General Hospital Star Anthony Geary Died – Tragic Cause of Death Revealed & Heartfelt Tributes from General Hospital Co-Stars!
General Hospital fans mourn the loss of beloved soap actor and legend Anthony Geary. He passed away tragically and unexpectedly. We have the latest on the Luke Spencer‘s death and co-star reactions to this tragedy.
General Hospital Tragic Loss of Tony Geary
Soap fans from around the world were stunned at the sudden, tragic, and unexpected death of Tony Geary. He was 78. He passed away Sunday, December 14th, three days after having surgery. So although they haven’t said the Luke Spencer actor’s official cause of death, word has come out that it was complications from this operation.
If you didn’t know, Anthony Geary moved to the Netherlands full-time after retiring from General Hospital in 2015, and that’s where he passed away. So, it’s been a decade since we had Luke Spencer on GH. Two years after he officially left the ABC soap and said he wouldn’t come back, he did. He came back.
Tony Geary came back in 2017, and that was for just one episode when Jane Elliot had retired, and he came back as Tracy Quartermaine‘s (Jane Elliot) soulmate, Luke. It was a tiny comeback. He didn’t even have a line of dialogue. It was just something as a tribute to Jane Elliot.
Behind the Scenes Drama: A Public Feud and Lasting Friendships
There were some hard feelings in Tony Geary’s departure, if you don’t remember, from one person in particular. Back then, Ron Carlivati was the head writer of General Hospital. He went on to be the head writer at Days and now he’s, I think, a breakdown writer at Beyond the Gates. He and Tony didn’t get along, and Ron even took a swipe at Tony in a Daytime Emmy acceptance speech.
By the time Ron had won that award, he was actually already gone because there’s like a year lag from the scenes and stuff that’s written for what goes into the Emmys. So, he got to go up on stage with people that he didn’t even work with anymore to accept the reward and decided to kind of burn some bridges and called out Tony for referring to him as “the writer.”
Ron Lashes Out at Tony Geary
Ron claimed that Tony had praised his writing and then pretended not to really know him. His and Ron’s feud was a rare public display of animosity. Usually, they keep that behind-the-scenes stuff hidden. But Sonny Corinthos‘ actor Maurice Benard shared a similar sentiment and said the writer, aka Ron, was not a fan of his, and Maurice seemed happy that Ron was gone.
Claudio Gama Reacts to Tragic Loss
But aside from that guy, Anthony Geary was absolutely beloved by his co-stars and by fans. After he left General Hospital in 2015, Tony moved full-time to the Netherlands, and he married his husband, Claudio Gama, in 2019. They had been together, though, since the 90s. Tony’s husband said of his sudden passing, “It was a shock for me and our families and friends.” Claudio said that “for more than 30 years, Tony has been my friend, my companion, my husband.”
And obviously, this was really unexpected for them. Claudio had posted a video from a nighttime walk out in Amsterdam on Saturday, the day before his husband passed, and said Tony was away but was expected home on Monday. So obviously, Claudio was keeping it private that Tony was in the hospital and had had an operation. And then, of course, rather than making it back home to his husband, Tony passed away unexpectedly.
The Making of a General Hospital Legend: Luke Spencer and the Luke & Laura Phenomenon
If you are a really longtime watcher, you’ll know that Tony Geary originated the role of Luke Spencer on General Hospital back in 1978 after he had a couple of other smaller soap roles, one on Young and the Restless. And by 1981, Luke and Laura Spencer (Genie Francis) were a cultural phenomenon.
31 million people watched the wedding. I was one of them. And I remember watching it. I was just a little kid, but my older sister was addicted to General Hospital and very specifically to Luke and Laura. So, Tony Geary is part of my childhood memories.
And specifically my very earliest memories of watching any soap. His and Laura’s romance, I remember back then, was epic. For whatever reason, stuck in my head are the scenes of them on Cassadine Island together where she was washing her hair with some kind of ferns, like making soap.
