Anthony Geary

Tony Geary's Luke showed us the possibilities in the anti-hero, spawning a slew of copycats. But General Hospital mega-producer Gloria Monty took a huge chance when she hired Tony as the rugged Luke Spencer. He did not possess classic soap good looks, but she knew he could give audiences something more. His rough edge and roguish charm have taken him all the way to the top of the world of daytime.

Luke was not originally slated to be Laura Baldwin's love interest. The plan was for Luke to rape Laura, which he did, but nobody expected them to fall in love. Fans, however, were mesmerized by the chemistry between Tony and actress Genie Francis, and the powers-that-be at GH knew they would be fools if they did not capitalize on it.

The Luke and Laura craze swept the nation, with both actors ending up on the cover of Newsweek in 1981.

Tony's popularity remained strong even when Genie opted to leave the show shortly after Luke and Laura married--helped by the fact that he ignited a spark with every other actress he was paired with, including stars-to-be Janine Turner and Demi Moore. In 1983, Tony chose to leave GH to pursue other acting avenues and made another career out of appearing in critically acclaimed small films and stage plays.

In 1990, the soap world rejoiced when Tony returned to its fold--but not as Luke. He created a whole new character in Port Charles, Luke's blue-collar cousin, Bill Eckert. It is a testament to the actor's talent that he could create two very distinct characters. For three years, Tony was recognized as Bill, and in 1993, Tony even spent a month playing both Luke and Bill. When Bill was killed, Tony seamlessly worked Luke back onto the Port Charles canvas, as he and Laura enjoyed an enormously successful comeback.

Luke and Laura thrilled fans with their return to GH in 1994. [Note: It was 1993. They get it right in Genie's column.]

Geary is just as popular today as 15 years ago.

Geary has played two characters, Luke and Bill, on GH.

Luke and Laura enjoy a tropical embrace. [Note: This picture and the one following are from Genie's column.]

Luke and Laura's wedding was daytime's biggest event.