'General Hospital' star Anthony Geary of Luke and Laura fame dies at 78

Anthony Geary, who rose to fame in the 1970s and '80s as half the daytime TV super couple Luke and Laura on ''General Hospital,'' has died. He was 78.

''We are deeply saddened by the passing of Anthony Geary, whose portrayal of Luke Spencer helped define General Hospital and daytime television,'' ABC said in a statement confirming his death.

Geary died Sunday in Amsterdam of complications from a surgical procedure three days prior.

''The entire ‘General Hospital' family is heartbroken over the news of Tony Geary's passing,'' Frank Valentini, executive producer of the ABC show, said in a statement Monday. ''Tony was a brilliant actor and set the bar that we continue to strive for.''

In a career spanning more than 40 years, Geary earned eight Daytime Emmy awards as Luke Spencer after joining the soap in 1978. Luke's pairing with Genie Francis' Laura Webber Baldwin (as she was known at the time) propelled the two onto magazine covers and into the cultural mainstream.

The 1981 wedding of Luke and Laura was a pop culture phenom done in two parts, drawing guest appearances that included Elizabeth Taylor. A record 30 million viewers watched.

''He was a powerhouse as an actor. Shoulder to shoulder with the greats. No star burned brighter than Tony Geary. He was one of a kind. As an artist, he was filled with a passion for the truth, no matter how blunt, or even a little rude it might be, but always hilariously funny,'' Francis said in a statement.

He lived a quiet life with husband Claudio Gama in Amsterdam.

In a 1993 interview, Geary spoke of the many highs and lows of playing Luke.

''I felt like I had to be Luke 24 hours a day or people would be disappointed,'' he said. ''As far as I'm concerned, they are mythic creatures. They come from two sides of the universe together and have a mutual connection, which is basically lust and appreciation for individuality. They love the eccentricity in each other.''

Geary's Luke began as a small-time hitman recruited to dismantle the relationship of Laura and her first husband, Scotty Baldwin. Their story arc turned darker when Luke sexually assaulted Laura. The assault led to a redemption trail for Luke, who evolved into a hero and even served as mayor of the show's small town, Port Charles.

''He was not created to be a heroic character,'' Geary told ABC's ''Nightline'' in 2015. ''He was created to be an anti-hero, and I have treasured the anti-side of the hero and pushed it for a long time. ... He's not a white hat or a black hat, he's all shades of grey. And that has been the saving grace of playing him all these years.''

Over the years, he appeared frequently in stage productions alongside his screen work.