Home and Away star mourns death of General Hospital star and friend (2024)

Esther Anderson has shared a heartbreaking tribute to her former co-starJohnny Wactor after he was shot and killed in Los Angeles on Saturday when he confronted thieves breaking into his car.

Wactor, 37, appeared in 164 episodes of the soap opera General Hospital from 2020 to 2022 and wasfatally shot while armed car thieves tried to steal his catalytic converter.

Taking to Instagram,Anderson penned a heartfelt message to the actor, who she starred alongside in the 2013 television show Siberia.

'Gone way too soon Johnny,' the Home and Away star,44, wrote alongside a selfie of the pair.

'You will be missed by so many.. My heart is broken for your family. RIP.'

Esther Anderson (left) has shared a heartbreaking tribute to her former co-star Johnny Wactor (right) after he was shot and killed in Los Angeles on Saturday

Taking to Instagram, Anderson penned a heartfelt message to the actor, who she starred alongside in the 2013 television show Siberia

Reposting her co-star Anne-Marie Mueschke's photo, the tribute continued: 'The world lost a genuinely bright light yesterday in the senseless murder of Johnny. He was such a funny, genuine guy and I'm so glad I got to know him.

'Feeling especially close to my Siberia family today.'

Wactor was leaving his side job at a rooftop bar with a female colleague at around 3:25am Saturday in the area of West Pico Boulevard and South Hope Street, when he saw the three men, believing he was being towed.

Since the incident, police said that one of the three men, all of whom were wearing masks, shot Wactor before fleeing in a separate vehicle.

Paramedics got to the scene shortly after and took him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The masked suspects remain at large and have yet to be identified or described.

Scarlett Wactor, Johnny's mother, said that her son didn't attempt to fight them or even stop them from stealing but they still shot him and got away.

Actor Johnny Wactor was a 'southern gentleman' who was protecting a female co-worker from the armed thieves who fatally shot him Saturday, his brother Grant told DailyMail.com

Wactor, 37, was leaving his job at a rooftop bar with a co-worker in the early hours of Saturday morning when he saw three men attempting to steal his catalytic converter

Johnny's younger brother Grant confirmed to DailyMail.com that Johnny was shot in the chest as he came upon the suspects who were trying to steal the catalytic converter from his truck.

He said his brother and his co-worker had to park about two blocks from the restaurant, so they were walking to their cars after they finished their shift.

Grant said they were brought up as 'Southern gentlemen,' so he was not surprised his older brother was walking his female co-worker to her car.

'We're Southern, born and raised, and we would never let a female walk to their car by herself.'

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE General Hospital star Johnny Wactor's brave final act revealed: Actor, 37, was shielding female co-worker from armed car thieves when he was shot dead

The Los Angeles Police Department says it does not release the names of victims.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office for comment.

Wactor appeared on over 160 episodes of General Hospital as the character Brando Corbin from 2020 to 2022.

The actor was also a series regular on the 2013 NBC drama series Siberia, which lasted 11 episodes.

He did multi-episode arcs on TV shows like The OA, The Passenger, Westworld and Hollywood Girl.

His first break into television came in a three-episode guest role on the Lifetime series Army Wives.

He had also branched out into producing; his IMDb page has three upcoming projects listed. Wactor also wrote a short film called Broken Riders.

Wactor's most recent work was in the horror anthology Dead Talk Tales: Volume I released earlier this year.

Personally, his Instagram page often showed him engaging in extreme sports like rock climbing.

According to the LAPD, the shooting happened at 3 a.m. Saturday in the area of West Pico Boulevard and South Hope Street

He is survived by his mother Scarlett and brothers Lance and Grant.

Wactor's mother described him as a loving young man whose death leaves a hole in his family's heart, per TMZ.

Co-workers have also begun giving their thoughts on the loss of the young actor.

Perry Shen, a co-star on General Hospital, posted a beautiful remembrance of Wactor on X.

'Johnny Wactor was a beautiful, beautiful soul. So talented. As you can see from the promo clip, always up for anything. Funny as all heck. Fit as all hell but also loved ice cream and ate all the junk I did as well,' Shen wrote.

Wactor appeared in over 160 episodes of General Hospital as the character Brando Corbin from 2020 to 2022

'We all were cheated of many years with him.'

'When the tears slow down, I am literally sick to my stomach at this news,' wrote co-star Jon Lindstrom.

'Johnny was one of those rare young men in this business who was kind, unassuming, humble, and always thought about other people. A talented young guy who just wanted to share that talent with the world.'

'I wish I had enough love to fill the hole that his loved ones must feel right now, but I know that’s impossible. Johnny will be missed on this plane. For a long time to come. R.I.P.'

