Chris Robinson, ‘General Hospital' and ‘Bold and the Beautiful' star, dead at 86
Chris Robinson, the soap opera star best known for his roles as Dr. Rick Webber in 'General Hospital' and Jack Hamilton in 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' has died. He was 86.
Robinson's death was announced by his friend and colleague MJ Allen. The pair worked together on the 2022 film 'Just for a Week.'
'Prolific Hollywood actor Chris Robinson has passed away at the age of 86,' Allen, a writer and director, announced on Facebook Monday.
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5 Soap opera star Chris Robinson passed away early Monday morning at the age of 86.
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'He peacefully passed in his sleep at his ranch near Sedona, Arizona at 12:30am on June 9, 2025,' the director added.
According to Allen, the actor died of heart failure.
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'He had been in heart failure for some time,' the director claimed, 'and [that] is his official cause of death.'
5 Robinson starred as Dr. Rick Webber on 'General Hospital' from 1978 to 1986.
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The official 'General Hospital' X account paid tribute to the late star.
'General Hospital's enduring legacy owes a debt of gratitude to Chris Robinson and his portrayal of Dr. Rick Webber,' the statement read. 'Our hearts go out to his family and friends as they mourn their loss. May he rest in peace.'
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Born on November 5, 1938, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Robinson first gained recognition in 1965 when he starred as Technical Sgt. Sandy Komansky in the second season of the World War II series '12 O'Clock High.'
5 The soap opera actor also starred in 'The Bold and the Beautiful' from 1992 to 2002.
©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection
He later gained mainstream popularity in 1978 when he joined the ABC soap opera 'General Hospital' as Dr. Rick Webber, the two-time husband of Dr. Lesley Webber (Denise Alexander) and the adoptive father of Laura Spencer (Genie Francis).
Alexander passed away on May 11, 2025. She was 85.
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Robinson left 'General Hospital' in 1986 and went on to star as Jack Hamilton in 'The Bold and the Beautiful' from 1992 to 2002. His final final appearance was in 2005.
5 Robinson with his 'General Hospital' co-stars Jacklyn Zeman and Leslie Charleson.
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But it was his role as a spokesman for Vicks, and a commercial he did for Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup in 1984, that established him as a household name.
'I'm not a doctor,' he said in the famous advertisement, 'but I do play one on TV.'
Although Robinson pleaded guilty to federal income tax evasion in 1985, he remained on 'General Hospital' by serving his four-month sentence under a prison work-release provision on nights and weekends.
5 Robinson starred in more than 100 shows and movies during his decades-long acting career.
©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection
Robinson also starred in more than 100 roles on the small and big screen during his decades-long acting career from 1957 to 2022.
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His final acting role was in August 2022. He starred as the main character, Ted Hurst, in Miller's 'Just for a Week.'
Robinson is survived by his fourth wife, Jacquie Shane-Robinson, as well as sons Shane, Coby, Christian, Taylor, Christopher Robinson and Christopher Lance, and five grandchildren.
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