Rick Hearst returned to General Hospital last month as his iconic character Ric Lansing but that doesn’t mean he’s giving up his day job.
The soap star took to Instagram on Friday, September 6, where he shared a video showing off his home in New Jersey. And he revealed he has a secret double life!
During the video, where Hearst spoke about the underrated beauty of the Garden State, he disclosed that he works as a real estate agent.
“I’ve been on break from GH for a couple weeks now. Gonna go back in a couple of days. Gonna get on a plane,” said Hearst, who was back on set last month for the first time since 2016. “I’m in Jersey, currently. New Jersey where I live. I just kind of wanted to show folks what it looks like.”
He continued, “A lot of people think New Jersey is all, you know, no offense to the city, but Newark and the airport and the outlying areas, very industrial. Look, there’s different parts of New Jersey. The part that I live in, South Central New Jersey, is a beautiful place.”
Then he dropped the unexpected bombshell, saying, “I also happen to be a real estate agent here. I love helping people find homes here, sell their homes here. It’s really a great lifestyle out here.”
Hearst has been acting since the late 1980s, with his first breakout role as Scott “Scotty” Banning II in the soap Days of Our Lives. He went on to play Alan-Michael Spaulding on Guiding Light from 1990 to 1996. After appearances in Beverly Hills, 90210, Pacific Blue, and The Young and the Restless, Hearst joined General Hospital in 2002.
He won two Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance. His first stint on the soap ended in 2009, after which he starred in The Bold and the Beautiful until 2011. He returned to GH in 2014 before exiting the soap again in 2016.
Fans appreciated Hearst’s video and jumped into the comments to share their reactions.
“Drew [Cheetwood] is a realtor here in Michigan! Aka Milo [Giabetti] Good to see you back at GH,” wrote one fan, referring to fellow General Hospital actor Drew Cheetwood.
“Proud to be from NJ. NJ always gets a bad rap,” said another.
“Hi Rick! My dad is from New Jersey. It’s beautiful there!” another added.
“This video makes me miss Jersey, it’s great. Hope you enjoyed your family time. Love seeing you on GH again,” wrote another.
Another added, “Home Is Home & You Look Happy.”
Meanwhile, one fan had a suggestion for Hearst’s upcoming return to Port Charles, writing, “Bring the Black hair back for Ric Lansing.”
“That would involve altering time,” Hearst jokingly responded.
Speaking about his return to the soap, Hearst previously told TV Insider, “It’s very gratifying that they still find relevance in my generation of actor who’s been there and gone through it and is still able to tell story.”
