Lucas Jones is returning to General Hospital with a brand-new face. Former As The World Turns star Van Hansis (Luke) will assume the role last played by Ryan Carnes beginning with the October 4 episode.
There are obvious parallels between Hansis’s two roles. Both characters are among the few gay male legacy characters in daytime, and share a first name. Hansis told TV Insider about other things both roles have in common.
When I got the part, I was looking up who the character was and they both have the same dad stuff going on with their birth father being kind of a dirtbag because Luke had Damian (Paolo Seganti) and Lucas has Julian (William deVry) and then adopted fathers, so there are parallels.”
Hansis was excited about working with another ATWT alum, Maura West (Ava, ex-Carly ATWT).
Being on World Turns, my first job I ever did, watching certain actors on that show, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, these people are so good,’ and she was definitely one of them… I was always watching her from afar. So then getting to actually work with her — she’s my aunt — is really, really something.
Hansis also discussed how much progress has been made in portrayals of gay characters since his time on ATWT.
I love that Lucas is not the only gay character on the show. I remember when Luke and Noah kissed [on ATWT] for the first time, we had Entertainment Tonight come. And I get it, but it’s great that we’re in a place where it’s so casual, just like how it is in life.
