Rick Springfield remembered Anthony Geary as a generous scene partner who never turned competitiveness into a workplace problem, even as Springfield’s profile climbed beyond daytime TV. “When my star started to rise, Tony never gave me any trouble with it or anything,” Springfield said in a phone interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “He was always just a really sweet guy.”
Springfield, who played Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital, said Geary’s presence shaped the show’s on-set culture during its boom years, when Geary’s Luke Spencer became one of the genre’s defining figures. Springfield pointed to Geary’s ease with the material and his comfort taking big swings, traits that helped make scenes feel alive rather than rehearsed.
Geary died Sunday in Amsterdam at 78 from complications following a surgical procedure three days earlier, according to the Associated Press. ABC confirmed his death and called his portrayal of Luke Spencer central to General Hospital and daytime television. Executive producer Frank Valentini said the cast and crew were “heartbroken,” praising Geary’s standards as an actor and the impact he left on the series.
The reaction has stretched far beyond one co-star’s remembrance, with former castmates and fans returning to the Luke-and-Laura era that turned the soap into a mainstream phenomenon. Genie Francis, who played Laura, wrote that Geary was a “powerhouse” performer and “one of a kind,” praising his blunt humor and intensity. Their 1981 on-screen wedding drew an estimated 30 million viewers and remains a landmark moment for daytime TV.
