Anthony Geary, who rose to fame within the Seventies and ‘80s as half of the daytime TV tremendous couple Luke and Laura on “General Hospital,” has died. He was 78.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Anthony Geary, whose portrayal of Luke Spencer helped define General Hospital and daytime television,” ABC mentioned in a press release confirming his dying.
Geary died Sunday in Amsterdam of problems from a surgical process three days prior.
“The entire ‘General Hospital’ family is heartbroken over the news of Tony Geary’s passing,” Frank Valentini, govt producer of the ABC present, mentioned in a press release Monday. “Tony was a brilliant actor and set the bar that we continue to strive for.”
In a profession spanning greater than 40 years, Geary earned eight Daytime Emmy awards as Luke Spencer after becoming a member of the cleaning soap in 1978. Luke’s pairing with Genie Francis’ Laura Webber Baldwin (as she was identified at the time) propelled the 2 onto journal covers and into the cultural mainstream.
The 1981 wedding ceremony of Luke and Laura was a popular culture phenom executed in two elements, drawing visitor appearances that included Elizabeth Taylor. A report 30 million viewers watched.
“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,” Francis mentioned in a press release.
In addition to his position as Luke, Geary had quite a few TV and stage credit, together with stints on different soaps: (*78*) and “Bright Promise.” Geary performed Luke on and off till 2015, although he returned for a cameo in 2017.
He lived a quiet life with husband Claudio Gama in Amsterdam.
In a 1993 interview, Geary spoke of the various highs and lows of taking part in Luke.
“I felt like I had to be Luke 24 hours a day or people would be disappointed,” he mentioned. “As far as I’m concerned, they are mythic creatures. They come from two sides of the universe together and have a mutual connection, which is basically lust and appreciation for individuality. They love the eccentricity in each other.”
Geary’s Luke started as a small-time hitman recruited to dismantle the connection between Laura and her first husband, Scotty Baldwin. Their story arc turned darker when Luke sexually assaulted Laura. The assault led to a redemption path for Luke, who developed right into a hero and even served as mayor of the present’s small city, Port Charles.
“He was not created to be a heroic character,” Geary told ABC’s “Nightline” in 2015. “He was created to be an anti-hero, and I have treasured the anti-side of the hero and pushed it for a long time. … He’s not a white hat or a black hat, he’s all shades of grey. And that has been the saving grace of playing him all these years.”
Geary was born to Mormon dad and mom in Coalville, Utah. He was found whereas attending the University of Utah and acting on stage. He joined a touring firm of “The Subject was Roses,” which introduced him to Los Angeles.
Over the years, he appeared continuously in stage productions alongside his display work.
Geary’s first look on TV was as Tom Whalom on an episode of “Room 222.” He went on to look in “All in the Family,” “The Partridge Family,” “The Mod Squad,” “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” “The Streets of San Francisco” and “Barnaby Jones.”