Anthony Geary

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Anthony Geary
Anthony Geary.jpg
Geary in April 2013
Born (1947-05-29) May 29, 1947 (age 74)
Coalville, Utah, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1970–2015, 2017

Anthony Geary (born May 29, 1947) is an American actor.[1] He is known for playing the role of Luke Spencer on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital. He originated the role of Luke in 1978 and received a record eight Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series[2][3] prior to his retirement.[4] Geary had a prominent supporting role in the "Weird Al" Yankovic comedy UHF (1989); other notable films include Johnny Got His Gun (1971), Disorderlies (1987), Scorchers (1991), Teacher's Pet (2004) and Fish Tank (2009).

Early life[]

Anthony Geary was born in Coalville, Utah, a son of Dana (née Anderson) (February 10, 1923–July 7, 1997) and Russell Dean Geary (November 12, 1925– October 8, 1991). His father was a building contractor and owner of a construction company. His mother was a homemaker and assisted his father in the business as the bookkeeper. His father was also the former mayor of Coalville, Utah. Both of Geary's parents were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[5] He has two sisters, Jana Geary Steele and DeAnn Geary Bond. Geary attended the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, on a theater scholarship. At age 21, he performed as a chorus boy with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca on the Las Vegas stage. It was while performing there that he fell and scarred his chin.

Career[]

Geary made his first appearance on television in an episode of Room 222 and later appeared in All in the Family, The Mod Squad, Mannix, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Streets of San Francisco, and Barnaby Jones. Geary's first daytime role was in NBC soap opera Bright Promise from 1971 to 1972.[6]

He played George Curtis, who was a rapist, in The Young and the Restless and in 1978 was hired for a 13-week story arc to play Luke Spencer in ABC soap General Hospital. His character in General Hospital began as a hit man and later as a rapist who fell in love and subsequently married his victim, Laura Webber (played by Genie Francis). His portrayal of Luke Spencer on General Hospital was well received and grew into a full contract role. The 1981 on-screen wedding of his character and Laura Webber holds the record as the highest rated soap opera episode of all time.[7]

He holds the distinction of winning a record eight Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He was first nominated in 1980 and had his first win in 1982.[8][9] Geary was nominated again in 1983, before leaving the show in 1984. Over the next several years he took roles in various theater and television productions, as well as in several films, but not at the level of success he had hoped for. Despite the popularity of his work as Luke Spencer, filmmakers such as Oliver Stone pigeonholed Geary based solely on the fact that he was a "soap actor". In a conscious effort to distance himself from General Hospital, he actively sought a role in "Weird Al" Yankovic's film debut UHF (1989), that of the quietly eccentric scientist Philo (named for television pioneer Philo Farnsworth). Geary, a fan of Yankovic, went so far as to grow his hair like Albert Einstein's and stay in character as Philo when meeting the film's casting team; he immediately landed the role.[10]

Anthony Geary holding his 8th Daytime Emmy next to General Hospital Online creator May Lee, April 26, 2015

In 1991, Geary returned to General Hospital as Luke's cousin and look-alike Bill Eckert, due to the actor's desire to play something other than Luke.[7] However, due to poor feedback from the viewing public, the character was killed off and Geary resumed the role of Luke in 1993.[7] Tony appeared in more than 50 stage plays, including an award-winning one-man show titled Human Scratchings in 1996. He was nominated in 1997 and 1998 for Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor, and had his second win in 1999,[8] and his third in 2000. He received another nomination in 2003, and had his fourth win in 2004.[11] When Geary won for the fifth time in 2006,[9][11] he set the record for most lead actor wins.[7] Geary received another Emmy nomination in 2007, and in 2008, he again set a record for most lead actor wins with his sixth[12] Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor.[13]

Geary set a record in 2012 with his seventh Daytime Emmy win and again in 2015 for his eighth win for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Drama Series after 16 nominations for the same role of General Hospital's Luke Spencer. Geary publicly announced on Friday, May 8, 2015 that he would be leaving his role on General Hospital. Geary finished taping his last scenes on the General Hospital set on June 23, 2015. His last air date was July 27, 2015.[14] He later made a non-speaking cameo appearance on May 4, 2017, to facilitate the retirement of co-star and former on-screen wife Jane Elliot.[15]

A notable exception from his series of dramatic roles is the part of a scientist/studio engineer in the comedy/spoof movie UHF. He also appeared in 1987's Disorderlies, with rappers the Fat Boys.

