Jonathan Jackson Explains His Departure From the Role of Lucky Spencer on ‘General Hospital’

Fans of “General Hospital” were stunned last week to learn that Jonathan Jackson, who portrays the beloved legacy character, Lucky Spencer, was on his way out. The five-time Daytime Emmy winner returned to the show just last summer, and now his exit from Port Charles is imminent.

In a brand new interview with TV Insider, Jackson explains why it was his decision to walk away, when it was never really his plan. “It was more of a real, sincere attempt from myself and from General Hospital to make it work for a longer period of time. The hope was to be able to stay on longer.”

Logistics Played a Role in Jonathan Jackson’s Decision to Leave ‘General Hospital’

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Commuting to Los Angeles from his home in Tennessee was a huge factor in Jackson’s decision to leave. He met his wife Lisa Vultaggio Jackson during her 1999-2001 run as Hannah Scott on the daytime series. They now share three children, Caleb (born in 2003), Adora (born in 2005), and Titus (born in 2010), and the actor was flying back and forth to the GH studio for work.

He called dividing his time between opposite sides of the country as “a bit of an experiment on my part. We gave it our best shot, but we weren’t able to keep it going,” said Jackson of the situation.

His Character Left Town Abruptly Because Jonathan Jackson Decided to Leave Last Minute

Leaving “General Hospital” wasn’t a decision that Jonathan made lightly or with great ease. He tells TV Insider that he “was trying to stay in the moment” and didn’t decide what his next move would be until very recently. Once he gave his notice, the powers-that-be quickly scripted an exit storyline to get Lucky Spencer off the canvas and out of Port Charles in a way that made some sense.

This time around, his character tried to rekindle a love affair with his first love, Elizabeth Baldwin, played by Rebecca Herbst. She ultimately turned down his proposal, and while they didn’t get the happy ending that many longtime fans had wished for, their reconnection was a highlight of Jackson’s nine-month comeback.

He reflected. “This time, there was a lot of goodness and a lot of sweetness amidst the drama. Becky is really one of the most talented people that I’ve worked with. She is an incredibly intuitive and very smart actress. I mean, she just doesn’t miss things. She’s just really an amazing performer, so it was a joy for me to get to work with her again.”