Lucky Spencer
Lucky Spencer | |||||||||
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General Hospital character | |||||||||
Portrayed by |
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Duration |
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First appearance | October 29, 1993 | ||||||||
Last appearance | July 14, 2015 | ||||||||
Classification | Past; recurring | ||||||||
Created by | Claire Labine[a] | ||||||||
Introduced by |
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Book appearances | Robin's Diary The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli | ||||||||
Spin-off appearances | General Hospital: Twist of Fate (1996) | ||||||||
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Lucky Spencer is a fictional character from the
As a child, Lucky is known for taking part in the adventures of his parents. As a teenager, he becomes part of the supercouple
Lucky's teenage
Casting
The role was originated on October 29, 1993,[3] by eleven-year-old[4] Jonathan Jackson.[5] Rumors circulated that Jackson’s contract negotiations were not going well in 1996,[6] and again in 1998, when Jackson responded that he was considering college[7] and had given the series six months notice of his consideration in accordance with his contract.[8] In January 1999, it was reported that the series had worked out a deal,[9] and Jackson stated he had briefly extended his contract to allow the character's popular romance to continue.[8] His contract allowed him to leave if he received a feature film role,[10] and Jackson left in April, shooting pre-taped scenes[11] that appeared through late May.[12] Jackson explained to Soap Opera Weekly: "I kind of feel that the fact of how much work they've given me this year, at this stage as an actor, they just maxed out quite a bit of what I would do for the show. And I'm at a better age now to go out. There are more projects for people my age or a little older than there were a few years ago. Hollywood's the kind of town where you kinda have to strike while the iron's hot."[4] Jackson's manager Tony Monziotti released the statement: "[Jackson] has told GH and made it very clear to me that he wants to periodically go back to GH. It's a question of if the storyline warrants it and they want him to come back; Jonathan would be more than happy to."[13] In early 2000, Jackson stated he would enjoy reprising the role but his schedule would not allow it.[14] He suggested a short-term return that could coincide with the departure of co-star Rebecca Herbst (who plays Lucky's love interest Elizabeth Webber) should she not renew her contract, allowing for periodic returns from the couple later on.[15] Although Herbst expressed interest,[16] the show opted to keep the characters on canvas.[15]
The role was recast with
Greg Vaughan, who had recently been let go from his role as Diego Guittierez on The Young and the Restless,[22] was cast shortly thereafter and first appeared on February 20, 2003.[23] Vaughan later described his screen test to Soap Opera Digest: "I was a little bit intimidated. I knew about the character, the foundation of the story. I knew it was a difficult task that I was about to take on."[24] In July 2009, Vaughan denied rumors[25] that he was being let go or put on recurring status.[26][27] That September, ABC announced that Vaughan had decided to leave to explore other opportunities,[28] and that Jackson would be reprising the role. However, Vaughan announced via Twitter that it was the network that decided to let him go.[26] Jackson stated upon returning: "It was a tough situation. I was not under any sort of headspace that someone was losing their job; it was that the role was opening up. (...) It was more of a confusing thing for me coming back and not knowing exactly what was going on, on the other end of things."[29] Vaughan last aired on October 20, 2009, while Jackson first aired on October 27, 2009.[28]
In November 2011, it was announced that Jackson would vacate the role due to the large amount of work he was receiving.[30] TV Guide reported that Jackson attempted to negotiate with the network for a lighter schedule and to be repaired with on-screen love interest Herbst (Elizabeth), but was denied on both accounts.[31][32] Jackson explained: "I love to work hard but I've been at maximum capacity in terms of mental and emotional output for months on end and it has become too difficult. I am extremely thankful that they wanted to give me all those storylines with so much depth, but there's just no balance. (...) I have a wife and three kids and other things in life I have to think about. I just knew I couldn't sustain the schedule at GH and that kind of emotion for much longer. It was just too intense."[33] Jackson confirmed the character would not die or be recast, and last appeared on December 23, 2011.[33]
In June 2015, Entertainment Weekly revealed that Jackson would briefly reprise the role of Lucky, to be a part of the exit storyline of actor Anthony Geary.[34]
Storylines
Lucky Spencer first appears in October 1993, as a ten-year-old that has spent his life
In early 2000, Helena lets Lucky (now Young) go
In early 2009, Elizabeth is poisoned by a
Lucky made a brief return in 2015 as part of Luke Spencer's exit.