Filmography[]

Year Title Role Notes
1970 Room 222 Tom Whalom Episode: "Choose One & They Lived Happily/Unhappily Ever After"
1971 All in the Family Roger Episode: "Judging Books by Covers"
1971 Johnny Got His Gun Redhead
1971–1972 Bright Promise David Lockhart Soap opera
1972 Blood Sabbath David
1972 The Mod Squad Johnson Episode: "Good Times Are Just Memories"
1972 The Partridge Family Greg Houser Episode: "Ain't Loveth Grand?"
1973 Mannix Eddie Decken Episode: "A Way to Dusty Death"
1973 Shaft David Oliver Episode: "Hit and Run"
1973 The Young and the Restless George Curtis Soap opera
1974 Doc Elliot Dennis Graham Episode: "The Carrier"
1974 Sorority Kill Tony
1971–1975 Marcus Welby, M.D. John Gavanelli 2 episodes
1974–1976 The Streets of San Francisco Gary Jelinek / Cajun / Joe Markham 4 episodes
1976–1977 Barnaby Jones Deputy Blake Jeffries / Nelson Mosley / Wilson 3 episodes
1977 Most Wanted Chops Episode: "The Driver"
1978 The Return of Captain Nemo Bork
1978 Project U.F.O. TV Series Darryl Biggs Episode: "Sighting 4010: The Waterford Incident"
1978 Starsky & Hutch Delano Episode: "The Trap"
1978 The Six Million Dollar Man Arta Episode: "The Lost Island"
1978–1984
1993–2015
2017 		General Hospital Luke Spencer
1983 Antony and Cleopatra Octavius Caesar
1983 Shaft of Love Doug Hathaway
1983 Intimate Agony Dr. Kyle Richards
1984 Sins of the Past Lt. Malovich
1984 The Impostor Cade
1985 Kicks Martin Cheevers
1985 Hotel Eli Gilmour / Phil Tanner 2 episodes
1986 You Are The Jury Sam Billings Episode: "The State of Ohio vs. James Wolsky"
1987 P.I. Private Investigations Larry
1987 Disorderlies Winslow Lowry
1987 Penitentiary III Serenghetti
1987 Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam Steve Reynolds
1988 You Can't Hurry Love Tony
1988 Pass the Ammo Stonewall
1988 It Takes Two Wheel
1988 Dangerous Love Mickey
1989 UHF Philo
1989 Night Life John Devlin
1989 Do You Know the Muffin Man? Stephen Pugliotti
1989 High Desert Kill Dr. Jim Cole
1989 Crack House Dockett
1989–1990 Murder, She Wrote Eric Grant / KGB Lt. Fyodor Alexandrov 2 episodes
1990 Sunset Beat Uncredited Role Made For TV Movie
1990 Sunset Beat Uncredited Role Episode: "One Down, Four Up" (TV Series)
1991–1993 General Hospital Bill Eckert (Also played by Geary in a Dual Role) Soap opera
1991 Night of the Warrior Lynch
1991 Scorchers Preacher
1993 Whistlestop Girl Andy
1994 Roseanne Luke Spencer Episode: "Suck Up or Shut Up"
1995 Burke's Law Clayton Cole Episode: "Who Killed the Centerfold?"
1998 Port Charles Luke Spencer
2004 Teacher's Pet John / Juan Voice
2005 Carpool Guy Carpool Guy
2008 General Hospital: Night Shift Luke Spencer Episode: "Past and Presence", (Part One & Part Two)
2009 Fish Tank Van Man
2013 Alice and the Monster George

Awards and nominations[]

List of acting awards and nominations
Year Award Category Title Result Ref.
1980
 Soapy Award Best Actor General Hospital Won
[16]
1981
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Nominated
[17]
1981
 Soapy Award Best Actor General Hospital Won
[16]
1982
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Won
[18]
1982
 Soapy Awards Best Actor General Hospital Won
[16]
1983
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Nominated
[19]
1993
 Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Lead Actor General Hospital Nominated
1994
 Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Lead Actor General Hospital Nominated
1997
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Nominated
[20]
1998
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Nominated
[21]
1999
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Won
[22]
1999
 Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Lead Actor General Hospital Won
[23]
2000
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Won
[24]
2000
 Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Lead Actor General Hospital Won
[25]
2002
 Daytime Emmy Award America's Favorite Couple (shared with Genie Francis) General Hospital Nominated
2003
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Nominated
[26]
2004
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Won
[27]
2006
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Won
[28]
2006
 TV Land Award Most Wonderful Wedding (shared with Genie Francis) General Hospital Nominated
2007
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Nominated
[29]
2008
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Won
[30]
2009
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Nominated
[31]
2012
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Won
[32]
2015
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Won
[33]
2016
 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series General Hospital Nominated
[34]

