Christopher’s “General Hospital” costar Maurice Benard confirmed the news on Halloween, writing on Instagram he was found that morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment.
Christopher’s rep confirmed the actor’s passing in a statement, “I can confirm that Tyler Christopher has passed away this morning,” Chi Lo began. “This news was incredibly shocking, and I am devastated by his loss. He was a very gifted actor, and more importantly, an amazing friend. My heart goes out to his friends and family who loved him so much.”
The star was open with his struggles with mental health and addiction writing, “Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him. Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol.”
Christopher portrayed Nikolas Cassadine on the medical soap opera from 1996 to 2016, as well as Connor Bishop from 2004 to 2005. In 2016, he won the Daytime Emmy for his performance as Nikolas, and previously earned four nominations, one of which was a special fan award for irresistible combination that he shared with Natalia Livingston. Christopher also worked on “Days of Our Lives” between 2001 and 2019, scoring a Daytime Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for his performance as Stefan DiMera.
Tyler Christopher Baker was born Nov. 11, 1972, in Joliet, Ill., and grew up in Delaware, Ohio. He was the youngest of four children, with siblings all around a decade or so older. Although he dedicated much of his adolescence to athletics, he was small for his age and eventually shifted his focus from football to acting. After high school, he attended Ohio Wesleyan University for two years and then moved to Los Angeles.
In the early 1990s, Christopher auditioned for “General Hospital,” but the the role went to another actor. In 1996, he was cast to portray Cassadine for the serial, kicking off his soap star career. He was wildly successful on the daytime drama but struggled with bipolar disorder for most of his life and later with substance-abuse issues. During a 2022 appearance on Benard’s “State of Mind” podcast, Christopher addressed his departure from “General Hospital,” telling Benard, “It crushed me, because I took for granted the one thing I love the most.” He said it was “devastating” for myriad reasons.
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