Character development
Introduction
Lucky is introduced to the canvas within the much anticipated return of his parents, famed General Hospital adventurers and popular
I think that Lucky's always been a paradox and a contradiction a little bit because he had the edge and the wildness and the rebellion of Luke but he also had the purity and the innocence of Laura.[62]
"He's a total peer, and when we work, he's utterly my son. He has absorbed Genie [Laura] and me. If you watch him, he's got a lot of her emotional turns, and he's picked up my rhythm. He moves like me. I've seen him in other things, and he doesn't do that. This is a choice he's made as Lucky."
—Geary (Luke) in 1996, on Jackson’s portrayal.[63]
Lucky's rich life experience for his young age makes him wise beyond his years.
Rebellion
“The intent is to drive a big wedge between Lucky and the father he idolizes, which is going to be brutal and painful for both of them. It's really hard to believe the writers are doing it, because this is a very scary can of worms that could eat us all."
—Geary in 1998, on Luke and Lucky's relationship after the reveal of the rape.[68]
In 1998, the series chose to revisit the Luke and Laura rape storyline of the 1970s by having the incident revealed to Lucky. The controversial story of Luke raping Laura had quickly been renounced to a seduction at the time, after facing pressure from fans of the newly popular couple.
In the story, Lucky comes across Elizabeth Webber (Herbst) after she has been raped, and confides his upset to his father before his hostile half-brother Nikolas Cassadine (then Christopher) reveals to him that Luke had raped Laura years prior.[41] The betrayal Lucky feels from having the truth kept from him has a drastic impact on the character, especially because of how close he had been with his parents. Having moved around often, their relationship had become more like best friends than parent-child.[70] Lucky struggles to understand his parents' actions. Jackson described Lucky in 1999 as: "a black-and-white personality. He either loves or hates people. He doesn't know about balance."[71] Lucky's relationship with each of his parents suffers; he thinks his mother is in denial about her attack, and is even more angry with his father for keeping the secret while Lucky was coping with Elizabeth's assault.[70] Lucky moves out and his independence grows further as he crashes at various places around Port Charles while holding odd jobs and continuing his schoolwork. As a result of the ordeal, honesty becomes important to Lucky; Jackson explained to Soap Opera Digest in December 1998: "He doesn't want to do what his parents did as far as keeping secrets from each other and lying. He's pretty set on doing things differently when it comes to the decisions he makes in his life."[72]
"I think his passion for the people and things he loves was something that I related to. He felt everything so deeply, and the reactions I gave as an actor came from me trying to wrap my own brain around everything that happened to him."
—Jackson in 1999, reflecting on Lucky's character.[73]
Lucky and Luke start a slow process of reconciling when Luke kidnaps Lucky to an abandoned cabin and Lucky watches Luke distressfully dream of the rape while suffering from a delirious fever following a wolf trap accident.
Relationship with Elizabeth Webber
In 1998, Lucky enters into a relationship with Elizabeth Webber (Herbst) that affects his character throughout the years. Jackson explained to Soap Opera Digest that prior to being paired with Elizabeth, the series had been hesitant to do a romantic storyline with his young character. He stated: "It's a real tricky thing, especially with me growing up on the show. I mean, I was 11 when I started, so there's a lot of people watching who almost feel like parents. They're sensitive about who I get interested in. I think it's really cool to see everyone respond so positively toward [Herbst] and toward the characters being together."[75] Lucky and Elizabeth first bond when Lucky finds Elizabeth after she has been raped. He protectively cares for her, and as their on-screen relationship gradually progresses to friendship and innocent romance, the characters' off-screen popularity made them known as a supercouple.[76] Dealing with Elizabeth's rape becomes more complicated for Lucky when he learns of the rape between his parents; he fears that he could have inherited violent sexual behaviors from his father, and could hurt Elizabeth.[77] Elizabeth helps him deal with his fears, as well as his fallout with his parents.