Wactor's mother described him as a loving young man whose death leaves a hole in his family's heart

The actor was also a series regular on the 2013 drama series Siberia, which lasted 11 episodes

Home and Away star mourns death of General Hospital star and friend (2024)

FAQs

Who died that used to play on General Hospital? ›

'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor died in arms of co-worker he shielded from harm moments before he was fatally shot. “My only peace is that I was with him and this didn't happen to him alone — my only other peace will be seeing these awful men brought to justice,” Wactor's co-worker Anita Joy wrote.

What General Hospital star was killed? ›

LOS ANGELES -- Former “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor was shot and killed when he interrupted thieves stealing the catalytic converter from his car in Los Angeles, his family said Sunday.

What actor from General Hospital was shot? ›

Johnny Wactor, who played Brando Corbin on the long-running soap opera "General Hospital," was shot and killed in Los Angeles over the weekend, his family and police confirmed to NBC News. Wactor was 37 years old.

What bar did Johnny Wactor work at? ›

Level 8, the Los Angeles bar where Johnny Wactor worked, is paying tribute to the General Hospital actor after he was fatally shot.

Who killed Emily on General Hospital? ›

Emily, as Nikolas' hallucination, helps Nikolas track down her killer, Diego Alcazar, the Text Message Killer. Diego dies after a struggle with Nikolas, ending his reign of terror and avenging Emily's death.

Who killed Connie on General Hospital? ›

In August 2013, Sonny finds Connie shot in her office. Before she dies, she writes the letters "AJ" in blood. It was later revealed that she was shot and killed by Ava Jerome (West) after it was revealed that Connie found out about Derek Wells being Julian Jerome, and Ava's connection with him.

What ABC star was murdered? ›

The family of former "General Hospital" star Johnny Wactor is speaking out about his killing in downtown Los Angeles. Wactor's family spoke out on "Good Morning America" in an interview Tuesday and said they were desperate for answers in their son and brother's case.

Who killed Kate on General Hospital? ›

Kate, while visiting a building she wanted as a based on operations for her new magazine, was shot by Sonny's son, Michael Corinthos, by accident.

Who is the killer on General Hospital? ›

Now that General Hospital has revealed that Heather is The Hook, a whole lot about the murder mystery is coming into focus. Such as, why has the killer been targeting the victims that she has? To exact payback, of course, on behalf of Esme, her newly revealed daughter with fellow psycho Ryan.

What actor was shot and killed over the weekend? ›

Johnny Wactor, best known for his role as Brando Corbin in "General Hospital," was shot and killed in downtown Los Angeles, according to reports. He was 37.

What happened to the actor who plays Michael on General Hospital? ›

The week of August 29, 2022, it was announced Adamson will replace Duell as Michael for two more episodes. Adamson appeared on September 2 and 6, 2022. Duell revealed he had acute myocarditis complications after having Covid several times. Duell returned as Michael on September 15, 2022.

Was Demi Moore on General Hospital? ›

Moore then joined the cast of the ABC soap opera General Hospital, playing the role of investigative reporter Jackie Templeton until 1983. During her tenure on the series, she made an uncredited cameo appearance in the 1982 spoof film Young Doctors in Love.

What happened to Jake's bar on GH? ›

On November 20, 2020, The Floating Rib was destroyed by a bomb planted by Julian Jerome, under the orders of drug lord Cyrus Renault, aiming to eliminate Jason Morgan, a rival from the Corinthos organization. By September 9, 2021, the site began the construction of The Bank of ELQ.

What is Sonny's job on General Hospital? ›

Character Biography

Sonny Corinthos (a.k.a. the Godfather of Port Charles) is a "businessman" and owner of Corinthos Coffee.

Who was with Johnny Wactor? ›

Anita Joy, who was with Johnny Wactor when he was fatally shot in downtown Los Angeles, said the former “General Hospital” actor died in her arms after the pair “cautiously approached” suspects who appeared to be towing his car, but were actually trying to steal a catalytic converter.

Who killed Franco Baldwin on General Hospital? ›

You'll recall — painfully — that after the show spent years transforming Franco from the psycho killer that James Franco originally played to the family man who became such a wonderful father figure for Liz's boys, he was killed during an altercation with the nefarious Peter August.

Who killed Courtney on General Hospital? ›

Tragically, Courtney contracted Encephalitis during the outbreak in Port Charles and chose to save her unborn son's life over her own. After the infant was born, Jax told Courtney Nikolas was really the father, but she died before she could tell Nik the truth.

How did Griffin leave General Hospital? ›

After getting his bruised hands treated by Lucas, Griffin decides to leave town and grieve Kiki on his own by quitting his job at General Hospital.

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