And they were in this lagoon thing, and it was very passionate and they were making love. And of course, the wedding itself and Elizabeth Taylor coming on, originating the role of Helena Cassadine (later Constance Towers) for the wedding.
The Early Years of Anthony Geary
Tony Geary was born in Utah in 1947. And this is kind of interesting. His birth name was Tony, but then he later legally changed it to Anthony, but then he went by Tony to his friends. And he was only really Anthony in the credits of his shows. So it was kind of interesting. He said he had a happy childhood and in school was an artistic loner and said he “wasn’t of this world.”
Gloria Monty, the legend, hired Tony Geary in 1978 for a 13-week arc. At the time she hired him, General Hospital was actually facing cancellation, but Gloria was able to turn it around. And of course, the ABC soap is still going strong. They’ve got the most Emmy wins in the daytime genre, and Tony actually holds the record for actor wins.
A Legacy Honored: Emmy Wins and Official Tributes
GH showrunner Frank Valentini released a statement. He said, “The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken.” He said, “Tony was a brilliant actor and set the bar that we continually strive for.” And he said, “Tony’s legacy and that of Luke Spencer’s will live on through generations of GH cast members who have followed in his footsteps.” And then, of course, Frank sent sympathies to Tony’s husband, Claudio.
ABC also issued its own official statement saying Tony Geary as Luke Spencer helped define General Hospital and daytime television. The press release also said Anthony captivated audiences for a decade and said the Luke and Laura wedding was a landmark moment that’s part of television history. And that’s absolutely true.
I mentioned this before, but Tony won eight Daytime Emmys. He holds the record for actor wins. He actually set the record in 2008 when he got his sixth win and then went on to snag two more Emmys in 2012 and in 2015, the same year that he retired and stepped away from the role of Luke Spencer.
Heartfelt Tributes: Co-Stars Remember Anthony Geary’s Kindness and Talent
Tony’s main scene partner for the bulk of his time on General Hospital is Genie Francis, who still plays Laura Spencer on the ABC soap. She said she had a dream. She woke up Sunday, the day he passed, and had a dream about death and ran to her husband. And then she found out Tony was gone and said she knew that’s what the dream was about. She said, “No star burned brighter than Tony.” And Genie said he was one of a kind, filled with passion as an artist, and hilariously funny. She said, “Working with Tony was always exciting because you never knew what might happen.”
Jacob Young, who played Lucky Spencer for a while, said, “I’m at a loss for words over the passing of my mentor, on-screen father, and dear friend Anthony Geary. He cared deeply about his fellow actors.” Jacob said even after he left GH, he and Tony remained close. And that’s a very common thread for a lot of his former co-stars.
John Stamos Pays Touching Tribute
John Stamos, who played Blackie Parish back in the day on General Hospital, said he was only 19 when he came to the soap, and it was his first acting job. And John said Tony could not have been kinder or more welcoming. John said he was mesmerized by Tony’s acting and would stay after he got done with his own work for the day to watch Tony’s scenes because he learned so much about acting just watching him.
John said Tony always listened, and he elevated those around him. Another of his scene partners was Emma Samms during the big Luke and Holly Sutton romance era, which I loved also, I’ll admit. Emma said her heart was broken at Tony’s passing. Sarah Joy Brown, who played Carly Corinthos back in the day, Luke’s niece, said Tony was one of her greatest supporters when she first came to the show
She said he gave her the courage to play outside the box. Sarah said she enjoyed every single minute of working with him. Brandon Barash, who played Johnny Zacchara, remained close to Tony years later after they had both left General Hospital, and Brandon traveled to the Netherlands to see him and considered him an ongoing, very strong friendship. Brandon said, “A piece of my heart shattered today.”
Another General Hospital co-star that we haven’t heard from, but I’m sure will speak out, was Kelly Monaco, aka Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco). She’s been gone from GH a year now, but she was in the Netherlands last year visiting her former co-star and dear friend. He was an enduring legend. He was an icon. Rest in peace, Tony Geary. You will be missed by everyone.