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EXCLUSIVE | ‘Obsession’ actor Darin Toonder reveals why he loved playing General Hospital's ‘evil’ Dr Montague: ‘Fans would...’

In an exclusive sitdown with MEAWW, Darin Toonder also recalled the one fan comment that left him in stitches

As 'Obsession' continues its impressive run at the box office, audiences are discovering the talented cast behind the horror-thriller's breakout success. Among them is Darin Toonder, who plays Harry, the laid-back hippie working at the antique store where the supernatural artifact known as the One Wish Willow is kept. 

While Toonder brings comic relief to the chilling film, longtime television viewers may recognize him from his memorable stint on 'General Hospital.' The actor portrayed Dr Damon Montague, a manipulative physician whose criminal schemes made him one of the soap's most despised villains. The actor appeared in nearly 20 episodes of the long-running soap and relished the opportunity to fully embrace a character with virtually no redeeming qualities. Though fans loved seeing his downfall, Toonder recently told MEAWW that playing the show's resident bad guy was one of the most enjoyable experiences of his career.

"Playing just a completely evil person on 'General Hospital' and getting to do it for about 18 episodes was so much fun," Toonder told MEAWW. The role also reminded him of advice he unknowingly received years earlier from his mother. Growing up, the pair often watched 'Little House on the Prairie' together, and Toonder remembers being surprised by her admiration for one of the show's most disliked characters.

"There was a character, Mrs. Oleson, who was just a despicable person," he recalled. "My mom would always say, 'I would love to play that kind of role.' I asked her why, and she said, 'Because it's so much fun playing the evil person.'" At the time, Toonder found the comment surprising, especially coming from someone he describes as "such a sweetheart." But years later, while portraying Dr. Montague, he finally understood exactly what she meant.

The actor said some of his favorite moments came from reading reactions from devoted 'General Hospital' viewers, many of whom directed their anger at his character straight to his social media accounts. "The fans would say these horrible things to me, and I loved it," he said with a laugh. "One person wrote, 'Watching you and what you do on the show makes me want to barf.' I thought that was hysterical. I was just bursting out laughing." 

Far from being offended, Toonder viewed the responses as proof that he was doing his job well. He even enjoyed meeting fans in person at official 'General Hospital' fan events, where many were surprised to discover that the actor behind one of the show's most hated villains was nothing like his on-screen counterpart. "People would tell me it's always the most evil characters who are the nicest people in real life," he said. "It was such a great experience. The cast, the crew, everybody on that set was wonderful, and getting to work so many days on that show was a blessing."

For the unversed, Toonder's stint as Dr. Damon Montague ultimately came to an end in 2023 after the character's increasingly evil actions caught up with him. From manipulating Sasha Corbin (Sofia Mattsson) to later holding her hostage, Montague cemented his place among the more memorable villains to pass through Port Charles before being arrested and written off the series.

While fans may remember him as one of 'General Hospital's' most despised antagonists, audiences can now see Toonder in a completely different light in 'Obsession,' where he trades villainy for comic relief as the easygoing Harry.