December has only just arrived, but the last month of 2025 has brought with it the return of Jon Lindstrom to General Hospital. Fans of the ABC soap haven’t seen the actor make an appearance in Port Charles in a year. That’s all changed with Kevin Collins’ character stepping back into the frame on Tuesday, December 2’s episode. Where does that leave Lindstrom’s role as Joey Armstrong on Beyond the Gates? Here’s what we know!

Key Takeaways

• How Jon Lindstrom’s casting in BTG affected his ability to be on GH
• What Kevin Collins’ return means for Joey Armstrong
• Whether GH fans can expect to continue to see Lindstrom on the soap

READ: General Hospital Fan Theory: “C” Stands for Chamberlain

Is Jon Lindstrom Leaving Beyond the Gates?

BTG fans can rest easy. Lindstrom’s return to Port Charles may delight GH viewers, but it doesn’t mean he’s exiting the CBS daytime drama. In an interview with TV Insider, the actor shared that when he told GH EP Frank Valentini that he was cast in BTG, he was offered the opportunity to have the door left open for Kevin to make appearances.

When I called Frank to tell him that I would be going to do Beyond the Gates on Election Day 2024, he asked me, ‘Can you do both?’ I said, ‘Well, technically, yes, because I’m not under contract. The only stickler is that they’re 2,000 miles apart.’

While Port Charles is set in New York, it’s actually filmed in Los Angeles, which wouldn’t be a problem if BTG weren’t filmed in Atlanta. This made the logistics of doing double duty very difficult. Lindstrom acknowledged that his appearances as Kevin had been reduced to about once or twice a month prior to taking up the role of Joey, so he didn’t have an active story that needed to be written around. But that didn’t mean he’d be available to do an episode here or there, given his schedule on BTG.

This explains why it has been a year since fans last saw Lindstrom. However, when the GH team was able to work out a solution, he took them up on it.

To their credit, they came to me and said, ‘What if we stack a bunch of shows up over a couple of days? Will that be worth your while to make the trip out? And the short answer is, ‘Yes, of course.’ Besides, I think Genie [Francis] is getting tired of talking to a disembodied Kevin on the phone.

Will Kevin Collins Continue to Appear on General Hospital?

Kevin’s return will be significant since GH is currently working through the aftermath of Professor Henry Dalton’s (Daniel Goddard) death, which has seen Laura (Genie Collins) leaning on Sonny (Maurice Benard). Lindstrom said Kevin doesn’t love that development, but “he also understands it. Being the shrink that he is, he understands the value of human connection.”

As for whether the actor will be making periodic visits to Port Charles, that’ll depend on his schedule. He shared, “I’ll do GH anytime. I just don’t know if we can work it out. I’m busier than I’ve ever been, and I thought I’d be retired by now!”

And Lindstrom is quite busy. There’s no rest for the wicked, particularly not for Joey Armstrong. He doesn’t exactly run a legitimate business, but Joey’s style of earning money does mean he’s often standing toe-to-toe with Fairmont Crest’s movers and shakers. At the moment, he’s crowing about having a senator in his pocket and juggling his various shady dealings.

The role has the soap vet energized and raring to go for work. Lindstrom wants to be a part of BTG’s growth as a new soap opera, so that’s definitely the daytime drama that has his focus.