Six months after officially stepping away from his acting career, former Hallmark star and “General Hospital” alum Ryan Paevey says he’s enjoying his “quieter life” in southern California, where he’s been designing jewelry, surfing, and helping his family.
In an Instagram post on December 16, 2024, Paevey posted a beach photo and wrote, “I get asked sometimes if I miss it….the way my life used to be. Not really, no. Hollywood paid pretty well, but it was pretty taxing on the heart, mind, and soul.”
Paevey continued, “A quieter life, salt on my face from a surf, sand on my feet and floor of the truck from the beach, the smell of surf wax and salt water, the sound of hammers and classic rock in my shop, pizza, margaritas…..lot of happiness in those words.”
However, Paevey did reveal he’s considering staging a comeback — though he’s not sure when or where, calling himself a “has-been” who might struggle to find new work. Fans quickly flooded his post with encouraging words, from some who advised him to take his time to others eager to see him back on their screens sooner than later.
Ryan Paevey Says ‘I May Yet Dabble in Film & TV’ in New Post
In June, Paevey issued an exclusive statement to EntertainmentNOW (formerly Heavy.com), announcing that he was “taking a step back from acting” after hinting for months on social media that he felt disconnected and burnt out after many years in Hollywood.
“The industry hasn’t felt like the place for me in quite some time now,” he said, “and my mental health has suffered from it. It’s taken me to a bit of a dark place, made me into a version of myself I don’t like very much.”
Paevey noted in his statement that after enduring financial woes — “bank accounts hacked, money embezzled, investments stolen” — he left LA to be closer to his mom, who’d been diagnosed with lung cancer, and was focused on expanding his jewelry and apparel business, Fortunate Wanderer.
In his December 16 post, Paevey flirted with a return to acting, writing, “Who knows, I may yet dabble in film and tv stuff….if i can even get a job anymore (Hollywood isn’t often welcoming of has beens aiming for a return). But for now, it’s a good life I’ve chosen, if a touch lonely, and i feel lucky. Fortunate Wanderer indeed. : )”
In less than 24 hours, nearly 12,000 fans and friends “liked” Paevey’s post, including Hallmark stars Wes Brown and Taylor Cole, and hundreds left encouraging comments, including one who wrote, “I’m very happy to know that you are happy & at peace with your life. Whatever is meant to be will be. All that matters is your happiness & well being.”
Ryan Paevey Tells Fan He’s ‘Not Famous Enough’ to Work With Netflix
GettyOther fans urged Paevey to seek out new acting opportunities, including someone who suggested he reach out to Netflix, which now produces several new Christmas rom-coms each year, including Hallmark mainstay Lacey Chabert’s 2024 hit, “Hot Frosty.”
Paevey replied, “we tried recently, I’m not famous enough for Netflix, haha….they were like ‘who? Nah'”
After starting out as a model, Paevey landed some small but high-profile acting gigs, including appearing in Christina Aguilera’s 2012 music video for “Your Body.” The next year, he landed a recurring role as Nathan West on “General Hospital,” and appeared in nearly 300 episodes during his six-year run there, per IMDb.
The California native also co-starred in more than a dozen Hallmark movies, beginning with Cindy Busby in 2016’s “Unleashing Mr. Darcy,” which inspired a sequel two years later. His last film was 2023’s “Under the Christmas Sky,” but his movies continue to air in rotation on the network, including upcoming airings of “A Fabled Holiday” co-starring Brooke D’Orsay and “Coyote Creek Christmas” with Janel Parrish, which is scheduled to air on December 17 at 10 p.m. Eastern time.
After Paevey released his lengthy statement in June, Hallmark Media provided its own statement to EntertainmentNOW that said, “We’re very sorry for all that Ryan is going through and our thoughts are with him in his effort to take care of himself as well as his mother and we wish him well.”
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Ryan Paevey Says He’s Enjoying ‘Quieter Life’ But Considering Acting Comeback