Tony Geary's (Luke Spencer) decision to exit General Hospital after 37 years and eight best daytime actor Emmys has sent the soap opera world into a lather. Over the years, columnist Lynda Hirsch has had the opportunity to talk to Geary many times. Each time, she says, it was a different Geary. Now, she looks back at nearly four decades of interviews with the iconic actor.
The first time I spoke to Tony was when he went from short-term to long-term. "I was thrilled to be asked to become a regular on the show," Geary said. "I am anxious to see where the character goes."
It went everywhere from Beechers Corners, to life on the run, to jail, to an insane asylum, and it followed many romantic roads. Of course it was his romance with Laura (Genie Francis) that captured 30 million viewers to watch their wedding day. He was a journeyman actor, with short stints on Bright Promise (he played a mute character) and The Young and the Restless (he was a rapist), lots of primetime guest spots, and his true acting love, the theater.
I talked to him at the height of his popularity, and Geary did not seem happy, revealing, "I appreciate the fans and the job. I find it hard to go to my home and not be able to enter it because there is a mob outside my door. One time, even a fan inside." He also felt sorry for his neighbors. "They did not sign up for this madness."
When Laura's rape was mentioned, he wanted to protect his character. "There was more to the scene than a rape. I am not defending rape. God, no. Luke had been lusting after Laura for months. His daydreams and his sleep dreams focused on being with Laura. Alone with Laura, he did start to seduce her. It was clear after enjoying some of the experience, she asked him to stop. I think at the time, he was in his dream state. When he realized what had happened, he was mortified and in denial for years."
For the real Tony Geary, it was a tough scene to play. "I had played a rapist on daytime and nighttime. This was very different. I was in my 30s. Genie was a teenager. She was flawless. Just like Luke, I wanted to protect her."
Geary said he and Genie had a common bond. "Only we could understand what it was like to live in that frenzied atmosphere. I was an adult, and it was difficult. Genie was a kid. Neither of us could escape the agony and ecstasy of the fame and demands."
When Geary left GH for several years, he was not doing lots of interviews (he never had). When he came back in the 90s, we sat down. "I gave it five years. I got a role here and there, but not much. I was Luke. I was bitter. I knew I could do more than one character. No one else in the industry did. I had to get over it. How can anyone feel sorry for a guy who is making a ton of money, is on the hottest show on TV, and gets to work with Elizabeth Taylor?"
About Elizabeth Taylor, he said, "Working with her was an honor. I am not sure, but I think her people called our people. She loved the show and related to Luke and Laura. She told me that the romance reminded her of great film romances."
As for their friendship. "she was just a great dame. She was a star, We shared drinks, dinner, conversations. There was never a romance, despite what the tabloids were printing. She knew how to be a star. She had a great, lusty sense of humor."
Speaking of great humor, he admits that executive producer Gloria Monty let him do lots of humorous ad libbing. "I was not the only one. Kin and I would have ad lib contests. I have never cracked an ad lib that would hurt a storyline."
"I really envied that Kin could change his hairstyle whenever he wanted," Geary said. "It would get to the perfect length. Without telling Gloria, he would have it chopped off. It made for great ad libs. As for my hair, I knew getting rid of the curls was not an option. I apologize for all those guys who had to have a perm to get the Luke look."
Geary managed to get a great contract. "I work 32 weeks a year. The rest of the time, I am off." How did he get such a deal? "It was time for a new contract. Money was not an issue. Time off was the one thing they could give me." According to Celebrity Net Worth, he is worth nine million dollars.
When he has time off, Geary is in Amsterdam. "It is an amazing place. No one knows who I am. The show does not air there. I also love its liberal leanings. It is so non-judgmental."
In a later interview, Geary admitted, "I ran a hard life for a while. It is a testament to my body that I am still around. There was just a time when I told myself I had to settle down. What seemed fun when I was younger was not as I got older. If I kept it up, I would have died a long time ago."
As for his latest decision to exit GH this time around, "it was not easy. When I left before, there were times I missed it. Working with Jane Elliot (Tracy) has made my latest stay wonderful. We trust each other. When Luke went from front-burner to back-burner, it was fine, because Jane and I shared that together. She started the show a year before me. We have both left the show and returned."
Two recent back surgeries have made him rethink his life. "I don't want to die on the set," he reveals with a chuckle. He is not saying goodbye to acting. "I am going to look for acting jobs in Amsterdam."
Geary won't say how Luke is going to leave. "The writers have a wonderful twist. I know one thing after all my years on daytime: never give away a storyline."
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