Tristan Rogers, the Australian actor best known for his portrayal of super spy Robert Scorpio on ABC’s “General Hospital,” died Friday morning at age 79 following a battle with lung cancer. His longtime manager, Meryl Soodak, confirmed Rogers had never been a smoker.
Rogers’ death was announced by General Hospital Executive Producer Frank Valentini in a statement posted to the show’s official social media accounts. Valentini expressed that the entire production family was heartbroken by the loss and extended deepest sympathies to Rogers’ family and friends during this difficult time.
The actor’s manager told entertainment reporters that Rogers’ role as Scorpio meant everything to him. Soodak noted that Rogers loved being Scorpio and created the character from nothing, transforming what was supposed to be a single day of work into something substantial. She described him as a genuinely loyal and kind person who loved his family.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1946, Rogers initially pursued music in his early twenties, playing drums in a rock band with friends. When the band proved unsuccessful and eventually dissolved, he turned to commercial work and modeling to earn money. With no acting experience, Rogers decided to try his hand at performing, telling industry publications that he viewed it simply as a way to make money.
Rogers began his entertainment career on Australian television in the 1970s, appearing on soap operas including “Bellbird,” “Number 96,” and “The Box.” He also worked as a disc jockey and appeared in several British films before making the pivotal decision to move to Los Angeles in 1980 to pursue Hollywood opportunities.
His breakthrough came when he was cast in what was intended to be a two-day role on “General Hospital” in December 1980. Initially brought in to portray a character who would beat up the hero Luke Spencer and disappear, Rogers caught the attention of then-executive producer Gloria Monty. After his first half-day of filming, Monty asked if he would like to stay on the show.
With no character written for him, Rogers spent three weeks appearing in scenes looking suspicious while the writers developed a storyline. The character eventually became known as spy “CK8” and was given the name Robert Scorpio. Rogers remained unaware of the show’s massive popularity at the time, later acknowledging he had no idea how significant the program was in American culture.
Scorpio became integral to some of the show’s most memorable storylines during the early 1980s golden age of daytime television. The character served as Luke Spencer’s best man during the historic November 17, 1981, wedding episode featuring Luke and Laura, which drew 30 million viewers and remains the highest-rated soap opera episode in United States television history.
Rogers’ initial run on the series lasted 12 years, during which he was paired with several leading ladies including Demi Moore’s Jackie Templeton, Emma Samms’ Holly Sutton, and Finola Hughes’ Anna Devane. His character’s romance with Anna Devane resulted in a daughter, Robin, played by Kimberly McCullough, who became a significant character in the show’s history when she contracted HIV as a teenager.
The character was killed off in 1992 in an explosion in South America, though his body was never shown onscreen. Rogers briefly returned in 1995 as Scorpio’s spirit comforting his daughter Robin, before the character was revealed to be alive in subsequent returns. He made sporadic appearances throughout the 2000s and 2010s, rejoining as a recurring character from 2019 to 2024.
Rogers appeared in more than 1,400 episodes of “General Hospital” over his 45-year association with the show. His final appearances came in an unannounced guest role in July 2025, shortly after his cancer diagnosis became public. His character’s last storyline involved leaving Port Charles with his former love interest Holly Sutton in scenes that paid homage to the classic film “Casablanca.”
Beyond “General Hospital,” Rogers portrayed Colin Atkinson on CBS’s “The Young and the Restless” from 2010 to 2012, appearing in nearly 200 episodes. He also had a recurring role as Hunter Jones on “The Bold and the Beautiful” in 1997 and appeared on the spinoff “General Hospital: Night Shift” in 2008, where his character dealt with a colon cancer diagnosis.
Rogers earned recognition for his work on digital drama series, winning a Daytime Emmy in 2020 for outstanding performance by a supporting actor in a digital drama series for “Studio City.” He received another nomination the following year for his work on “The Bay.” His voice work included the character Jake in Disney’s “The Rescuers Down Under.”
In July 2025, Rogers publicly revealed his cancer diagnosis through his representatives, noting it was a challenging time for him and his family. The statement requested privacy while expressing gratitude for fan support, which Rogers indicated meant more to him than ever during his illness.
Rogers is survived by his wife of 30 years, Teresa Parkerson, and their two adult children, daughter Sara and son Cale, as well as a grandchild. Former “General Hospital” co-star Nancy Lee Grahn paid tribute on social media, describing Rogers as suave, wry, smooth, debonair and ridiculously handsome, noting that the Australian icon left his mark and would be well remembered.