“From the very minute Elizabeth's rape happened, his relationship with Elizabeth has been unique. I think something outside of him threw him into this connection with her. It almost wasn't a choice. It wasn't something he thought about intellectually, it just happened.”
—Jackson in 1998, on Lucky and Elizabeth.[70]
Jackson explained that Lucky and Elizabeth's mutual unfortunate life circumstances were a major factor in their growing relationship, stating: "They automatically had a chance to prove to each other that they were going to be there through some of the worst stuff. And they passed."[72] Jackson also felt that the couple's relationship was crucial to Lucky's growth and acceptance of his parents, stating to Soaps In Depth in 1999: "I think it was through that relationship and that love that Lucky obtained a sense of peace that made him want to mend things with his parents more. I don't think he would have done it otherwise."[78] When Jackson left the series in April 1999, Lucky and Elizabeth's teenage romance ends as Lucky is presumed dead in a fire. The couple attempts reconciliation from 2000 to 2002 during Jacob Young's tenure, and reunites in 2005 while Greg Vaughan played the role. Lucky and Elizabeth have an on-and-off relationship throughout the years that includes marriages, infidelity and children. Herbst explained portraying the relationship through different actors to Comcast in 2010: "The characters are still the same. Each individual actor chose to play him a little differently. You just roll with it. Each relationship was different. They all had their uniqueness."[79]
Edge
After Jackson left the series in April 1999, the character was kept off-screen for almost a year before Young took over the role upon Lucky’s return in February 2000. Young commented on his new character: "I like Lucky's mystique. He's just very cool, relaxed. He never oversteps his boundaries. I’m planning to give my own perspective to this."[12] The series explained the character's absence and staged death as a kidnapping by Cesar Faison (Hove) and Helena Cassadine (Towers). It is soon apparent upon his return that Lucky has been brainwashed; Guza explained the change in character that would be seen in Lucky's reunion with his parents: "The kid doesn't at all react the way we expected. This time he's been away he's obviously changed a great deal, into a different person emotionally. His whole relationship to his parents is confusing. It's a different Lucky, in many ways."[44] The mind control continues after Lucky is released; Helena makes him act erratically and violently, hurting his father and forgetting his memories of love for Elizabeth.[45] The ordeal leaves an impression on Lucky after it is over; the writers used the opportunity to develop an edge to the character.[45] The series promoted Lucky as a "rebel" in its teen-focused summer advertising campaign in 2000. Young filmed commercials where he stated in character: "Rules? I don't play that game."[80] Young explained the change in character to entertainment journalist Candace Havens in 2000:
He definitely has more of an edge now than he did before. Part of that is because of what has happened to him, and some of it is just the way I am as an actor. He's kind of lost and isn't sure where he belongs.[45]
Lucky maintains his edgier nature as his relationship with Elizabeth falls apart as a result of Helena's damage, and later on as he deals with his mother's mental breakdown and catatonia. TVSource Magazine reflected in 2009 on Lucky's character during Young's tenure: "The brainwashing eventually wore off, but the character never really gelled with the brave, strong, compassionate and loyal son of Luke Spencer that Jackson had created."[11]
Adulthood
Vaughan assumed the role in 2003. He was a visually older actor than Young and Jackson, and Lucky's storylines grew to become more adult as well. In 2009, Vaughan reflected that fans “embraced me more as Lucky being the man, instead of the child.”[26] The year Vaughan started, Lucky starts a career in law enforcement when he joins the police academy in order to become involved in the murder investigation of his girlfriend Summer Halloway (Powell). This was a confusing character change for viewers, as Lucky had grown up emulating his parents and their cons, sharing in his father's distaste for law enforcement.[11] Becoming a cop puts Lucky and his father Luke on opposite sides of the law, a contributing factor to the tension seen between them in forthcoming years. Other adult issues Lucky faces include financial struggles and marriage. In 2005, Lucky is repaired with Elizabeth and becomes the stepfather to her son Cameron. Vaughan told Soap Opera Digest in 2005:
I identify more with the older version of Lucky than the youthful version. They're more set in their ways now. But that's pretty much the only way I know [Lucky and Elizabeth] since they've been reunited, taking him on as somebody who has an occupation, going through the financial struggles of an adult, taking care of a child and significant other that he wants to spend the rest of his life with.[24]
“Today, Lucky is a police officer with a major ax to grind against his father – he's no longer the little ‘cowboy' Jackson played originally.”
