Tyler Christopher's Daytime Family React to “General Hospital” Star's Sudden Death at 50: 'This Hits Hard'

Christopher, who starred in 'General Hospital' on-and-off over two decades, died at age 50 on Tuesday

The soap opera world is paying their respects to one of their own.

Tyler Christopher, best known for his Emmy-winning role as Nikolas Cassadine on General Hospital, died Tuesday. The news was confirmed by his former costar, Maurice Benard, on Instagram.

Benard shared that Christopher died “following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment” on Tuesday morning. He was 50.

In the hours since the news broke, tributes have poured in on social media from his former castmates, TV partners and friends.

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Kelly Thiebaud, who played one of Christopher’s character’s love interests on General Hospital, said her “heart breaks” as she begins to process the loss of her scene partner.

“I was lucky enough to get partnered up with some wonderful leading men on General Hospital, Tyler was one of them. I learned so much about working on a Soap during that time together. He was a great scene partner and was always kind to me,” she wrote on Instagram. “I remember feeling anxiously excited to get to work with such a legend on the show. Before getting on GH, I would sometimes watch the show and my favorite couple was Nikolas and Emily, so you can imagine how excited I was when we got paired up.”

“Tyler was so talented and made you feel something when you watched him,” she added. “You will always be remembered Tyler. Rest in peace 🕊️.”

Related: Billy Miller, Soap Opera Star Known for 'The Young and the Restless' and 'General Hospital,' Dead at 43

Steve Burton, another General Hospital castmate, said Christopher was his “brother” as he remembered his longtime friend.

“This hits hard. Really hard. Sometimes I use the word ‘brother’ loosely. But when I called Tyler my brother, I meant it . . . there’s a group of us . . . that have done and still would do anything for each other,” Burton, 53, wrote on Instagram as he shared a collection of photos with Christopher from over the years. “We lost one. A beautiful and talented soul at that. It hurts. Thank you for the memories brother Ty. Love you. See you in Heaven. 🙏🏻🕊️.”

Burton’s comedic partner and fellow General Hospital star, Bradford Anderson, shared a group photo with Christopher on their Stone Cold and the Jackal Instagram account, too. “😢❤️We love you Ty,” they wrote.

Another one of the actor’s former onscreen love interests chimed in, too. Rebecca Budig, who starred alongside Christopher on General Hospital, wrote on Instagram that she’d been “gut punched” in the wake of his death.

“Sweet Tyler. I only worked with him briefly but his kindness left its mark,” she said. “We had many talks about his kids whom he loved so dearly. Praying for them and his family. May he rest in peace.”

Related: Tyler Christopher's 2 Kids: All About Greysun and Boheme

Christopher’s TV son paid tribute, too. Nicholas Bechtel, who played Christophers onscreen son, Spencer Cassadine, on the hit medical soap opera from 2013 to 2020, said that the pair’s “chemistry was unmatched” and they were “the greatest Father/Son duo on Daytime TV.”

“Working with you for so many years was a pleasure and a blessing. You were so talented, quick-witted, and never too serious,” Bechtel wrote, adding that he’s thinking of Christopher’s two children, Greysun and Boheme, who the actor shared with ex-wife Brienne Pedigo. “My heart is with Greysun, Bo, and all of the people who loved you. Rest In Eternal Peace. 🤍🕊️.”

Sarah Joy Brown, who appeared in the daytime show alongside the actor from 1996 to 2001, wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he was "a joy to work with" and "his smile & sense of humor lit up the stage."

"I enjoy every minute of our time together," she continued. "R.I.P old friend 💔."

Kin Shriner also shared his thoughts on his former costar's death, calling him a "huge talent" and the loss "so sad" in a post on Twitter.

In Bernard’s initial post announcing the death of his castmate, he described Christopher — who also starred in NBC's Days of Our Lives from 2017 to 2019 — as “a sweet soul and wonderful friend.”

“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,” Bernard, 60, wrote.

He added, "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."

Prior to his death, the actor had struggled in recent years with alcohol. He was arrested numerous times for public intoxication, and was placed under the guardianship of his sister — an arrangement in which he claimed to Bloomberg he was being “taken advantage of.”

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The broader General Hospital team reacted to the tragic news, too. Executive Producer Frank Valentini told PEOPLE in a statement: “I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher’s passing. He was kind, an incredible actor, and dear friend, who was beloved by our GH family and fans of Nikolas Cassadine."

Valentini added, "On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, our heartfelt sympathies go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.”

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