RIP

Iconic ‘General Hospital’ Actor, 79, Dies After Cancer Battle

Tristan Rogers is remembered as the actor who made Robert Scorpio one of television’s most beloved heroes.

Tristan Rogers, the legendary Australian actor who starred as Robert Scorpio in General Hospital, has died at 79. Rogers’ longtime manager, Meryl Soodak, said that his role on the drama meant “everything to him.” Rogers, who revealed in July that he had been diagnosed with cancer, was initially brought onto the series for just one day but impressed the crew so much that he became central to the show’s biggest storyline. When he stood as Luke Spencer’s best man during Spencer’s 1981 wedding, 30 million viewers tuned in to see—making it the most-watched soap opera installment in U.S. history. Rogers’ manager said that he loved playing Scorpio and that he “created that role from nothing.” He “was supposed to work a day and he ended up making it into something huge. He was just a genuinely loyal, kind human being and he loved his family‚” she added. General Hospital Executive Producer Frank Valentini called him a “one-of-a-kind talent.” The iconic actor once told The New York Times that Scorpio would stay with him forever: “I think this character will follow me to my grave.”