Tony Geary’s Heartfelt Message Has General Hospital Fans in Tears!

Anthony Geary is remembering his longtime friend and costar, Tristan Rogers.

Geary, who played Luke Spencer on General Hospital alongside Rogers’ Robert Scorpio for many years, told TV Insider that news of Rogers’ recent death at the age of 79 left him feeling “depressed.”

“I have great memories of him and always will,” Geary, 78, told the outlet. “I’ve always thought Tristan was a good actor, a very giving actor, and fun to work with.”

He added, “Working with him was an experience that I could always rely on to be funny, exciting, challenging, and infuriating — a perfect day’s work.”

The two actors had instant chemistry, and their characters went on to have many adventures together.

“Tristan was an enigma — comfortable enough to create a man of mystery,” Geary said of his pal. “The fun thing about working with Tristan is that he was unpredictable, always good for throwing in a surprise or taking a scene in his own direction. I always liked that.”

Geary said he and Rogers “didn’t challenge” Luke and Robert’s relationship, describing their characters’ bond as “a classic relationship with a couple ne’er-do-wells, who knew the worst about each other, but for the most part, remained friends anyway.”

Though Geary admitted it had “been a long while” since he and Rogers shared the screen, it also “seems like just yesterday.”

Soodak told ABC 7 Eyewitness News that Rogers’ General Hospital role “meant everything to him.”

“He loved being Scorpio and he created that role from nothing,” Soodak said. “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.”

Rogers had been diagnosed with cancer in July.

General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini reacted to Rogers’ death in a statement to PEOPLE, sharing that the soap opera family was “heartbroken” to lose one of their own.

“Tristan has captivated our fans for 45 years and Port Charles will not be the same without him (or Robert Scorpio),” Valentini said. “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.”

Rogers’ longtime TV wife, Finola Hughes, and TV daughter, Kimberly McCullough, have also paid tribute to the actor. “Wish I could play one more scene with you, my friend,” she wrote, in part. “Serious about his work, but always a rebel. His own man, navigating the system, he protected me, protected Kimberly [McCullough], his character, his friends. God, he was a good one. Silly, funny, kind, serious.”