General Hospital Will Temporarily Replace Jonathan Jackson amid Multi-Episode Absence

Jonathan Jackson is taking a brief hiatus from General Hospital.

On Monday, Feb. 17, PEOPLE confirmed that the actor — who plays Lucky Spencer — will be missing from a few episodes of the long-running soap opera, beginning on Feb. 18.

Though the reason behind his absence remains unknown, Jackson is already back at Port Charles and filming new episodes on set. Fans will see him return as Lucky later this month.

In the meantime, Guy Wilson, best known for portraying Will Horton on Days of Our Lives from 2014 to 2015, will be taking over as Jackson's character.

Wilson previously appeared on General Hospital as a young version of Lucky's deceased father, Luke, in a fantasy sequence back in 2006.

Jackson's brief hiatus comes after he announced his return to the soap opera in June 2024 after leaving to pursue new opportunities. He had played Lucky for 18 years from 1993 to 2011.

“I’m super excited and can’t wait to dig in and see what’s going on in Port Charles,” the actor said in a video shared to Instagram. “Excited to see Genie Francis and so many others. Just wanted to say thank you to all of the fans over the years — your persistence and love has certainly played a part in all this."

"Thank you also to Frank Valentini and everybody at ABC also for welcoming me back," he added.

His time on the long-running soap earned him five Daytime Emmy Awards, and actors Jacob Young and Greg Vaughan stepped into the role of Lucky while he was gone.

Beyond General Hospital, Jackson played Avery Barkley on Nashville during its six-year run from 2012 to 2018. Then, he appeared in 2024's Unsung Hero before deciding to return to GH. 

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General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC (check local listings).