All The Actors Who Played Lucky On General Hospital

Lucas "Lucky" Spencer is the first born child of iconic "General Hospital" couple Luke and Laura (Tony Geary and Genie Francis). The first decade of his life was lived off-screen while he and his parents were in hiding from dangerous criminal Frank Smith (via Soap Central). When the family finally settled in Port Charles, Lucky's life was further upended when he was accidentally shot, his little sister Lulu was born, and he discovered that he had an older brother Nikolas (Tyler Christopher) whom his mother had given birth to when she was kidnapped by Stavros Cassadine and had kept a secret.

Lucky was a prominent figure on "GH" throughout his teen and young adult years as part of a friend group that included Emily Quartermaine (Amber Tamblyn, Natalia Livingston), his brother Nikolas, and Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) who he would eventually have a family with. Over the years, Lucky and Elizabeth struggled to keep their family together after dealing with infidelity on both sides, questions of paternity of their sons, Lucky's dangerous job as a PCPD detective, and his painkiller addiction.

In 2011, Lucky left Port Charles and relocated to Ireland permanently, according to Soaps in Depth. He returned on-screen briefly in 2015 when he was kidnapped and discovered his son Jake was alive after being presumed dead for several years. He was briefly mentioned again in 2022 after the death of his father Luke Spencer and was said to be volunteering in Africa.

Jonathan Jackson is both the first and the most recent actor (as of this writing) to portray Lucky Spencer on "General Hospital." The actor first started the role in 1993 when he was 11-years-old and stayed until 1999 when he left the show to pursue other acting opportunities (via IMDb). 

He reprised the character from 2009 to 2011, until scheduling conflicts and a heavy workload forced him to say goodbye again. At that time, Lucky was written off the show by moving to Ireland where his recently deceased wife Siobhan (Erin Chambers) was from. Jackson briefly appeared again as Lucky in 2015 when he was kidnapped by the same man who tormented his family when he was a child (via Soaps). While captive, he discovered his son Jake, who had been presumed dead for years, was actually alive and he was able to rescue the boy and bring him home to Port Charles. Throughout his career, Jackson has received five Daytime Emmys for his work as Lucky and has been nominated an additional four times.

In between his time on "GH," Jackson has enjoyed an acting career in mainstream film and television and is known primarily for his portrayal of Avery Barkley on the hit show "Nashville" from 2012 to 2018. He has also pursued a career in music and is a frontman for the band Enation whose songs have been featured on "One Tree Hill" and the film "Riding the Bullet."

Jacob Young is a soap star that has appeared on a number of different daytime shows throughout his career, per IMDb. His debut acting role was as Rick Forrester on "The Bold and the Beautiful" in which he appeared from 1997 to 1999, and again from 2011 to 2018. Young took over the role of Lucky on "General Hospital" in 2000 after Jackson exited and remained until 2003. From there, he starred as J.R. Chandler on the soap "All My Children" from 2003 to 2011 when he returned to "B&B." Young was widely celebrated for his talents and was nominated for two Daytime Emmys for "AMC," two for "B&B," and won one for his work as Lucky on "GH."

Young's run as Lucky was during a very tumultuous time in the character's life. He suffered from mind control at the hands of Helena Cassadine (Constance Towers), went through several break-ups and reconciliations with Elizabeth, witnessed his mother Laura have a mental breakdown, struggled with his relationship to his father and brother, and left his job as a photographer to become a cop (via Soap Central).

Actor Greg Vaughan had starred in several films and television series — including "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Charmed" — before he ever stepped foot on the set of a soap. He eventually landed a spot on "The Young and the Restless" in 2002 for a yearlong stint as Diego Gutierrez. From there, he joined the cast of "General Hospital" and portrayed Lucky until 2009. In 2012, Vaughan signed on to play Eric Brady on the soap "Days of Our Lives," where he remained until 2021 and for which he earned a Daytime Emmy in 2018.

During Vaughn's seven years as Lucky Spencer, the character went through several difficult situations. After being injured on the job, Lucky became hooked on prescription pills, which Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms) was supplying him with (via Soaps in Depth). This led him to have an affair with Maxie and contributed to another separation with Elizabeth and him losing his job. After going to rehab and reconciling with Elizabeth, Lucky then discovered that their son Jake was actually fathered by Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) and not himself. Liz and Lucky divorced again and he then began a relationship with Jason's ex, Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco). Soon after, Jonathan Jackson returned as Lucky.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).