‘General Hospital' star Tristan Rogers reveals cancer diagnosis
The soap star, 79, shared his health battle with fans through his publicist, Anthony Turk, on Thursday, July 17.
'Beloved Emmy-winning actor Tristan Rogers, best known for his role as Robert Scorpio on the daytime drama, 'General Hospital,' is sharing with fans that he has been diagnosed with cancer,' Turk's statement obtained by Soap Opera Digest read.
10 'General Hospital' stars Tristan Rogers, Edie Lehmann Boddicker in 1988.
©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection
'While he remains hopeful and is working closely with his medical team on a treatment plan, this is a challenging time for Tristan and his family. As they face both the emotional and physical burdens that come with this diagnosis, the family kindly asks for privacy and understanding,' he continued.
The actor's longtime friend noted how much Rogers and his family appreciate those around them.
'They are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and love from their friends and family. Tristan sends his love to his fans and wants them to know how much he appreciates their loyalty and encouragement over the years,' the statement concluded. 'This support means more to him now than ever. Future updates will be shared if deemed appropriate by Tristan and his family.'
He did not reveal what kind of cancer Rogers was battling.
The soap star has played District Attorney Robert Scorpio on 'General Hospital' on and off since 1980.
10 Finola Hughes, Tristan Rogers on 'General Hospital' in 1991.
©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection
Rogers first portrayed the character from his start in the '80s until 1992, when he first left the show. He's made several returns to Port Charles over the decades.
In 2018, he told Soap Opera Digest why he loves playing the beloved district attorney.
'Robert has always had kind of a glib approach to everything; he's a bit of a smart-mouth,' he told the outlet.
10 Tristan Rogers, Emma Samms, and Anthony Geary on the soap opera.
ABC
'I'm working with a lot of different people,' he added of his comeback. 'And I think the fans are going to like it.'
Fans last saw Robert on their screens in November, when he left town with his ex-wife, Holly Sutton, played by Emma Samms.
Rogers is no stranger to the soap scene, as he played Hunter on 'The Bold and Beautiful' in 1997 and Colin on 'Young and Restless' from 2010 to 2012, 2014 to 2017 and again in 2019.
10 Tristan Rogers, John J. York in a 1991 scene on the long-running soap.
©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection
Rogers also earned a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Digital Drama Series for his role as Doc in 'Studio City.'
'General Hospital,' which is currently in its 62nd season after debuting in 1963, has continued to have many cast shake-ups in recent years.
Kelly Monaco, who starred as Sam McCall from 2003 to 2024, blasted the soap in August 2024 when they fired her after 21 years, claiming it was 'retaliation.'
10 Tristan Rogers, Emma Samms hug one another in a picture from 'General Hospital.'
©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection
Soon after, Brooklyn Rae Silzer, who portrayed Emma Drake for 13 years, was replaced by Braedyn Bruner. At the time, the actress, 19, wrote on X that she was 'forever grateful' for her spot on the daytime series.
Earlier this month, Eva LaRue announced her exit from the series just one year after joining the beloved soap opera as Natalia Rogers-Ramirez.
The 'CSI: Miami' alum, 58, starred as the mother of Jacqueline Grace Lopez's Blaze. LaRue first rose to fame playing Maria Santos Grey on 'All My Children.'
10 Tristan Rogers in a scene from 'General Hospital.'
©2006 ABC, Inc.
'I was originally only supposed to be on the show for a couple of months,' LaRue told Soap Digest on July 1. 'And it ended up being a much longer run, which was great — and really fun because there are so many 'All My Children' actors there and so it felt like home.'
Days later, Kirsten Storms revealed she is taking an extended break from 'General Hospital' after playing Maxie Jones since 2005.
'I'm very excited to be making Tennessee my home! I can't wait to return to GH, once Harper and I are settled in our new town,' the star, 41, wrote on Instagram. 'I plan on documenting as much of this new journey on my social media as I can. It's always been a dream of mine to move to a place like this, it's hard to believe it's really happening.'
10 Robin Mattson and Kin Shriner.
©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection
Kin Shriner, meanwhile, who played the iconic Scott Baldwin from 1977 to 2024, confirmed he let go from the show last year.
The actor, 71, starred in over 1,700 episodes of the soap. Shriner also reprised his role on the short-lived spin-off, 'Port Charles,' from 1997 to 2002. But after more than 40 years as the Port Charles villain, he was written off.
In 2023, Shriner tweeted on X, 'I just found out Scotty @GeneralHospital was written out…'
10 Eva LaRue on 'General Hospital.'
Disney
Despite his message, the soap vet continued to appear on the show until last summer. In September 2024, Shriner seemingly confirmed the news to fans on X.
One viewer took to the social media platform to question why Scott had just disappeared with no mention, writing: 'Wow, nothing like disrespecting your longest serving character…#GH.'
Shriner retweeted the post, adding, 'I don't understand any of it, I went to get glazed donuts and coffee for the doctor!!'
10 Steve Burton (Jason) and Kelly Monaco (Sam) in a scene from 'General Hospital.'
ABC
In February, Cassandra James, who plays Dr. Terry Randolph, explained that fan favorites never stay gone for long.
'Well, here's the thing about a legacy like 'General Hospital,'' the actress told The Post at the time. 'Our anniversary is coming up this year. We're turning 62 this year. So, while there are definitely legacy actors who have left the show for many, you know, any number of reasons, the world of Port Charles is so big, and there are so many amazing places that the production can take the story.
'So, I think the fans have nothing to worry about. There's definitely, you know, there's always someone coming back to town,' teased James. 'There's always legacy actors being shuffled around, coming back to the show. So, you're never going to, you know, miss out on much.'
10 Kirsten Storms as Maxie Jones.
Disney via Getty Images
She also touched on the death of her late co-star, Leslie Charleson — who played Dr. Monica Quartermaine for almost 50 years — after she passed away from blunt force trauma in January.
'We're all really saddened by the loss. And, to be honest, my favorite thing about Leslie is she had a really wonderful sense of humor,' James reminisced.
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