Tristan Rogers, the Australian actor best known for his decades-long portrayal of super spy Robert Scorpio on the ABC soap opera “General Hospital,” died Friday, August 15, 2025, at age 79 after a battle with lung cancer.
Rogers’ longtime manager, Meryl Soodak, confirmed the actor’s death to ABC7, noting that Rogers had never been a smoker. Soodak indicated that Rogers’ portrayal of Scorpio meant everything to him, explaining that he loved being Scorpio and created that role from nothing. She emphasized that he was supposed to work just one day but ended up making it into something huge, describing him as a genuinely loyal, kind human being who loved his family.
Frank Valentini, executive producer of “General Hospital,” expressed the show’s grief in a statement. Valentini noted that Rogers had captivated fans for 45 years and that Port Charles would not be the same without him or Robert Scorpio. The producer extended deepest sympathies to Rogers’ family and friends, calling him “a one-of-a-kind talent and will be greatly missed.”
Born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1946, Rogers began his entertainment career in his early twenties as a drummer in a rock band with friends. When the band proved unsuccessful, he turned to commercial work and modeling to earn money. After the band dissolved, Rogers decided to pursue acting despite having no experience. He appeared on several Australian television series in the 1970s, including “Bellbird,” “Number 96,” and “The Box.”
Rogers moved to the United States in 1980 and was initially cast for only two days on “General Hospital” to beat up the hero Luke Spencer, played by Anthony Geary, and then disappear. However, executive producer Gloria Monty asked if he would like to stay after his first half-day of work. With no character written for him, Monty asked Rogers to appear in scenes for three weeks looking suspicious until they developed a storyline. The character eventually became known as spy “CK8” and was later given the name Robert Scorpio.
During his initial 12-year run from 1980 to 1992, Rogers became a key member of the “General Hospital” ensemble alongside the supercouple Luke and Laura. In one of the character’s most notable early storylines, Scorpio served as Luke’s best man at his wedding to Laura Spencer on November 17, 1981. The episode drew 30 million viewers and remains the highest-rated soap opera episode in U.S. television history.
Rogers’ character was involved in romantic storylines with several leading ladies, including Emma Samms as Holly Sutton and Finola Hughes as Anna Devane. Robert and Anna’s daughter Robin, played by Kimberly McCullough, later became a significant character in the show’s history when she contracted HIV as a teenager. The character was killed off in 1992 when Scorpio died in an explosion in South America, though his body was never shown onscreen.
After a nearly 15-year hiatus, Rogers returned to the show in 2006 for recurring appearances when his character was revealed to be alive. He continued making sporadic appearances throughout the 2000s and 2010s, and since 2019, had appeared as a recurring character. Rogers also appeared on the spinoff “General Hospital: Night Shift” in 2008, where Robert learned he had colon cancer and reconnected with his family.
Beyond “General Hospital,” Rogers played Colin Atkinson on “The Young and the Restless” from 2010 to 2012, appearing in nearly 200 episodes. He also had roles on “The Bold and the Beautiful” as private investigator Hunter Jones and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2020 for outstanding performance by a supporting actor in a digital drama series for his work on “Studio City.”
Rogers appeared in over 1,400 episodes of “General Hospital” throughout his career, according to his IMDb page. His other television credits included “The Bay,” “Family Law,” and “Marie,” while his film appearances included “Jack Rio,” “Raven,” and “The Los Angeles Ripper.” He also provided voice work for animated projects including “The Rescuers Down Under,” where he voiced a kangaroo mouse, and “Batman Beyond.”
In July 2025, Rogers revealed through a statement that he had been diagnosed with cancer. The release indicated that while he remained hopeful and was working closely with his medical team on a treatment plan, it was a challenging time for Rogers and his family. The statement requested privacy and understanding as they faced both the emotional and physical burdens of the diagnosis.
Rogers made his final appearance on “General Hospital” in July with an unannounced guest appearance. His character left Port Charles with his ex-wife Holly Sutton in November 2024 in scenes that paid homage to “Casablanca.” Rogers returned to “The Young and the Restless” for his final television appearance, which aired on August 26, 2025, just 11 days after his death.
Rogers is survived by his wife of 30 years, Teresa Parkerson, whom he married in 1995, and their two adult children, daughter Sara Jane and son Cale, as well as a grandchild.