'General Hospital' star Anthony Geary passes away at 78

TMZ confirmed that Geary passed away on Sunday in Amsterdam, with reports suggesting complications from a planned surgery may have contributed to his death.

The official cause of death has not been confirmed.

Geary, a native of Utah, earned a theatre scholarship to the University of Utah before moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s to pursue an acting career.

He made early appearances on The Partridge Family, The Mod Squad, All in the Family, Bright Promise, and The Young and the Restless before being approached by General Hospital producer-director Gloria Monty in 1978 to create the role of Lucas Lorenzo Spencer.

Describing Luke Spencer as "an antihero, a person who does all the wrong things for the right reasons," Monty shaped the character to be a man of action who would "cause a lot of trouble for a lot of people."

Geary's portrayal, alongside co-star Genie Francis, made Luke and Laura one of television's most iconic couples. Their on-screen wedding in 1981 drew 30 million viewers, with Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor making a cameo.

Geary first left General Hospital in 1983 but returned in 1991 as Luke's lookalike cousin, Bill Eckert. He continued on the show until his final regular appearance on July 27, 2015, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Over his career, Geary won eight Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding actor in a daytime drama series -- in 1982, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, and 2015, and received nine additional nominations, cementing his place as one of the most celebrated actors in soap opera history.

"The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken over the news of Tony Geary's passing," said executive producer Frank Valentini. "Tony was a brilliant actor and set the bar that we continue to strive for. His legacy, and that of Luke Spencer's, will live on through the generations of G.H. castmembers who have followed in his footsteps," as quoted by the outlet. (ANI)