Tyler Christopher, General Hospital And Days Of Our Lives Star, Dead At 50
Tyler Christopher, who is most known for playing Nikolas Cassadine on "General Hospital," has died at the age of 50, People reports. Christopher's former "GH" costar, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos), confirmed the death on his official Instagram, writing, "It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher. Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment."
The untimely death comes after a difficult year for the actor that saw Christopher arrested in the spring for public intoxication, according to TMZ. It's currently unknown at this time if any substances played a role in his death as those details have yet to be disclosed.
Christopher played Nikolas Cassdine for two decades on "GH" from 1996 to 2016, earning a Daytime Emmy Award for his portrayal of the dark prince. The soap veteran also had a brief stint on "Days Of Our Lives" in the role of Stefan DiMera from 2018 to 2019. In an interview on "State of Mind," Christopher revealed that his issues with substance abuse led to his abrupt departures from both "GH" and "Days," telling Benard, "The thing that I love the most was taken away. [...] I threw it away. Nobody took it away from me. I dropped it, okay?"
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Tyler's issues with substance abuse plagued his final years
In the official Instagram post lamenting the death of his former "General Hospital" costar Tyler Christopher, Maurice Benard said, "Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol."
Another one of Christopher's former costars, Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis on "General Hospital") discussed his issues with the disease after his "Days Of Our Lives" firing in 2019. She tweeted, "I say this with love but I can assure you that Tyler wasn't out having "birthday fun." He has a horrible disease. Tyler is at risk of losing his life if he doesn't get help, maintain treatment & work a program and there's nothing fun about it. He needs help not exposure."
The now-deceased actor discussed the impact his drinking had during the same interview with Benard in 2022, revealing his struggles found him on the brink of death several times. He recalled his close calls, saying, "At some point, you cannot survive it. [...] It will kill you, and it has. Three times I have flatlined. [...] I'm saying it here for the first time. Three times I have flatlined and they brought me back. [...] Twice from [alcohol] poisoning, once from withdrawal."