Tristan Rogers has died at the age of 79

His manager, Meryl Soodak, confirmed the news to ABC 7 Eyewitness News and reflected on how Tristan's long-time role on the medial drama had "meant everything to him".

She added: "He loved being Scorpio and he created that role from nothing.

"He was supposed to work a day and he ended up making it into something huge. He was just a genuinely loyal, kind human being and he loved his family."

General Hospital's ex ecutive producer, Frank Valentini, said everyone who worked on the show had been left "heartbroken" by Tristan's death.

He told People magazine in a statement: "The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Tristan Rogers' passing. Tristan has captivated our fans for 45 years and Port Charles will not be the same without him (or Robert Scorpio).

"I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to his family and friends during this difficult time. Tristan was a one-of-a-kind talent and will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace.

Co-star Emma Samms, who briefly dated Tristan and played his on-screen love interest Holly, was "grateful" they had worked together for so long.

She wrote on social media: "I am incredibly sad to hear the news about Tristan. I loved working with him and we were both so grateful that we got the chance to do that for more than 40 years.

"He taught me how to be comfortable in front of the cameras and he introduced me to spontaneity and fun even within all the trials and tribulations that Robert and Holly endured."

Genie Francis felt "lucky" to have known the star.

She shared a photo of them together and wrote on X: "My heart is heavy. Goodbye my spectacular friend. My deepest condolences to his wife Teresa and their children. Tristan Rogers was a very bright light, as an actor and a person. I was so lucky to have known him."

Rick Springfield remembered his late co-star as a "charming" and "witty bloke".

He posted: "Aussies are made of tough stuff but even tough stuff has its expiration date. Our friend Tristan Rogers, a charming, self deprecating, handsome and witty bloke from the Great Southern Land went home today. Bless and keep your spirit Tristan. Cancer sucks."

The veteran actor joined General Hospital as Robert Scorpio in 1980 before leaving in 1992 when his alter ego was apparently killed. He briefly reprised the role - in ghost form - for a week in 1995 and made sporadic appearances in 2006.

In 2008, he joined General Hospital: Night Shift and also appeared in four episodes of the main show the same year. He made frequent further appearances between 2012 and 2018 and rejoined the cast on a more permanent basis from 2019, with his most recent appearance coming last year.

Away from the medical drama, Tristan also had a stint as Colin Atkinson on The Young and the Restless, appeared in over 100 episodes of The Bay, and received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for his work in Studio City.

He is survived by his wife, Teresa Parkerson, and children, Sara and Cale.