Anthony ‘Tony’ Geary, known for his role as Luke Spencer on the soap opera General Hospital has died at age 78.
Geary passed away on December 14 due to complications from a scheduled medical procedure he underwent three days earlier, according to information shared by TVInsider.
Geary made his professional acting debut in 1970 as Tom Whalom on Room 222. He entered daytime television the following year on NBC’s Bright Promise, later appearing briefly on CBS’ The Young and the Restless in 1973.
Geary became a household name in 1978 when he joined General Hospital as Luke Spencer. Initially intended as a short-term role, the character quickly became central to the series due to Geary’s on-screen chemistry with co-star Genie Francis. Their characters, Luke and Laura, became one of daytime television’s most iconic super couples, with their 1981 wedding episode still ranking as the highest-rated episode in U.S. daytime television history.
The pairing’s popularity is often credited with playing a large part in saving General Hospital from cancellation, as the series was struggling at the bottom of the ratings prior to the couple being put together.
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For his portrayal of Luke Spencer, Geary won eight Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama series, with his first win occurring in 1982, and his final win in 2015, making him one of the most decorated actors in the genre’s history.
Geary retired from General Hospital in June of 2015. He later returned for a brief guest appearance in May 2017 as part of a storyline tied to the temporary on-screen exit of his longtime co-star Jane Elliott.
In addition to his role as Luke Spencer, Geary also portrayed Luke’s lookalike cousin, Bill Eckert, on General Hospital from 1991 until 1993.
According to TVInsider, Geary had recently filmed scenes with his former General Hospital co-star Anders Hove (Cesar Faison) for an upcoming, unannounced, project.
Following his departure from General Hospital, Geary lived in Amsterdam with his husband, Claudio Gama, largely remaining out of the public eye.