—Entertainment Weekly in 2009, on the change in Lucky’s character during Vaughan's tenure.[81]
During Vaughan's tenure, Lucky also made a drastic character change away from his previously known quick thinking and street smarts, seen both in his police work and personal life. By 2009, Abby West of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Lucky was "a character who's been written as earnest (he's
Lucky's relationship with Elizabeth falls apart due to their financial problems, Lucky’s addiction, their infidelity, and Lucky's discovery in 2007 that Elizabeth's son Jake is Jason's son. Meanwhile, Lucky's misfortune continues as his best friend Emily Quartermaine (then Livingston) is murdered the same night his father has a heart attack. Vaughan described Lucky's state of mind to the New York Daily News in 2007: “Words cannot define the rage and the fury. This beautiful thing, that has completely altered his life and given it new meaning, is a lie. (...) He's bitter. He's also in a very weak place, emotionally and physically.”[49] Accompanying the fallout of Lucky and Elizabeth's marriage, Jason's jealous ex-girlfriend Sam McCall (Monaco) manipulates Lucky into a relationship with her as revenge on Elizabeth, although her feelings eventually turn genuine. Monaco described the pairing to Soap Opera Digest in 2008: "Sam and Lucky's romance was nice. It was sweet. It was friendly. It was innocent. I mean, gosh, Sam did do a lot of manipulating and crap (to land Lucky), but he was teaching her a lot."[48]
During Vaughan's tenure, Lucky becomes more of a backburner character with minimal story arcs that center around him.[11][26] During budget cuts in 2009, Vaughan addressed rumors by stating, “I haven't been put on recurring status – but it feels like it!”[27]
Jackson's return
"When it comes to Lucky, it's very visceral for me and very instinctive. So much of the character was what he was – the offspring of Luke and Laura. (...) When you play a character day in and day out for years like I did, it's like a second skin almost. It's very close to you. So walking back in, I just brought who I am now as an adult into it. And it just felt really smooth and comfortable."
—Jackson in 2009, on reprising the role.[62]
Jackson returned to the role in October 2009, and viewers wondered if Lucky would regain original character traits that had changed over the years and different actors.[11][81][82] Jackson stated that he had not seen the other actors' portrayal of Lucky and was basing his reprisal on his experience of creating the role.[29] He told Entertainment Weekly:
I'm coming with the strength of originating the character and working with Tony [Geary] and Genie [Francis] at a young age in sort of defining who Lucky was and is. I guess I'm more focused on the connection I do have with the character than the transitions that people might have to undergo to see me as the character.[62]
Jackson said that he was not concerned or focused on the events in Lucky's life while he was gone, stating: “You can't act information and you can't act history (...) That's what happened and that's what he's gone through, and that's that.”
“There's no fighting it – Jackson brings an entirely different dynamic to the role.”
—Entertainment Weekly on Jackson's 2009 return.[81]
When asked about the now strained relationship between Lucky and Luke, Jackson stated: “Tony [Geary] and I have had some great scenes that feel like re-establishing something. Again, I did not watch the other versions of Lucky, but for me it's picking up where I left off ten years ago, but now as an adult. There is a lot of interesting chemistry going on there.”
Tragedy
"Jackson's performance resonated with hurt, [betrayal], and that everything and everyone he believed in shattered in just that one sickening moment."
