General Hospital Comings and Goings: It’s Time for Ryan Paevey to Come Back to Port Charles

There wasn’t a dry eye within General Hospital fandom when Nathan West went to that great soap in the sky after Ryan Paevey opted not to renew his contract with the ABC soap. There have been a lot of changes to show business world since then. Maybe it’s time for GH to do the Lazarus bit with Paevey’s character?

Go West, Young Man

A little over six years ago, Paevey gave Soap Hub his first interview when he opted not to renew his contract with GH. He expressed gratitude to Frank Valentini, executive producer, and Mark Teschner, casting director, for “seeing something in me…GH was my first acting credit ever. It was my first time on a set. I had my own dressing room, and i knew the security people. I had my own parking space!”

Since leaving GH, Paevey has carved out a solid career, appearing in several movies for Hallmark. He starred in the 2016 movie Unleashing Mr. Darcy and, most recently, the 2023 film Under the Christmas Sky. However, he recently shared on X, formerly Twitter, that, right now, he has nothing in the works.

“Sadly, no word of a film…” he shared in a post, adding he “may take 2024 off from filming, unless the project is with friends. The last 8 months of my 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…

“I had a great run,” Paevey added in a follow up post. “I like my simple life in my shop, helping little bro and frequent surfs. I have much to be grateful for, I’ll figure out a way to stay afloat without acting income…who knows, maybe a film will come along.”

In 2021, Paevey chatted with Soap Hub for our Wellness Wednesday feature about how creating jewelry helps him with mental wellness. “Truthfully, [jewelry-making] was a way to cope with depression [that I’ve felt] from the feelings of not being in control that the industry can give you,” he said. “I’ve had more traditional modes of employment throughout life – handyman, construction, restaurants — I could always pick up a shift and take on more work. However, as an actor, you don’t get to always choose when you’ll work.

Hollywood has been in flux for the last few years due to production shutdowns and delays due to both Covid and the SAG/AFTRA and WGA strikes in 2023. Soap operas, except for the early months of Covid, have remained in production.

Paevey’s fans would certainly welcome his return to daytime. GH could opt to either resurrect Nathan or cast the actor in a new role. There are also three other soaps he could join — Young and the Restless, Bold and the Beautiful, and Days of our Lives. Recently, NBC/Peacock gave DAYS a big show of support and Y&R has been renewed for four years.