Tyler Christopher, an Emmy-winning actor who starred in the long-running daytime soap opera “General Hospital,” died on October 31. The actor was 50 years old.
Maurice Benard, who co-starred with Christopher on the show, confirmed his death in a post on his Instagram page. Christopher’s advocacy for mental health and substance abuse was detailed in the statement.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher,” the post begins. “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.”
Benard described Christopher to those who knew him as a “sweet soul and wonderful friend” who was open about his own health history.
“Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol,” the post continued. “We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father.”
TODAY.com was also informed of Christopher’s death by his managers, Paula Benard and Chi Muoi Lo.
“This news was incredibly shocking, and I am devastated by his loss. He was a very gifted actor, and more importantly, an amazing friend. My heart goes out to his friends and family who loved him so much,” Lo wrote, while Paula Benard added, “We are devastated by the news and shocked because we never gave up hope for his recovery.”
In the ABC soap opera series, Christopher played two characters.
Between 1996 and 2016, the actor played Nikolas Cassadine. Between 2004 and 2005, he also played Connor Bishop.
Following his death, “General Hospital” executive producer Frank Valentini issued a statement to TODAY.com expressing his condolences.
“I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher’s passing. He was kind, an incredible actor, and dear friend, who was beloved by our ‘GH’ family and fans of Nikolas Cassadine,” Valentini stated. “On behalf of everyone at ‘General Hospital,’ our heartfelt sympathies go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.”
Christopher was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 1998 for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series for his work on the series, according to his IMDB page. His work on the series earned him Daytime Emmy Award nominations in 2005 and 2006, both times for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
His final Daytime Emmy Award nomination for his work on “General Hospital” came in 2016, when he won the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.