Tristan Rogers, a longtime star of ABC’s daytime soap General Hospital, has died. He was 79.
Rogers died early Friday after a battle with lung cancer, though he had never been a smoker. He played Robert Scorpio on General Hospital over several stints for some 45 years and also had a run on CBS’ The Young and the Restless.
“The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Tristan Rogers’ passing,” said executive producer Frank Valentini in a statement. “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.”
A native of Melbourne, Australia, the blue-eyed Rogers appeared on several TV series in his home country early in his career. He joined General Hospital in 1980 as Scorpio, a colorful character who quickly became a fan favorite. In one of the character’s most notable early storylines, Scorpio teamed with Luke and Laura (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis) to rescue the world from the Ice Princess weather machine in 1981.
He was initially set to work for only two days on General Hospital, “to beat up the hero — Luke — and then disappear,” he recalled in a 2022 interview. “I then was called into [executive producer] Gloria Monty’s office and told, ‘We really like what you’re doing, would you like to stay?’”
Rogers remained on General Hospital through 1992, when Scorpio was killed — though his dead body was never seen onscreen — in an explosion in South America. He returned briefly three years later as Scorpio’s spirit, who comforted his daughter Robin (Kimberly McCullough), though in subsequent returns the character was alive.
Rogers reprised the role for several brief stints in the 2000s and 2010s, along with a role on the spinoff General Hospital: Night Shift, before rejoining the show in a recurring rule from 2019-24. His final appearances on General Hospital came in an unannounced guest appearance in July.
Rogers also played the character of Colin Atkinson on The Young and the Restless from 2010-19, appearing in about 180 episodes of that CBS soap. His credits also included voice work on Batman Beyond and The Wild Thornberrys, along with roles on the web series The Bay and Studio City. He won a Daytime Emmy for his role on the latter and was nominated for his work on The Bay.
Rogers is survived by his wife and two children.
Mike Barnes contributed to this report.
