Chris Robinson, ‘General Hospital' actor who famously played a doctor on TV, dies at 86
Chris Robinson, the actor who played Dr. Rick Webber on 'General Hospital' and also introduced America to a classic turn of phrase in a commercial for cough syrup, has died of heart failure. He was 86.
Robinson died in his sleep just after midnight on Monday at home in Sedona, Ariz., according to filmmaker MJ Allen, who posted the news on Facebook.
'Jacquie (Chris' wife) just called me a bit ago and informed me that my good friend and collaborator Hollywood legend Chris Robinson has passed away,' the filmmaker, whose full name is Michael Jason Allen, wrote Monday afternoon. 'We knew this was coming, but it always sucks.'
Though Robinson had 100 TV and film acting credits, according to IMDb, his most famous role might be one many people don't realize they are referencing: He was the actor in a Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup commercial who first spoke the words, 'I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV.' That phrase from 1984 was uttered again two years later in a second Vicks Formula 44 ad featuring Peter Bergman, 'The Young and the Restless' actor who at the time played Dr. Cliff Warner on 'All My Children.'
The rest was pop-culture history.
Born in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Nov. 5, 1938, Robinson appeared in more than 1,000 'General Hospital' episodes between 1978 and 1986, then returned for about 20 episodes in 2002 and one in April 2013. He was also in almost 250 episodes as Jack Hamilton on 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' mostly in the early 1990s but continuing into the early 2000s, and had 20 episodes as Jason Frame on 'Another World' in 1988 to 1989.
He was a regular in the pages of Soap Opera Digest and acted with John Stamos, Rick Springfield and Richard Dean Anderson when their careers were just beginning.
His episodic TV credits began in the 1960s and included 'The Donna Reed Show,' 'Gunsmoke,' 'Wagon Train,' 'Perry Mason' and 'Hogan's Heroes,' to name a few.
Robinson starred in films alongside Mickey Rooney, Charlton Heston, Dick Clark, Bruce Dern, Ted Cassidy and Yvonne De Carlo and directed film and TV including episodes of 'Baretta,' 'Cannon' and 'Barnaby Jones.' He wrote, starred in and directed the 1977 movie 'The Great Balloon Race' with Frank Gifford, Phyllis Diller, Cab Calloway and Bert Parks.
Robinson appeared in three films directed by Allen: 'Just for a Week,' 'Barely Dreaming' and 'Yancey McCord: The Killer That Arizona Forgot About.'
In 1985, the actor — then living in Glendale, Calif. — pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges and could have faced two years in prison for filing false tax returns on $490,000 in income from 1980 to 1981. He managed to avoid a sentence that would have forced him to leave 'General Hospital' by serving his time on nights and weekends to remain available for daytime taping. He was also ordered to pay all back taxes and interest.
In more recent years, Robinson enjoyed time on his ranch with his artist wife of 14 years, Jacquie Shane-Robinson.
'We spent a few holidays together, staying out at his ranch having buffets by the creek, and him and Jacquie coming to my house to discuss projects were always a treat,' Allen wrote on Facebook. 'Good times. ... RIP, good friend and legend. Respect to Jacquie and the fam.'
Rhonda Robinson, one of the actor's ex-wives, posted a vintage photo of a 1980s Daytime TV Yearbook on Monday showing Chris Robinson and their young sons, writing, 'Seems like a lifetime ago. When we got married I was sure it would last forever, but unfortunately it did not. But we did create the best sons. They will miss you. RIP Chris.'
Robinson is survived by his wife Jacquie as well as sons Shane, Coby, Christian, Taylor, Christopher, Christopher Lance and Robb Walker from his numerous previous marriages. He had five grandchildren.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
21 minutes ago
- New York Post
LeBron James's massive Beverly Hills mansion is well underway — after demolishing the original property
LeBron James's custom hilltop mansion is really beginning to take shape. The Los Angeles Lakers star may be enjoying the off-season, but his work is far from over. The 40-year-old MVP is in the midst of building a megamansion in Beverly Hills, reported. The massive project on 2.5 prime acres is five years in the making. Impressive progress photos revealed a multilevel main house surrounded by scaffolding, neighboring a smaller abode with a finished facade. 5 LeBron James, 40, pictured alongside his wife, Savannah James. Getty Images 5 Aerial photos from 2024 show slow and steady progress on the property — which has only become more robust in recent days. nobyline@backgrid / BACKGRID James purchased the $39 million property in 2020 from television host Lee Phillip Bell and her husband, soap opera legend William J. Bell. The Bells created the shows 'The Young and the Restless,' and 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' that defined American daytime television for decades. The four-bedroom abode's star-studded history stretched back even further — it was previously leased by American business magnate and aviation figure Howard Hughes to his ex-girlfriend, the actress Katharine Hepburn, at the height of her career. James ultimately paid $36.75 million for the Mediterranean-inspired home in September of 2020. He subsequently razed the 13,000-square-foot structure — theatrical screening room, tennis court, swimming pool and all — in 2023 after getting permits approved. 5 The Lakers star purchased his in-progress property in 2020. AP 5 The hilltop patch of dirt is progressing into a sprawling luxury compound in this 2024 shot. nobyline@backgrid / BACKGRID The hilltop pile of dirt, accessed by one of the longest driveways in Los Angeles, has slowly transformed into a sprawling, multilevel compound over the past two years. Aerial photos of the project, exclusively reported by revealed a tiered megamansion accompanied by several outbuildings, including a large guesthouse. The structures appear to house more than enough space to house James, his wife Savannah, and his three children — including his son and Lakers teammate Bronny James. 5 James's new megamansion has been under construction since 2023. NBAE via Getty Images The property is expected to become James's primary residence, reported, where he will enjoy an infinity pool, a home theater, a wine cellar and an indoor basketball court. James let go of another Los Angeles property one year after purchasing his new Beverly Hills address. The grand colonial-style mansion sold in 2021 for $19.6 million, more than $1 million less than he paid for it in 2015.
