2.22.00- InStyle magazine has an article about Jonathan shooting SSC in Ireland

When Jonathan Jackson flew to Dublin to star in James Sheridan's latest film, Smiling Suicide Club, he had no idea what to expect. Thankfully, the cab driver who picked him up on his arrival offered a basic tip. He told the Deep End of the Ocean star, "Well, you've pretty much got your pubs -- and you've got your churches."

A devout Christian, Jackson opted for the churches, spending his downtime visiting cathedrals and attending services. He even sneaked into an empty church to play the piano. A huge U2 fan, the actor made sure to hit all of the band's landmarks (the Clarens Hotel, their recording studio, etc.), squeezing in time for some day trips that took him to the Wicklow mountains and a 6th-century monastery in Glendalough.

The only American guy in the cast, Jackson had to adjust to his colleagues' ideas of fun. "There's very little variety in what to do on a Friday night," he says, referring to the dominant pub culture. "Everyone's really very nice and friendly, but I prefer to be in a place where you can do stuff: baseball, football, bowling."

Now at home in L.A. -- his TV movie Trapped in a Purple Haze airs this month -- the Daytime Emmy award-winning actor is eager to host the Irish friends he made abroad. "I want to take them to the beach and all the Hollywood sites," he says. And maybe even a Dodgers game.
-Ariel Foxman

2.20.00- Jonathan and Purple Haze featured in NY's television guide

JONATHAN JACKSON'S DRAMATIC DEPARTURE

Viewers familiar with the teen heartthrob Jonathan Jackson via his "General Hospital" emoting will be in for a shock when ABC's movie, "Trapped in a Purple Haze" airs this season. The 17-year old plays a heroin addict in the telepic and, says "Haze" director Thomas Carter, "I don't think anyone's seen him - on the soap or anything else - do any of the kind of work he does in this movie. Jonathan is a very clean kid, very bright and very driven - and he did a lot of research and worked very hard to nail the behavior of an addict, something compltely out of his range of experience". JoBeth Williams plays Jackson's mother in the movie, which Carter describes as being about "a middle class kid who is not from a broken home, not poor, who develops an addiction to heroin".

2.18.00- Jonathan and Richard responds to Jackson Lane's X-mas book

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/7199/index.html

2.18.00- Star Wars speculations in Entertainment Weekly

http://www.ew.com/ew/daily/0,2514,2634,allaboutanakinskywalker.html
"...But you won't catch the would-be Anakins jabbering about their chances of landing in 'Episode II,' set to start filming this summer. Media exposure doesn't sit well with Lord Lucas, who has made at least some auditioners sign confidentiality agreements. Consider poor Jonathan Jackson. In December, Newsweek jumped the laser gun and wrote that the 'General Hospital' actor had a virtual lock on the role. 'The article actually hurt him,' sighs his agent, CAA's Jane Berliner. 'You know how George Lucas is; they don't like that kind of publicity.'..."

2.12.00- ABC press release about Purple Haze

April 17,2000...Monday....8-10 p.m.

ABC ORIGINAL-"TRAPPED IN A PURPLE HAZE" Stars Jonathon Jackson ("General Hospital"), Carly Pope ("Popular"),JoBeth Williams ("The Big Chill"), and Colm Feore ("Stephen King's Storm Of The Century")

A riveting drama about America's quiet epidemic-heroin use among middle and upper-class young adults-and the deadly consequences from its use. Max Hanson (Mr. Jackson) is an 18-year-old with a picture perfect family, close friends and a passion for ice hockey. But trouble brews beneath the beautiful facade. When Max meets Molly (Ms. Pope), a new girl at college, he is drawn into a world that leaves his mother and father (Ms. Williams and Mr. Feore) reeling-and leaves him addicted to heroin.

