Anthony Geary dead: General Hospital icon dies as family and friends are left in 'shock'

General Hospital star Anthony Geary has died at the age of 78. The stateside star had played the role of Luke Spencer on the award-winning soap for over four decades

A stateside soap legend has died aged 78 his shocked family has confirmed. Anthony Geary had played the part of Luke Spencer on General Hospital for over four decades.

His performances led to him receiving a record breaking eight Daytime Emmy accolades. It's claimed the star died after complications from a scheduled operation he had three days prior.

And his death is said to have been a huge shock to those close to him. “It was a shock for me and our families and our friends," his husband said.

"For more than 30 years, Tony has been my friend, my companion, my husband,” Claudio Gama told TV Insider. At the time of his death, Anthony had been living in the Netherlands with Claudio.

Anthony initially got his break on General Hospital after reluctantly signing a 13-week contract. Speaking of the moment he agreed to executive producer Gloria Monty's request in a 2007 interview for the Television Academy Foundation, he said: "In my first meeting, I said to her, ‘I hate soap operas,’ and she said, ‘Honey, so do I, and we’re going to change all that."

And together the pair did just that. Anthony went on to mould the role of Luke, a hitman with ties to the mob, into one of the show's most iconic characters.

He initially made his debut on the show in 1978. He left the show in 2017 after making appearances on 1,995 episodes.

Elsewhere, Anthony appears on the likes of Starsky and Hutch, Murder, She Wrote, and It Takes Two. He revealed he was retiring from Hollywood in 2015. It was then he decided to move to Amsterdam with his husband.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly at the time, he said: "I’m excited to raise the curtain on act 3, to reinvent myself in my new home to pursue whatever opportunity there may be. It’s an exciting prospect to me."

Born in Utah in 1947, Anthony's birth name was Tony. He decided to change it in 1978 and told People in 1980: "I had a happy childhood, and my family was always close.

"But early on they realized I wasn't of this earth, that I wouldn't follow my father's lead. . . . In school I was always an artistic loner.”

Fans shared messages of condolence on social media following the news. One Twitter/X user wrote: "Tough year for General Hospital fans.

"We lost two legendary leading men this year: Tristan Rogers and now Anthony Geary. Both left an unforgettable mark on Daytime TV. RIP Tristan and Anthony."

Another added: "Luke and Laura will always be an iconic couple. Robert and Luke are together again in heaven. Rest in peace Anthony Geary #anthonygeary #GeneralHospital."

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