Cause of death for ‘General Hospital’ actor Tyler Christopher identified
“General Hospital” actor Tyler Christopher’s death has been ruled as an accident by the San Diego Medical Examiner.
The Emmy-winning actor, who appeared regularly in the long-running daytime soap opera “General Hospital,” died on Oct. 31, 2023, at the age of 50.
According to documents obtained by NBC News from the San Diego Medical Examiner, Christopher died of positional asphyxia due to acute alcohol intoxication.
The Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine defines positional asphyxia as the closing up of a person's upper airway due to abnormal positioning of the body.
The medical examiner also attributed coronary artery atherosclerosis to his death.
According to the medical examiner, the actor was last seen by a friend on Oct. 29, 2023, and was heavily intoxicated at the time. Two days later, on Oct. 31, the friend returned to Christopher’s apartment to find him unresponsive and on the floor beside his bed.
The autopsy notes that Christopher had a history of alcohol abuse.
On Oct. 31, Maurice Benard, who appeared alongside Christopher on the series, confirmed the news of the actor's death with a post shared to his Instagram page. The statement detailed Christopher’s advocacy for mental health and substance abuse.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher,” the post begins. “Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment. Tyler was a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting.”
Benard described Christopher as a “sweet soul and wonderful friend” to those who knew him and his openness about his own health history.
“Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol,” the post continued. “We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father.”
Christopher's managers Paula Benard and Chi Muoi Lo also confirmed his death to TODAY.com.
“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,” Lo wrote, while Paula Benard added, “We are devastated by the news and shocked because we never gave up hope for his recovery.”
Christopher played two characters on the ABC soap opera series.
Between 1996 and 2016, the actor played the role of Nikolas Cassadine. He also played Connor Bishop between 2004 to 2005.
Upon news of his death, "General Hospital” executive producer Frank Valentini expressed his condolences in a statement to TODAY.com.
“I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher’s passing. He was kind, an incredible actor, and dear friend, who was beloved by our 'GH' family and fans of Nikolas Cassadine," Valentini stated. "On behalf of everyone at 'General Hospital,' our heartfelt sympathies go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.”
According to his IMDB page, Christopher was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award in 1998 for outstanding younger actor in a drama series for his work on the series. His work on the series earned him Daytime Emmy Award nominations again in 2005 and 2006 — both times for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. His final Daytime Emmy Award nomination for his works on “General Hospital” came in 2016, winning the award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series.
From 2017 to 2019, Christopher also appeared in the NBC soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” He was nominated for his last Daytime Emmy in his final season on the series for outstanding lead actor in a drama series.
Christopher is survived by two children whom he shared with his ex-wife and former ESPN auto racing pit reporter, Brienne Pedigo Williams.
Between 2002 to 2004, Christopher was married to actor and producer Eva Longoria.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
