# Jonathan Jackson (actor)
**Jonathan Jackson** (born 1982) is an American actor, musician, and author best known for originating the role of [Lucky Spencer](https://www.edgepedia.org/lucky-spencer) on the ABC daytime soap opera *General Hospital* and for playing Avery Barkley on the ABC/CMT musical drama *Nashville*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jonathan-jackson/) He has won multiple [Daytime Emmy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/daytime-emmy-awards) for his portrayal of Lucky, records with the indie rock band Enation, and has published books of poetry and prose.[3](https://www.jonathanjackson.com/about)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1982, Orlando, Florida[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) |
| Signature role | Lucky Spencer on *General Hospital*, first air date October 29, 1993; 459 episodes across runs from 1993 to 2025[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) |
| Emmy record | Daytime Emmy wins in 2011, 2012, and 2025 for *General Hospital*; his site calls him a five-time Emmy winner, while Soap Opera Digest counts six Daytime Emmys for the role[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/awards/) • [3](https://www.jonathanjackson.com/about) • [5](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-alum-jonathan-jackson-reveals-new-project/) |
| Prime-time lead | Avery Barkley on *Nashville*, 2012–2018, 124 episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) |
| Notable films | *Camp Nowhere* (1994), *The Deep End of the Ocean* (1999), *Tuck Everlasting* (2002), *Insomnia* (2002), *Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights* (2004), *Unsung Hero* (2024)[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jonathan-jackson/) |
| Music | Co-founder and frontman of the Washington-based indie rock band Enation, formed in 2002 with his brother Richard Lee Jackson[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jonathan-jackson-mn0000823468) |
| Writing | Author of the mystical poetry collection *Book of Solace and Madness* and the non-fiction prose work *The Mystery of Art*, translated into multiple languages[3](https://www.jonathanjackson.com/about) |
## Early life
Jackson was born in [Orlando, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/orlando-florida), to Jeanine Sharp, a businesswoman, and Dr. Rick Lee Jackson, a family doctor and country musician.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) He is the younger brother of actor and musician Richard Lee Jackson and of Candice Jackson.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) The family moved to Washington state when he was very young, and he was raised in the Battle Ground, Washington area.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) • [6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jonathan-jackson-mn0000823468)
A family vacation to [Universal Studios Hollywood](https://www.edgepedia.org/universal-studios-hollywood) when he was nine years old prompted him to consider an acting career.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jonathan-jackson/) His parents agreed to let the brothers try acting for six months, so Jonathan and Richard moved to Los Angeles with their mother while their father stayed in Washington.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) After a few commercials, including one for Corn Pops, he was chosen from several hundred young hopefuls for the role of Lucky Spencer, the son of Luke and Laura Spencer, played by [Anthony Geary](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-geary) and [Genie Francis](https://www.edgepedia.org/genie-francis), who were returning to *General Hospital* after a nine-year absence.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jonathan-jackson/)
## General Hospital and Lucky Spencer
Jackson's first air date as Lucky Spencer was October 29, 1993.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) He had never had an acting lesson before joining the show.[7](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-10-01-tv-51905-story.html) His character was paired in a pre-teen love story with Emily Quartermaine, played by [Amber Tamblyn](https://www.edgepedia.org/amber-tamblyn), and he earned his first Daytime Emmy, for Outstanding Younger Leading Actor, in 1995.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jonathan-jackson/)
As he grew older, the writers gave him more adult material, including storylines in which Lucky grappled with his father's long-ago rape of his mother and the sexual assault of his girlfriend Liz.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jonathan-jackson/) After five years, Jackson departed the series in 1999, and rather than recast Lucky for a full year, the writers waited so audiences would be readier to embrace Jacob Young, the actor who took over the part.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jonathan-jackson/)
He returned to the role in 2009 and stayed until 2011, when he left to join *Nashville*.[8](https://beta.creativecirclecdn.com/lascruces/files/20250717-170253-4f4-TV-ENT%20GUIDE%2007-18-25%20eEDITION.pdf) He came back again in 2024 for a run that ended in 2025, winning the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2011, 2012, and 2025.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/awards/) • [5](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-alum-jonathan-jackson-reveals-new-project/) Across his career he has won six Daytime Emmys for playing Lucky, according to Soap Opera Digest, though his own website describes him as a five-time Emmy winner; the two counts differ.[5](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-alum-jonathan-jackson-reveals-new-project/) • [3](https://www.jonathanjackson.com/about)