References[]

  1. ^ "The New York Times". Movies & TV Dept. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-12-29.
  2. ^ "General Hospital's Anthony Geary: "We'd Been Living on Death Row" - Today's News: Our Take". TVGuide.com. 2012-07-26. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  3. ^ "Daytime Emmy Awards 2015 winners: 'General Hospital' wins big as Anthony Geary takes home record 200th award - Zap2it". Blog.zap2it.com. 2012-06-23. Retrieved 2013-07-08.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ Zumberge, Marianne. "Anthony Geary to Exit 'General Hospital'". Variety.com. Variety. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  5. ^ Anthony Geary profile, filmreference.com; accessed August 31, 2014.
  6. ^ "Anthony Geary biography". Movies.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d West, Abby (2008-03-31). "Tony Geary Reflects on 30 Years of GH". Entertainment Weekly. ew.com. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Lucci Gets Her First Emmy". The Seattle Times. seattletimes.com. Associated Press. 1999-05-22. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "DeGeneres, 'General Hospital' win Emmys". MSNBC. msnbc.com. Associated Press. 2006-05-03. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  10. ^ https://www.avclub.com/article/we-got-it-all-uhf-oral-history-weird-al-yankovics--215579
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b "Photo Gallery". LA Times. Los Angeles Times. 2008-06-04. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  12. ^ "Daytime Emmy nominations snub Anthony Geary and (oh, no!) poor Betty White". Gold Derby. Los Angeles Times. 2010-05-12. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  13. ^ TV Guide News (2008-06-21). "Backstage at the Daytime Emmys Brings Laughs, Tears". TV Guide. tvguide.com. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  14. ^ "Anthony Geary's General Hospital goodbye: See the video". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com.
  15. ^ Eades, Chris (2017-04-28). "Anthony Geary Returning to GENERAL HOSPITAL!". ABC Soaps In Depth. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c "The Soap Opera Digest Awards History". Celebrating The Soaps. celebratingthesoaps.net. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  17. ^ "1981 Emmy Winners & Nominees". Soap Opera Digest. New York City: American Media, Inc. Archived from the original on August 18, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  18. ^ Clark, Kenneth R. (June 12, 1982). "Daytime Emmys Inspire Emotions". Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: E. W. Scripps Company. p. 155. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  19. ^ Goudas, John N. (June 4, 1983). "The best on daytime TV won't be seen on daytime TV". The Miami News. Miami, Florida: Cox Enterprises. p. 47. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  20. ^ "1997 Emmy Winners & Nominees". Soap Opera Digest. New York City, New York: American Media, Inc. Archived from the original on August 18, 2004. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  21. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (March 11, 1998). "ABC tops Emmy noms". Variety. Los Angeles, California. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  22. ^ "Lucci wins!". The Day. New London, Connecticut: The Day Publishing Company. Associated Press. May 22, 1999. p. 8. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  23. ^ "'General Hospital' named favorite soap at awards". The Argus-Press. Associated Press. February 28, 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  24. ^ Bernstein, Paula (May 22, 2000). "'Million' mints Emmy". Variety. Los Angeles: Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  25. ^ "'General Hospital' wins 5 honors". The Vindicator. Associated Press. March 11, 2000. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  26. ^ "Nominees for Daytime Emmys". USA Today. Tysons Corner, Virginia: Gannett Company. Associated Press. March 12, 2003. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  27. ^ "DeGeneres wins Emmy for best talk show". Today.com. New York City: NBCUniversal. Associated Press. May 28, 2004. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  28. ^ "Ellen DeGeneres repeats sweep of Daytime Emmys". Kentucky New Era. Los Angeles: Taylor W. Hayes. Associated Press. May 1, 2006. p. 8. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  29. ^ Bonawitz, Amy (February 11, 2009). "34th Annual Daytime Emmy Winners". CBS News. New York City. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  30. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (June 21, 2008). "Ellen DeGeneres, Tyra Banks Win Daytime Emmys". People. New York City: Time Inc. Archived from the original on May 31, 2013. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  31. ^ "The 36th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award Nominations". New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. May 14, 2009. Archived from the original on July 23, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  32. ^ "Daytime Emmy Awards 2012: The Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. New York City: Prometheus Global Media. June 23, 2012. Archived from the original on February 10, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  33. ^ "The 42nd Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award Winners". Burbank: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. April 26, 2015. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  34. ^ "The 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy Award Nominations" (PDF). New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. March 24, 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2016.

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