Who plays Lucky Spencer on General Hospital?

The character of Lucas Lorenzo "Lucky" Spencer Jr, the son of soap supercouple Luke and Laura Spencer, made his much-anticipated return to Port Charles and General Hospital this month.

In real life, actor Jonathan Jackson portrays Lucas. Jackson originated the role in 1993 and played Lucky on and off until 2011. He returned briefly to General Hospital in 2015.

Who is Jonathan Jackson from General Hospital?

Born in Orlando, Florida, Jackson had entertainer talent in his genes. His mother was a businesswoman and an amateur ventriloquist, and his father, a doctor, was also a country musician.

When his family took a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood in 1991, Jackson caught the acting bug. He—and his brothers—took acting lessons, and Jackson moved with his mom to Burbank, California. Within six months, he had done several commercials and landed the role of Lucky Spencer on General Hospital.

Jackson married his General Hospital co-star Lisa Vultaggio (ex-Hannah Scott, GH) when he was 20 years old. Though some questioned his young age at the time, Jackson told the Chicago Sun-Times that “when it’s right, it’s right.” The couple has three children, Caleb, Adora, and Titus Gabriel, and they're still married 22 years later.

Awards and Recognition

Jackson was nominated six times for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series for playing Lucky Spencer. He won three times, in 1995, 1998, and 1999. Jackson was the record holder for both nominations and number of wins in the category.

Jackson also won multiple other awards for his work on and outside of General Hospital, such as the Soap Opera Digest Awards and The Hollywood Reporter's YoungStar Award. Jackson was also nominated for the Young Artist Awards three times.

Jackson was a "teen heartthrob" and graced the cover of Tiger Beat often. He was also the feature of many fan clubs and Internet fan sites and was named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 1999.

Jonathan Jackson’s roles outside of General Hospital

While starring in General Hospital, Jackson appeared in his first movie, Camp Nowhere, in 1994 as Morris “Mud” Himmel. He also did TV movies like Prisoner of Zenda, Inc., and The Legend of Ruby Silver and guest appearances on Boy Meets World.

In 1999, Jackson was in The Deep End of the Ocean, starring opposite Michelle Pfeiffer, which garnered him praise from director Ulu Grosbard as “an enormously gifted actor.” Pfeiffer also praised Jackson's work.

"When Jonathan and I read together, it was like he was my own son. And we just went at each other in only this way that a mother and son could do. His reading was exhilarating." - Michelle Pfeiffer to the Manilla Standard.

In 2012, Jackson left General Hospital to play Avery Barkley in ABC’s hit drama Nashville. In the series, he was able to showcase his musical talents, playing guitar, singing, and songwriting.

Jonathan Jackson is a musician and author

Since his younger years, Jackson has played guitar, and he has been the lead singer in several bands with family members. His band Enation had a Top 10 hit with their song “Feel This” on iTunes’ national Rock Charts after it was heard on CW’s One Tree Hill. The band also made the Billboard Top 10 with their Live from Nashville album.

The talented entertainer also released a book under the name J.S. Jackson in 2012. The book of his poetic works is entitled Book of Solace and Madness. In 2014, Jackson released another book, The Mystery of Art: Becoming an Artist in the Image of God, which chronicled the connection between his Eastern Orthodox Christian religious beliefs and acting.

Watch Jonathan Jackson on General Hospital on weekdays on ABC.

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