Australian actor Tristan Rogers, best known for his iconic role as Robert Scorpio on General Hospital, has died at the age of 79. His longtime manager, Meryl Soodak, confirmed his passing to ABC 7 Eyewitness News on Friday, Aug. 15.

Rogers first joined the soap in 1980, becoming one of its most beloved stars over decades of appearances. In July, it was revealed he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, even though he was not a smoker. Soodak shared that portraying Robert Scorpio “meant everything” to him, marking the role as a defining part of his life and career.

Deposit Photos “He loved being Scorpio and he created that role from nothing,” Soodak continued per PEOPLE. “He was supposed to work a day and he ended up making it into something huge. He was just a genuinely loyal, kind human being and he loved his family.” Tristan Rogers was an Australian actor best known for his decades-long portrayal of Robert Scorpio on the American daytime soap opera General Hospital. Born on June 3, 1946, in Melbourne, Australia, Rogers began his career in his home country with roles in television and film before moving to the United States in the late 1970s to pursue