Ryan Paevey returns to General Hospital on Friday, September 19, seven years after his alter ego, Nathan West, was killed off.

His comeback began with a text message from the show’s executive producer, Frank Valentini. “He said they had some ideas for a few other characters that were in my orbit and was wondering if I might be willing to come back so they could make some of that arc a little bit richer,” Paevey shares.

At the time, Paevey had taken a break from the spotlight and was living in San Diego, where he focused on caring for his ailing mother and building his jewelry business, Fortunate Wanderer. “My last time on a film set was August two years ago, when I had stepped away for a little while, just for a variety of reasons,” he explains. “I just needed some me time. There was some stuff that necessitated my departure, some unpleasant experiences that made me need a step back.”

Two years away proved to be both healing and grounding, giving him space to reset. “I hunkered down in my shop,” he relays. “I worked a lot. I settled into a quiet life. I took mom to appointments. I surfed in the afternoons, and I didn’t pay attention to social media at all. Or television. Quiet and a lot of time in the ocean? There’s much healing in that. San Diego has been good for me.”

Going back to a soap set wasn’t exactly on his radar, but Valentini’s message intrigued him. “I had no intention, really, of returning, at least not now,” Paevey admits. “I’ve never been somebody who’s chased fame or anything like that. My reasons for returning are very pragmatic and meat and potatoes. I’ve always been a survivor. I keep the lights on for myself and a few other people, so that requires resources, and I have the ability to work. I’m grateful to still have an opportunity here.”

The hiatus also gave him a new perspective on life and work. “Time away has given me a lot of time to think,” he notes. “I feel quieter, calmer. I feel better. Mom’s better to a degree. A lot of a lot of the instability in my personal life that necessitated a time of peace has calmed down a little bit, so we’re cautiously exploring what this jump back in could be.”

Stepping foot into Port Charles stirred up a flood of memories and emotions. “It was really, really strange,” he says. “A lot of the same people are still in hair and makeup, and a lot of the same crew is still there, and a number of familiar faces are there. Then you’ll have a script in your hand, and you’re walking without looking, and your feet just autopilot to places because you’ve been there. It’s been really nostalgic and really cool.”

Reconnecting with his castmates has made his comeback even more special. “I did make some friends along the way that I’m excited to work with again,” Paevey enthuses. “My first day there, I bumped into Fin [Finola Hughes, Anna Devane] and Dominic [Zamprogna, Dante Falconeri] in the hall, which was rad, because it was like a little mini-PCPD reunion. I went upstairs, and the first thing I saw was the coffin I was in the last time I was there. But the studio, everything feels the same.”

Looking back on his initial run on the show, Paevey describes it as both transformative and challenging. “Well, my first time on General Hospital was really my first foray into television acting,” he points out. “I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Anybody who’s ever looked at Twitter knows there’s a [lot] of people out there who share that belief. My first day, I didn’t even know what downstage meant. I knew nothing, and I was really fortunate that some people on the show saw that and took me under their wing.

“Fin definitely kept me from drowning,” he continues. “Mo [Maurice Benard, Sonny Corinthos], even though he and I never had any scenes, his dressing room was right next to mine, and we kind of became buddies. So, that was my education. It taught me how to tread water and to navigate the business as a whole, not just like the acting part of it. My first stint exposed me to a lot of my own insecurities about doing something that I had zero experience with and displaying that learning curve to very loyal fans who love their show.”

What began as a job quickly evolved into something more enduring. “I got to serve four and a half years there, and we did all kinds of crazy hijinks on screen,” he reflects. “And it was fun to make believe, and it was really surreal to make a living making believe. From GH sprang my almost decade-long run on Hallmark. It helped me start my business. It helped me take care of my family. It was the starting point for massive expansion in different places in my life, personal growth, and learning experiences. It was primordial, almost.”

Paevey’s previous stint on the soap ended dramatically with Nathan’s on-screen death, so how he will fit into the current canvas remains under wraps. However, he will be sharing scenes with Kelly Thiebaud‘s Britt Wesbourne, who is Nathan’s sister. “Our story lines will absolutely overlap,” Paevey confirms. “I hadn’t seen Kelly in ages, and she’s one of the faces, like Chad [Duell, ex-Michael Corinthos] and Bryan [Craig, ex-Morgan Corinthos], who I think of when I think of my beginnings on the show back in the day. It’s just been a trip to work with people from my own past, and she’s a super cool human, so it’s been fun catching up.”

Paevey also appreciates the enduring love from fans of “Naxie,” Nathan’s former pairing with Maxie Jones, played by Kirsten Storms. “It’s surreal as hell to me to be a part of an equation that has stuck in their minds for so long,” Paevey marvels. “I totally buy it for the Kirsten portion of it, but I am a little bit prone to self-deprecation. It’s really nice, though, because I was a part of that. It’s sort of validating that you went to work, you did your best, and it worked out.”

Since being back on set, the actor has had the chance to bond with Gary James Fuller, who plays Nathan and Maxie’s son, James West. “I brought a guitar to work, and we had a little jam session in the classroom setting there,” Paevey reports. “It just so happens I had a really, really nice guitar made in Germany last year for me, and that’ll be the one that I keep in my closet at work. But we got to hang out. I taught him a couple of weird chords, and it’s been really cool.”

As he settles into his next chapter, Paevey is filled with gratitude, especially for the support from the audience over the years. “I want to say thank you for sticking around and thank you for forgiving a plumber’s learning curve as he delves into the world of acting,” he says. “I am humbled by the support. I’m very grateful to still have the opportunity to work alongside people that I love, and that’s largely due to the fans. I hope that they’ll like what we’ve got in the works.”

And while Paevey’s exact role in the GH landscape remains to be seen, he teases a return that will be anything but predictable. “This go-round is definitely going to be wildly different than the last one was,” Paevey previews. “We’ve got some fun stuff planned. We’re going to stir the pot. I wouldn’t come back for something vanilla. It’s going to be a blast.”

 General Hospital, Weekdays, ABC, Check Local Listings