2.12.00- Jacob Young is cast as the new Lucky Spencer..."JY Gets Lucky" (Soap Opera Digest)

Weeks of speculation have come to an end with the confirmation from ABC that Jacob Young (ex-Rick, B&B) has landed the recast role of GH's Lucky. His first air date is February 25.

"We're thrilled to have Jacob," smiles GH Head Writer Robert Guza, Jr. "He brings a brooding intensity to the character, and we can't wait for him to start work."

So how tough was it to cast this role, considering the enormous popularity of predecessor Jonathan Jackson? "Trying to recast was extremely daunting," shares the scribe. "Jonathan had such a unique quality. He was able to project strength and vulnerability. So, among other things, we needed to put distance between Jonathan and the new [actor], which is why we waited so long."

But, according to Guza, Lucky's return will be worth the wait. "We plan to make a big deal of this," he assures. "It's going to be a major arc that will have direct repercussions for Laura and Stefan's romance, for Luke and Felicia's romance, for Luke and Laura, for Nikolas and Li. As a result of Lucky's return, a bunch of things are going to change."

As for the *change* in Lucky's appearance.... "We're not going to say that he had plastic surgery or anything like that," chuckles Guza of the transition between Young and Jackson. "Physical differences we're not going to deal with so much."

Just how changed Lucky's demeanor may or may not be --- having been held captive for nearly 10 months --- remains to be seen. "All I can say is that Lucky is pivotal to this canvas," demurs Guza. "To all sorts of mixes and relationships and romances."

Since Jackson has made it clear he is not interested in returning to GH for the long term ("Jonathan ... would be willing to come back for a *short* period of time," Jackson's manager recently told Digest), many fans have said they don't want the character recast. But, Guza insists, "This is a character that we ultimately could not live without for long."

2.12.00- SOD Roundup

Which soap star would you like to see join your show?

Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Jessica, PASSIONS) said:

"Any soap star would be so welcome, but I would really like to meet Jonathan Jackson [ex-Lucky, GH, inset]. So if he decided to return to soaps, I would like it if he could join our cast. I don't usually get crushes on celebrities, but I really respect him and think he's a nice guy."

2.5.00- JJ mention in February issue of Teen

In an article on Leslie Bibb and Carly Pope from "Popular" where they interviewed each other, one of the questions Leslie asked Carly was to first tell her about Purple Haze and then she said, "What was it like working with Jonathan Jackson?" this is what Carly said...

"I have to say, Jonathan is so focused, so talented, so dignified and just so professional in all ways. He made my experience really really wonderful. He's an amazing actor"

2.3.00- The Jackson Two went to the Hollywood premiere of The Beach. They were spotted on E! News Daily. Thanks to Karen for the snappy. :)

2.1.00- Check out Jonathan in the February issues of these magazines:

CosmoGirl

Dear Cosmoguy...

Actor Jonathan Jackson on when to spill all and when to back off.

Q: Why do guys comment on how hot another girl is right in front of their girlfriend?
JJ: Because they're rude, insensitive, and selfish, and they don't care how their girlfriend feels.

Q: How can you cheer up your guy when he's depressed?
JJ: Let him know you're there for him without pressuring him to talk about it. Say, "I'll be here if you want to talk." Don't jump to the conclusion that he's upset about your relationship, or else he'll be comforting YOU when HE'S the one who's down.

Q: What should a girl do if she likes her boyfriend's friend?
JJ: She should break up with her boyfriend and be honest about her feelings for his friend. But if it's going to run the guys' friendship, then she should just go her separate way.

Q: Do vacation flings ever last?
JJ: I'm a romantic, so I'd like to think it's possible. But my practical side says it's far-fetched. On vacation, you don't have your day-to-day responsibilities. Relationships need to work when you're dealing with that stuff too.

Q: If your boyfriend says he needs "space" does that mean he wants to break up?
JJ: "Space" isn't ALWAYS a tricky way of saying "I don't want to be with you." I'm close to my family, and if I'm spending too much time with a girl, asking for space is my way of saying I need more time with them. Some guys ask for space so they can balance their lives - then they come back stronger.

