‘General Hospital’ actor Rif Hutton dies after battle with brain tumor

Rif Hutton, a veteran character actor known for his roles in television series including Doogie Howser, M.D. and General Hospital, has passed away at the age of 73.

The actor died on Saturday, April 18, at his home in Pasadena, California, his wife, Bridget Hoffman, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He had previously been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Tributes to the actor quickly followed. Steve Apostolina remembered Hutton as “a remarkable human being” in a heartfelt message shared on social media. “To say that Rif Hutton was one of a kind is a gross understatement. There will never be another like him,” he wrote, praising Hutton’s talent, humility and dedication to his craft.

Born on November 28, 1952, in San Antonio, Texas, Hutton built a decades-long career across television, film and voice acting. He was best known for playing Dr. Ron Welch on Doogie Howser, M.D., starring alongside Neil Patrick Harris, from 1989 to 1993.

In more recent years, Hutton appeared as Lenny Caulfield on General Hospital, featuring in more than 30 episodes between 2021 and 2022. His extensive television credits also included appearances in The Jeffersons, Night Court, Married… with Children, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Family Matters and Shameless. His final television roles were in episodes of S.W.A.T. that aired in 2024 and 2025.

Beyond live-action roles, Rif Hutton also lent his voice to several popular animated films, including Shark Tale, Rio, Hotel Transylvania, ParaNorman, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Angry Birds Movie 2.