'General Hospital' star Jonathan Jackson addresses exit from show

General Hospital star Jonathan Jackson has broken his silence on his recent exit from the soap opera.

The actor, 43, won five Daytime Emmys for his role as Lucky Spencer despite his on-and-off appearances since stepping into the role in 1993.

In a recent interview with TV Insider, the actor shared that his reasons for leaving are the back-and-forth travel between California, where the show films, and his home in Tennessee, where he and his family live.

"There was always that possibility because it was a bit of an experiment on my part to see if I could make it work with the family dynamic," Jackson, who shares three children with his wife and former General Hospital co-star Lisa Vultaggio, said.

Jackson, who rejoined the show in August 2024, shared that he tried his best to maintain a work-life balance but it ultimately didn't work for him. "We gave it our best shot, but we weren’t able to keep it going," he admitted.

The actor insisted that he had hoped "to be able to stay longer" than the nine months he spent with the cast.

"There aren't that many situations in life that you get to go and enter into this world where a lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same," he said, noting the "amazing connections" he has with many of the crew and those who work on the show.

"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," he added.