Tony Geary Biography

Anthony Dean "Tony" Geary (born May 29, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for role as Luke Spencer on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital (1978 to 1984 and from 1993 to present). Geary has received record seven Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

Life and career

Geary was born in Coalville, Utah, the son of a homemaker and a contractor. attended the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, and made his television debut in the episode of ABC comedy series Room 222. He later guest-starred on an early episode of All in the Family with fellow future soap star Phil Carey, and well in The Mod Squad, Mannix, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Streets of San Francisco and Barnaby Jones.

Geary's first daytime role was in NBC soap opera Bright Promise from 1971 to 1972. He later played the rapist George Curtis in The Young and the Restless, and in 1978 was cast as Luke Spencer in ABC soap General Hospital. His character in General Hospital began as a hit man and later as a rapist who fell in love and subsequently married his victim, Laura Webber (played by Genie Francis).

Geary was originally hired for a 13-week in General Hospital, which grew into a full contract role. Geary received Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1980, 1981, and had his first win in 1982. Geary was nominated again in 1983, before leaving the show in 1984.

In 1991, Geary returned to General Hospital as Luke's cousin and look-alike Bill Eckert, due to the actor's desire to play something other than Luke. However, due to audience feedback and demand, the character was killed off and Geary resumed the role of Luke in 1993. Geary was nominated in 1997 and 1998 for Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor, and had his second win in 1999, and his third in 2000. He received another nomination in 2003, and had his fourth win in 2004. When Geary won for the fifth time in 2006, he set the record for most lead actor wins. Geary received another Emmy nomination in 2007, and in 2008, he again set a record for most lead actor wins with his sixth Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor. Having received his last nomination in 2009, Geary again set a record in 2012 with his seventh win for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Drama Series.

A notable exception from his series of dramatic roles is the part of a scientist/studio engineer in the comedy/spoof movie UHF. He also starred in 1987's Disorderlies with rappers The Fat Boys.

In 1994, he appeared in an episode of Roseanne, alongside his co-star Genie Francis.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1970	Room 222	Tom Whalom	Episode: "Choose One & They Lived Happily/Unhappily Ever After"
1971	All in the Family	Roger	Episode: "Judging Books by Covers"
1971	Johnny Got His Gun	Redhead
1971-1972	Bright Promise	David Lockhart	Soap opera
1972	Blood Sabbath	David
1972	The Mod Squad	Johnson	Episode: "Good Times Are Just Memories"
1972	The Partridge Family	Greg Houser	Episode: "Ain't Loveth Grand?"
1973	Mannix	Eddie Decken	Episode: "A Way to Dusty Death"
1973	The Young and the Restless	George Curtis	Soap opera
1974	Doc Elliot	Dennis Graham	Episode: "The Carrier"
1971-1975	Marcus Welby, M.D.	John Gavanelli	2 episodes
1974-1976	The Streets of San Francisco	Gary Jelinek	4 episodes
1976-1977	Barnaby Jones	Deputy Blake Jeffries	3 episodes
1978	The Return of Captain Nemo	Bork
1978-1984, 1993-present	General Hospital	Luke Spencer
1983	Antony and Cleopatra	Octavius Caesar
1983	Shaft of Love	Doug Hathaway
1983	Intimate Agony	Dr. Kyle Richards
1984	Sins of the Past	Lt. Malovich
1984	The Impostor	Cade
1985	Kicks	Martin Cheevers
1985	Hotel	Eli Gilmour / Phil Tanner	2 episodes
1987	P.I. Private Investigations	Larry
1987	Disorderlies	Winslow Lowry
1987	Penitentiary III	Serenghetti
1987	Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam	Steve Reynolds
1988	You Can't Hurry Love	Tony
1988	Pass the Ammo	Stonewall
1988	It Takes Two	Wheel
1988	Dangerous Love	Mickey
1989	UHF	Philo
1989	Night Life	John Devlin
1989	Do You Know the Muffin Man?	Stephen Pugliotti
1989	High Desert Kill	Dr. Jim Cole
1989	Crack House	Dockett
1989-1990	Murder, She Wrote	Eric Grant / KGB Lt. Fyodor Alexandrov	2 episodes
1991	Night of the Warrior	Lynch
1991	Scorchers	Preacher
1993	Whistlestop Girl	Andy
1994	Roseanne	Luke Spencer	Episode: "Suck Up or Shut Up"
1995	Burke's Law	Clayton Cole	Episode: "Who Killed the Centerfold?"
1998	Port Charles	Luke Spencer
2004	Teacher's Pet	John / Juan	voice
2005	Carpool Guy	Carpool Guy
2008	General Hospital: Night Shift	Luke Spencer	2 episodes
2009	Fish Tank	Van Man
2013	Alice and the Monster	George