Tragedy has struck the world of daytime TV as it has been revealed that veteran soap star Tyler Christopher has died.
He was 50.
The actor was best known for his work as Nikolas Cassadine on daytime sudser General Hospital.
Maurice Benard, Christopher’s one-time General Hospital costar, took to Instagram to confirm the news and pay tribute.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher,” he wrote.
“Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment.”
“Tyler was a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting,” Maurice said of his fallen friend.
“Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him.”
Benard also opened up about Tyler being an advocate for “better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol.”
“We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father.”
General Hospital Executive Producer Frank Valentini also addressed the heartbreaking news in a statement to People.
“I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher’s passing,” he shared with the outlet.
“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.”
Christopher debuted on General Hospital in 1996 and was with the show off and on until 2016.
He was a firm fan-favorite for his portrayal of Nikolas, and his impressive work was recognized when he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Best Lead Actor in 2016.
He was nominated four times for the series and a fifth time overall when he swapped Port Charles for Salem when he moved over to Days of Our Lives in 2017.
He played Stefan DiMera on the NBC series.
Tyler also had plenty of roles in primetime on the small screen, including Charmed, Angel, The Pretender, Crossing Jordan, and CSI.
However, his most prominent primetime role wasn’t too far from his daytime soap roots.
The actor recurred as Dan Whitehorse on the ABC Family primetime soap The Lying Game.
The series featured twin twists, murders, and plenty of mysteries.
He appeared in all but three of the series’ 30 episodes. Sadly, it’s yet another mystery series without resolution.
While it had fans, it couldn’t match up to the success of other ABC Family hits like Pretty Little Liars.
On the big screen, he appeared on Shouting Secrets, Out of the Black, Max Winslow and the House of Secrets, “Murder, Anyone?, and Beyond the Lights.
We think it’s fair to say that Tyler Christopher had an excellent career on both the small screen and the big screen, racking up countless credits throughout his years as an actor.
Christopher was born on November 11, 1972, in Joliet, Illinois.
He was married to Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004 and ESPN reporter Brienne Pedigo from 2008 to 2021.
Christopher and Pedigo share two children: Greysun James Christopher and Boheme Christopher.
We would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to Tyler’s friends and loved ones during this difficult time.
May Tyler Christopher rest in peace.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
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