‘General Hospital' actor Tyler Christopher dead at 50

Originally appeared on E! Online

Hollywood is mourning the loss of a soap opera star.

"General Hospital" alum Tyler Christopher died on Oct. 31 at the age of 50, his former costar Maurice Benard shared on Instagram. According to Benard, Christopher's cause of death was related to a sudden heart issue.

"It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher," the post began. "Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment."

Benard said that Christopher — who played Nikolas Cassadine on the show from 1996 to 2016, alongside his Sonny Corinthos — was a "sweet soul and wonderful friend" to everyone he met.

"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," Benard shared in his tribute. "Tyler was 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."

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Christopher won a Daytime Emmy in 2016 for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for "General Hospital."

In addition to his work on the ABC medical drama, he portrayed Stefan DiMera on "Days of Our Lives" from 2001 to 2019 and also made appearances in "Thor: God of Thunder," "Shouting Secrets," "Out of the Black" and "Pretty Broken."

But outside of his career in entertainment, Christopher's favorite role was dad.

"Never again will I take for granted spending time with my children," he wrote on social media last year, "doing all the little things that never before seemed monumental but are now everything to me."

He continued, "There are no words to express my gratitude for our after school dinner where they told me about their day. I've never so enjoyed a trip to Target to pick out a toy or an afternoon at the movies. Playing with my children has always brought the greatest joy. I am grateful for this new chapter in my life for the time it allows me to be close to them."

And his kids are already following in his footsteps, with daughter Boheme Christopher dancing in a production of "The Nutcracker" and son Greysun Christopher acting in a performance of "Matilda" last year.

At the time, the actor said he would be cheering on his "preciously little mouse," Boheme, on opening night as he was "bursting with pride over this sweet girl." And as for his son, he added, "He will undoubtedly shine on stage. Proud Dad moment for sure."

Christopher was married to Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004 and Brienne Pedigo from 2008 to 2021.