Tyler Christopher, the renowned actor who won a Daytime Emmy and was best known for playing Nikolas Cassadine on the legendary ABC soap opera “General Hospital,” passed away at the age of 50.,
The late actor’s representative verified the information to ABC News.
In 1996, Christopher created Nikolas Cassadine. Over the course of 20 years, he played the role in approximately 1,200 episodes. In 2016, he made his last appearance in the show, the same year he won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
He additionally had appearances in one-off episodes of other well-known programs, such as “CSI,” “Charmed,” and “Angel.” He appeared on “The Lying Game” on a recurring basis and on “Days of Our Lives” as a series regular in the 2010s.
Christopher had two children with his ex-wife and former ESPN reporter Brienne Pedigo, whom he was married to from 2008 until 2021. Christopher was previously married to “Desperate Housewives” actress Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004.
Frank Valentini, the executive producer of “General Hospital,” expressed deep grief over the actor’s death this week, saying in a statement shared with ABC News, “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. On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, our heartfelt sympathies go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.”
Co-star of Christopher on “General Hospital,” Maurice Benard, paid tribute to his close buddy Tyler on Instagram on Tuesday, saying, “He was a very gifted person who loved making his devoted fans happy with his acting. Tyler lit up the screen in every scene he performed.” To everyone who knew him, Tyler was a fantastic friend and kind spirit.”
