In 2014, Tony Geary had to take time off from “General Hospital” to have an operation on his back, according to Soap Central. In fact, he had made the decision to postpone the surgery several times because he was so invested in his character’s storyline at the time that he didn’t want to walk away from it. The recovery period for his procedure was so extensive that Geary was forced to leave the show for a period of six months.
The actor, who was 68-years-old at the time he left the soap, told TV Insider that his surgery was somewhat of a wake-up call for him. He said, “There was a point after my back surgery last year where it became clear to me that my time is not infinite. And I really don’t want to die, collapsing in a heap, on that ‘GH’ set one day. That wouldn’t be too poetic.” Geary made it clear that he had more things he wanted to do in his life with the time he had left and it would be a tragedy if he didn’t pursue them, saying, “I have another life and I want time to explore it.”
