Shawn Butler is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera General Hospital. The role is portrayed by actor Sean Blakemore and first appeared on January 24, 2011, on a recurring basis. On April 6, 2011, it was announced that Blakemore was put on contract with the series. On May 18, 2015, it was announced that Blakemore had taped his last scenes as Shawn and would be exiting the series. Butler returned for one day on November 19, 2015. Butler was visited by Sam and Jason Morgan in early April 2016.