General Hospital: The Johnny Wactor Tribute, Explained
"General Hospital" paid loving tribute to one of its late stars on Tuesday. At the close of the June 11 episode, a title card honoring Johnny Wactor, who portrayed Brando Corbin from 2020 to 2022, aired. Wactor died on May 25 during an attempted car part theft; he came across thieves trying to steal his catalytic converter and was shot as they departed the scene. Wounded in the chest, he passed away soon after. While TMZ reports that police have video of the incident, no arrest has been made in the case as of this writing. A GoFundMe founded to raise funds for the actor's funeral and other expenses related to his passing is still active.
The simple black-barred graphic broadcast by ABC uses a publicity photo that was taken during Wactor's time on the soap opera, and dedicates the episode to him. Additionally, the Daytime Emmys paid tribute to the actor during their in memoriam segment on June 7. Wactor's death marks one more loss for the "General Hospital" cast and company, which has endured a series of sudden, saddening losses since 2022.
It's been a tough couple of years for the General Hospital cast
The past two years have seen a string of unfortunate passings of multiple current and former "General Hospital" cast members. Johnny Wactor's death marks the sixth passing since 2022 to impact the world of the ABC sudser.
Sonya Eddy died on December 20, 2022, due to complications from a surgical procedure. She received a posthumous Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for her work as Nurse Epiphany Johnson in 2023. Jacklyn Zeman died on May 10, 2023 of cancer — she portrayed Bobbie Spencer for over 800 episodes. Tyler Christopher, who originated the role of Nicholas Cassadine, passed away on October 31, 2023, due to positional asphyxia due to acute alcohol intoxication. Jack Axelrod, who established the role of mobster Victor Jerome, left us on December 16, 2023, due to natural causes. Robyn Bernard, who played heroine Terry Brock on the soap throughout the 1980s, died on March 12, 2024, of undisclosed causes. Most recently, Elizabeth MacRae, who originated the role of Meg Baldwin, died on May 27, 2024, also of unnamed causes. May they all rest in peace.