Soap opera star Tristan Rogers, who is best known for his longtime role on “General Hospital,” has died.
His manager confirmed his death in a statement on Friday, Aug. 15. He was 79.
The actor’s death comes less than a month after he was diagnosed with cancer. In a statement shared with Deadline at the time, his rep said, “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.”
Actor Tristan Rogers poses on a red carpet in California in Feb. 15, 2013. Paul Archuleta / FilmMagic
The Australian actor joined the longrunning ABC soap opera in 1980 and portrayed the character Robert Scorpio for decades, making special appearances as recently as July 2025.
Frank Valentini, the executive producer of “General Hospital,” shared a touching statement about Rogers following his death. The statement read in part, “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),” Valentini’s statement continued. “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.”
Tristan Rogers as Robert Scorpio in the hit soap opera “General Hospital.”ABC Photo Archives / Getty Images
Rogers’ first appearance as Robert Scorpio came in 1980, and his character remained active on the series until he was killed off in 1992. Per Soap Opera Digest, his character appeared as a ghost in 1995, before he returned alive again in 2006 and continued to star in episodes over the years. His character’s love interest Holly, played by Emma Samms, is one of the longrunning soap operas “supercouples.”
Speaking to Variety in March 2023, Rogers reflected on the early success of the show, noting, “Back in ’81, that was the year I will always remember.”
“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.”
He also reflected on playing the same role for many years and his role in developing the character. Rogers recalled a story from his first day on set when he pulled then-executive producer Gloria Monty to the side and said, “‘Gloria, this script here — this is not the way an Australian would react under these circumstances.’”
“And she looked at me as if to say, ‘You impertinent son of a b—-, how dare you!’” Rogers added. “But she said, ‘All right, change it.’ And that’s what started my steamrollering through pretty much any script at the time.”
Rogers and Samms departed the series together in November 2024. However, the actor made a surprise return in July 2025, per Soap Opera Digest, after news of his cancer diagnosis went public.
Outside of his work on “General Hospital,” Rogers also appeared on other soap operas, including “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful,” as well as the short-lived spinoff, “General Hospital: Night Shift.”
His other projects included a voice acting role in “The Rescuers Down Under” and stints on “The Bay” and “Studio City.” At the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2020, Rogers received the award for outstanding performance by a supporting actor in a digital drama series for his role as Doc in “Studio City.”
