‘General Hospital’ actor Anthony Geary passes away at 78

Anthony Geary, the legendary actor who played Luke Spencer on General Hospital, has passed away at the age of 78, leaving his fans saddened.

According to reports, the actor died over the weekend on Sunday, December 14, following complications from an operation three days prior

“It was a shock for me and our families and our friends,” Geary’s husband, Claudio Gama, told TV Insider in a statement.

He further added, “For more than 30 years, Tony has been my friend, my companion, my husband.”

Anthony Geary was best known for his iconic portrayal of Luke Spencer on General Hospital, a role he first took on in 1978. He was famously paired with Genie Francis’s Laura, and the duo went on to become daytime television’s most celebrated supercouple.

Their 1981 wedding episode drew an audience of nearly 30 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode in soap opera history. Geary departed the long-running series in 2015.

According to PEOPLE,the show’s executive producer Frank Valentini said the “entire General Hospital family is heartbroken” over the news.

He further added, “His legacy, and that of Luke Spencer’s, will live on through the generations of GH cast members who have followed in his footsteps. We send our sincerest sympathies to his husband, Claudio, family, and friends. May he rest in peace.”