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Jonathan Jackson Interview: His New Role On Nashville Gives GH Favorite A Chance To Showcase His Many Talents!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

Five-time Daytime Emmy winner Jonathan Jackson will finally debut this Wednesday, October 10th (10PMEST/PST) in ABC’s highly touted new dramatic musical series, Nashville! 

After needing a break from playing the day in and day out emotional ringers of General Hospital’s Lucky Spencer, Jonathan decided to leave GH at the end of last year, and quickly was cast in the new ABC primetime series as aspiring singer/songwriter, Avery Barkley! Now anyone who has followed Jackson’s career knows that not only does he act, but he is indeed a singer/songwriter, and has his own very popular band, Enation.  So with Jonathan being cast in this most buzzed about of new series, television fans nationwide will get to see the many talents of this young star.

On-Air On-Soaps caught up with Jonathan to get his thoughts on: his new character, getting the opportunity to sing in the primetime series, if he will share screen time with another soap alum, co-star Hayden Panettiere, and taking a brief stroll down memory lane to the red carpet at the 39th Annual Daytime Emmys this past June. 

Soap fans are looking forward to seeing you and Hayden Panettiere (Juliette Barnes) together on-screen in Nashville.   In the pilot episode, you two literally bump into each other!  Will the two of you have more scenes together as the first season of Nashville progresses?

Courtesy/ABC

JONATHAN:   I think that is somewhat inevitable, and our characters do bump into each other in the pilot.  We had shot the pilot a while ago, obviously, and then started filming all-new episodes on August 3rd.  But in terms of the long term projectory, I don’t know where the two are headed.  It’s pretty mysterious right now.

You have said in interviews that your character of Avery Barkley is not a good guy, nor a bad guy.  Any change in that philosophy?

JONATHAN: One of the things that Nashville creator Callie Khouri is good at is character development, and having the characters have complexities and contradictions.  I think there are going to be a lot of surprises thrown at us as actors through the season … who are these characters and what is going to come out of them in certain situations and with certain other characters.  So I am just really excited to be a part of that.  I am interested to see if he is a gray character, and not black nor white, or not!

So I hear you and the cast are performing some Elvis Costello tunes in Nashville?

JONATHAN:  Yes. They are all originals.  These are all songs Elvis Costello wrote, but they had never been recorded before, and T-Bone Burnett is producing the music.  It’s pretty crazy!

Courtesy/Enation

Would you try to get a song from your band, Enation on Nashville, or the soundtrack for the series?

JONATHAN:  Well, only God knows, right?  But they are open to hearing some stuff.  I am trying to schedule a day in a studio in Nashville to record some demos, because some of the songs that I think would fit with the show I haven’t demo’d … ever.  I have a lot of songs that I have written that I had not recorded with the band that I could send to them.  Hopefully, I will get a couple of days to record some of them and see if something can fit for Nashville!

It has been so cool to watch your career.  You started out as a very young boy with this knockout performance on General Hospital as Lucky Spencer, left the show to do feature films, your music, your writing, came back to GH to reprise the role of Lucky and won two more Daytime Emmys for it to add to your collection.  Nashville seems, on paper, like the perfect storm for you … acting and music colliding in a big way, where both your passions come together in a role on a major network television series!

JONATHAN:  It’s amazing to do this type of show, and for me it’s incredible!  I have had conversations with my brother, and even my father who said to me a few years ago, “You know, what if there were a show about a young musician?  And you guys should write that!”   And I said, “Yeah, that would be great.  But … do you have any idea how hard it is to get a show on the air?”  And then, this show happened.  It’s crazy!

So you and Lisa and the kids moved to Nashville?  Everyone is moving to Nashville: Steve Burton (Jason, GH), Scott Reeves (Steven, GH) has home in Music City, etc.

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

JONATHAN:  We did make the move to Nashville.  We are renting a house, and we are on blow-up mattresses! (Laughs)  It’s an adventure.

When I last saw you, it was at the 39th Annual Daytime Emmys and we were on the red carpet doing our interview, and all of a sudden we heard all of this commotion. We turned around and saw an alligator (thanks to Jack Hanna) coming at us, among other things!   Have you seen the video interview?   It is really quite funny!

