Steve Burton


Actor

About

Also Known As
Stephen Burton, Jack Stephen Burton
Birth Place
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Born
June 28, 1970

Biography

Fair-haired and blue-eyed actor Steve Burton, best known for his portrayal of Jason on ABC's "General Hospital," made his television debut as a regular on the syndicated series "Out of This World." On this sci-fi comedy he played Chris Fuller, a likable but somewhat doltish young man oblivious to the fact that his love interest Evie had supernatural powers and communicated with her alien...

Family & Companions

Sheree Gustin
Wife
Model. Born c. 1977; married on January 16, 1999 in Dana Point, California.

Biography

Fair-haired and blue-eyed actor Steve Burton, best known for his portrayal of Jason on ABC's "General Hospital," made his television debut as a regular on the syndicated series "Out of This World." On this sci-fi comedy he played Chris Fuller, a likable but somewhat doltish young man oblivious to the fact that his love interest Evie had supernatural powers and communicated with her alien father via a talking box of light. During the 1987-1990 run of "Out of This World," Burton first made his mark on daytime TV with a 1988 role as Harris Michaels on NBC's "Days of Our Lives." More memorable was the actor's long-running role on the daytime drama "General Hospital." Burton joined the show in 1991, playing Jason Quartermaine, an intelligent, sensitive and kind person quite unlike his more opportunistic and conniving half-brother A J. The illegitimate child of Alan Quartermaine and the late Susan Morgan, Jason was taken into the family as an infant and raised alongside his elder half-brother, the two sent together to boarding school. Jason, like so many other soap children, aged rapidly while away and returned to Port Charles the perfect young romantic lead, the character's early storylines putting him in an interracial relationship and a romantic predicament with too many participants to be called a love triangle. An alcoholism storyline would change Burton's role significantly when an accident caused by A J's drunk driving led to Jason's brain injury and subsequent amnesia. In this 1996 plot twist, his character emerged from the accident with no memory of his family, a group of people the new Jason quite understandably found unbearable. Dropping the Quartermaine last name and reinventing himself as Jason Morgan, the darker and more mysterious character was thrown into an exciting life in Port Charles' international mob scene, showing a softer side in his romance with Robin Scorpio, a sweet and strong-willed HIV-positive girl. Burton's intriguing portrayal of Jason's ongoing struggles, related to both his crime world lifestyle and his powerful and overbearing family, led to a Daytime Emmy win for the 1997-1998 season in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. A fan favorite, the handsome and compelling actor also has won several SOAP OPERA DIGEST awards during his run on the show. Burton has additionally starred in the direct-to-video action releases "Cybertracker" (1994) and its 1995 sequel "Cybertracker 2."

Life Events

1986

At age 16, left the Midwest (where he was raised by his mother) to live in Los Angeles, CA with father

1987

Made TV debut as regular on the syndicated sitcom "Out of This World"

1988

Landed first daytime role on "Days of Our Lives" (NBC), appeared as Harris Michaels

1990

Guest starred on an episode of ABC's "Who's the Boss?"

1991

Portrayed Jason Quartermaine/Jason Morgan on the ABC daytime drama "General Hospital"; reprised role briefly in late summer 2000 and again in 2001

1994

Appeared in the direct-to-video release "CyberTracker"

1995

Reprised his role in the sequel "Cyber-Tracker 2"

2001

Co-starred on NBC mid-season drama "Semper Fi"; network pulled plug on show before it aired

2001

Played supporting role in action feature "The Last Castle," starring Robert Redford

2002

Appeared in The Sci-Fi channel miniseries "Taken"

2005

Made writing and directing debut with the short film "Laws of Gambling"

2007

Reprised Jason Morgan role on primetime spin-off "General Hospital: Night Shift" (SOAPnet)

2012

Announced he was leaving "General Hospital" to spend more time with family

Family

Tory
Mother
Optician. Divorced from Burton's father; remarried; appeared with son on a Mother's Day special "Wheel of Fortune" for charity.
Sean Kanan
Cousin
Actor. Played his half-brother A J on "General Hospital"; distant cousin.

Companions

Sheree Gustin
Wife
Model. Born c. 1977; married on January 16, 1999 in Dana Point, California.

Bibliography