—Michael Fairman, on Lucky learning of the affair.[91]
When Jackson returned to the role, he was given multiple emotional storylines that continually put Lucky in tragic situations. As Jackson resumed the character in October 2009, Lucky is unaware that Elizabeth, his fiancée again, is having an affair with his brother Nikolas.[81] What started as a joke[51] grows into a physical relationship the same night Elizabeth accepts Lucky's remarriage proposal. Herbst explained to Comcast: "I truly believe that [Elizabeth] is in love with Lucky and has been in love with him her entire life. But what happened with Nikolas caught her by surprise as much as everybody else. It's hard for her to articulate it. She just knows that Nikolas did make her feel more like a woman and that in her relationship with Lucky she's very much still that 16-year-old girl that constantly needs to be saved. That's kind of the role that Lucky has played in her life."[79] When Lucky eventually walks in on her with Nikolas, he does not say anything and instead trashes his house and resumes drinking. J Bernard Jones from entertainment website Zap2it described that Lucky: "generally was an emotional wreck, careening all over the place like a pinball. On the other hand, whenever Lucky was with Elizabeth or Nikolas he was cold and detached, imbuing just enough of Jackson's trademark sincerity (some would say over-earnestness) to knock the two cheatin' hearts off-kilter."[52] Lucky is irate by the time he confronts them. Herbst described the scene: "Jonathan actually seemed like one more step and he was going to take my head off. Honestly, it was not so hard to be present when he was yelling at me like he did."[92] Jones from Zap2it stated that in the confrontation scenes: "Jackson accomplished a much harder task than simply reclaiming the Lucky mantle: he has bridged the gap between his previous run, Jacob Young's and most recently, Greg Vaughan's. Now Lucky seems like a whole person once again, as opposed to a fractured character sliced up over the years by the writers, and fractured by fan loyalties."[52] Lucky, Nikolas and Elizabeth soon learn that Elizabeth is pregnant, and either brother could be the father. Jackson explained Lucky's position:
This is potentially the third child that she's had with someone else besides him so I think it's extraordinarily painful and sort of over-the-top emotionally. That little percentage of possibility that it could be his scares the crap out of him because if it was his he would have to deal with reconciliation and forgiveness, not even being with her necessarily, just even having to heal some of the wounds. Either way, it's a horrible situation.[79]
In a separate interview, Jackson stated that while on the surface Lucky may not want the child to be his, deep down he thinks a part of the character does.
Honestly, it has been insane the amount of intense work I have had over the past year on GH. I have literally been on my knees praying to continually get through it. There was the Elizabeth tragedy that happened last year, and then Lucky was drunk, and then he was at the edge of everything for four months. Then, this year it has been Jake's death, and the Luke's intervention and one thing after another.[99]
Lucky's life did not subside; he volunteers for an undercover drug case, and is injected with drugs under the orders of Anthony Zacchara (Weitz). He spends a night hallucinating, and although Elizabeth finds him and eventually gets him medication, she meanwhile gets in a car accident that puts Lucky's wife Siobhan in the hospital. Anthony murders Siobhan, and her death is the last straw for Lucky, who willingly takes pills. Lucky struggles but stops his drug use. He denies Elizabeth's attempts to reconcile and leaves town in December 2011.
Jackson stated leaving his children during Christmas was one piece of unfinished business Lucky had, as well as not having gone on any adventures with his family.[100] Anthony Geary agreed, telling Soaps In Depth: "That was a major production mistake, and a terrible waste. The whole family was primed for a great adventure together. The audience would have loved it, and it would have been completely consistent with our family history. Sometimes they miss the most obvious story ideas. It's frustrating."[100] Geary added that father and son were left in a bitter place when Lucky abruptly left town, lacking any resolution after Jake's death and the intervention.[100] When asked in 2012 to describe Lucky after his departure, Jackson explained to CT Post: "He has a dark side, but he's a really good soul. He's more tortured than villainous. He's had drug abuse, lost a child, been through a lot."[101]
Reception
In 2023, Charlie Mason from
Introduction
“It didn't take much time for him to become an audience favorite. Jackson's artless, all-boy portrayal is a breath of fresh air."
—Soap Opera Digest on Jackson's portrayal in 1994.[103]
The introduction of Lucky, paired with Luke and Laura's reintroduction, was met with some cynicism; Georgia Dullea of the
Romance
During Jackson's first stint as Lucky, the character's relationship with Elizabeth Webber (Herbst) was called a supercouple, compared to Lucky's parents Luke and Laura.
Recasts
“In the soap world, there are very few roles that can't be recast, but this may be one of them. The role of Lucky is so much Jonathan Jackson's because viewers watched him grow up and it will be very difficult for any actor to not only fill his acting shoes, but to win over viewer's hearts."
—Soap Opera Update in 1999, on the potential of recasting Lucky.[125]
When Jackson left the role in 1999, a recast was opposed by viewers and costars.
