Chris Robinson, ‘General Hospital’ actor who famously played a doctor on TV, dies at 86
86-year-old Chris Robinson, famed for his role as Dr. Rick Webber on “General Hospital” and known for coining an iconic saying in a cough syrup advertisement, passed away due to heart complications.
On a Monday night, around midnight, Robinson passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence in Sedona, Arizona, as confirmed by filmmaker MJ Allen through a Facebook post.
Television
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Michael Jason Allen, the filmmaker, shared on Monday afternoon that his dear friend and frequent collaborator, Chris Robinson (who is married to Jacquie), had sadly passed away. We were aware of this happening eventually, but it never makes the pain any easier.
Despite Robinson accumulating a total of 100 acting credits in TV and films, as per IMDb, his most recognizable role might be one that many people may not immediately associate with: He was the performer in a Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup advertisement who initially uttered the words, “I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV.” This phrase from 1984 was later repeated in another Vicks Formula 44 ad starring Peter Bergman, an actor from “The Young and the Restless” who at that time portrayed Dr. Cliff Warner on “All My Children.
The rest was pop-culture history.
Growing up in West Palm Beach, Florida, I was born on November 5, 1938. My acting career took off when I joined the cast of “General Hospital” in 1978, and I appeared in over a thousand episodes until 1986. After a brief hiatus, I returned for approximately 20 episodes in 2002 and one special episode in April 2013. Additionally, I played nearly 250 episodes as Jack Hamilton on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” primarily during the early 1990s but also continuing into the early 2000s. My role as Jason Frame on “Another World” spanned from 1988 to 1989, with a total of 20 episodes.
Television
On Sunday, Leslie Charleson, a renowned figure from the world of soap operas who portrayed Monica Quartermaine on ‘General Hospital’ since the 1970s, passed away at the age of 79.
He frequently appeared in Soap Opera Digest, sharing screen time with John Stamos, Rick Springfield, and Richard Dean Anderson during the early stages of their acting careers.
In the 1960s, his television career kicked off with shows such as “The Donna Reed Show,” “Gunsmoke,” “Wagon Train,” “Perry Mason,” and “Hogan’s Heroes” among others.
Robinson appeared in movies with Mickey Rooney, Charlton Heston, Dick Clark, Bruce Dern, Ted Cassidy, and Yvonne De Carlo. He also directed episodes of “Baretta,” “Cannon,” and “Barnaby Jones” on television. In addition, he wrote, starred in, and directed the 1977 film “The Great Balloon Race,” featuring Frank Gifford, Phyllis Diller, Cab Calloway, and Bert Parks.
Robinson featured in three movies helmed by Allen: “For a Week Only,” “On the Verge of Dreaming” and “The Forgotten Killer of Arizona: Yancey McCord.
Television
I’m a fan who has always admired Tyler Christopher, the talented actor known for his portrayal of Nikolas Cassadine in ‘General Hospital.’ Sadly, it was announced that he passed away on Tuesday.
In 1985, the actor, who resided in Glendale, California at the time, admitted guilt to federal tax evasion charges. If convicted, he could have faced a two-year prison term for falsifying his tax returns on an income of $490,000 from 1980 to 1981. However, he successfully served his sentence in such a way that allowed him to continue taping during the day for “General Hospital” by serving it at night and on weekends. Additionally, he was ordered to repay all owed taxes and accrued interest.
More recently, Robinson spent time at his ranch with his artistic wife of 14 years, Jacquie Shane-Robinson.
Over several vacations, I shared memorable moments at his ranch, feasting by the flowing creek, and those cozy evenings when he and Jacquie would visit my home to brainstorm ideas were truly delightful. On Facebook, I penned down, “Great times… Farewell, dear friend and icon. My deepest respects to Jacquie and your family.
On Monday, Rhonda Robinson, one of Chris Robinson’s former wives, shared an old photograph from a 1980s Daytime TV Yearbook featuring Chris and their sons during their youthful years. In her caption, she reminisced about the past, expressing that it feels like another era. When they got married, she believed it would endure forever, but sadly, it did not. However, they managed to raise remarkable sons together. She expressed her condolences, stating that they will miss Chris, who recently passed away.
Robinson leaves behind his spouse Jacquie, along with sons Shane, Coby, Christian, Taylor, two Chris’s, and Robb Walker – the result of multiple past unions. He was blessed with five grandchildren.
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2025-06-13 00:01