See Mary Beth Evans’ Heartfelt Tribute to Tristan Rogers After the ‘General Hospital’ Star’s Passing at 79

After “General Hospital” star Tristan Rogers, who portrayed Robert Scorpio on the long-running soap, died at 79 on August 15, another soap star spoke out to say she’s “heartbroken.”

The Hollywood reporter says the actor died of lung cancer, despite never being a smoker. Rogers left behind his wife, Teresa Parkerson, as well as two children.

Rogers’ cancer diagnosis was revealed just last month in a statement given by his publicist, Anthony Turk, to Soap Opera Digest. The statement said the actor was remaining “hopeful” at the time, and was “working closely with his medical team on a treatment plan.”

The statement also called it a challenging time for Rogers and his family. A portion also read, “Tristan sends his love to his fans and wants them to know how much he appreciates their loyalty and encouragement over the years.”

Mary Beth Evans Reacts to Loss of Tristan Rogers

Evans took to her Instagram to express her dismay at the loss of her friend. She began her tribute by saying she was “heartbroken” at his passing, before fondly reflecting on happier times. On “The Bay,” I had the privilege of playing opposite him – and what gift that was,” she wrote. Tristan appeared in 107 of the show’s 114 episodes as Lex Martin, per his IMDb page.

Evans praised her costar for contributing “charm, wit, and depth to every scene,” before declaring it “an honor” to have shared the screen with him.

She finished her message by sending condolences to Rogers’ family, friends, and fans before saying, “He will be deeply missed.”

Tristan Rogers Previously Reflected On Life In Australia & Revealed He Was Once In a Rock Band

The Melbourne native appeared in 2022 on Maurice Benard’s podcast “State of Mind,” where he shared some of his memories from growing up in Australia.

“I had a really good childhood,” he said, despite the family living in what he called “a pretty lousy area at the time.” He joked, “Now, you couldn’t get an outhouse there for less than $3 million.” The star went on, “My parents saved, and saved, and saved and bought our house in a really good area. We all moved over there, I went to a new school, and started a whole new life.” Despite his new surroundings, he said nothing “exceptional” happened for him until 1964, the year he left school.

He said he started a rock band with a group of friends, which lasted for around three years, but he eventually realized they “weren’t gonna make any money.” He said the lack of funds led him to his acting journey, which began with commercial work at age 21.