JONATHAN:  No. I haven’t, but I wanted to see it!  I just couldn’t believe how close Jack Hanna was getting to us.  He was bringing these animals towards us!  And, I am not an animal expert.  I don’t know what they are going to do!  I am a human being here. (Laughs)  I thought, “What the heck is this?”  Wasn’t it a porcupine and an alligator that went by us?  Oh, man! (Laughs)

So soapers, will you be tuning-in to see Jonathan in his new role on Nashville? Are you looking forward to seeing him sing on the series as well?  And, would you like to see him return for a guest stint on General Hospital?  Let us know!

 

 

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Awesome interview! But I’m a little confused b/c I read in the Washington Post that JJ did in fact already record a song he wrote for Nashville and they are going to use it on the show. Maybe that happened after this interview took place?

I’ve been very excited about seeing Jonathan on Nashville plus we get the bonus of watching him sing. I’ve been a long time fan of his and have missed watching him on gh so as long as gh gives him a great storyline I hope he’s able to return for a short time. He’s one of the best actors I seen in a long time and he so deserve any success that comes he’s way.

He is an awesome actor. Ever since I saw him in “The Deep End of the Ocean” I have followed him. He was fabulous in that. Can’t wait to see him in Nashville.

Not watching.Boycotting ABC except for GH.Been on another network would have checked it out.Sounds like a copy of Country Strong.

Ditto for me Mary

Jonathan is an incredible actor and singer and the guys in Enation are absolutely sweet and down to earth and their music is inspiring and really really good. I’m so happy that Jonathan finally found something that clicks with him. The people at GH should be ashamed of themselves for not giving Jonathan what he needed. He came back to GH and I started to watch again, hoping that we would get our LnL2 reunion, but was disappointed with TPTB, who ruined it for us, thank God, they have new writers and producers. Thank you Jesus!

Great interview with J.J. I wish him the best on his new acting adventure! “Lucky” him to perform two of his loves, acting and singing in one of this years hot new soaps Nashville.

Johnathan: I love you! I simply love you.
Now listen up. I hope your head doesn’t get to big and you blow up on this show and forget about General Hospital, your historic character and heir to Luke and Laura. Yes, I want you to be a BIG STAR big as they come. In fact, some of the bigger star’s being paid BIG BUCKS you can RUN CIRCLES AROUND, acting. You should have long… gone BIG-TIME in Hollywood. Here’s the deal: Please always save time and space for your role of Lucky Spencer. That character is a ” heir ” to an IMPT legacy on the show-greater than NONE OTHER in Daytimes ” Rich” history. So if Genie Frances comes back, PLEASE PLEASE and PLEASE, come back to the show (even if you have to pre-tap scenes) and complete the Luck, Laura, Lucky, Lulu family. You can do this for along time IF they (the writer’s) know how to make it work with your other job, Nashville. The pleasure as YOU, (a grown Lucky) with Lulu, Luke, Laura, and YOU ALL being on the canvas for a long period of time, hasn’t been. Please Johnathan Jackson, give that to us providing Genie Frances comes back. If we see you as a Spencer ( four ( 4) times out the month, that’s BETTER than NOT seeing you at ALL. We love you Johnathan Jackson. And you will be more loved for this. Good Luck on Nashville and I hope to see on General Hospital (here and there) but as long as I see you.
Thank you in advance.

Michael said: So soapers, would uyou like to see him return for a guest stint on General Hospital? Let us know!

1love says: No Michael, I would NOT like to see Johnathan return for a guest stunt. I would like to see him return on a permanent, less than half time basis. Like 4 times a month. Go to the Gh set twice a month and shoot his scenes for the whole month. Thats what I would like, given Genie Frances return.

Nice interview with Jonathan, Michael. He is one of the most talented actors ever. I hope this show does well by him. I know I will be watching! Good luck..Lucky…

very excited. will definately watch.

It’s so nice to see Jonathan on Nashville. He can do no wrong acting wise. I like the show so far and hope he will be the break-out star as the show continues. Actually, the show is really a soap in night time.It’s too bad GH couldn’t do the same……

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Sonny Tells Dante, “I Don’t Want a Son Like You,” While Michael Tells Brook Lynn to Bide Her Time Till Chase and Willow Have an Affair

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Sonny, Dante, Michael, Brook Lynn General Hospital

On the Thursday, October 1 episode of General Hospital, both Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) had some things to say and what they had to say didn’t go over well with whom they were talking to!

