‘General Hospital’ Spoilers: Genie Francis Teases ‘Nashville’ Star Jonathan Jackson’s Return

Port Charles is a long way from Nashville, but that’s exactly where Jonathan Jackson is. The actor, who plays Avery on ABC’s “Nashville,” will return to his soap opera roots for a few episodes of “General Hospital.” The return marks Jackson’s first appearance as Lucky since he left the show in 2011.

Jackson is returning for the exit of longtime “General Hospital” actor Anthony Geary, who plays his father, Luke. He isn’t the only familiar face coming back for Geary's retirement. “Originals” star Nathan Parsons will return as Luke’s son Ethan, as will Genie Francis, who plays Luke’s ex-wife Laura. Jackson’s onscreen mom Francis teased some of what audiences will see when he returns.

Recently on "General Hospital," Laura and Luke have reunited because Lucky has been abducted. The fan favorite couple, who are currently divorced, will have to work together to find their son. “It’s going to be another Luke-and-Laura adventure,” Francis told TV Line. “There will be many fan favorites that we’ll touch on. I think it’s going to be a really nice bookend piece for the fans… I think it’s a crowd-pleaser.”

Lucky has yet to be found, but when he returns, expect a happy reunion. Francis was delighted to work with Jackson again. They met back in 1993 when Jackson originated the role at age 11. He stayed with the show until 1999 and then took 10 year break before returning for a two-year stint in 2009.

“Oh my god, there’s some good stuff there,” she said of his new scenes. “And the feeling when Jonathan came back on the set was, everyone was so happy. It was like he came home. They all rushed to embrace him, and then we were all so happy, we embraced each other!”

Before announcing his return, Jackson explained to Smashing Interviews Magazine last month that he respected Francis and Geary quite a bit. “I started acting on 'General Hospital' when I was eleven years old, so I really grew up under his care, along with Genie Francis,” the 33-year-old said. “They shaped me as a young artist and provided the atmosphere for me to learn from them in a way that was just so free.”

Francis noted that she didn’t get too many scenes with the “Nashville” star, but his scenes with Geary are going to be very well done. “I didn’t get a one-on-one scene with Jonathan, which was very disappointing,” Francis told The Wrap. “But Tony had some scenes with Jonathan that are jaw-dropping, not-to-be-missed, like motion picture-level work. They’re definitely scenes that nobody should miss. I sat at the monitor with my jaw dropped and couldn’t leave, getting chills.”

“General Hospital” airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for times.