Latest news with #MerylSoodak
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tristan Rogers death: Longtime ‘General Hospital' star dies at 79 after cancer battle
Longtime 'General Hospital' star Tristan Rogers has died at the age of 79 after a battle with lung cancer. Rogers died Friday morning, his manager, Meryl Soodak, confirmed in a statement obtained by ABC 7 Eyewitness News. Soodak noted Rogers had never been a smoker. The Australian native was known for the role of Robert Scorpio on the soap opera 'General Hospital.' Soodak said that role, which Rogers played on and off over 45 years, 'meant everything to him.' "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,' his manager said. 'He was just a genuinely loyal, kind human being and he loved his family.' Rogers is survived by his wife, Teresa Parkerson, and their children, Sarah and Cale. He had been married to Parkerson since 1995, according to his IMDb biography. The TV star announced his cancer diagnosis last month. '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,' Rogers' representatives said in a statement shared by multiple outlets. '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. This support means more to him now than ever,' the statement read. 'General Hospital' Executive Producer Frank Valentini shared condolences on behalf of the TV show. 'The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Tristan Rogers' passing,' he said in a statement shared by multiple outlets. '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,' Valentini said. Tributes from heartbroken fans poured in when news broke of Rogers' death. 'RIP Tristan Rogers. I'm glad we got to see him last being a dad to [General Hospital character] Sasha, it was like a goodbye in a way to us subtlety. Bless him,' one fan wrote on X. A fan page dedicated to soap opera actor Matthew Ashford also shared condolences: 'We are saddened to hear of #TristanRogers passing today. A soap legend, costar and friend - gone but never forgotten #RIP.' 'Another sad day for our GH fam: Tristian Rogers has passed away this morning at the age of 79. We lost one of the greats. Thank you for all you have given us Tristian. May he rest in peace,' another fan wrote. Rogers also appeared in over 100 episodes of TV series 'The Young and the Restless' and 'The Bay,' according to IMDb. He also did a stint on the TV show 'Studio City.' His 'General Hospital' co-star, Finola Hughes, whose character Anna Devane shared a whirlwind romance with Scorpio, talked about her first time working with Rogers in a Soap Opera Digest interview in April. 'Legendarily, as he walked away from set, he turned to me, put his arm around me and said, 'We're gonna have fun, kid!' It was like straight out of a Western!' she said. 'The Young and the Restless' actress Jess Walton, whose character Jill Foster Abbott was coupled with Rogers' character Colin Atkinson, praised the actor's humor to Soap Opera Digest in a 2019 interview. 'That man makes me laugh so much,' Walton said. 'Rehearsing with him can sometimes be a challenge. I have to keep telling him, 'Please don't say it like that because I'm going to laugh when I'm not supposed to in the story.' But when we run lines, I usually end up laughing the whole time. He's so great.'
