Tristan Rogers, known for portraying Robert Scorpio on “General Hospital,” was diagnosed with cancer, representatives confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Rogers, 79, appeared in over 1,400 episodes and starred in the popular daytime television drama for more than three decades.
“While he remains hopeful and is working closely with his medical team on a treatment plan, this is a challenging time for Tristan and his family,” his representative said in a statement.
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“As they face both the emotional and physical burdens that come with this diagnosis, the family kindly asks for privacy and understanding. They are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and love from their friends and family.”
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They added, “Tristan sends his love to his fans and wants them to know how much he appreciates their loyalty and encouragement over the years. This support means more to him now than ever. Future updates will be shared if deemed appropriate by Tristan and his family.”
The Australian actor first began playing the Scorpio role in 1980. He briefly left the series in 1992 when his character was killed off, only to reappear in 1995 as a spirit, before returning to the show in 2006 when his character was found alive again.
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He appeared in a dozen episodes of “General Hospital: Night Shift,” and his character’s last appearance on “General Hospital” was Nov. 12 when Scorpio left town with his ex, Holly Sutton.
“Robert has always had kind of a glib approach to everything; he’s a bit of a smart-mouth,” he told Soap Opera Digest in 2018. He also noted, “I’m working with a lot of different people … And I think the fans are going to like it.”
In addition to his role on “GH,” Rogers also appeared in nearly 200 episodes of “The Young and the Restless.”
He earned a daytime Emmy in 2020 for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Digital Drama Series for his work on “Studio City.” Rogers was then nominated the following year for “The Bay.”
With more than 50 credits to his name, Rogers dabbled in voice work and voiced the character of Jake in “The Rescuers Down Under.”
