<\/p>\n
Anthony Geary, who rose to fame in the 1970s and \u201980s as half the daytime TV super couple Luke and Laura on \u201cGeneral Hospital,\u201d has died. He was 78.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are deeply saddened by the passing of Anthony Geary, whose portrayal of Luke Spencer helped define General Hospital and daytime television,\u201d ABC said in a statement confirming his death.<\/p>\n
Geary died Sunday in Amsterdam of complications from a surgical procedure three days prior.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe entire \u2018General Hospital\u2019 family is heartbroken over the news of Tony Geary\u2019s passing,\u201d Frank Valentini, executive producer of the ABC show, said in a statement Monday. \u201cTony was a brilliant actor and set the bar that we continue to strive for.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a career spanning more than 40 years, Geary earned eight Daytime Emmy awards as Luke Spencer after joining the soap in 1978. Luke\u2019s pairing with Genie Francis\u2019 Laura Webber Baldwin (as she was known at the time) propelled the two onto magazine covers and into the cultural mainstream.<\/p>\n
The 1981 wedding of Luke and Laura was a pop culture phenom done in two parts, drawing guest appearances that included Elizabeth Taylor. A record 30 million viewers watched.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a powerhouse as an actor. Shoulder to shoulder with the greats. No star burned brighter than Tony Geary. He was one of a kind. As an artist, he was filled with a passion for the truth, no matter how blunt, or even a little rude it might be, but always hilariously funny,\u201d Francis said in a statement.<\/p>\n
In addition to his role as Luke, Geary had numerous TV and stage credits, including stints on other soaps: \u201cThe Young and the Restless\u201d and \u201cBright Promise.\u201d Geary played Luke on and off until 2015, though he returned for a cameo in 2017.<\/p>\n
He lived a quiet life with husband Claudio Gama in Amsterdam.<\/p>\n