Daily Mail
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
General Hospital star dead at 79
Actor Tristan Rogers has died at age 79 following a battle with lung cancer. His manager, Meryl Soodak, confirmed his passing with ABC7 News, telling the outlet Rogers died Friday morning following a battle with the ailment. Soodak added his client had never been a smoker. Since 1980, Rogers had been portraying international spy-turned-Port Charles D.A. Robert Scorpio on General Hospital — a role Soodak said 'meant everything to him.' While he did not appear on every episode, he was still a long-standing presence on the series with 1,461 episodes under his belt. '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,' he said. Rogers is survived by his wife Teresa Parkerson, their children Sara Jane and Cale, and a grandchild. His death comes just weeks after his cancer diagnosis was revealed. His friend and publicist, Anthony Turk, revealed the heartbreaking ailment in a press release obtained by Soap Opera Digest. '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 began. He continued: '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.' The star's rep asked for 'privacy and understanding' as Rogers and his family faced 'the emotional and physical burdens that come with this diagnosis.' '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,' Turk concluded. 'This support means more to him now than ever.' Tributes came flooding in on social media after his death was revealed, including from the General Hospital family. The soap's executive producer Frank Valentini released a statement on the show's official Instagram account, praising him as a 'one-of-a-kind talent.' 'The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Tristan Rogers' passing. Tristan has captivated our fans for more than 50 years and Port Charles will not be the same without him (or Robert Scorpio),' he wrote. '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.' Roger's General Hospital co-star Jon Lindstrom tweeted, 'I know the sadness I feel at this news is shared by so many of you. #TristanRogers was one of the coolest, funniest people I ever met. Whenever we were together, which wasn't nearly often enough, we never missed a chance to try to crack the other one up. I wish I'd had more of those chances. R.I.P. #FlightOfAngels #Scorpio @GeneralHospital #GH.' Rogers was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on June 3, 1946, and his résumé boasts a long list of roles on iconic shows. In addition to General Hospital, Rogers' soap experience includes playing Colin Atkinson on The Young and the Restless and Hunter Jones, P.I., on The Bold and the Beautiful. He also reprised his role for the spin-off, General Hospital: Night Shift, which followed his on-screen daughter Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough). Tristan was only supposed to be on General Hospital to 'beat up the hero,' but his role was extended after impressing the show's executive producer, the late Gloria Monty. His agent pitched the part to him as a 'two day role,' and Tristan was unaware at the time of just how popular the show was when he went in to audition. Rogers' character endured quite a bit on camera — Robert Scorpio was killed off in an explosion in 1992, but that didn't mark the end of his General Hospital journey. The character came back as a spirit in 1995 before returning in 2006 after being discovered alive. 'I think this character will follow me to my grave,' he told The New York Times back in 2006. Tristan's résumé includes roles in Walker, Texas Ranger, Tales from the Crypt, The Love Boat, The Sullivans, The Agency, Studio City, and The Bay. He also lent his voice to numerous animated productions, including The Wild Thornberrys, Batman Beyond, and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. In 2020, Rogers won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Digital Drama Series for his role as Doc in Studio City. His early acting roles were on Australian television in shows such as Bellbird, Number 96 (1974), and The Box (1975), along with appearances in The Link Men (1970), Barrier Reef, Division 4, and the 1976 miniseries Power Without Glory. Other credits include voicing Jake in Walt Disney Pictures' The Rescuers Down Under and roles in Four Dimensions of Greta (1972), The Flesh and Blood Show (1972), and Sex Farm (1973). Additionally, the star did voice-over work for brands such as Outback Steakhouse, Reebok, Epson, and others.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tristan Rogers,' General Hospital' Star, Dies at 79
