'General Hospital' star Tyler Christopher passes away at 50

Christopher's 'General Hospital' co-star Maurice Benard announced the news on Instagram Tuesday evening, writing, "Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment."

Benard continued, "Tyler was a truly talented individual who lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting. Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him."

Benard noted that "Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol."

Christopher was born on November 11, 1972, in Joliet, Ill. He was married to "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004 and former ESPN reporter Brienne Pedigo from 2008 to 2021. Christopher and Pedigo share two children: Greysun James Christopher and Boheme Christopher, reported Variety.

On the medical soap opera, Christopher played Connor Bishop from 2004 to 2005 and Nikolas Cassadine from 1996 until 2016. He was nominated four times, including once for a special fan award for his irresistible combination with Natalia Livingston. He won the Daytime Emmy in 2016 for his portrayal of Nikolas. Between 2001 and 2019, Christopher was also a cast member of "Days of Our Lives," where he played Stefan DiMera. For his role, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the drama series for outstanding lead actor.

Christopher appeared in 'General Hospital', 'Days of Our Lives', 'The Lying Game', 'Family Law', 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation', 'The Twilight Zone', 'Charmed', 'Angel', and 'The Pretender'. In addition, he acted in a number of TV disaster films, such as 'Super Volcano', 'Ice Storm', and '20.0 Megaquake'.

His film credits include 'Shouting Secrets', 'Out of the Black', 'Max Winslow and the House of Secrets,' 'Murder, Anyone?' and 'Beyond the Lights', reported Variety. (ANI)