After a year off the canvas, soap icon Jon Lindstrom returns to General Hospital as Kevin Collins.

The character has been mentioned more than once by his wife, Laura (Genie Francis), to explain why Kevin hasn’t been involved in anything in Port Charles for so long. However, Kevin is back in the flesh, and Lindstrom is shedding light on why it has taken a year for his return.

Beyond the Gates fans know the reason Kevin isn’t on General Hospital is that Lindstrom has been busy playing bad guy, Joey Armstrong, on the hit CBS soap.

Now, as Kevin resurfaces in Port Charles, Lindstrom has set the record straight on his lengthy absence and his future on General Hospital. Lindstrom isn’t under contract with either soap, so doing both is totally possible.

However, there is one significant factor that plays into why Lindstrom has been seen on Beyond the Gates and not General Hospital for the last year.

“The only stickler is that they’re 2,000 miles apart. So, there were just logistical problems along the way over the last year where they would reach out every now and again and ask if I was available for one episode or another episode in the middle of a week, and that’s impossible for me to do from out here because Gates takes up a lot of my time,” the soap star told TV Insider.

Lindstrom admitted that he wasn’t being utilized on General Hospital, which led him to accept the role on Beyond the Gates. The CBS soap has made Lindstrom’s character, Joey, a pivotal one in Fairmont Crest.

That means the beloved soap star is focused on Beyond the Gates, but that doesn’t mean he’s saying goodbye to Kevin orGeneral Hospital.In fact, the powers that be came up with a way to film around Lindstrom’s Beyond the Gates schedule that allows Kevin to be on-screen for a while.

“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,’” Lindstrom shared with the outlet.

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It was like going home again for Lindstrom, who promised fans that Kevin’s return is very impactful and not just for show. Kevin and Laura fans will get to see some much-deserved quality time for the couple, too.

Unfortunately, the arc does lead to Kevin being off the canvas again as Lindstrom heads back to Atlanta for Beyond the Gates. Lindstrom, though, is holding out hope to do more General Hospital appearances as long as the scheduling works out.

“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!” he expressed.

Along with appearing on Beyond the Gates, Lindstrom is releasing a new book, Hollywood Payback: A Thriller, and is set to host a new show called The Bible on Trial, for which very little detail has been revealed.

General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC. Beyond the Gates airs weekdays on CBS.

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