Anthony Geary, who rose to fame as one half of daytime TV supercouple Luke and Laura on General Hospital in the 1980s, has died. His representatives confirmed to NBC News on Monday, December 15.
Geary died due to complications from a routine medical procedure three days earlier. TV Insider reported. He was 78.
Giri's husband, Claudio Gama, confirmed Giri's death to the site, saying: “It was a shock to me, our families and our friends. For over 30 years, Tony was my friend, my companion, my husband.”
Geary, who was born in Utah, began his professional career in the 1960s, appearing in small roles on the television shows “All in the Family,” “Dan August,” “The Mod Squad” and “The Partridge Family.”
He appeared on the soap opera Bright Promise from 1971-1972 and then played the controversial role of George Curtis on The Young and the Restless when the series debuted in 1973.
In 1978, he was cast as debauched street criminal Luke Spencer in General Hospital.
Although Luke's romance with Laura Webber (Genie Frances) began unexpectedly, the couple's adventurous life together has become must-see television on daytime television.
Their love story peaked with their on-screen wedding in 1981, which was watched by more than 30 million viewers, many of whom skipped school or worked to witness their wedding, according to TV guide.
The episode, starring Hollywood legend (and GH superfan) Elizabeth Taylor as Helena Cassadine, remains the most popular. highest rated soap opera episode in American television history, ABC reported in 2004.
Geary left General Hospital in 1984. He later revived the role of Luke in 1991. He left playing Luke in 2015 and returned for another fan-favorite cameo in 2017. Luke's character was killed off-screen in 2022.
For this role, Geary won a record eight Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama.
The actor told Entertainment Weekly in 2015, he once felt it was “very difficult” to become famous mainly for his role as Luke Spencer.
“It’s not my favorite time in my life and I don’t think it represents me as a person or as an actor,” he said. “It's like every time they introduce you they pull out a high school graduation photo. It can be annoying.”
Still, he added, he's grateful to be a historic part of daytime television.
“It was a really exciting ride,” he said. “It was worth it in the end.”
In recent years, Geary lived with Gama in Amsterdam, and Gama often shared memories of the couple's life together on his website. Instagram page.