New York Post
31 minutes ago
- New York Post
Josh Duhamel, 52, reveals ‘taboo' method he uses to ‘stay youthful and virile for as long as I can'
Josh Duhamel is turning back the clock — with a little help from modern medicine. The 'Transformers' star, 52, says he's got the same energy he had in his twenties, but admits he's kept quiet about what's really been powering his second wind. Now, with the launch of his new wellness brand, Duhamel is finally coming clean about the 'taboo' therapy he's relied on for the past five years to stay strong, sharp and camera-ready. Advertisement 5 Josh Duhamel is going public with his longevity regimen. Getty Images for Hearst Magazines Duhamel first noticed something was off a few years ago — his energy was dipping, and the high-octane lifestyle he was used to suddenly felt like a grind. 'I took an inventory, a personal inventory, of how I was feeling, and I knew that I wasn't quite where I was five, 10 years before,' he said Thursday at a Men's Health Lab event in New York. Eager for answers, Duhamel got some blood work done. The culprit was clear: low testosterone. Advertisement While some men maintain steady levels throughout life, most men start to see a gradual decline in their testosterone around age 40, according to Harvard Health. It's not the hormonal freefall women face during menopause. Instead, the drop is slow — about 1% a year — but by age 70, the average man is running 30% lower than his peak. That drop can bring a long list of changes, including decreased muscle mass and strength, hair loss, weight gain, low libido, fatigue and mood swings. Advertisement The 'All My Children' actor had heard about testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, but only whispers. 5 Josh Duhamel married model Audra Mari in 2022. joshduhamel/Instagram 5 Testosterone replacement therapy is gaining popularity in the US. Sherry Young – 'It was one of those things that I didn't want to talk about,' Duhamel said. 'Neither did anybody I was asking about it.' Advertisement Still, he decided to give it a shot. 'I started taking testosterone injections and began to feel really good,' Duhamel told Forbes in a recent interview, adding that he also began using hair growth treatments and longevity medicine. 'I had the urge to get back out and do the things I didn't have the desire to do anymore,' he added, noting that he experienced little to no side effects. TRT, a form of hormone therapy using anabolic steroids, can be administered through injections, oral meds, gels, or patches. Its popularity is rising fast in the US, with prescriptions jumping from 7.3 million in 2019 to over 11 million in 2023, according to CBS News. Over time, Duhamel's motivation shifted from looking youthful to simply keeping up. 5 Duhamel has two sons, ages 11 years and 15 months. audramari/Instagram 'I didn't have my first kid until I was 40 years old, and then it was 52; I just had another one,' the actor said. 'Overall, I want to stay as youthful and virile as I can for as long as I can.' Even with such positive results, Duhamel kept his TRT use under wraps. Advertisement 'Guys were asking me what I was doing and I didn't want to talk about it,' Duhamel said on a recent episode of The Ed Mylett Show. 'I just told them I was eating really well and working out but the truth is I was doing TRT,' adding that it still remains a 'taboo thing.' That fear nearly stopped him from going public — and from launching his new brand. 5 Josh Duhamel launched his new wellness brand, Gatlan, in April. GC Images 'At first, my representatives were like, 'No, you're not going to be the face of a testosterone company! That's not something you talk about!'' he recalled. 'And I was like, 'Maybe it is!'' Advertisement Gatlan, Duhamel's new venture, focuses on treatments to help men with hormone optimization, weight loss, and hair thinning. 'We want to destigmatize something that men have been doing for years, and shine a light on it, and make it not so taboo,' he told Forbes. 'You can look and feel better for much longer. Why not take advantage of modern medicine?' Duhamel credits this regimen with helping him juggle fatherhood alongside demanding roles — including his latest as rancher Staten Kirkland in 'Ransom Canyon,' a gritty Netflix drama about a man fighting to protect his family's legacy. Advertisement After five years on TRT, Duhamel said the impact is clear when he takes a break. 'It's less energy, a little harder to keep muscle on, and a little harder to keep the fat off,' he said at the Men's Health Lab event. 'You definitely can feel the difference.'
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
3 photos of Nicolas Cage looking utterly unrecognizable as John Madden
3 photos of Nicolas Cage looking utterly unrecognizable as John Madden Any and all of the shots coming from the Madden movie -- which David O. Russell is helming, starring Nicolas Cage and Christian Bale, among the many big names in it -- are pretty wild. We've seen a few of Bale as late Raiders owner Al Davis that look ... well, like Christian Bale. But the photos of Nicolas Cage as John Madden himself? Let's just say the Best Makeup Oscar when the film comes out should have this one as a contender. Since those first shots of Cage as Madden have dropped, we've seen a few more and they're spectacular, each one looking more Madden-y than the next. We've collected them in one place for you: Due to photo rights issues, we can only link to these -- there's a shot of him in a track suit that's been making the rounds that looks truly Madden-y. There are also photos of him in a blue shirt and light blue pants that have been floating around. We can't wait to see more of these. What's the Madden movie about? Per IMDB: After being forced into retirement by the Oakland Raiders, fiery former NFL head coach John Madden teams up with a mild-mannered Harvard programmer to rewrite his fading legacy by building the world's first football video game. Who else is in the Madden cast? Kathryn Hahn, John Mulaney, Shane Gillis and Sienna Miller are in it.
