General Hospital alum Anthony Geary passes away at 78

General Hospital icon Anthony Geary, the beloved actor who brought the complicated anti-hero Luke Spencer to life for over four decades, has passed away. He died on December 14, 2025, at the age of 78 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

Geary's death shocked the entertainment industry, especially soap opera fans who revered his legacy on daytime television.
His husband, Claudio Gama, and publicists confirmed his tragic death shortly after. Geary died after complications from a scheduled surgery. His death occurred in the Netherlands, where the actor lived with family.

The entertainment industry and his former co-stars quickly reacted to the news with heartfelt tributes. His longtime on-screen partner, Genie Francis, who played Laura Webber, expressed her deep sorrow on social media, calling him a "powerhouse as an actor" and noting that "No star burned brighter than Tony Geary."

Anthony Geary on General Hospital: The Loss of a Daytime Legend

Representatives said Anthony Geary died from complications of a scheduled operation. Geary was Claudio Gama's friend, companion, and husband for over 30 years, and he was deeply sad. This is a huge loss for General Hospital and soap operas.

His sudden death from surgery complications devastated his fans and friends. His role as Luke Spencer on General Hospital was a huge part of his life and millions of viewers'. He was lauded for his unique talent and energy on General Hospital.

In an interview with TV Insider on July 20, 2015, Geary mentioned about his departure from the soap, as he said:

"I just get really tired of the whole Luke-and-Laura thing. I think Genie would tell you the same. We’ve both been dragging the corpse of that relationship around for 30 years. I was able to insist on moving away from it, but being hyphenated as Luke-and-Laura has been a real pain in my ass. It irritated me that, no matter what I did on the show, no matter how many Emmys I won, I could never unhitch from that.”

He further mentioned,

“Every time I was introduced anywhere in the last 33 years, they’d run the clip of that f—ing wedding. It’s like having your high school graduation picture dragged out. [Laughs] Nobody wants that! And yes, this is a guy who is biting the hand that has fed him. I fully understand that. I think at age 68 I’m allowed to say these things, and certainly now that I am no longer under contract."

A Career Defined by Luke Spencer

Anthony Geary became famous for playing Luke Spencer on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. In 1978, he first took on the role for a short story arc that ended up lasting 13 weeks. The character was first written as an anti-hero, a hitman and rapist. But his unplanned chemistry with Genie Francis's Laura Webber made him a star and kept him on the show for a long time.

Luke and Laura's relationship became a cultural phenomenon. About 30 million people are said to have watched their 1981 wedding episode, which is still one of the most highly rated episodes in TV history. For his work as Luke Spencer, Geary won an unprecedented eight Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, recognizing his impact on General Hospital.

Beyond the Fictional Town of Port Charles

Anthony Geary was born in Coalville, Utah, on May 29, 1947. Before he got the role he is most known for, he had a lot of experience in acting. He started his career with guest roles on a number of prime-time shows, like All in the Family and Room 222. He then moved to daytime TV with roles in Bright Promise and The Young and the Restless. In 1984, Geary briefly left General Hospital and was in movies like UHF and TV shows like Roseanne.

In 1991, he went back to General Hospital, first playing Bill Eckert, Luke's cousin. Because fans wanted him to, he quickly went back to playing Luke Spencer again.

Geary's dedication to playing the difficult role lasted until his last departure from the show in 2015. He was praised for adding all kinds of gray areas to Luke and valuing the "not-so-good side of the hero." General Hospital's place in TV history was made solid by his work.

General Hospital episodes are available to stream on ABC.