Anthony Geary Dead at 78

Anthony Geary, the singular actor who turned General Hospital’s Luke Spencer into one of the most iconic — and controversial — figures in television history, has died. He was 78. Geary passed away Sunday in the Netherlands from complications following a scheduled surgery. His husband of more than 30 years, Claudio Gama, called the loss “a shock,” adding, “For more than 30 years, Tony has been my friend, my companion, my husband.”

Born May 29, 1947, in Coalville, Utah, Geary arrived in Los Angeles with classical training, stage instincts, and zero interest in soap operas. That changed in 1978 when General Hospital executive producer Gloria Monty promised him a character who would upend the genre. Luke Spencer debuted as an antihero — dangerous, witty, morally compromised — and quickly became the engine that powered daytime television into a new era.

Luke’s storyline with Laura Webber (Genie Francis) defined soaps for a generation. Though their relationship began with a deeply troubling assault that was wrongly romanticized at the time, Luke and Laura evolved into a pop-culture phenomenon. Their 1981 wedding drew nearly 30 million viewers, remains the most-watched soap episode of all time, and cemented Geary as daytime’s first true superstar. No soap actor before — or since — carried that kind of mainstream cultural heat.

Geary left GH in 1983, famously fled it, then returned in 1991 under strict terms: fewer episodes, more control, and no burnout. Whether playing Luke or his ill-fated cousin Bill Eckert, Geary remained the show’s gravitational force until his final regular episode aired July 27, 2015. “Luke Spencer is my alter ego,” he said at the time, “but I’m weary of the grind. My time is not infinite.”

Across his career, Geary won a record eight Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor — a feat unlikely to be matched — and earned nine additional nominations. In 2010, We Love Soaps ranked him #1 on its list of the 50 Greatest Soap Actors of All Time, with Luke and Laura also topping the Greatest Soap Couples list. Geary responded simply: “If they feel that about me, that makes me very happy.”

Despite limited film opportunities — a cost of being too famous in daytime — Geary remained a serious actor to the end, devoted to craft over celebrity. When asked about his proudest moment, he recalled introducing himself to Bette Davis at an awards event. She shook his hand and said, “I know your work.” For Geary, that was enough.

Anthony Geary didn’t just change General Hospital. He changed what soap operas could be — bolder, darker, smarter — and proved that daytime television could produce performances worthy of any stage. Luke Spencer may be gone, but Tony Geary’s impact is forever written into television history.