Anthony Geary, best known for playing Luke Spencer on General Hospital throughout the 1970s and ’80s, has died at the age of 78.
ABC released a statement that confirmed the actor’s passing. It read: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Anthony Geary, whose portrayal of Luke Spencer helped define General Hospital and daytime television.”
According to reports, Geary died in Amsterdam from complications related to a planned surgical procedure he had undergone three days prior.
During the course of his more than 40-year career, Geary earned eight Daytime Emmy awards as Luke on the aforementioned General Hospital, after first joining the soap in 1978.
Having been paired on-screen with Genie Francis’ Laura Webber Baldwin, the pair surged to popularity – when Luke and Laura got married in 1981, over 30 million people tuned in for the TV nuptials. Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor — said to be a huge fan of the show — even made a cameo.
“He was a powerhouse as an actor. Shoulder to shoulder with the greats,” Francis said in a statement of her former co-star’s passing.
“No star burned brighter than Tony Geary. He was one of a kind. As an artist, he was filled with a passion for the truth, no matter how blunt, or even a little rude it might be, but always hilariously funny.”
