Anthony Geary, who played one half of the legendary soap opera couple Luke and Laura on ABC’s “General Hospital” for 37 years, has died, TV Insider reports. He was 78 years old.
According to TV Insider, Geary passed away on Sunday, December 14th due to complications from surgery. Geary’s husband, Claudio Gama, told the magazine: “It was a shock for me and for my family and friends. Tony has been my friend, companion and husband for over 30 years.”
The actor is best known for playing Luke Spencer on ‘General Hospital,’ where he created the soap opera character in 1978 and played Luke Spencer until his retirement in 2015. The character eventually became romantically paired with Laura Collins (Jeannie Francis), becoming perhaps the most popular soap opera couple of all time. The characters’ 1981 wedding episode was watched by 30 million people, making it the most-watched episode in soap opera history.
Geary retired from full-time work on the series in 2015 and last appeared as Luke in 2017. Eventually he moved from Los Angeles to Amsterdam. Married Gama in 2020.
“Hospital” executive producer Frank Valentini said he and “the entire General Hospital family” were “heartbroken” by the news of Geary’s death.
A statement posted on the show’s official Instagram account said: “Tony is a great actor and has set a standard that we all continue to strive for.” “His legacy, and that of Luke Spencer, will live on through the generations of #GH cast members who followed in his footsteps. We send our deepest condolences to his husband, Claudio, family and friends. May he rest in peace.”
Luke and Laura’s story continued to captivate daytime viewers for decades. The two characters shared two TV children, Lucky (most recently played by Jonathan Jackson) and Lulu (now played by Alexa Hubbins). Later in life, he married Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliott).
“It used to be very difficult for me to understand that my obituary in the newspaper was likely going to say, ‘Luke of Luke and Laura fame passed away today.’ It was very upsetting when I found out,” Geary told Entertainment Weekly in 2015, on the eve of leaving the soap. “It’s not my favorite time of my life, and I don’t think it represents me as a person or as an actor. It’s like every time I’m introduced, they bring up my high school graduation photo. It can be frustrating. I balance that with what it gave me. … In the end, it was worth it.”
Geary was born in Coalville, Utah, in 1947 with the name “Tony,” but later changed it to “Anthony.” The actor started his acting career at the University of Utah and then moved on to professional roles. His early career in television included a role in the fifth episode of “All in the Family” and regular appearances on the daytime series “Bright Promises” and “The Young and the Restless.” In 1978, he was approached by legendary daytime television producer Gloria Monti to appear on “Hospital.”
“When we first met, I said to her, ‘I hate soap operas,’ and she said, ‘Honey, I do too, we’re going to change all that,'” Geary said in a 2007 interview on the Television Academy Foundation website.
Although the role was only scheduled to last 13 weeks, it ended up lasting 37 years.
“In the beginning, Luke Spencer was a complete asshole,” Geary, who shared the screen with the likes of early Demi Moore, told People magazine in 1980. “He was a cheap punk who ran discos and was a doper runner for the Mafia. He was a real killer.”
Luke evolves into a more sympathetic character over time, earning Geary a record-breaking eight Daytime Emmy Awards for Best Actor. The character’s love of mischief and adventure made longtime viewers tune in to see how Luke would rise up from his escalating predicament next.
“We join our friends at General Hospital in mourning the passing of Anthony Geary,” said Rachel Schwartz, head of Daytime, Children and Family at the Emmy Awards. “As one half of the power couple ‘Luke and Laura,’ their popularity set the zeitgeist on daytime television and created one of the genre’s most beloved supercouples. Our condolences go out to his family, colleagues, and loved ones.”
Contributor: David Oliver, USA TODAY