The Australian actor began playing Robert Scorpio on the daytime soap opera in 1980 Tristan Rogers has died at the age of 79. The Australian actor was best known for playing Robert Scorpio on General Hospital. He first joined the soap opera in 1980. His longtime manager, Meryl Soodak, confirmed his death to ABC 7 Eyewitness News on Friday, Aug. 15. It was revealed in July that Rogers has been diagnosed with cancer. Soodak told the outlet that Rogers' General Hospital role "meant everything to him." 'He loved being Scorpio and he created that role from nothing,' Soodak continued. '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." PEOPLE has reached out to Rogers' manager and the General Hospital team for comment. Rogers was born in Melbourne in 1946. He left school in 1964 and eventually started a rock band with his friends. At 21, he turned to modeling and commercials to make money. Then he decided to become an actor — with no experience. 'As far as I was concerned, it was a way to make a bit of money. That's all,' he told in 2022. Many of his earliest roles came on Australian television. He appeared on the Aussie soaps Bellbird, Number 96 in 1974 and The Box in 1975. He also appeared in a few British films, including 1972's Four Dimensions of Greta. Rogers moved to the United States in 1980 and shortly after was cast as Robert Scorpio on General Hospital. Robert was a spy for the fictional World Security Bureau and later served as the police commissioner and district attorney of Port Charles. The character was good friends with Luke Spencer (played by Anthony Geary) and, in 1981, was part of Luke's wedding to Laura (Genie Francis) as Luke's best man. The wedding brought in 30 million viewers and remains the highest-rated soap opera episode in U.S. TV history. 'I didn't know at the time the importance of General Hospital; it was just one more job for me,' he told Soap Opera Digest in 2020 about his casting. 'But it was really exciting, to be fresh off the boat and walk into this role. Of course, after that, everywhere I went, people would go, 'You're on General Hospital? That's the hottest thing in the country! You're working with Luke and Laura? Oh, my God!'. . . . I got caught up in the General Hospital tidal wave and just got swept away by it.' Robert eventually became a fan-favorite character and was one of the show's leading men. He was killed off in 1992 and Rogers departed the series. But — as often happens on soaps — Robert returned, alive, in 2006, when the show brought back many popular characters from the '80s. "I think this character will follow me to my grave," he told The New York Times at the time. Rogers continued to make sporadic appearances on General Hospital throughout the next decade, and since 2019 had appeared as a recurring character. 'I've seen this show at its best and at something less than that,' he told PEOPLE in 2023 for the show's 60th anniversary. In 2008, Rogers took the character to the General Hospital spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift, where Robert learned he had colon cancer and reconnected with his family. 'This [storyline] was about the deconstruction of an iconic character done in a way it hadn't been done before,' he told Entertainment Weekly at the time. 'Characters like mine don't get colon cancer. They get shot, they get beaten up, they get hit by trains. They don't get colon cancer. It's not very glamorous. I thought it was a hell of a challenge, more than the usual fare that you're given going into this: Go through the investigation, find the bad guys, have a gunfight, get a schmooze….This was a whole different animal.' He added, 'So I thought, maybe along the way, if somebody watches this and sees what we're doing, they might go out and get tested. And if we inspired that, then it's a bonus.' Reflecting on the dominance of soap operas — and their decline — he said in an interview for the 2011 book The Survival of Soap Opera, 'This is not a genre that will be around in another 50 years… in many respects, it isn't necessary. They have made their mark, and almost every type of medium owes something to the way the soaps have been put together, whether they want to admit it or not.' Rogers' other roles included an arc on The Young and the Restless from 2010 to 2011, as well as the TV series Fast Track and Babylon 5. He also did voice over work, most notably in the 1990 Disney film The Rescuers Down Under, and won a Daytime Emmy for his performance in the 2019–2020 Prime Video series Studio City. Rogers married Barbra Meale in 1974, and they divorced in 1984. He briefly dated his General Hospital costar (and on-screen love interest) Emma Samms, but they split in 1985 when she left the show. He married Teresa Parkerson in 1995. They share two children, Sara and Cale. Rogers is survived by his wife and children. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tristan Rogers, ‘General Hospital' Actor, Dies at 79
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. More from Variety Kirsten Storms Exits 'General Hospital' as Maxie Until the End of 2025 but Returns in August While Making a Permanent Move to Tennessee Chris Robinson, 'General Hospital' Actor Who Played Rick Webber, Dies at 86 Denise Alexander, 'General Hospital' and 'Days of Our Lives' Actress, Dies at 85 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. Rogers is survived by his wife, two children and a grandchild. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Tristan Rogers dead at 79: General Hospital star passes following lung cancer battle
Actor Tristan Rogers has died at age 79 following a battle with lung cancer. His manager, Meryl Soodak, confirmed his passing with ABC7 News, telling the outlet Rogers died Friday morning following a battle with the ailment. Soodak added his client had never been a smoker. Since 1980, Rogers had been portraying Robert Scorpio on General Hospital - a role Soodak said 'meant everything to him.' While he did not appear on every episode, he still was a long-standing presence on the series with 1461 episodes under his belt. '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,' he said.
