LIFE after DEATH

Roger Howarth Says Good-Bye To Franco — But Not GH

Mara Levinsky

On March 9, Franco died a bloody death at the hands of Peter August, marking the end of Roger Howarth’s run in the role he assumed in 2013 after a 2012-13 stint as his ONE LIFE TO LIVE alter, Todd Manning. The actor is not, however, leaving GH, though the show is keeping mum about what — and who — he’ll be tasked with playing when he returns to work next month.

The actor is touched that Franco’s demise caused such an outcry among “Friz” fans. “I’m grateful and I’m really proud that I was part of a pairing that generated such positive devotion,” he says. “I know that not every story is for every fan, but the people that were rooting for Franco and Elizabeth were just so super-supportive. I think in this world, it’s important to lift one another up and support one another and the way they all reacted and comported themselves on the Internet, which is a place where negativity and cruelty fester, they were always in the light. So I’m really grateful that I could make a few people smile. That makes me happy.”