Tristan Rogers, who played super spy Robert Scorpio on 'General
Hospital,' has died at 79
[August 16, 2025]
By ALICIA RANCILIO
Tristan Rogers, who played legacy character Robert Scorpio on ABC's
“General Hospital,” died Friday, less than one month after he made a
special appearance on the soap opera. He was 79.
“The entire ‘General Hospital’ family is heartbroken to hear of Tristan
Rogers' passing,” said Frank Valentini, the show's executive producer,
in a statement. “Tristan has captivated our fans for 45 years and Port
Charles will not be the same without him (or Robert Scorpio).”
Born in Melbourne, Australia, Rogers' first foray into performing was in
his early twenties and playing drums in a rock band with a group of
friends. They weren't successful so Rogers turned to commercial work and
modeling to earn some money. When the band dissolved, Rogers decided to
give acting a try. After various roles in Australia, he also worked as a
DJ and eventually moved to Los Angeles to try to break into Hollywood.
He said casting directors were initially turned off by his accent but he
eventually landed a two-day role on “General Hospital” in 1980.
“I had no idea at the point how big the show was,” Rogers told fellow
“General Hospital” actor Maurice Benard on the YouTube show, “State of
Mind with Maurice Benard” in 2022.
“I had no name. I was brought in expressly to beat up the hero, Luke,
(played by Anthony Geary), and then disappear,” Rogers said. His first
day was half-over when then-executive producer Gloria Monty asked if he
would like to stay on. They had no character written for him so for
three weeks Monty asked him to just appear in scenes “looking furtive,
looking suspicious” until they came up with a storyline. It was decided
he would play a spy known as “CK8” and eventually he was given the name
Robert Scorpio. The character would remain a fixture in Port Charles for
the rest of Rogers' life, even when he wasn't a current cast member.
[to top of second column]
|
This image released by Disney shows Tristan Rogers in an episode of
ABC's "General Hospital." (Bahareh Ritter/Disney via AP)
 Scorpio's on again/off again romance
with Emma Samms' character, Holly Sutton, remained a favorite among
fans. Scorpio also had a romance, and many storylines with another
spy, Anna Devane, played by Finola Hughes. Scorpio and Devane shared
a daughter, Robin, played by Kimberly McCullough. Samms returned to
the show for a stint last fall where it was revealed that Scorpio
was the father of her adult daughter, Sasha Gilmore (played by Sofia
Mattson.)
Rogers and Samms left the show together in November 2024 in scenes
taped with a nod to “Casablanca.” He returned to the show in July
for one episode when Sasha arrived to his home in France with her
new baby. It was then revealed that Rogers had lung cancer
Rogers' other acting credits include “The Bold and the Beautiful,”
“The Young & the Restless” and “Studio City,” which won him
outstanding supporting actor in a digital drama series at the
Daytime Emmy Awards. He is survived by his wife, Teresa Parkerson,
and a daughter and a son.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
