‘Basic Hospital’ to Briefly Exchange Jonathan Jackson amid Multi-Episode Absence

Jonathan Jackson is taking a quick hiatus from Basic Hospital.

On Monday, Feb. 17, PEOPLE confirmed that the actor — who performs Fortunate Spencer — can be lacking from just a few episodes of the long-running cleaning soap opera, starting on Feb. 18.

Although the rationale behind his absence stays unknown, Jackson is already again at Port Charles and filming new episodes on set. Followers will see him return as Fortunate later this month.

Within the meantime, Man Wilson, greatest identified for portraying Will Horton on Days of Our Lives from 2014 to 2015, can be taking up as Jackson’s character.

Wilson beforehand appeared on Basic Hospital as a younger model of Fortunate’s deceased father, Luke, in a fantasy sequence again in 2006.

Jackson’s transient hiatus comes after he introduced his return to the cleaning soap opera in June 2024 after leaving to pursue new alternatives. He had performed Fortunate for 18 years from 1993 to 2011.

“I’m tremendous excited and might’t wait to dig in and see what’s happening in Port Charles,” the actor mentioned in a video shared to Instagram. “Excited to see Genie Francis and so many others. Simply wished to say thanks to the entire followers through the years — your persistence and love has definitely performed an element in all this.”

“Thanks additionally to Frank Valentini and all people at ABC additionally for welcoming me again,” he added.

His time on the long-running cleaning soap earned him 5 Daytime Emmy Awards, and actors Jacob Younger and Greg Vaughan stepped into the function of Fortunate whereas he was gone.

Past Basic Hospital, Jackson performed Avery Barkley on Nashville throughout its six-year run from 2012 to 2018. Then, he appeared in 2024’s Unsung Hero earlier than deciding to return to GH. 

By no means miss a narrative — join PEOPLE’s free every day publication to remain up-to-date on the very best of what PEOPLE has to supply, from movie star information to forcing human curiosity tales.

Basic Hospital airs weekdays on ABC (test native listings).