General Hospital’s Tyler Christopher: Cause of Death Revealed

Actor Tyler Christopher, best known for his years playing Nikolas Cassadine on General Hospital, died of suffocation affected by intoxication.

Christopher died in October 2023 at the age of 50. His official cause of death was positional asphyxia due to acute alcohol intoxication, TMZ reports; in other words, he accidentally suffocated because of the way his body was positioned. Coronary artery atherosclerosis also played a role in his death.

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“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher,” his General Hospital co-star Maurice Benard shared on Instagram soon after Christopher’s death. “Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment.”

Benard added: “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. 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 our dear friend and pray for his children and his father.”

General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini paid tribute to Christopher as well: “I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher’s passing. He was kind, an incredible actor and a dear friend, who was beloved by our #GH family and fans of Nikolas Cassadine. On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, our heartfelt sympathies go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.”

Amber Tamblyn, who worked with Christopher during her time as General Hospital‘s Emily Quartermaine, remembers the actor as a “generous scene partner who was always respectful and wonderful on screen and off.”

Christopher made his General Hospital debut as Nikolas in 1996, playing the role on and off for the next 20 years. He was nominated for four Daytime Emmys for the role, winning in 2016 for best lead actor in a daytime drama. He joined the cast of Days of Our Lives in 2017 as Stefan DiMera, earning a fifth Daytime Emmy nod. His other TV credits included The Lying Game, Into the West and Charmed.

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