Anthony Geary, the eight-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning actor who became a soap opera icon through his portrayal of Luke Spencer on “General Hospital,” has died. He was 78.
The official Instagram account for “General Hospital” confirmed the actor’s death in a statement, writing, “The entire #General Hospital family is heartbroken over the news of Tony Geary’s passing.”
“Tony was a brilliant actor and set the bar that we continue to strive for,” the statement continued. “His legacy, and that of Luke Spencer’s, will live on through the generations of #GH cast members who have followed in his footsteps. We send our sincerest sympathies to his husband, Claudio, family, and friends. May he rest in peace.”
Geary’s husband, Claudio Gama, also shared the news of his death, telling TV Insider that Geary died on Sunday in the Netherlands following complications from a scheduled operation.
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“It was a shock for me and our families and our friends. For more than 30 years, Tony has been my friend, my companion, my husband,” Gama said.
Born May 29, 1947, in Coalville, Utah, Geary was the son of Russell Dean Geary, a contractor who also owned a construction business, and Dana Geary, a homemaker who assisted with the family business as a bookkeeper. His parents were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he was raised in a Mormon household alongside his sisters Dana, Jeana and Jana.
Geary studied acting at the University of Utah and launched his career on stage before landing roles on television in the 1970s, including appearances on “All in the Family,” “The Mod Squad,” “The Partridge Family,” “Barnaby Jones” and “The Young and the Restless.” However, he landed his career-defining role in 1978 when he was cast as Luke Spencer in “General Hospital.”
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Luke, a morally complex antihero with a tumultuous past, became half of one of television’s most famous pairings, Luke and Laura (Genie Francis). The couple’s 1981 wedding remains the highest-rated episode in soap-opera history and featured a cameo by Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor was reportedly a huge fan of the show and specifically of the Luke and Laura supercouple. The legendary actress requested to be part of the event and producers built the role of Helena Cassadine, the matriarch of the Cassadine family who were arch-enemies to Luke and Laura, around her.
The storyline turned Geary into a household name and helped cement “General Hospital” as a cultural phenomenon in the 1980s.
Over the next four decades, Geary’s performance earned him a record eight Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor. He left “General Hospital” several times, including for a five-year break in the 1990s to pursue work in primetime TV and in theater, but repeatedly returned, with his final exit announced in 2015. Despite retiring from the show, he maintained close friendships with the cast and remained a beloved figure among fans.
Geary’s film work included roles in “Johnny Got His Gun” (1971), the thriller “Sorority Kill,” and the comedy “Carpool Guy” (2005). He also appeared in several TV movies, including “Do You Know the Muffin Man?” (1989), “Kicks” (1981) and “Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam” (1987).
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In later years, Geary made his home in Amsterdam, where he pursued photography, supported local arts organizations and enjoyed a quieter life out of the spotlight. Geary married Gama in February 2019 after 24 years together.
Francis also left and returned to “General Hospital” multiple times before making her last departure in 2018. On Monday, she shared a tribute to Geary on Twitter, formerly X, writing in several posts, “This morning I woke up and went into my husband’s arms. In my sleep, my life was flashing before me and I was afraid of death. An hour later, I received a call from Frank Valentini, he told me Tony died. I immediately felt remorse, I hadn’t spoken to him in years, but I felt his life end in my sleep last night, and with it a big part of me, and mine.”
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She continued, “He was a powerhouse as an actor. Shoulder to shoulder with the greats. 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. He was the anti-hero, always so irreverent, but even the most conservative had to smile. Working with him was always exciting. You never knew what might happen.”
“He spoiled me for leading men for the rest of my life,” Francis added. “I am crushed, I will miss him terribly, but I was so lucky to be his partner. Somehow, somewhere, we are connected to each other because I felt him leave last night. Good night sweet prince, good night.”
On Tuesday, longtime “General Hospital” executive producer Frank Valentini wrote on X, “The entire #GeneralHospital family is heartbroken over the news of Tony Geary’s passing. Tony was a brilliant actor and set the bar that we continue to strive for.”
“His legacy, and that of Luke Spencer’s, will live on through the generations of #GH cast members who have followed in his footsteps,” he continued. “We send our sincerest sympathies to his husband, Claudio, family, and friends. May he rest in peace.”