US

VIRGIN TERRITORY - Some Stars Claim Abstinence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Jonathan Jackson
Occupation: Teen heart-throb. He starred for six years as Luke Spencer's son, Lucky, on General Hospital and played Michelle Pfeiffer's son in The Deep End of the Ocean.
Age: 17
His Own Words: "[I put] God before self."
Credibility Quotient: 10 - Jackson has publicly lamented the overt sexuality of showbiz. "Luckyily, I haven't had a conflict with sex stuff yet," he has said. "It really contradicts what I believe. But I have to keep in mind, I can't make a living doing only Christian projects."

Movieline

"You know how Jewel's teeth aren't perfectly straight? It's really attractive because features like that give certain women something different, a personality, an that's intriguing to me because I don't like Barbie Dolls-at all"

1.12.00-Purple Haze has been dubbed into Spanish and will be shown on Spanish television sometime...no word on the date yet.

1.11.00- Jonathan was mentioned on NYC's Z-100 radio station today

"they called him "the really cute teen boy, Lucky" ... LOL... anyway, they're talking about how he doesn't seem all too happy that all these rumours have started about him and Star Wars -- says he hasn't met with them yet and that he doesn't hope that people think he's jumping the gun!"
-Maria

1.9.00- Jonathan is on the cover of ABC SID. There is an article on him, as well as on a look back at Lucky and Liz.

LIFE AFTER DEATH

Although it's been nearly a year since the departure from GENERAL HOSPITAL of Jonathan Jackson -- and the apparent death of his beloved character, Lucky Spencer -- just about everyone still seems to be mired in the first stage of grief: denial. Just look around. On the Internet, an endless number of shrines have been dedicated by viewers to the son of Luke and Laura. At this past September's ABC Super Soap Weekend, the mere whisper of his name, or his portrayer's, sent fans into a screaming frenzy. And in Port Charles, the "deceased" remains such an imposing figure that rare are episodes in which his "passing" isn't mentioned or his presence isn't felt.

Perhaps since GH viewers were shown that Lucky really had not been killed, but rather, had been imprisoned by his father's archenemy, Cesar Faison, in a high-tech jail cell the size of a Manhattan studio apartment, they never were, and never would be, able to move on to the final stage of grief: acceptance. But now, it appears, they were right to hold onto hope. At press time, the show had not confirmed the rumor, but the buzz was, Elizabeth's true love would reappear in time for February sweeps. And while Jackson' burgeoning big-screen career would seem to preclude a comeback to the role that he originated -- wags insist that Jacob Young (an Emmy nomineefor his year playing Rick Forrester on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL) has the inside track on the recast -- it ain't necessarily so.

Here, in his first full-length interview since leaving GH last May, the three-time Emmy winner speaks out about where he has been and where he is going, reports that he has landed the lead in the next Star Wars episode, and last but not least, the conditions under which his former soap could "get Lucky" all over again.

A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH
First off, forgive Jackson if he's a little out of the loop. Currenty holed up in Ireland filming the drama The Smiling Suicide Club for producer Jim Sheridan (of My Left Foot acclaim), the 17 year old is blissfully unaware that back home, he is at the center of a media frenzy: The very same week as his conversation with Soaps in Depth, Newsweek reported taht he was a shoo-in to take over the role of Anakin Skywalker (aka Darth Vadar) from youngster Jake Lloyd in the next Star Wars prequel, due out in summer 2002. In fact, the magazine even went so far as to state, "Showbiz insiders say it's a done deal." However, a representative for George Lucas' production company, Lucasfilm, has denied that Jackson has been cast.

"Obviously it's not a done deal since I haven't even met with them." says the up-and-comer, adding, "I don't presume anything, and I don't think any assumptions should be made about any of it. I'll just have to meet with them [when production on SSC wraps]. I hope they don't think I was presuming anything because I certainly wasn't. I didn't hear any of it until it came out, so I had nothing to do with it."

