General Hospital fans can look forward to the imminent return of Ethan Lovett, the son of Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) and Holly Sutton (Emma Samms)! Once again, he will be played by Nathan Parsons, who is now credited as Nathan Dean. The actor originally appeared on the show from 2009-12 and returned for short visits in 2013, 2015 and 2020. TV Insider was the first to report the news of his comeback, which will kick off on-screen in April. And be sure to check out our breakdown of Ethan’s connections to other characters on the show!
The Prodigal Son Returns
In a statement to the outlet, Executive Producer Frank Valentini enthused of Ethan’s return, “We have a great story planned — with, of course, a few twists along the way.”
Born in Adelaide, Australia and raised in Colorado and Texas, Parsons first came to the attention of GH Casting Director Mark Teschner when he came in to read for the role of Dante Falconeri. While that part went to Dominic Zamprogna, Parsons made such a strong impression on the powers-that-be that the character of Ethan was created for him. He made his debut on January 30, 2009 — and when con-artist Ethan was eventually revealed to be the product of Luke’s extramarital affair with Holly, some fans revolted. “I was tremendously disliked for that,” the actor mused to TV Guide in 2011. “I was a dagger in the heart of all the Luke and Laura [Genie Francis] fans! They didn’t want to believe Luke done such a thing during his legendary romance with Laura. And I don’t blame them. It wasn’t my fault, but I took a lot of heat.”
In late 2011, Parsons informed the show of his decision not to renew his contract, and Ethan was written out early the following year. At the time, he explained to Soaps in Depth that while he was eager to explore other acting opportunities, he was also leaving because the show had struggled to find a strong storyline foothold for his character. “I love the people at GH,” he said. “The cast and crew were like family to me. But for one reason or another, it was never my time.” In 2012, he earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Younger Actor for his final year of work on the show.
Reflecting on his GH experience in an interview with Soap Opera Digest in 2019, Parsons enthused that working on the show, “I really learned about work ethic. First of all, I learned so much from working so closely with Tony Geary. The man is a legend — just being around him and absorbing his life experience and hearing his stories and seeing the way he works…. I remember one time, I asked if [the director] would be mad if I did this or if I changed this or if I tried something different, and he said, ‘Listen to me, Nathan, the worst thing that’s going to happen is they say no,’ and that really opened my world because I was like, ‘You’re right.’ We have the freedom here now to play. This is a creative environment and this is a creative endeavor and we have the freedom to really reach for something — and if it’s too much, then they say no and we pull it back and find a middle ground. But, he always said, ‘Don’t be afraid to leap into something,’ and that stuck with me forever. To this day, I’ll never forget that, and I’m so grateful to him and to the soap community and General Hospital and everyone there.”
After wrapping up his time in Port Charles, Parsons starred on HBO’s True Blood as James and on The CW’s The Originals (a spin-off of The Vampire Diaries) as Jackson Kenner, then portrayed Max Evans in The CW’s Roswell reboot, Roswell, New Mexico, which also featured Trevor St. John (ex-Victor Lord, Jr., One Life to Live; ex-Tucker McCall, Young and Restless). He also had a recurring role on the ABC series Once Upon a Time.
The actor popped back in to GH in April 2013 as part of the show’s 50th anniversary celebration, and returned again two years later to take part in the exit storyline for Luke upon Geary’s retirement. In 2020, he made another surprise return, sharing scenes with Lisa LoCicero (Olivia) and Tristan Rogers (Robert) set in Monte Carlo. When Ethan was seen again for a handful of episodes in April 2023, though, actor James Ryan was tapped to play him.
Are you excited to welcome Ethan back to Port Charles? What are your storyline hopes for the character? Sound off in the comments below!
