‘General Hospital’ Alum Ryan Paevey Stars in New Hallmark Movie
It’s been almost two years since General Hospital fans said goodbye to Detective Nathan West. The fan-favorite character, who first appeared on the soap in 2013, was killed off in 2018.
Nathan’s death in the line of duty left viewers heartbroken, and it seems unlikely that he’ll return to Port Charles (though a ghostly appearance is always possible). However, fans can take comfort in the fact that the career of actor Ryan Paevey, who portrayed Nathan, is flourishing. His latest role sees the 35-year-old playing a stubbornly single guy who falls for a professional matchmaker in the Hallmark Channel movie Matching Hearts.
Why Ryan Paevey left ‘General Hospital’
Paevey, a former model, got his first major acting gig in 2013, when he landed the role of Nathan. He spent the next four years of GH, but eventually decided it was time to move on.
“My contract came up,” Paevey told SoapHub in 2018. “There are other avenues I want to explore. It’s an amicable parting. Our time together has run its course.”
But, he added, he was nothing but thankful for his time on the ABC soap. “I will forever be grateful for my time at GH, what it brought into my life, and what it taught me. It has opened my eyes to a whole new world,” the actor said.
What he’s done since leaving ‘General Hospital’
Since exiting the daytime drama, Paevey has kept busy. Even before his departure from General Hospital, he’d landed starring roles in several Hallmark Channel movies, and he’s continued to work with the network.
His first Hallmark movie came in 2016, when we played Donovan Darcy in Unleashing Mr. Darcy. He played the same character again in 2018’s Marrying Mr. Darcy. He’s also starred in Harvest Love (2017), Hope at Christmas (2018), From Friend to Fiancé (2019), A Summer Romance (2019), and Christmas at the Plaza (2019).
In a 2019 interview with Parade, he explained what he likes about working with the network.
“Hallmark provides a sort of safe harbor in a sea of violence and such in TV, a place where you can go and see the stuff good memories are made of all the time, with no surprises … you watch a Hallmark movie, I’m betting you’re happier after it,” he said.
Outside of Hallmark, he’s been seen in the Lifetime movie Locked In, the BET series Games People Play, and a 2018 episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
‘Matching Hearts’ airs Feb. 8
Paevey’s latest Hallmark Channel romance Matching Hearts premieres Saturday, Feb. 8. He plays Daniel — aka “Mr. Stay Single” — who’s just relocated to Portland, Oregon. Julia Palmer (Taylor Cole) is a professional matchmaker who is determined to land Daniel as a client — and set him up with the perfect woman.
A reluctant Daniel agrees to work with Julia, and as the two get to know each other, she begins to fall for him. But she must respect professional boundaries, so she hides her feelings. At a Valentine’s Day party, Daniel shows up with a date, while Julia takes a compatibility test that reveals she’s a 100% match with him. As she debates what to do, Julia receives an unexpected career proposition, as well as a surprising admission from Daniel.
Matching Hearts airs Saturday, Feb. 2, at 9/8c on Hallmark Channel.
