The daytime community has said farewell to an icon — veteran actor Tristan Rogers has died at the age of 79. On July 17, he announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer on the same day that he made a special appearance as Robert on General Hospital to facilitate the exit of Sofia Mattsson, who played his daughter, Sasha, on the soap. Rogers’s longtime manager, Meryl Soodak, reported that the actor passed away on the morning of August 15 following a battle with lung cancer, noting that the actor had never been a smoker.
GH Executive Producer Frank Valentini shared this 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.”
Daytime Royalty
Rogers’s career began back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s with roles on television series like Delta, Barrier Reef, and The Protectors. He became a soap star when he joined the cast of GH in December 1980 as superspy Robert Scorpio, and the popular character enjoyed adventures and romances, especially with Finola Hughes’s Anna Devane. “Legendarily, as he walked away from set,” she told Soap Opera Digest of their first time working together, “he turned to me, put his arm around me, and said, ‘We’re gonna have fun, kid!’ It was like, straight out of a western!” After his exit in February 1992, Robert made a brief visit as a ghost in 1995 before returning alive in 2006. Rogers reprised the role for the primetime GH spinoff Night Shift in 2008, and on GH proper in December of that year so Robert could attend the wedding of his daughter, Robin.
After additional stints in 2012 and 2013, Rogers returned to GH in 2018 for another visit, and then the following year, came back to the soap and remained on a recurring basis until November 2024, when Robert and Holly reunited and left Port Charles together. His last appearance on the soap was in July when Sasha took her baby girl to live with Robert and Holly in France.
In addition to his famous role on GH, Rogers also starred as Colin Atkinson on the CBS soap Young and Restless from 2010-11, with a brief return in 2012. “That man makes me laugh so much,” co-star Jess Walton (Jill) told Digest at the time. “I love Jill and Colin together; they’re so amusing. It’s not a forced thing with Tristan and me. It reminds me of the stuff Jeanne [Cooper, ex-Katherine] and I used to do. How our characters interacted naturally made people laugh.”
Y&R shared a statement on Instagram, “Our deepest condolences to the family and fans of Tristan Rogers, who graced Y&R with his talents for many years as the lovable Colin Atkinson. Tristan was a beloved member of the Y&R family who will be greatly missed. ❤️🕊️”
Rogers also appeared in the streaming soaps The Bay and Studio City, the latter of which earned him a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Digital Drama Series in 2020. Fans will also recognize him as the voice of Jake the kangaroo mouse in Disney’s 1990 film The Rescuers Down Under.
Rogers is survived by his wife, Teresa Parkerton, their children, Sarah and Cale, and their grandchildren. Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.
