Jonathan Jackson is officially leaving General Hospital next week after reprising the role of Lucky Spencer for nine months.
The actor returned as Lucky in August 2024 on the ABC daytime drama, which was nearly a decade since he last played him. Jonathan first debuted as the character, who is the son of Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) and Laura Collins (Genie Francis), in 1993 and played him consistently until 1999. Then other actors took over the role, such as Jacob Young and later Greg Vaughan. Jonathan came back as a regular from 2009 to 2011 and then had a brief appearance in 2015, which was limited to a few episodes.Back in August 2024, Jonathan told TV Insider that this return will be “substantial”, “When I came back in 2015, that was just for a few episodes for Tony [Geary’s] exit, and this is not that. This is back in a substantial, real way, which I’m excited about.”GH executive producer Frank Valentini confirmed the soap star’s exit in a statement: “We were so glad Jonathan was able to reprise the role of Lucky, even if it was for a limited time. We wish him nothing but the best, and the door is always open for Jonathan to return.”
The past two episode (June 4 and June 5) have established that Jonathan would be leaving as Lucky with Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) rejecting his proposal, him asking her to come see the world with him (with her declining) and the both of them agreeing that Lucky wouldn’t be happy staying in Port Charles for long.
The fans took to social media to express disappointment in this news, especially those who were happy to see Lucky rekindle his relationship with ex-wife Elizabeth. The couple has been a fan favorite for years, and many have wanted them to get back together. The hope grew stronger when Jackson was brought back. Fans also criticized how Jonathan was used as Lucky in the past nine months.
A fan said on X formerly Twitter: “Jonathan Jackson leaving General Hospital already really sucks. I was really enjoying Lucky and Elizabeth again.” A second said: “Lucky didn’t even get a follow-up scene with Sidwell that I remember and just when it looked like he would finally get something of a story going with Elizabeth, JJ is leaving – such a wasted return.”
Another said: “Am I shocked? No. #GH made a big deal about Lucky coming back last year. Outside of his escapades in Africa, #GH really has not written for him. He has been floundering since he got back to Port Chuck. If #GH doesn’t start writing for Steve Burton soon, I feel he will leave too.”
A fourth fan exclaimed: “No loss. All Lucky’s done, really, is wander around, wondering aloud if he should stay or not. Lucky is a boring, pointless character, his return served no real purpose, and is a fine example as to why @ABCNetwork should fire @valentinifrank.”
