General Hospital Star Ryan Paevey Finds A New Romance…Sort Of

He’s gone to the great soap in the sky on General Hospital, but fans of Ryan Paevey, who played Nathan West, can still see the actor. He’s got a new film debuting this weekend in which he plays a character very unlike the late lawman.

Paevey stars in the Hallmark Channel movie A Summer Romance opposite Erin Krakow (When Calls the Heart).

“I play Richard Belmont, a land developer who comes to Montana [where Krakow’s character Samantha Walker lives] to make an acquisition,” Paevey previews. Conflict arises when Richard’s colleagues pressure him to close the deal, but he’s starting to realize that maybe the simple life isn’t so bad after all?

“I got to ride a horse and wear a giant Stetson,” the actor says. “And I kept [the hat] and now wear it for fun. It changes the way I walk!”

Off-screen, Paevey continues to travel. Next up is a trip to Hawaii to visit a childhood pal who has not only moved to the island but so has his whole family.

One project the former GH star is putting on hold is his jewelry line. “Here’s the thing when you turn something you’ve done for fun into a business — you poison the well a little bit.

“That took the fun out of it. I don’t want to disappoint people, but I don’t want that kind of stress in my life. When [the site] comes back it probably won’t be about jewelry. It’ll be less about things and more about photography.”

Paevey remains in touch with GH pals Dominic Zamprogna (ex-Dante) and Jeffrey Vincent Parise (ex-Carlos). “I met some good people there,” says the actor, noting he still can’t believe the huge sendoff Nathan received referring to his character’s funeral.

“I’m still scratching my head over that,” he says. “Nathan was a good guy, a great guy, even, but my popularity was contingent on [being paired with Maxie, played by Kristen Storms]. The level of sendoff he got blows my mind to this day — in a good way!”

A Summer Romance airs Saturday, August 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the Hallmark Channel. General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.