonny is the father of her son, and that there is no need for him to return to return to Port Charles. Moments after hanging up, Claudia is run off the road, causing her to lose the baby.

In March 2010, Alexis is talking with her nephew, Nikolas Cassadine, and tells him that she and Ric hardly speak to each other, despite sharing a child. It is stated that Molly visits her father for Christmas, 2010.