General Hospital's Jonathan Jackson: Going For Sixth Daytime Emmy 'Is A Very Surreal Thing' (Exclusive)

If Jonathan Jackson were to take home the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor when the awards are handed out on October 17, it would mark the General Hospital alum’s sixth victory. After debuting as Lucky Spencer in 1993, he won his first three statuettes in the Outstanding Younger Actor category (in 1995, 1998 and 1999). Returning to Port Charles from 2009-11, he scored another pair of wins, this time in the Supporting category (2011 and 2012). The actor, who learned of his latest nod shortly after wrapping up his 2024-25 reprisal of Lucky, reflected on his past wins and current nomination with Soap Opera Digest.

Golden Age

Though Jackson was only 12 years old the first time he claimed gold, “I definitely have a couple of vivid memories of that night. I remember being in the elevator, and a photographer was in the elevator as well, and he said something to me like, the word on the street, so to speak, was that I might win. And I was like, ‘Well, that’s interesting.’ And then really, the other vivid memory is just walking up there [after my name was called]. When I walked on the stage and looked out, it was a very surreal experience that was kind of seared into my memory. And obviously having Tony [Geary, ex-Luke] and Genie [Francis, Laura] there made it very special.”

That he was called back to the podium not once but twice when he came back to the show after a decade “was very special as well. I’d been gone for 10 years and re-engaging with the character and just the whole lifestyle of that kind of work as an adult was really interesting for me. For me, the work that we do always feels very personal, and at that time it was a lot of work with Tony that I was really proud of and grateful to do and be a part of, and also with Becky [Herbst, Elizabeth] and Tyler [Christopher, ex-Nikolas]. That meant a lot to me, so [winning] was also amazing.”

Actor Anthony Geary, actor Jonathan Jackson and actress Genie Francis — Son Shine: Jackson’s GH parents, Anthony Geary (ex-Luke) and Genie Francis (ex-Laura) helped him celebrate his first Emmy victory in 1995.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

The More Things Change

This time around, Jackson had to navigate a submission process for Daytime Emmy consideration that had gone through quite the makeover since the last time he was eligible. “It had pretty much been another decade since I’d gone through the process,” he notes. “It used to be that you picked two shows out of the whole year, and every scene you’re in for those two shows [becomes your Emmy reel]. I assumed that was still the way it worked, and then I learned, no, you can do as many scenes as you want within a certain time frame [that doesn’t exceed 15 minutes in total length]. So, it was a very different process to try to figure out. But it wasn’t too difficult to really kind of have a sense of how to put it together and I got input from my wife [Lisa Vultaggio, ex-Hannah, GH] and friends and just made sure I wasn’t doing anything stupid [laughs] and that I was picking decent stuff. It was a fun process because it was different.”

He included “the scenes with Becky, when Elizabeth appeared kind of like an apparition to Lucky in prison, and then scenes with Genie in the [hospital chapel] when Lucky was having to tell her that he’s not a match for Lulu [who was in need of a liver donor]. Just for me personally, getting to do those scenes with Genie meant so much to me because the last time I was on the show, she wasn’t there. I was really excited to do a lot of work with Tony, but I also missed getting to work with her more as an adult, and having the characters be what they are now. There were some other moments [on the reel], too, like the scenes with Aiden and Lucky having their reconciliation and Lucky freaking out at Bobbie’s. I had a lot of different things to choose from.”

genie francis, jonathan jackson, general hospital — Mother and Child Reunion: Jackson included emotional scenes between Lucky and Laura on his Daytime Emmy reel.Disney/Christine Bartolucci

Much To Celebrate

Jackson has a deep appreciation, at 43 years old, to possibly win a Daytime Emmy for playing a role he created at the tender age of 11. “It means a lot,” he smiles. “I don’t take anything for granted. When I come into any job, I sort of have an all or nothing mentality, so. [Returning to GH] with another decade of life outside of the show, working on other projects and music and writing — life in general, I think, informs your work as an actor, and that’s something I always loved so much about Tony. He just seemed to kind of inhabit the mindset of an artist and he’s an incredible writer. Coming back all these years later, it’s almost like I’m experiencing all of it for the first time again and kind of rediscovering the process. I still feel in many ways like I’m trying to figure the whole thing out and I try to give it my all and kind of shed some not only some tears, but some blood in the process, and just kind of let it be what it is. I’m super-grateful that that’s recognized.”

The actor and his wife will be hitting the red carpet together, and he is looking forward to “getting to see everybody and connecting with friends” and honoring the soap opera genre. “Everybody works so ridiculously hard on all of these shows and over the years, in some ways, I think it’s just gotten harder and harder for various reasons. I was digging through some old [GH] scripts from the ’90s and call sheets and things like that, and I couldn’t believe there was like 23 scenes per day. Now, sometimes it’s like 70, 80 scenes in a day! I thought, ‘Oh, that’s why it feels so crazy, the pace of it.’ I’m just so amazed by what the writers and directors and actors and crew, the makeup and wardrobe people, everybody! The kind of work and effort everybody has to bring to get something on the air every day is amazing. So coming to a night like this, everyone gets to be together and kind of just celebrate the work that’s done.”

Jackson marvels at the prospect of potentially winning a Daytime Emmy in three different decades. “Each one over the span of 30 years always just gives me a feeling of gratitude to be able to work with the people that I work with,” he muses. “I mean, I met my wife on the show. I wouldn’t have my kids [22-year old Caleb, 20-year-old Adora and 15-year-old Titus, who as a baby played Aiden on GH] if it wasn’t for GH! I just have so much to be grateful for, and when I’m at these kinds of events or I contemplate General Hospital, it’s like a lot of my life flashes before my eyes. It’s a very surreal thing, especially because I’ve spent so much time away over the years — I’ve had two decade-long sabbaticals, so to speak. And that creates a sense of reflection and nostalgia.”

And if he does hear his name called for the sixth time, which would tie his win total with that of Heather Tom (Katie, Bold and Beautiful) and Erika Slezak (Ronnie, GH; ex-Viki, One Life to Live), he’ll be (mostly) ready to give a speech. “I do like to be somewhat prepared mentally,” he says. “I’ve never really written anything down, but I do like to have something relatively prepared in my mind or heart in terms of what I might say. But then there’s also a degree of it where I just leave it up to the moment, as well. In the past, I’ve been grateful that I thought it through a little bit because I wouldn’t want to go up there and just completely [go blank] because it is disorienting. Being 12 is one thing, but even when I won in 2011 or 2012, it was still disorienting! It’s a lot to take in, and I’m not immune to any of that.”

jonathan jackson 2012 emmy win — Speech! Speech! Jackson’s last Daytime Emmy victory — his fifth — took place in 2012.Christopher Polk/WireImage

Jonathan Jackson General Hospital

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Soap Opera Digest

General Hospital’s Jonathan Jackson: Going For Sixth Daytime Emmy ‘Is A Very Surreal Thing’ (Exclusive)

Golden Age

The More Things Change

Much To Celebrate

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