Tristan Rogers, who starred as Robert Scorpio on “General Hospital,” died Friday of lung cancer. He was 79.
Roger’s longtime manager, Meryl Soodak, confirmed the actor’s death to Variety.
Soodak told ABC 7 Eyewitness News that he had never been a smoker. She told ABC that Rogers’ portrayal of Scorpio in the soap opera “meant everything to him.” She added, “He loved being Scorpio, and 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.”
Following the news of his death, “General Hospital” showrunner Frank Valentini shared a statement with Variety.
“The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Tristan Rogers’ passing. Tristan has captivated our fans for 45 years and Port Charles will not be the same without him (or Robert Scorpio). I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to his family and friends during this difficult time. Tristan was a one-of-a-kind talent and will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace.”
As the impossibly suave, cool, sarcastic spy Robert Scorpio, in the early 1980s (he joined the show in December 1980), Rogers was a key member of the “General Hospital” acting ensemble — alongside “supercouple” Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis) — that propelled daytime drama into the pop culture stratosphere. That era reached its peak on Nov. 17, 1981, when Luke and Laura married (Scorpio was Luke’s best man), Elizabeth Taylor guest-starred as the villainous Helena Cassadine — and the show drew an audience of 30 million viewers.
Robert had his own romantic entanglements, and was the third member of a famous love triangle between former grifter Holly (Emma Samms) and fellow spy Anna Devane (Finola Hughes). Later, Robert and Anna’s daughter Robin (Kimberly McCullough) also became a hugely significant character in the history of “General Hospital,” when she contracted HIV as a teenager.
In a 2023 interview with Variety to commemorate “General Hospital” turning 60, Rogers reflected on his time on the show. He’d been cast by Gloria Monty, the executive producer who’d saved the show from cancellation, and said that after he’d told her “this is not the way an Australian would react under these circumstances,” she gave him permission to make the dialogue his own. “And that’s what started my steamrollering through pretty much any script at the time,” he recalled.
Rogers described his wild experiences of “General Hospital” when it was at its 1981 apex. “That was the year that ‘General Hospital’ really went supercharged,” he said. “There was this hysteria that surrounded anything to do with ‘General Hospital.’ It was crazy. Nuts. Dangerously crazy, sometimes.”
When asked about the enduring appeal of soap operas, Rogers said: “They’re orderly. We solve our problems. A lot of people look at the show and say, ‘Why can’t I live my life like that?’ Well, your life isn’t being scripted! We have a beginning, a middle and an end.”
Throughout his career, the Australian actor has appeared in several films and TV shows. His TV credits include “The Bay,” “Studio City,” “The Young and The Restless,” “Family Law” and “Marie.” He appeared in films including, “Jack Rio,” “Raven,” “The Los Angeles Ripper,” among others.
Although many of his earliest TV credits were on Australian soap operas, portraying Scorpio on “General Hospital” became his most notable role. After becoming one of the show’s leading men, he continued to appear on the show on and off for 45 years.
