Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Anthony Geary, a Utah native and "General Hospital" star, died at 78 on Tuesday.
- Geary passed away in Amsterdam after surgery complications, confirmed by The Associated Press and ABC.
- Known for playing Luke Spencer on "General Hospital," Geary earned eight Daytime Emmy Awards.
SALT LAKE CITY — Anthony Geary, the Utah native who played one half of the beloved soap opera couple Luke and Laura on "General Hospital," has died. He was 78.
Geary died Sunday in Amsterdam following complications from a scheduled surgical operation three days prior, reports The Associated Press.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Anthony Geary, whose portrayal of Luke Spencer helped define 'General Hospital' and daytime television," ABC said in a statement confirming the actor's death.
Geary, a native Utahn born in Coalville, rose to fame during the 1970s and '80s as Luke Spencer on "General Hospital" — a role he played for 37 years. His performance as a lead actor on the show earned Geary eight Daytime Emmy Awards.
Luke Spencer and Laura Webber became the signature super couple of daytime television. The 1981 wedding episode between the characters attracted more than 30 million viewers, making it the highest-rated soap opera episode ever, per NBC News.
Genie Francis, the actress who played Laura on "General Hospital," remembered Geary as "a very warm person, very sensitive person, and incredibly funny."
"I was very, very young and Tony was very protective of me. But we knew we were doing something very edgy," Francis continued in her statement to ABC News.
"I'm just heartbroken. I'm so sad. ... But again, I am so lucky that I got to have this man as my first leading man. He ruined me. He ruined me for leading men for the rest of my life basically. Because I started with the best."
From the time he was a kid, Geary knew he wanted to be an actor, he told the Deseret News in a 2009 interview. His acting career started at the Valley Music Hall in Bountiful and Pioneer Memorial Theatre in Salt Lake City.
Geary attended college at the University of Utah, where he majored in theater on a full-ride scholarship. He made the move to Los Angeles in 1970 for a role in the ABC series "Room 222," followed by a brief role in "All in the Family."
He was cast in "General Hospital" in 1978, where he spent the majority of his acting career.
"I sure didn't expect to be on a TV show for 30 years. That wasn't really on the radar at all," Geary previously told the Deseret News.
He continued, "And as I think about it now, it still seems kind of amazing. It's been almost a one-role career. Although I've done other things, I'm sure Luke Spencer is what will probably lead my obituary, let's put it that way."