Jackson's reprisal
When Jackson was hired to reprise the role in 2009, his return was highly anticipated,
Jackson's performance in those episodes was seismic, full of fury and anguish and a soul-wrenching complexity that left me breathless. I don't for a minute think GH will push him for one of the two lead actor slots on the Emmy pre-nom ballot – certainly not with alpha dogs Tony Geary (Luke) and Maurice Benard (Sonny [Cortinthos]) taking up space – so he'll likely be dismissed to the supporting category. But make no mistake about it: Jackson was more brilliant and memorable than any other leading man in soaps.[142]
Jackson submitted those scenes for the 38th Daytime Emmy Awards,[99] where he won his fourth Daytime Emmy Award and first win as Outstanding Supporting Actor.[143] The scenes were compared to classics such as Judith Light's performance of Karen Wolek's courtroom confession scene on One Life to Live[64][99] and Kim Zimmer’s performance of Reva Shayne's fountain scene on Guiding Light.[52][144] Jackson's on-screen chemistry with Erin Chambers (Siobhan) also had a positive reception at the end of 2010.[93] However the following year they were rated the No. 6 Worst Soap Opera Couple of 2011 by Zap2it, who stated: "We spent 2011 desperately clinging to those few early memories, as Siobhan transformed from an appealing character into a shrill, insecure harpy (...) Try as Jackson and Chambers might, the actors were unable to salvage an ounce of their prior appeal as a couple."[145] On the other hand, the entertainment website named Jackson No. 3 of the Top 10 Male Entertainers that year.[146] Jackson had a range of emotional work in 2011 that received acclaim, including the scenes following the death of Lucky's son Jake,[147][148] a storyline met by criticism by some fans.[149] In 2012, Jackson won his fifth Daytime Emmy Award[143][150] for his scenes where Lucky tells Luke that Luke was the driver that hit Jake and confronts him about his drinking.[151] When Jackson was nominated, On-Air On-Soaps stated:
Jonathan Jackson's work on GH in 2011 was transcendent. Storyline after storyline he delivered in spectacular fashion; acting acrobatics and realism, and such emotional depth to the life of Lucky Spencer that we the viewers cried right along with him. If any nominee up for this year's Daytime Emmy had a banner year, it was Jackson.[151]
See also
Notes
- ^ a b The announcement of Luke and Laura's child was shown in 1984, under executive producer Gloria Monty and head writer Anne Howard Bailey. The character was later developed and introduced in 1993 under executive producer Wendy Riche, during the transition between the writing team led by Claire Labine. Anthony Geary (Luke Spencer) and friend Irene Suver also helped to develop the introduction.[1]
- ^ Elizabeth and Lucky divorce twice in 2007. First in January, remarrying in March, and divorcing again in October.
References
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- Robert Guza, Jr. (Head writer) (October 17, 2007). General Hospital. Season 44. American Broadcasting Company. GH Transcript Wednesday 10/17/07.
Diane: Custody, or even visitation of Cameron is off the table. Cameron is not Lucky's son, legally or biologically, so Lucky has no rights, whatsoever as far as Elizabeth's oldest son is concerned.
- ^ "Five Things That Happened On October 29 In Soap History". Soap Opera Digest. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ a b Susman, Linda (April 27, 1999). "Parting Words". Soap Opera Weekly.
- ^ Journal Communications. p. 87. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
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- ^ Stone, Sally (January 6, 1999). "'GH' star Jonathan Jackson will have career and college". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ King, Susan (April 8, 1999). "'General Hospital' star jumps into 'Deep End'". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
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- ^ a b c d Kroll, Dan J (February 20, 2000). "Lucky to be Young". Soapcentral. soapcentral.com. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
- ^ "GH Loses Lucky". Soap Opera Digest. March 13, 1999.
- ^ Havens, Candace (February 13, 2000). "Jackson may not return to 'General Hospital'". The Free Lance–Star. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ a b Kroll, Dan J (December 20, 1999). "Jackson nixes permanent return, GH recasts Lucky". Soapcentral. soapcentral.com. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
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- American Media, Inc.June 3, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
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- ^ NY Daily News. nydailynews.com. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
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