Tristan Rogers, the Australian actor best known for his iconic portrayal of Robert Scorpio on ABC’s “General Hospital,” died Friday morning, August 15, 2025, at age 79 after battling lung cancer. His longtime manager, Meryl Soodak, confirmed the actor’s death, noting that Rogers had never been a smoker.
Rogers’ role as the suave super spy turned police commissioner on “General Hospital” spanned 45 years across multiple stints, making him one of daytime television’s most enduring stars. He appeared in more than 1,400 episodes of the long-running soap opera, first joining the cast in December 1980.
The actor’s cancer diagnosis was revealed publicly in July 2025, when his representative issued a statement acknowledging the challenging time for Rogers and his family. The statement indicated that Rogers remained hopeful and was working closely with his medical team on a treatment plan while requesting privacy during the difficult period.
General Hospital Executive Producer Frank Valentini expressed the show’s grief in an official statement. “The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Tristan Rogers’ passing,” Valentini said in his tribute to the actor.
Rogers’ journey to soap opera stardom began unexpectedly. Originally cast for just two days to serve as an antagonist who would “beat up the hero, Luke, and then disappear,” Rogers impressed then-executive producer Gloria Monty. She asked him to remain on the show, though initially no character had been written for him. For three weeks, Monty directed him to appear in scenes looking suspicious while writers developed his storyline.
The character eventually became known as spy “CK8” before receiving the name Robert Scorpio. Born in Melbourne in 1946, Rogers had initially pursued music, playing drums in a rock band with friends before turning to commercial work and modeling. When the band dissolved, he decided to try acting despite having no experience.
Rogers’ early career included roles on Australian television series including “Number 96,” “The Box,” and “Bellbird” in the 1970s. He moved to the United States in 1980 and shortly after landed his career-defining role on “General Hospital.”
During his initial 12-year run from 1980 to 1992, Rogers became part of the show’s golden era alongside the supercouple Luke Spencer and Laura Webber, played by Anthony Geary and Genie Francis. Scorpio served as Luke’s best man at the iconic November 17, 1981, wedding that drew 30 million viewers and remains the highest-rated soap opera episode in U.S. television history.
The character was involved in numerous high-profile storylines, including the famous Ice Princess weather machine plot in 1981. Rogers was successfully paired with multiple leading ladies, including Demi Moore as Jackie Templeton, Emma Samms as Holly Sutton, and Finola Hughes as Anna Devane. His character’s romance with Anna Devane resulted in a daughter, Robin, played by Kimberly McCullough, who later became a significant character when she contracted HIV as a teenager.
After leaving “General Hospital” in 1992 when his character was killed in an explosion in South America, Rogers returned briefly in 1995 as Scorpio’s spirit before the character was revealed to be alive in 2006. He made sporadic appearances throughout the 2000s and 2010s, including roles on the spinoff “General Hospital: Night Shift” in 2008, where his character dealt with a colon cancer diagnosis.
Rogers returned as a recurring character from 2019 to 2024, with his final appearances occurring in November 2024 alongside Emma Samms. The storyline concluded with their characters leaving town together in scenes crafted as a nod to “Casablanca.” He made one final unannounced guest appearance in July 2025 when his character’s daughter Sasha arrived at his home in France with her new baby.
Beyond “General Hospital,” Rogers played Colin Atkinson on CBS’s “The Young and the Restless” from 2010 to 2012, appearing in nearly 200 episodes. He also had a recurring role as Hunter Jones on “The Bold and the Beautiful” in 1997.
Rogers’ work extended to digital media, where he won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2020 for outstanding supporting actor in a digital drama series for his role on “Studio City.” He received another nomination the following year for his work on “The Bay.” His voice work included the character Jake in Disney’s “The Rescuers Down Under.”
Rogers is survived by his wife of 30 years, Teresa Parkerson, their adult children Sara and Cale, and a grandchild. His manager described him as genuinely loyal and kind, emphasizing that his “General Hospital” role meant everything to him and that he loved being Scorpio, having created the character from nothing into something significant.
Sources:
https://abc7.com/post/tristan-rogers-actor-played-robert-scorpio-general-hospital-dies-79-battle-lung-cancer/17549064/
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/tristan-rogers-dead-robert-scorpio-general-hospital-79-1236490855/
https://people.com/tristan-rogers-dead-general-hospital-8600222
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/08/15/tristan-rogers-dies-general-hospital-robert-scorpio/85680176007/
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/tristan-rogers-dead-general-hospital-star-79-1236345761/
