Peter August is a fictional character from General Hospital, an American soap opera on the ABC network, portrayed by Wes Ramsey. Peter is introduced as a media publisher in 2017, and is soon revealed to be the previously unknown son of Cesar Faison (Anders Hove) and Alex Marick (Finola Hughes). However, he was believed to be the son of Anna Devane (also Hughes), Alex's twin sister.

Peter’s introduction garnered very mixed reactions from both critics and viewers alike. While most felt the story undermined Anna's long history and backstory, a few, including ABC Soaps In Depth actually liked the umbrella affect the story had on the canvas. Despite the critiques about Peter being Anna's son, many praised Ramsey for his "compelling" and "nuanced" portrayal of the character. TV Insider hailed the revelation of Peter's lineage as one of the "Best Moments" of the year, while Michael Fairman TV said Peter was the "Most Polarizing Character" of the season and Soap Opera Digest felt it was too big a "rewrite" for fans to believe.

So all of my work was watching Finola [Hughes] and Anders [Hove] playing Anna and Cesar Faison on YouTube clips – and there are hundreds of ’em out there! So I’m going back and watching these characters on the show in the 80’s and in the 90’s; watching the way they move and listening to the way they talk. Obviously, none of the stuff about the characters of Anna and Peter was revealed to me then, only that I was the son of Faison. The fact that it became Anna as well later, I felt it was fantastic that I’d already been watching so much of her as well. And watching his obsession with her and watching the way they performed and acted together over the years. I felt like a lot of the groundwork I needed for my scenes with her had already happened in preparing to work with Anders and being Cesar Faison’s son.

In October 2017, TVLine announced that Wes Ramsey, previously recognized for his portrayal of Sam Spencer on Guiding Light, had been cast in the "mystery role" of Peter August. Besides his first air-date, no further details were made available at press time. Ramsey, who had recently become known to General Hospital fans as the boyfriend of Laura Wright – who plays Carly Corinthos – took to social media about his casting: "Port Charles is a dream come true!" Ramsey accompanied Wright to set one day and had a friendly encounter with executive producer Frank Valentini. A few months later, Ramsey came in to audition for the role of Peter. In 2009, Ramsey auditioned at One Life to Live where Valentini also served as executive producer. Ramsey felt he and Valentini had "unfinished business" after their first meeting in 2009. With his most recent stint in daytime being a short lived role at Days of Our Lives, Ramsey turned to daytime once again because he missed the genre. "To tell you the truth, I felt better about this time and this role and this show than any other time in my career." Wright helped him prepare for the screen test. Ramsey competed against 8 other actors, and auditioned 3 times for the role. The actors, including Ramsey, auditioned with opposite Finola Hughes who plays Peter's mother, Anna.

Hughes concluded that Henrik/Peter's creation was a surefire way to, in the words of ABC Soaps In Depth, "blow up" the canvas for so many characters. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, Ramsey explained that Peter was presented to him as a "much smaller role and throughout the course of a few weeks, grew into something else." Despite their hesitation, both Hughes and her co-star Tristan Rogers — who plays Anna's ex-husband Robert — agreed that the story of Peter's conception and birth would fit into the timeline without completely upending the history between their own characters.

In June 2021, Ramsey exited the role. Following a two month absence, Ramsey returned to the role during the final moments of the August 23 episode. On February 23, 2022, he exited the role once again. Ramsey made an announced guest return during the January 23, 2026, episode.

Ramsey characterized Peter August to be a "genuinely good guy" as originally presented to the audience. But, Ramsey insisted, "He's no pushover!" Peter is "complicated, confusing and disturbing" the actor stated. Ramsey said that Peter "obviously believes he's capable of outwitting anyone." Ramsey's favorite thing about Peter is "his complexity." Peter "thinks he's invincible" Ramsey later said. As far as Peter is concerned, "there isn't a situation he could find himself in that he can't handle." Underestimating those around him is "hubris." Peter has consistently been described as a "puppeteer" or "puppetmaster." Ramsey further described Peter as a "master communicator and manipulator." Despite his apparent arrogance, Peter can also show "vulnerability," "sadness and weakness" when he has to.

ABC Soaps In Depth has described the character as "debonair" "mysterious" and "rather cocky." The magazine described Peter as an "educated, well-mannered, worldly guy." However, he is a "recovering villain." Hope Campbell of Soap Hub described Peter as the "mild-mannered infamous traitor." She continued, "he seems a little humdrum… kinda like Nathan." Janet Di Lauro of said Peter looks like a "stiff, buttoned-up executive" at first glance. While he can be "devious" like Faison, he's "not as deadly." Caralynn Lippo of TV Fanatic described Peter as "menacing-yet-conflicted." Donald Thompson said Henrik/Peter is "like a chameleon." Anders Hove described Peter as a "brilliant, good-looking young man who's been let down — and has certain genes from his father that are not worth bragging about." Shabnaj Chowdhury saw Peter "as a man haunted by his upbringing and desperate for redemption."