Phil Brewer

Roy Thinnes as Phil Brewer

**Dr. Philip "Phil" Brewer, MD** was a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera *General Hospital*.

Phil was an original cast member, originally portrayed by Roy Thinnes. He was most recently portrayed by Martin West. He was portrayed by Ryan Carnes in a flashblack episode on April 1, 2015.

## Storylines

In 1963, Jessie Brewer, R.N., was married to Dr. Phil Brewer, a dashing young intern, who was seven years her junior. Benevolent Jessie sacrificed to help him become a prominent cardiologist. Phil was an excellent doctor but a philandering husband. He had quite the roving eye and engaged in an affair with Cynthia Allison, a patient who went to college with him. Jessie could take no more and filed for divorce in 1964. Then Jessie found out she was pregnant. Phil decided to save his marriage and left Cynthia for Jessie. Unfortunately, Jessie miscarried.

After the miscarriage Phil and Jessie split up again. In 1965, while waiting for the final divorce papers to arrive, an inebriated Phil raped Jessie and she became pregnant again. Their child was born with a terminal heart ailment, and the brilliant surgeon could do nothing to prevent his child's death. To end this darkened tale, Jessie and Phil were finally divorced.

In 1967, Steve finds out that Audrey was helping Phil write his book as they had just gotten a publisher. Phil had grabbed Audrey by the hand and kissed her when she threatened to quit. She talked with Steve about the book and decided to tell Phil she was done.

Phil's ex-wife, Jessie, then found happiness with the kindly Dr. John Prentice, but it was sadly short-lived. When John died, Jessie fell under suspicion for murder! Phil and Jessie reunited during that whole ordeal and he helped to prove John, who'd been terminally ill, had committed suicide. He and Jessie were remarried, but their marriage ended yet again. This time Phil was accused of murdering John's daughter Polly Prentice, with whom he had had an affair. They were in a car crash where Polly lost her life and the baby she claimed was Phil's. He fled Port Charles and was later presumed killed in a plane crash.

In 1970, Phil was truly alive and took on an alias--"Harold Williamson", and worked in a restaurant near General Hospital. Deciding he wasn't good for Jessie, Phil found comfort in the arms of Diana Maynard, who worked at the restaurant as a waitress. Phil was in a car accident and he and Jessie came face to face at GH. Jessie was forced to annul her marriage to Peter Taylor and resume her life with Phil.

In 1971, Jessie and Phil Brewer's third reunion turned out to be a dismal failure. Phil found out that Diana had married Dr. Peter Taylor in order to give her unborn son by Phil a name. After Phil and Jessie broke up yet again, Diana informed Phil that she was now in love with Dr. Taylor. Diana gave birth to Phil's son, whom she named Tracy, while still married to Peter. Phil, who previously had sexual dysfunction issues was enraged. Fully capable of violence and rape, he barged into Diana's apartment and raped her. Diana was again pregnant with Phil's child. Diana was beside herself with fear her husband, Peter, would discover that this child, too, wasn't his.

Diana Taylor gave birth to a baby girl that she named Martha, and Phil was badgering Diana into leaving her husband for him. Peter eventually found out that Phil was little Martha's father. He no longer trusted Diana and stopped sleeping with her. Phil gave up on Diana and left General Hospital again. Diana reluctantly divorced Peter. Ironically, Peter admitted that he still loved Diana.

Phil made his way back to Port Charles to claim his former love, Diana. By this time Diana and Peter remarried. Augusta McLeod had written to Phil, telling him that she was carrying Peter's baby. She begged Phil not to tell Peter. Phil saw this as the perfect opportunity to win Diana's love. Phil went to Peter and told him the news, driving a wedge between Peter and Diana.

One night in 1974, nurse Jane Dawson found Jessie Brewer hugging Phil's lifeless body. "I'm sorry," Jessie kept saying over and over. Phil was dead!

Phil had a string of enemies, but it was Jessie who was ultimately charged with his murder. The blunt instrument that was used to deliver the fatal blow was never recovered. Just before Jessie's trial was about to begin, Diana Taylor suddenly confessed that she killed Phil Brewer. She turned over a blood stained geode to the police. She was tried, convicted, and sentenced.

A distraught Peter Taylor was convinced that Diana had confessed because she thought he killed Phil. Peter and attorney Lee Baldwin pieced together the murder details. Dr. Jim Hobart remembered he had seen Augusta with Phil that night. Peter badgered Augusta into a confession that she killed Phil. It was a case of self-defense - they were arguing and a violent Phil was hitting her. She struck him on the head and he died from his injuries. Augusta was convicted and sentenced. Her baby was placed in a foster home. When she was released she left town.