Over the decades, perhaps no two actors worked more closely with the late Tristan Rogers than his General Hospital leading ladies, Emma Samms and Finola Hughes. Together, they not only formed the complicated Holly/Robert/Anna love triangle that divided viewers back in the day, they left us with vivid memories of not one but two supercouples.

“I’m incredibly sad to hear the news about Tristan,” shared Samms, who dated Rogers for a time in the ’80s. “I loved working with him, and we were both so grateful that we got the chance to do that for more than 40 years. 

“He taught me how to be comfortable in front of the cameras,” she added, “and he introduced me to spontaneity and fun, even within all the trials and tribulations that Robert and Holly endured.”

Hughes, who was introduced five years into Rogers’ run as Robert’s surprise wife, said that “[I] wish I could play one more scene with you, my friend.” She recalls their meeting as if it was yesterday. “Tris sauntered into my life on that first day to rehearse. Cropped hair and steel-blue eyes, I thought, ‘Damn, I’m gonna be working with Steve McQueen!’ 

“From day one, he called me ‘kid’ or ‘Finny,’ and he made me laugh. An effortless actor, living on screen, he taught me so much. Serious about his work, but always a rebel. His own man, navigating the system, he protected me, protected Kimberly [McCullough, Robin], his character, his friends.”

In short, Rogers was a keeper. “God, he was a good one,” Hughes said. “Silly, funny, kind, serious.” After expressing her condolences to her leading man’s beloved family, she suggested, “Mai Tais on the beach, Scorpio… ”