## Film and prime-time television
While still on the soap, Jackson made his film debut in *[Camp Nowhere](https://www.edgepedia.org/camp-nowhere)* (1994) and appeared in the television movies *The Legend of the Ruby Silver* and *The Prisoner of Zenda, Inc.* (both 1996).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) In 1997 he took time from the soap to shoot his breakthrough film role as [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://www.edgepedia.org/michelle-pfeiffer)'s troubled son Vincent Cappadora in *The Deep End of the Ocean* (1999).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/)
After leaving *General Hospital* in 1999 he worked regularly in features: *Trapped in a Purple Haze* (2000), Disney's *Tuck Everlasting* (2002) as Jesse Tuck opposite [Alexis Bledel](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexis-bledel), *Insomnia* (2002) opposite [Al Pacino](https://www.edgepedia.org/al-pacino) and [Robin Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/robin-williams), *Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights* (2004), *Venom* (2004), and the television movie *A Little Thing Called Murder* (2006) with Judy Davis.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jonathan-jackson/) • [9](https://www.miramax.com/profile/jonathan-jackson/) He was considered for the role of young Anakin Skywalker in *Star Wars: Attack of the Clones*, but the part went to Hayden Christensen.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jonathan-jackson/)
From 2012 to 2018 he played musician Avery Barkley on *Nashville*, appearing in 124 episodes and receiving a Critics' Choice TV Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2016.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/awards/) In 2024 he played Eddie Degarmo in the film *Unsung Hero*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/)
## Music and writing
Jackson has been the lead singer and guitarist in a number of bands, most recently Enation, which he formed in 2002 with his brother Richard and longtime friends Daniel Sweatt, Luke Galeotti, and Michael Galeotti.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/) • [6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jonathan-jackson-mn0000823468) Earlier incarnations of the band were called Jono and the Rock, Scarlet River, and Scarlet Road, and Enation's songs were often played on *General Hospital* during his tenure.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jonathan-jackson/) The band has performed alongside artists including Echo & The Bunnymen, Sarah McLachlan, and [Echosmith](https://www.edgepedia.org/echosmith), and operated as Jonathan Jackson + Enation from 2014.[3](https://www.jonathanjackson.com/about) • [6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jonathan-jackson-mn0000823468) His music has also appeared on the *[Nashville](https://www.edgepedia.org/nashville-2012-tv-series)* soundtracks.[10](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621227969)
As an author he has published the mystical poetry collection *Book of Solace and Madness* and the non-fiction prose work *The Mystery of Art*, which has been translated into multiple languages.[3](https://www.jonathanjackson.com/about)
## Recent and upcoming work
In 2024 Jackson won the Quo Vadis Trophy and the Holy Hierarch Dosoftei Cross at the Quo Vadis International Film Festival for *Saint Joseph the Hesychast*.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/awards/) He is set to star in and produce *Abilene*, a feature directed by Tyler David Sutton, alongside his former *Nashville* co-star [Clare Bowen](https://www.edgepedia.org/clare-bowen), with principal photography scheduled to begin in March 2026.[11](https://www.jonathanjackson.com/news)
Jackson resides in Ireland with his wife, Elisa, and their three children.[3](https://www.jonathanjackson.com/about)
## References
1. [Jonathan Jackson, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/)
2. [Jonathan Jackson: Actor, Musician, Writer, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jonathan-jackson/)
3. [About, Jonathan Jackson official site](https://www.jonathanjackson.com/about)
4. [Jonathan Jackson: Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005044/awards/)
5. [General Hospital Alum Jonathan Jackson Reveals New Project, Soap Opera Digest](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-alum-jonathan-jackson-reveals-new-project/)
6. [Jonathan Jackson Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jonathan-jackson-mn0000823468)
7. [Jonathan Jackson Gets His 'Lucky' Break, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-10-01-tv-51905-story.html)
8. [TV & Entertainment Guide, Las Cruces (July 2025)](https://beta.creativecirclecdn.com/lascruces/files/20250717-170253-4f4-TV-ENT%20GUIDE%2007-18-25%20eEDITION.pdf)
9. [Jonathan Jackson, Miramax](https://www.miramax.com/profile/jonathan-jackson/)
10. [Jonathan Jackson, Apple Snapshot](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621227969)
11. [Abilene Begins Production in Texas, Jonathan Jackson official site](https://www.jonathanjackson.com/news)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Hu to Ji*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license