The stars of “General Hospital” are taking a moment to remember one of their own.
The ABC soap aired a tribute to late actor Anthony Geary on Friday, a month after Geary — who played Luke Spencer on “GH” for nearly 40 years — died of complications from an operation at the age of 78.
In the tribute, which you can watch above, vintage clips of Geary as Luke were paired with testimonials from Geary’s “GH” co-stars, including Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), who raved: “Tony was a master craftsman. He was a deep thinker, curious, generous, and delightfully naughty. That was my favorite part about him.”
Laura Wright (Carly) added: “Tony Geary was an incredible man, an amazing actor, and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to share the stage with him.” And finally, Genie Francis, who plays Luke’s longtime love interest Laura on “GH,” offered this bittersweet note: “Some people were so alive that they will never be gone.”
Geary joined the cast of “General Hospital” in 1978, forming one of daytime TV’s most famous couples ever in Luke and Laura and winning a record eight Daytime Emmys for best lead actor. He officially stepped away from the series in 2015, though he returned for a guest appearance two years later.
“General Hospital” executive producer Frank Valentini released a statement at the time of Geary’s death: “The entire ‘General Hospital’ family is heartbroken over the news of Tony Geary’s passing. Tony was a brilliant actor and set the bar that we continue to strive for. 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.”
Press PLAY above to watch the “GH” tribute to Geary, and share your favorite Luke memories in a comment below.