Tributes Pour in for Former ‘General Hospital’ Actor Johnny Wactor After Fatal Shooting

Johnny Wactor attends the "Silent River" Opening Night Theatrical Premiere at Laemmle Glendale in Glendale, Calif., on Oct. 13, 2022. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Curious Potato)

Tributes have begun pouring in for slain actor Johnny Wactor. The 37-year-old, who is best known for playing Brando Corbin on the long-running ABC soap opera “General Hospital,” was fatally shot in downtown Los Angeles early Saturday morning, later succumbing to his injuries at a nearby hospital.

On Sunday, the official Instagram account for “General Hospital” issued a statement expressing great sadness over the actor’s death.

“The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor’s untimely passing,” the statement reads. “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.”

Mr. Wactor’s manager, Marco Cuadros, told The Epoch Times via email that he was “still processing this unfortunate and senseless tragedy.”

“Johnny Wactor was such a kind soul, a talented actor and an inspiration to those around him. His professionalism, his enthusiasm and love for his craft was infectious and made him such a joy to work with,” he said.

“He pursued his dreams and was achieving them, all the while remaining a good human being caring for others. The outpouring of love all over social media shows you the type of person Johnny was. I am proud to say I was Johnny’s manager and friend.

“He will always be cherished in my memory,” Mr. Cuadros continued. “My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”

‘General Hospital’ Actors Pay Tribute

Many of Mr. Wactor’s fellow “General Hospital” co-stars also paid their respects on social media, including Canadian actress Inga Cadranel, who wrote in an Instagram story post that she was “gutted” to hear of his passing.

“We had so many deep talks about love, life, and family together,” she continued, noting that the two actors were cast in the ABC drama around the same time. “My heart aches.”

Actor Parry Shen, who played Brad Cooper in the series, took to X, formerly Twitter, calling Mr. Wactor “a beautiful, beautiful soul” and commending his acting talents. Mr. Shen added: “We all were cheated of many years with him.”

On Instagram, actress Bonnie Burroughs, who portrayed Gladys Corbin on the show, wrote: “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.”

“Days of Our Lives” actress Kirsten Storms—another series regular on “General Hospital”—penned a lengthy statement online, writing that she was “in a state of disbelief and complete sadness” over Mr. Wactor’s untimely death.

In her message, which was accompanied by a picture of the late actor, Ms. Storms called Mr. Wactor “a special person” and sent her condolences to his mother and family over their 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. I was fortunate enough to have some really good conversations with him where we discussed things I don’t typically open up about,” she said.

“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,” Ms. Storms continued. “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.”

“Johnny, I’m crying and will be for a bit,” wrote Lydia Look, who plays the character Selina Wu on the award-winning soap opera. Ms. Look reflected on some of her favorite qualities of Mr. Wactor, including his sheer confidence and his ability “to let others take the spotlight.”

“Most of all, I learnt what a magnificent human you were in our long car rides between fan events,” she continued. “I will cherish our chats. Thank you.”

‘Victim of the Most Senseless Crime’

On Monday, Mr. Wactor’s mother, Scarlett, took to Instagram to post a picture of a GoFundMe account created in honor of her son, writing: “This is approved by me and Johnnys family.”

The account, which was started by Mr. Wactor’s godmother, Michaelle Kinard, aims to raise $100,000 for Ms. Wactor and the actor’s surviving brothers, Lance and Grant, as they navigate the financial challenges during this difficult time.

“On May 25, my dearest and best friend’s son was murdered,” Ms. Kinard wrote. “He was the victim of the most senseless crime!”

She continued: “Johnny was the kindest soul. My heart is utterly broken and somehow we NEED justice for Johnny!”

The GoFundMe account has already garnered more than $21,000. According to Ms. Kinard, any excess funds will be donated to charities in memory of Mr. Wactor.