Johnny Wactor’s death has been met with a huge amount of tributes from General Hospital co-stars, who shared their shock and disbelief at the devastating news that the star was shot and killed by armed thieves attempting to steal his car on Saturday night.
Kirsten Storms, who plays Maxie, posted: “I'm in a state of disbelief and complete sadness. I don’t typically do posts like this, but Johnny was such a special person and it feels important (for me) to put these words out there. To @johnnywactor‘s mother and family, I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
© Getty“Johnny was one of those rare real individuals that you almost never come across. I was fortunate enough to have some really good conversations with him where we discussed things I don’t typically open up about. For some reason, we talked about the deep stuff. He was a safe space for those conversations and, in turn, he would talk about his life.
“He genuinely cared about people and their journeys in life. During his time on GH I witnessed him work hard and truly have respect for every single person in our building. I just cannot believe that his life was stolen from him the way it was. My heart hurts. RIP Johnny.”
© InstagramLaura Wright, who plays Carly Corinthos, added: “In shock. My heart breaks for Johnny's family. He was an incredible man.”
Parry Shen, who plays Brad Cooper, wrote: “Johnny Wactor was a beautiful, beautiful soul. So talented. No ego. And as you can see from the promo clip, always up for anything. Funny as all heck. Fit as all hell but also loved ice cream and ate all the junk I did as well. He also got me excited about live theater again after watching a Mamet play.”
Sasha Gilmore actress Sofia Mattsson wrote: “My heart is so utterly broken… Johnny was the absolute best. So genuine. So caring. Incredibly hard-working and humble. With a huge heart that spread so much kindness and joy. He always made sure everyone around him felt seen, heard and loved. I admire the man he was so much and I’m a better person for having known him.” Many more of Johnny’s friends and colleagues also took to social media to pay tribute.
The star’s brother told the Daily Mail that Johnny was working as a bartender in LA when he walked with a female co-worker to their cars, and saw three men trying to steal his car. The suspects fled the scene, and have yet to be arrested.
His agent, David Shaul, said: “In the highs and lows of a challenging profession he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be. Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever.”