Sonny had a confrontation with his son, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), while Michael leveled with Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) over Chase (Josh Swickard).

GH is setting up a scenario where everyone is going to make it look like Sonny was responsible for having Sidwell (Carlo Rota) beat up in Pentonville; while viewers already know Ava (Maura West) and Drew (Cameron Mathison) were behind it.

Sonny and Dante

Courtesy/ABC

A VISIT WITH DAD

Now, Dante comes to Sonny’s house. He wants to know straight up from his dad if he ordered the attack at Pentonville. Sonny flatly denies any culpability or responsibility, but Dante refuses to believe him.

Dante informs Sonny he has video footage of Sully and Vito at the prison. Sonny explains to Dante he doesn’t know why Sully beat up both Curtis and Dante. Things escalated when Sonny was deeply hurt that Dante refused to believe him. Dante says he was disappointed that his father didn’t respect him enough to be truthful with him!

Sonny asks Dante to consider that he was being set up. He says all he did was to tell Vito to instruct Sully to keep a watchful eye on Sidwell, not to harm him. No matter what Sonny said, Dante continued hammering him with how he knew deep down, even though he said he left the mob, he had to finish off Sidwell for himself.

Next, Sonny explains everything he has ever done was to provide for and to protect his family. Dante fired back that he doesn’t want to deal anymore with Sonny’s half-baked truths. As the two men argue, Gio (Giovanni Mazza) shows up at Sonny’s front door and overhears Sonny losing his temper and shouting at Dante, “Get out of my house! I don’t want a son like you!”  The scenes featured an excellent performance by Maurice Benard.

Michael and Brook Lynn

Courtesy/ABC

MICHAEL THE MANIPULATOR

While this is going down, outside the Quartermaine boathouse, Brook Lynn opens up to Michael about living at the Q’s with Chase being there, since he only came back due to legal advice from his lawyer, Monet Mitchell (Blythe Howard).

Brook Lynn questioned whether they should get legally separate. Michael insisted that would be a big mistake. When she asks why, Michael tells Brook Lynn to bide her time until Chase and Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) have an affair; then she’d have full custody of Phoebe.

An angered Brook Lynn pushed Michael into the water and accuses him of moving Willow back into the gatehouse with intent on putting Chase and Willow in closer proximity and sacrificing Brook Lynn’s family in the process.  As the two cousins bicker, Chase shows up asking Brook Lynn if she is OK. Michael punctuates their talk with “You know, I’m right.”

CURTIS FIGURES OUT A WAY TO GET OUT OF THE SLAMMER

At GH, Willow visits Curtis (Donnell Turner) in his hospital room. Curtis wants Willow to get him pardoned and keep him out of jail, and in return, he will help her nail Sonny.

Next, Willow tells Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) she wants Curtis held for observation for three more days. He agrees to do so under one condition, that she understands that he may need to call in a favor from a congresswoman.

So, what did you think of how Dante accused his father and refused to believe Sonny’s answers? Is this the end of their father and son relationship for good? Is Michael the most manipulative person of all, except for Willow? Do the two deserve each other? Do you want Chase and Willow to have an affair? And what of Curtis? Does he have many redeeming qualities left? Share your thoughts via the comment section,  but first check out the talk Michael had with Brook Lynn.

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General Hospital

GH Alum Tajh Bellow and Y&R Alum Loren Lott Star in New Tiktok and Microdrama ‘Love Island’ Spoof

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Tajh Bellow and Loren Lott

Two soap opera alums very familiar to fans of General Hospital and The Young and the Restless are paired together in a new short-form digital series from none other than Issa Rae’s production entity HOORAE Digital.

Look for Tajh Bellow (ex-TJ Ashford, GH)) and Loren Lott (ex-Ana Hamilton, Y&R) as part of the cast of  The Compatibility Experiment, premiering on October 14, 2026, exclusively on TikTok and its companion microdrama platform, PineDrama.

In the video teaser, it appears that Bellow and Lott play a couple, Kelvin and Camila, set in a Love Island reality show-esque environment trying to win the one million dollar cash prize, only what could go wrong?

