General Hospital legend Anthony Geary dies at age 78

General Hospital icon Anthony Geary, who played one half of the most legendary couple in soap opera history, passed away on Sunday, December 14, after complications from surgery, according to TV Insider.

General Hospital icon Tony Geary passes away

Tony Geary with Genie Francis' Laura in 2015 | Image: JPI

Geary was born on May 29, 1947, in Coalville, UT. Although his parents had wanted him to become a teacher, Geary was drawn to acting and Hollywood. Geary went on to study acting at the University of Utah where he was discovered by actor Jack Albertson, who cast him in a touring production of The Subject Was Roses. Geary's acting career took off from there.

After some roles on episodic television in the late 1960s, Geary began landing roles on soaps. Before becoming Lucas Lorenzo Spencer and a household soap opera name, Geary appeared on Bright Promise as David Lockhart and George Curtis on The Young and the Restless. However, when he landed the role of Luke on General Hospital, his star truly took off.

In 2019, Geary married Claudio Gama. Upon the actor's death, Gama released a statement to TV Insider, saying, "It was a shock for me and our families and our friends. For more than 30 years, Tony has been my friend, my companion, my husband."

Through the years, Geary also had roles in Anthony and Cleopatra, Do You Know the Muffin Man?, Shaft, Mannix, and Marcus Welby, MD.

The Luke and Laura phenomenon and a storied soap career

Geary was last seen on General Hospital in 2017 | Image: JPI

Geary never expected the role of Luke to last more than a few months, but his chemistry with Genie Francis' Laura was palpable, culminating in the wedding of Luke and Laura on November 16, 1981. Geary and Francis even appeared on the cover of Newsweek, and later the cover of PEOPLE, with Elizabeth Taylor joining them. Taylor, as longtime GH fans know, played the original Helena Cassadine at Luke and Laura's wedding.

Both Geary and Francis eventually left General Hospital in the mid-1980s, but Geary returned in 1991 to play Bill Eckert, Luke's lookalike cousin. Two years later, he began playing Luke once again when Francis also returned to the soap that launched her career.

Geary remained with GH until he chose to retire in 2015. At the time, Luke walked off into the fog to settle into life in Amsterdam, while Geary did the same. Geary lived in Amsterdam for the last decade, while the character of Luke died in 2022. Geary was last seen on GH during a cameo appearance in 2017.