Seven years after Ryan Paevey’s Detective Nathan West character was killed off on General Hospital, the actor is making a surprising return to the soap opera. 

Ryan Paevey promises surprises for fans in ‘General Hospital’ return 

Paevey told Deadline that he’ll be back on the set of the ABC daytime drama this week, with his episodes scheduled to air sometime in September. 

Specifics about Paevey’s return – including what character he’ll be playing – are being kept under wraps. But the Hallmark Channel alum promises GH fans that the story will deliver big drama. 

“We talked a bit and he asked would I consider returning for awhile, talking story, floated different story ideas involving different time commitments of me, and I thought if we’re going to do this we should really do it and surprise the fans with a meaty storyline,” Paevey told Deadline. “I was surprised by my excitement for a homecoming and reuniting with familiar faces after seven years. I still have my last call sheet from my final taping day on January 18, 2018, tacked up in my home office.”

Paevey joined General Hospital in 2013 as Nathan, a new character on the long-running series. Nathan was killed off in 2018, when he was shot by his father, Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), while he was attempting to protect his beloved wife, Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms). 

Hallmark Channel alum took a break from acting 

Paevey’s return to General Hospital comes a little over a year after he announced he was taking a break from acting. His last role was in Hallmark’s 2023 holiday movie Under the Christmas Sky.  

In an April 2024 post on X, Paevey expressed disillusionment with the entertainment industry. 

“I may take 2024 off from filming, unless the project is with friends. The last 8 months of life in this industry have left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth, and I need some time away from a world so full of fake friends and empty promises. I’m weary…,”  he wrote. 

“I have much to be grateful for,” he added. “I’ll figure out a way to stay afloat without acting income … who knows, maybe a film will come along. Insurance would be nice, haha.”

But now, it seems that things are looking up, A few days before he revealed that he was returning to GH, Paevey teased that he had an exciting announcement on the horizon. 

“I got some news to share with you guys soon,” he said in an Instagram video recapping a recent fan event in Georgia. “I’ve got some irons in the fire. I got all kinds of fun stuff coming up.”

General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC (check local listings). Episodes also stream on Hulu. 

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