The Compatibility Experiment

Photo: HOORAE

The Compatibility Experiment loglines share that it brings a fast-paced, relationship-focused reality check—much like Love Island with a twist. The show takes a participant’s current relationship, introduces them to a potentially more compatible partner, and forces them to navigate the differences with life-changing money on the line.

The new series is part of a groundbreaking content deal between HOORAE Digital and TikTok to develop premium short-form storytelling. The ensemble cast also features; Ayona, Reggie Luck, JaNa Craig, Tosin Morohunfola, Jessica Jacoby, Georgia Warner, and Nick Cassidy.

General Hospital fans know Tajh Bellow for his performances as TJ Ashford, and who earned two Daytime Emmy nominations along the way during his run. Bellow took over the role in 2018 and last appeared on the ABC daytime drama series in December of 2024.

Loren Lott first appeared as Devon’s (Bryton James) sister Ana Hamilton on The Young and the Restless from 2018 to 2019; making a brief return in 2024. She has continued to perform on the stage and screen with recent credits including: Bel-Air, Cherish the Day, and All American: Homecoming.

Check out the trailer for The Compatibility Experiment below and let us know what you think of its concept and if you are glad to see Tajh and Loren again? Hoping they might return to daytime in their GH and Y&R roles at some point in the future? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ava and Drew Revealed to be Behind Framing Sonny for Sidwell’s Prison Beatdown

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Drew and Ava

If you thought that the person responsible for the Pentonville brawl that saw Sidwell (Carlo Rota) and Curtis (Donnell Turner) taken to General Hospital was Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) or even Sidwell himself, you were dead wrong! On the Wednesday, September 30 episode of GH, it turned out that the culprits were actually Ava (Maura West) and Drew (Cameron Mathison).

In story, Drew apparently bankrolled the attack on Sidwell and framing Sonny. He told Ava their planned worked (she came up with it!) but was horrified when Drew informed her that Curtis got caught in the crosshairs. Ava is visibly upset because of her longtime friendship with Curtis’ daughter, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali). Drew tried to make Ava see the bright side. Curtis was witness to it and his presence will cast doubt on Sonny’s claims to that he had gotten out of the mob and gone legit.

Later, Vito shows up at Drew’s. They informed him that his guy on the inside of the slammer made a big mistake by hurting their friend and ordered him to leave town.

Maura West

Courtesy/ABC

BOATHOUSE BRAWL

In other major developments, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) and Rocco (Finn Carr) have a blow out fight as Danny blames his “brother” for the reason Charlotte was sent off to boarding school.

Rocco told off Danny for Charlotte’s (Bluesy Burke) reckless behavior and he explains he had to protect his sister. He went in on Danny saying that his mother Lulu (Alexa Havins) has been right to send Charlotte to boarding school and far away from Danny.

However, Rocco went a bit too far when he shouted, “And if your mom was alive, she would send you away too!” Next, Danny punched out Rocco, leading to a terrible brawl. An angered Danny yells at Rocco to, “Stay away from me and everyone in my family. And don’t you ever mention my mom again!” Danny storms off.

Rocco

Courtesy/ABC

Now alone outside the boathouse, Rocco flashes back to his first kiss with Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarksi), hoping that his fight with Danny will not escalate and ruin their budding romance. Meanwhile, a bloodied-mouth Danny heads over to Sonny’s and Jason (Steve Burton) is there at the same time. He then admits that he has a bad fight with Rocco and they are both beaten up.

WILL SCOUT WISE UP?

At the end of the episode, Scout, who had a fight with Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) over Drew, and who keeps telling everyone how good a man her dad truly is, comes upon a suspicious scene.

Scout hides behind the wall outside Drew’s. She sees her dad, Ava and Vito talking. Next, Scout seems to overhear Vito assuring Drew and Ava that their business dealings are done, and he’ll be leaving Port Charles for good.

So, what did you think of the reveal that Ava and Drew were behind framing Sonny for the prison beatdown of Sidwell (and Curtis)? Do you think Danny and Rocco’s relationship can be repaired, or do you think the teenagers will continue to be at each other’s throats? Finally, do you hope Scout gets a clue and stops thinking her dad walks on air? Weigh-in via the comment section, but first check out how Ava and Drew conspired below.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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