In previous Q&A's with SID, Jackson has admitted that he'd scarcely know Yoda from yogurt -- and he has yet to see the original SW trilogy. However, he DID catch at least the latest installment, The Phantom Menace. "I thought it was pretty cool," he sums up. "But [the experience] was different for me because I don't have the other three to think about -- it was kind of a new movie for me. So I'm really excited to see what they're going to do for the next one."

ANNUS MIRABILIS
Regardless of whether Jackson gets shipped off to a galaxy far, far away, his post-GH career thus far inarguably is that of a rising star. Before he even had cleaned out his dressing room at the soap, he had nailed the plum part of Michelle Pfeiffer's older son in DEOTO, a drama of a fractured family, and filmed TRUE RIGHTS, an independent picture that cast him as a vurvivalist opposite his big brother, Richard Lee. Then, as soon as he left the PC city limits, he was flown to Toronto to play a drug addict in the ABC movie PURPLE HAZE. And right now he is finishing up what may be to date the greatest feather in his professional cap: his work for Oscar nominee Sheridan -- of whom he has been an admirer since screening the director's In the Name of the Father -- on SSC.

"It's about these three characters who meet up in a hospital where they take suicidal patients, and different friendships and romances and love stories develop between them," he explains. "My character, Toby, is normal in a lot of ways, but he has a lot of issues. He has a deep friendship with this girl in the psych ward, so he kind of gets caught in a love triangle."

The feature not only required Jacckson to pull a Meryl and perfect a Northern Irish accent -- "I enjoy doing stuff like that, so I plugged away" -- it set him up to bear the weight of some extremely heavy material. "It's just [a matter of] feeling some empathy for what the character is going through and just committing to what you're doing," he offers. "It's a good script and a good character, so if you have any kind of compassion for people, then you start to understand what they're going through."

A LUCKY/LIZ REUNION?
Bearing in mind Jackson's sensitivity, not to mention the quantities of fan mail he receives, he no doubt is attuned to the separation anxiety that GH viewers have experienced since his exit. But now that the show s moving forward with plans to hire a new Lucky in time for the replacement to debut during February sweeps, how is HE feeling? Is he surprised that they powers that be would go through with a recast? "Yes and no," he says. "When all of the actors who are going to be working with the character don't want it, it's kind of too bad that they still do it.

But I don't really get surprised with a lot of the things that they do," he adds, "because they've surprised me in the past, and I'm kind of surprised out. I hope it works out for them, though."

For the record, Jackson states that he was not asked to return as Lucky -- "Not that I can remember anyway," he notes -- but if he ahd been, he would have said...well...that he didn't know what to say. "There are so many conditions that go along with it that it's kind of hard to say it in a real black and white kind of statement," he offers. "I mean, I told them that I wouldn't have a problem going back for a couple of weeks. I knew that Becky [Rebecca Herbst, who plays Elizabeth] wasn't going to be there for the rest of her life, so I just let them know that whenever she leaves, if they want me to, I'll come back. I thought that would be cool if Liz and Lucky could leave together, but I guess they didn't want to do that."

NEXT STOP WONDERLAND
Regarless of GH's next step, Jackson has too many irons in the first to give a moment's thought to whether he's been burned. When he gets back to the States, he says, "I'll probably meet with some other projects that are in development and just kind of see what happens with that."

And for the time being -- while his legion of boosters try to accept that while Lucky and Liz soon may get together again, he won't be playing the rebel with a heart -- he will enjoy his last days in Ireland...what may be the budding matinee idol's last days of anonymity.

"It's great [going unrecognized, since GH doesn't air here]," he remarks. "The people are very nice -- very polite -- and they'll take the time to stop and help you find where you're going."
-Michael Ausiello & Charlie Mason

J2@nufnuf.com