Jonathan Jackson will be reprising the role of Lucky Spencer on General Hospital after nearly a decade, and he’s ready to explore the mother-son dynamic between Lucky and Laura Spencer (Genie Francis). The actor opened up about coming back to the long-running soap and how Francis played a huge role in his return to Port Charles.
“I know you have a big cheerleader in Genie Francis,” fellow General Hospital star Steve Burton said to Jackson during the latest episode of Burton’s podcast The Daily Drama with Bradford Anderson.
Burton admitted he’s “excited” as a fan to see Jackson and Francis work together again after so many years. “All of that was really part of it,” Jackson said.
When asked if Francis’ current run on General Hospital had any influence on his decision to return, Jackson said, “Honestly, that has a huge part in it for me.”
Jackson first joined GH in 1993 when he was 11 years old as the son of Francis and Anthony Geary’s Laura and Luke Spencer. He left the show in 1999 but returned in 2009 for a two-year stint. The Nashville alum recalled returning in 2010 and how “incredible” it was to work with Geary after so many years.
“I don’t want to sound corny or sentimental, but it’s a very special thing about this medium that you can work with someone when you’re 11 to 17 years old and then work with them again when you’re 28,” he explained. “But Genie wasn’t there for those couple years… I got to work with her very briefly in 2015 for those few episodes, but I always thought, ‘Man, I would love to be able to really get to work with her again.’ That definitely came into play.”
The actor noted that Lucky and Laura haven’t “really been able to have any kind of substantial story together since I was 17, 18 years old. It’s wild.” Now, Jackson and Francis will get that opportunity.
Jackson’s General Hospital return date hasn’t been announced, but he’s expected to stick around for a “long run.”
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