In an interview with TV Insider, Jackson revealed that he wanted to stay on General Hospital, but ultimately wasn’t able to balance the show with his family commitments. “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,” he shared. Yet the show sadly became too disruptive to his personal life, as Jackson is a husband and father of three.
“There was always that possibility [of leaving], because it was a bit of an experiment on my part to see if I could make it work with the family dynamic,” Jackson explained. “There were moments where I thought, ‘I think I can find this balance with the family and time back and forth,’ and then you just have to pray about it and try to do what you feel is right. We gave it our best shot, but we weren’t able to keep it going.”
“We gave it our best shot, but we weren’t able to keep it going.”
While the drama on-screen is always changing, Jackson’s relationships with the General Hospital cast and crew have remained strong over the years. “Seeing a lot of people in the crew, people you’ve known off and on for so many years — there are just those amazing connections,” he continued. “And then on top of that, you have the character you’re playing that has this history, and you get to work with so many people again.”
What’s Next for Jonathan Jackson After General Hospital Exit?
With his final General Hospital episodes airing this week, Jackson explained what he has planned for the future. “There’s some touring coming up. I’ll be releasing a solo album later this year,” the Tuck Everlasting alum revealed. “I have at least one book that’s coming out later this year as well — a book of poetry and an anthology of poems that I’ve been working on for at least 15 years now. It’s called Anthology of Longing.”
Jackson’s previous work on the musical drama series Nashville will also be taking him around the world in 2026. “[N]ext year we’re going to be going to the UK and Europe with Nashville, touring, which is going to be really exciting,” Jackson said. “So, music and books and whatever other projects come along.”
