Anthony Geary death: 'General Hospital' star Genie Francis pays tribute

Anthony Geary's onscreen partner in General Hospital, Genie Francis shared an emotional message reflecting on their decades-long bond.

Francis took to X (formerly Twitter) to write a tearful note in Geary's honour.

The 63-year-old revealed that she awoke on the morning of Geary’s death with a sense of dread.

“This morning I woke up and went into my husband’s arms. In my sleep, my life was flashing before me and I was afraid of death. An hour later, I received a call from Frank Valentini, he told me Tony died. I immediately felt remorse, I hadn’t spoken to him in years, but I felt his life end in my sleep last night, and with it a big part of me, and mine,” she wrote.

The famed Laura Collins continued, "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."

"Working with him was always exciting," she added.

"You never knew what might happen. He spoiled me for leading men for the rest of my life. I am crushed, I will miss him terribly, but I was so lucky to be his partner. Somehow, somewhere, we are connected to each other because I felt him leave last night. Good night sweet prince, good night."

The partnership of Luke and Laura defined an era of soap opera history, with their 1981 wedding episode drawing more than 30 million viewers making it the highest-rated episode in soap opera history.

Though Luke and Laura’s fictional romance ended years ago, Francis emphasized that Geary’s influence on her life and career was permanent.