Tyler Christopher, General Hospital Star, Dead at 50
General Hospital and Days of Our Lives star Tyler Christopher has passed away at the age of 50
General Hospital and Days of Our Lives star Tyler Christopher, who brought fan-favorite characters like Nikolas Cassadine to life, has passed away at the age of 50. The tragic news was shared by Christopher's longtime co-star Maurice Benard on Instagram, who shared that Tyler had passed away earlier today due to a cardiac event in his home. Benard shared a tribute to Christopher in the same post (via The Wrap), and General Hosptial executive producer Frank Valentini also shared a tribute to Christopher on Twitter. You can find both posts below, and our thoughts are with Christopher's family and friends.
On Instagram Benard wrote, "It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher. Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment. Tyler was a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting."
"Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him," Benard wrote. "Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol. We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father."
I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher’s passing. He was kind, an incredible actor and a dear friend, who was beloved by our #GH family and fans of Nikolas Cassadine. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/c3kGVKmhrh
— Frank Valentini (@valentinifrank) October 31, 2023
On Twitter Valentini wrote, "I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher's passing. He was kind, an incredible actor and a dear friend, who was beloved by our #GH family and fans of Nikolas Cassadine. (1/2) On behalf of everyone at @GeneralHospital, our heartfelt sympathies go out to his loved ones during this difficult time. (2/2)"
Christopher introduced General Hospital fans to Nikolas Cassadine, the nephew of Stefan Cassadine, in 1996, and he would go on to be a part of the long-running soap opera for a total of 1153 episodes. Christopher would depart the show at several points, and while other actors have played the role and become favorites in their own rights, Christopher is definitely a favorite of long time fans.
Christopher would also play the role of Stefan DiMera on Days of Our Lives from 2001 to 2019 across 160 episodes. Christopher was also in a number of TV projects, including Super Volcano, Megaquake, and Ice Storm, which was released this year.
Our thoughts are with Christopher's family and friends.