Anthony Geary, who starred as Luke Spencer on the long-running American soap opera "General Hospital," has died at 78, representatives for the actor confirmed Monday.

I was a bit of a mama’s boy growing up, which means I often watched television with my mom. That means I watched daytime TV. And that means I watched ‘70s soaps. My mother was an ABC devotee; “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” were usually on the agenda.

Despite that ignominious beginning, the romance became a fan favorite and helped turn General Hospital into a pop culture juggernaut. Their wedding was watched by 30 million people, the highest-rated episode of an American soap opera, ever. During the height of Luke and Laura’s romance, they averaged 14 million viewers an episode.