Jason Cook (Matt Hunter) will exit General Hospital next month. The actor's exit comes with a bit of unusual timing -- he was about to ask for an extended break from the ABC soap.

"I was going to have to take several months off the show for all these other things I'm working on," Cook told Soap Opera Digest.

Cook has several projects already in the pipeline. This summer, Cook will begin work on LifeCHANGE, a philanthropic Web site and documentary series, with his former Days of our Lives co-star, Arianne Zucker (Nicole Walker). Cook is also working on an on-location cooking show, Chop This, that will drop by restaurants across the country to learn to top chef's favorite recipes.

On top of the two done deals, Cook is also partnering up with his GH co-star Bradford Anderson (Damian Spinelli) on a potential short film called Genreful. The film is currently seeking funding through a Kickstarter campaign.

"I am stepping away for the time being," Cook added, but noted that "[t]here is no talk about me coming back."

Cook made his General Hospital debut in June 2008. His final airdate has not yet been announced.