Chad Duell Announces He's Leaving “General Hospital ”After Nearly 15 Years: 'This Wasn't an Easy Decision for Me'

The actor has played Michael Corinthos on the soap opera since 2010

Chad Duell is leaving General Hospital, nearly 15 years after he first joined the soap opera's cast.

The actor, 37, announced his departure from the series in an Instagram post on Saturday, Nov. 23, writing that "[after] many incredible years with General Hospital, I’ve decided to step away from the show."

He continued: "This wasn’t an easy decision for me, but it feels like the right time in my life. I’m beyond grateful to [executive producer] Frank Valentini, the cast, crew and everyone behind the scenes who have been like family to me throughout this amazing journey."

"To all the fans: thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unwavering support and for letting Michael Corinthos be a part of your lives. Your love and encouragement has meant the world to me," he concluded, adding, "This isn’t a goodbye — it’s a see you later. Much love, Chad."

Related: Happy 60th Anniversary, 'General Hospital' ! PEOPLE Is Celebrating with a New Special Edition

Duell has played Michael Corinthos, the son of A.J. Quartermaine (Sean Kanan) and Carly Spencer ( Laura Wright) on the ABC soap since 2010. He took over the role from Drew Garrett, and won a Daytime Emmy in 2015 for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series.

Although no replacement has been announced to play Michael, actor Robert Adamson portrayed the character intermittently beginning in 2022 after Duell experienced scheduling conflicts, per Soap Opera Digest.

Duell welcomed his first baby in September 2023 with his girlfriend Luana Lucci. In an Instagram post at the time, the couple revealed that the baby was a boy, named Dawson.

"Welcome to the world lil Dawson 👶🏻. Been quite the journey.. can’t wait to see the great man you become 🙌🏻 @luanalucci," the new dad captioned the post.

Related: 20 Celebrities You Completely Forgot Starred on General Hospital

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Duell's exit comes after PEOPLE reported in August that Kelly Monaco would be leaving General Hospital. In an October episode, her character Sam McCall was killed off, and Monaco alleged in a since-deleted comment on Soap Hub's Instagram in October that her exit from the show was "retaliation."

"When Billy Miller was fired, Sam’s storyline stopped. Stripping Sam of every characteristic she had,” she wrote. “Something I worked for decades to build… Slowly dismantling her, into a character that I did not recognize, let alone the audience. Call it what you will… retaliation at it [sic] finest. I will give a proper statement. The truth will set you free.”

Monaco, who originated the character of Sam and appeared in more than 2,300 episodes of the soap, earned a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2006 for best supporting actress.