Anthony Geary, General Hospital’s Luke Spencer, Dies At 78

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Anthony Geary, best known for playing Luke Spencer on the soap opera General Hospital, has passed away at the age of 78. He first appeared on the ABC show in 1978 and became a fan favorite, earning eight Daytime Emmy nominations throughout his run, which lasted until 2015. Geary was born on May 29, 1947.

Anthony Geary, best known for his role as Luke Spencer on the soap opera ‘General Hospital,’ passed away on December 14th following complications from a recent surgery. He was living in the Netherlands when he died.

I was so saddened to hear about the passing of John Geary. His husband, Claudio Gama, shared with TV Insider that it was a complete shock to everyone who knew and loved him – and you can just feel the weight of that loss in his words. He described John as not just his husband, but his friend and companion, and it’s heartbreaking to think of their loss.

This news was shocking for me, our families, and our friends. Tony and I have been friends, companions, and husband and wife for over 30 years.

Geary began his acting career after appearing in the play The Subject Was Roses, landing guest roles on popular shows like All in the Family, The Mod Squad, Mannix, Marcus Welby MD, and The Partridge Family.

Before becoming known for his role on General Hospital, the actor had already appeared in several other soap operas. He was in Bright Promise in the early 1970s and The Young and the Restless in 1973.

Five years after starting his career, Geary hit it big when he was cast as Luke Spencer on General Hospital. The romance between his character and Laura Webber (played by Genie Francis) quickly became a highlight for viewers of the show.

Luke and Laura’s wedding was a massive television event, drawing around 30 million viewers. It was an unprecedented moment in soap opera history.

In 1984, three years after his character’s wedding was featured on General Hospital, Jack Geary chose to leave the show and pursue other acting opportunities in television and theater.

Despite not finding lasting success with his initial role, he returned to General Hospital and surprised viewers by playing a completely new character – Luke’s cousin, Bill Eckert. This was just one of the show’s many outlandish storylines over the years.

The new role wasn’t a good fit, so the show’s creators changed Geary’s part. They brought back his original character, Luke, and paired him with Francis, who had also briefly left and then returned to the show.

Geary left his regular role on General Hospital in 2015, but he came back for a guest appearance in 2017 after Jane Elliot’s retirement.

As a longtime fan, I always knew Tony Geary really embodied Luke Spencer. It wasn’t just his decades on General Hospital – he also popped up as Luke in the spinoffs, Port Charles and General Hospital: Night Shift. And get this – he even did a crossover appearance on Roseanne! It was wild seeing Luke in that totally different world.

Beyond his long-running role on General Hospital and early appearances on shows like All in the Family and The Mod Squad, Geary has also been in many other TV shows and movies, including P.I. Private Investigations, Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam, It Takes Two, Do You Know the Muffin Man?, Murder, She Wrote, Roseanne, and Fish Tank.

According to TV Insider, Jack Geary filmed a scene with former General Hospital star Anders Hove for a project that hasn’t been revealed, just one day before his death.

The world of daytime television is saddened by the passing of Geary, a beloved actor best known for his work on the long-running show General Hospital. He leaves behind a lasting legacy that fans will cherish for years to come.

General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.

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2025-12-15 22:59