Anthony Geary, perhaps best known for his role as Luke Spencer on General Hospital, has died at 78.
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PEOPLE reported that Geary died on Sunday, Dec. 14, from complications after surgery performed the previous week.
"It was a shock for me and our families and our friends," said Geary's husband, Claudio Gama, in a statement. "For more than 30 years, Tony has been my friend, my companion, my husband."
Anthony Geary Helped Change Soap Operas Forever
Geary began his career in guest roles. Notably, in the 1970s, he appeared in an episode of All In The Family as a gay man who tangles with the homophobic Archie Bunker.
However, starting in the late 1970s, the role that would define the Utah-native's career became that of Luke Spencer. What began as a 13-week turn became something that would define General Hospital and soap operas in the 1980s.
"In the beginning, Luke Spencer was a complete bastard," Geary said in 1980. "He was a cheap little punk who managed a disco and was a dope runner for the Mafia. He was a real killer."
It was his romance with Laura Collins, played by actress Genie Francis, that turned the character around. The two eventually married in 1981. The episode featuring the couple's nuptials, which also featured a cameo by actress Elizabeth Taylor, was watched by over 30 million viewers. The episode remains the highest-rated hour in soap opera history.
Luke and Laura Eventually Broke Up
In 1984, Geary left General Hospital to focus on a career in theater and film. He appeared as Philo, the technician who works at the TV station at the center of "Weird Al" Yankovic's UHF. He also appeared in Disorderlies and Scorchers.
He returned to General Hospital in 1993, with storylines focusing on his relationships with his children and a romance with Tracy Quartermaine.
Geary retired in 2015 and relocated to Amsterdam, making one more appearance on the show in 2017 to see off actress Jane Elliot, who played Tracy. Five years later, Geary's character Luke was killed off-camera. While he has grappled with being known as Luke, he said he had come to terms with his claim to fame.
"It's been a really exciting ride," he said. "In the end, it's been well worth it."
