(Rightallegiance.com) – Following the sudden death of Johnny Wactor, heartfelt tributes have been flooding in for the former “General Hospital” actor.
Wactor, who played Brando Corbin on the soap opera from 2020 to 2022, was tragically shot and killed in downtown Los Angeles early Saturday morning, as confirmed by Fox News Digital. He appeared in 164 episodes of “General Hospital.”
The official social media account of “General Hospital” shared their sorrow, stating, “The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor’s untimely passing. He was truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.”
Sofia Matson, who portrayed Sasha Gilmore, the widow of Wactor’s character, expressed her grief on Instagram. “My heart is so utterly broken… Johnny was the absolute best,” she wrote alongside several photos of them together on the show. “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.”
Matson continued, “We shared so many special moments, both on and off screen, and I will forever cherish them deeply in my heart. You will be so incredibly missed Johnny… I’m sure you’re already busy taking care of everyone up there.”
Bonnie Burroughs, who played Gladys Corbin, also shared her sadness, writing, “I am heartbroken and sickened by this terrible loss. Johnny I love you. My heart breaks for your real mom and your whole family. The world is darker now.” Kirsten Storms, who plays Maxie Jones, wrote a lengthy tribute, revealing her shock and 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,” she began. “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. Johnny was one of those rare ‘real individuals’ that you almost never come across.”
Storms added, “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.”
Lydia Look, who plays Selina Wu, remembered Wactor fondly, saying, “Johnny, I’m crying and will be for a bit. I knew you were talented when you simply just took your shirt off when the rest of us were trying to outdo each other with our skits. I also knew there & then that you were fine as wine. I also saw how you’d let others take the spotlight whilst confident & loving in your own space. Most of all, I learned what a magnificent human you were in our long car rides between fan events. I will cherish our chats. Thank you.”
Look concluded her post with broken heart emojis and a plea to the Los Angeles Police Department: “@lapdhq Find @johnnywactor killers! #justiceforjohnnywactor #justiceforjohnny.”
According to Scarlett Wactor, Johnny’s mother, he and a co-worker were asked to stay late at a rooftop bar where he was bartending to clean. They were returning to their cars around 3 or 3:30 a.m. “They were walking to their car, and when they get there, Johnny’s car, which was parked in front of the co-worker’s, looked like it was jacked to one side, and from what I understand, he said, ‘Hey, man, you towing my car?’… And the person looked up and had a mask, and so then I guess he knew they weren’t doing that, and so he stepped in front of the co-worker and then backed up and put his hands up or both, and the person shot him,” Scarlett told Fox News Digital.
Johnny Wactor began his television career in “Army Wives” and went on to appear in other shows such as “Animal Kingdom,” “Criminal Minds,” and “Westworld.” His latest role was in the horror anthology film “Dead Talk Tales: Volume I.”
He is survived by his mother Scarlett and his brothers Lance and Grant.