[7] In January 1999, it was reported that the series had worked out a deal,[8] and Jackson stated he had briefly extended his contract to allow the character's popular romance to continue.

[7] His contract allowed him to leave if he received a feature film role,[9] and Jackson left in April, shooting pre-taped scenes[10] that appeared through late May.

[11] Jackson explained to Soap Opera Weekly: "I kind of feel that the fact of how much work they've given me this year, at this stage as an actor, they just maxed out quite a bit of what I would do for the show.

"[11] In November 2000, Young guest starred on the FOX network sketch comedy series MADtv, making a small cameo appearance as the character.

[29] TV Guide reported that Jackson attempted to negotiate with the network for a lighter schedule and to be repaired with on-screen love interest Herbst (Elizabeth), but was denied on both accounts.

[32] In June 2015, Entertainment Weekly revealed that Jackson would briefly reprise the role of Lucky, to be a part of the exit storyline of actor Anthony Geary.

In August 1994, his sister Lesley Lu "Lulu" Spencer is born,[40] and in 1995, he becomes good friends with Emily Quartermaine (then Amber Tamblyn) and they briefly run away.

Lucky helps Luke investigate Stefan Cassadine's (Stephen Nichols) computer game Timoria,[42] and they find his presumed dead grandmother Lesley Webber (Denise Alexander).

In April, Lucky is presumed dead in a fire, but it is revealed he is being held captive by Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), hired by Helena Cassadine (Constance Towers).

Overcome by his injury, financial trouble and guilt over the death of his partner Jesse Beaudry (Matt Marraccini), Lucky becomes addicted to painkillers and has an affair with Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms).

Lucky is introduced to the canvas within the much anticipated return of his parents, famed General Hospital adventurers and popular supercouple of the 1970–80s, Luke and Laura Spencer.

[66] Jackson later explained to Entertainment Weekly in 2009: I think that Lucky's always been a paradox and a contradiction a little bit because he had the edge and the wildness and the rebellion of Luke but he also had the purity and the innocence of Laura.

The controversial story of Luke raping Laura had quickly been renounced to a seduction at the time, after facing pressure from fans of the newly popular couple.

As a result of the ordeal, honesty becomes important to Lucky; Jackson explained to Soap Opera Digest in December 1998: "He doesn't want to do what his parents did as far as keeping secrets from each other and lying.

It wasn't something he thought about intellectually, it just happened.” Jackson explained that Lucky and Elizabeth's mutual unfortunate life circumstances were a major factor in their growing relationship, stating: "They automatically had a chance to prove to each other that they were going to be there through some of the worst stuff.

"[48] The mind control continues after Lucky is released; Helena makes him act erratically and violently, hurting his father and forgetting his memories of love for Elizabeth.

[49]Lucky maintains his edgier nature as his relationship with Elizabeth falls apart as a result of Helena's damage, and later on as he deals with his mother's mental breakdown and catatonia.

By 2009, Abby West of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Lucky was "a character who's been written as earnest (he's Johnny Law to his father's rebel) if not the brightest bulb",[86] while Leslie Gray Streeter of The Palm Beach Post called him "everybody's favorite cute punching bag.

Jackson returned to the role in October 2009, and viewers wondered if Lucky would regain original character traits that had changed over the years and different actors.

[28] He told Entertainment Weekly: I'm coming with the strength of originating the character and working with Tony [Geary] and Genie [Francis] at a young age in sort of defining who Lucky was and is.

"[96] Jones from Zap2it stated that in the confrontation scenes: "Jackson accomplished a much harder task than simply reclaiming the Lucky mantle: he has bridged the gap between his previous run, Jacob Young's and most recently, Greg Vaughan's.

Jackson explained: "The crisis that's going on with Elizabeth, the fact that Cam and Jake don't have a mother right now, I think that sort of wakes Lucky up to say, 'I need to get my stuff together because I need to be present for those kids.

"[105] In 2023, Charlie Mason from Soaps She Knows placed Lucky at #16 on his ranked list of General Hospital’s 40+ Greatest Characters of All Time, commenting that "A do-right guy in a do-wrong town, Luke’s halo-clad son was destined to suffer — and man, did he, through his own “death,” drug addiction, adultery and, in the end, the demolition of his relationship with true love Elizabeth Webber… at least for now.

The introduction of Lucky, paired with Luke and Laura's reintroduction, was met with some cynicism; Georgia Dullea of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel did not approve of the show's decision to let go of other popular characters in order to introduce the family.

[4] Dullea also accused the series of using Lucky, an attractive child character, as an effort to get fans to care for Luke and Laura as much as they did during the height of the couple's popularity.

[47] When Jackson's departure had previously been rumored in 1996, Anthony Geary (Luke) told TV Guide that he "went to (the GH powers) and said, 'If we lose him, then let's kill Lucky.'

"[131] The role was recast with Jacob Young, and by the time he appeared on-screen in February 2000, the character had been off-screen for almost a year, speculated to be an attempt to ease the transition between actors due to Jackson's popularity.

3 in 2008 along with entangled couple Elizabeth (Herbst) and Jason Morgan (Steve Burton), stating: "[Lucky and Sam were] conceived out of a revenge plot, yet quickly surprised fans and execs alike with their instant chemistry.

I don't for a minute think GH will push him for one of the two lead actor slots on the Emmy pre-nom ballot – certainly not with alpha dogs Tony Geary (Luke) and Maurice Benard (Sonny [Cortinthos]) taking up space – so he'll likely be dismissed to the supporting category.

[150] Jackson had a range of emotional work in 2011 that received acclaim, including the scenes following the death of Lucky's son Jake,[151][152] a storyline met by criticism by some fans.