Anthony Gearywho rose to fame in the 1970s and '80s as one half of daytime TV supercouple 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 said in a statement confirming his death.
Geary died on Sunday in Amsterdam from complications caused by a surgical procedure performed three days earlier.
“The entire 'General Hospital' family is heartbroken by the news of the passing of Tony Geary,” the ABC show's executive producer Frank Valentini said Monday. “Tony was a brilliant actor and set the bar that we continue to strive for.”
During his more than 40-year career, Geary won eight Daytime Emmy Awards for his role as Luke Spencer after joining the series in 1978. Luke's collaboration with Laura Webber Baldwin of Jeanie Frances (as she was known at the time) catapulted them both onto magazine covers and into the cultural mainstream.
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Luke and Laura's 1981 wedding became a two-part pop culture phenomenon, with guests including Elizabeth Taylor. A record 30 million viewers watched.
“He was a powerhouse 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 truth, no matter how harsh or even a little crude, but always laugh-out-loud funny,” Francis said in a statement.
In addition to his role as Luke, Geary has had numerous roles on television and on stage, including other series: The Young and the Restless and Bright Promise. Geary played Luke on and off until 2015, although he returned for a cameo role in 2017.
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He lived a quiet life with his husband Claudio Gama in Amsterdam.
In a 1993 interview, Geary discussed the many pros and cons of playing Luke.
“I felt like I had to be Luke 24 hours a day or people would be disappointed,” he said at the time. “As far as I understand, they are mythical creatures. They come from two sides of the universe and have a mutual connection, which essentially represents passion and recognition of individuality. They like each other's eccentricities.”
Luke Geary started out as a small-time hitman, recruited to destroy the relationship between Laura and her first husband, Scotty Baldwin. Their storyline took an even darker turn when Luke raped Laura. The attack led to the redemption of Luke, who turned into a hero and even became the mayor of the small town of Port Charles, which is featured in the series.
“He wasn't cut out to be a hero,” Geary. said ABC's “Nightline” in 2015. “He was created to be an anti-hero, and I cherished the anti-hero side and promoted it for a long time. … He's not a white hat or a black hat, he's all shades of gray. And that’s been the saving grace of playing him all these years.”
Geary was born into a Mormon family in Coalville, Utah. He was discovered while studying at the University of Utah and performing on stage. He joined the touring troupe “The Subject Was Roses”, which brought him to Los Angeles.
Over the years, he has often appeared in productions along with his screen work.
Geary's first television appearance was as Tom Walom in the episode “Room 222”. He went on to appear in All in the Family, The Partridge Family, The Mod Squad, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Streets of San Francisco and Barnaby Jones.
