HOLLYWOOD—It was announced on Tuesday, October 31, that Tyler Christopher who starred as Nikolas Cassadine on the ABC soap opera “General Hospital” died at his San Diego apartment after suffering from a cardiac arrest episode.
News about Christopher’s passing was announced by his “GH” co-star Maurice Benard via his Instagram page. Benard portrays Sonny Corinthos on the soap opera.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher. Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment. Tyler was truly a talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting. Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him. 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 the our dear friend and pray for his children and his father.”
Christopher portrayed Nikolas Cassadine on the soap from 1996-1999, 2003-2011 and most recently from 2013-2016. He also portrayed the character of Connor Bishop from 2004 to 2005. He also portrayed the villainous character, Stefan DiMera on the NBC soap opera “Days of Our Lives” from December 2017 thru March 2019, before the role was later recast with Brandon Barash.
Tyler was born in Joliet, Illinois and grew up in Delaware, Ohio. He attended Ohio Wesleyan University before several years before heading to Los Angeles. He also appeared on the ABC Family series “The Lying Game” in addition to appearances on the series “Charmed,” “Angel,” “JAG,” “CSI” and “Crossing Jordan” to name a few. The actor was arrested for public intoxication in November 2019 in Martinsville, Indiana, where he pled guilty and paid a fine.
He was nominated for 5 Daytime Emmy Awards, once for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series in 1998, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series in 2005 and 2006 for “General Hospital” and for Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2016 and 2019 for his work on “General Hospital.” He walked away with the prize in 2016.
He was previously married to actress Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004, and was engaged to “GH” star Vanessa Marcil. He married race car report Brienne Pedigo in 2008 and they had a son, Greysun James in October 2009. They had a daughter in May 2015. Pedigo filed for divorce in February 2019. The actor leaves behind two children. An official cause of death has not been disclosed to the public.
“General Hospital” executive producer Frank Valentini posted on X:
“I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher’s passing. He was a kind, an incredible actor and a dear friend, who was beloved by our #GH family and fans of Nikolas Cassadine.”
