Ever since Kelly Thiebaud returned to General Hospital as Britt Westbourne this summer, viewers have speculated that her presence on the canvas meant that Parry Shen, who has played Brad, Britt’s bestie and sometime partner-in-crime, on and off since 2013, might not be far behind. On the December 17th episode, the two pals finally reunited, sharing their first scenes together since Britt’s since-reversed death was scripted almost three years ago. Shen dished with Soap Opera Digest about the long-awaited moment.

Worth The Wait

Fans of Brad and Britt’s special relationship, which has featured everything from Brad pretending to be the father of Britt’s unborn child to their memorable, at-home hate watch of the fashion on the Nurses’ Ball red carpet, had been eager to see the “Bratt” bond renewed — and so, too, was Shen. Enthuses the actor, “With how much history Brad has had with Britt, and leaving off on such a high point in their relationship three years ago, karaokeing ‘I Knew You Were Waiting’ [at the New Years’ Eve/birthday bash Britt threw for herself the night she supposedly kicked the bucket], I was extremely interested and excited to explore how a reunion under these circumstances would play out.”

When he showed up to work that day to shoot Brad and Britt’s reunion, however, it was not his first time laying eyes on Thiebaud since she departed GH. “Kelly and I have actually hung out many times and kept more in contact with each other since she left,” he reports. “We did an event together in Atlantic City last year that was kind of a hot mess, but we bonded through that experience; misery loves company. So it was just nice to continue that interaction, but now while also being on set.”

The familiarity and ease of the on-set rapport they developed over  the course of many years hadn’t faded one bit. “It’s so simple working with her at this point,” the actor muses. “We’re both locked in, [we] both come to play, we know how the other works.” Not only that, he adds, but they are both “open and excited with each other’s ideas to help the scene and are always on the same page.”

As fans saw, Brad found it difficult to harbor hard feelings against Britt even in the face of her allowing him to grieve her “death,” and Shen understands why his alter ego was so quick to let bygones be bygones. “Initially, he was understandably furious,” Shen reasons of Brad’s (off-camera) discovery that Britt was very much alive. “But he’s now somewhat heard the explanations over the past few months through the rumor mill, paired with the passage of time and having this gift of his best friend being returned, has quelled his anger.”

And now that there’s nothing left for the duo to do but get back up to their old tricks — and GH watchers can expect more Britt and Brad shenanigans to continue as the week unfolds. Shen reveals, “During our time in Atlantic City, we discovered our shared affinity of dirty vodka martinis — martinis with extra olive brine and blue cheese-stuffed olives — and have ordered them many a time at a variety of restaurants/bars. In one of the first episodes [they are featured in together], Brad and Britt are at a restaurant celebrating their reunion and Britt asks Brad, ‘..Is it too early for martinis?’ And I was like, ‘Hold up — are the writers writing in our real lives!?!”

Declares Shen, “Everything that you have come to love and expect from these two will be on full throttle. The writers were definitely in the zone writing some wonderfully delicious scenes that will make you say, ‘OMG, of course this would happen with these two knuckleheads!’”