Jon Lindstrom Opens Up About His General Hospital Exit!

Fans of General Hospital were surprised when Jon Lindstrom once again stepped away from Port Charles as Kevin Collins.

The veteran actor has been connected to the soap for decades, and his departure naturally raised questions about why Kevin was written out and whether viewers had truly seen the last of him.

The good news is that this was not a dramatic firing or a permanent goodbye.

Lindstrom returned to General Hospital in December 2025 for a short-term storyline. Kevin agreed to leave Port Charles with Laura’s young son, Ace, after Laura asked him to take the boy overseas for safety because of the threat posed by Sidwell. Lindstrom wrapped up that stint on January 5, 2026.

The reason behind his limited availability is closely connected to another major opportunity. Lindstrom has been playing Joey Armstrong on CBS’s Beyond the Gates, which films in Atlanta. In an interview with TV Insider, the actor explained that scheduling has been the biggest challenge when it comes to balancing both shows.

Rather than viewing the situation as a painful ending, Lindstrom has embraced the opportunity.

He has described his experience on Beyond the Gates as exciting because the show is still relatively new and everyone involved is trying to establish its identity. Lindstrom said he loves the energy of building something new and remains enthusiastic about working, joking that he once expected to be retired by this point in his life.

That attitude should reassure General Hospital fans.

Lindstrom has also made it clear that he would be willing to return to Port Charles if the schedule can be arranged. His words suggest that Kevin Collins is not necessarily gone forever. In fact, his long history with the character makes another appearance perfectly possible.

Kevin has been part of Lindstrom’s career for more than three decades. The actor first appeared on General Hospital in 1983 before returning in the 1990s as Ryan Chamberlain and later becoming Kevin, Ryan’s identical twin. Kevin was introduced in 1993 and eventually became a major character in his own right.

His relationship with Laura has also become an important part of the character’s history. Their romance developed into a major love story, and the couple eventually found themselves caring for Ace together.

Lindstrom’s most memorable General Hospital work also includes his return to the darker Ryan storyline. He previously explained that playing Ryan again gave him an opportunity to approach the character with more life experience and greater confidence as an actor.

For fans worried that Kevin’s latest departure means a permanent farewell, the evidence suggests otherwise.

Jon Lindstrom remains busy with Beyond the Gates, but he has repeatedly left the door open to another General Hospital appearance. His current exit is therefore better understood as a scheduling-related absence and short-term storyline conclusion, not the end of his relationship with the soap.

And that may be the most comforting news of all: in Port Charles, goodbye rarely means forever.