‘General Hospital’ actor shot dead in Los Angeles robbery
Actor Johnny Wactor, known for playing Brando Corbin on “General Hospital,” was shot dead during a robbery attempt in Los Angeles, family members and his agent said Sunday. He was 37.
Wactor was with a co-worker when he confronted three men who were messing with his car in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday when they turned around and shot him, his mother told TMZ. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Los Angeles Police Department cops responded to a call at 3:25 a.m. Saturday, reported KTLA-TV, and found a man who had been shot. Police told the outlet that the man, later identified as Wactor, had seen three men stealing his car’s catalytic converter. When he confronted them, they turned around and shot him, according to KTLA.
The suspects were still on the loose Sunday, and police did not provide a description.
Scarlett Wactor, the actor’s mother, told TMZ, which first reported his death, that her son had not tried to fight or stop the thieves.
Wactor’s Corbin was married to Sasha Corbin, a woman with a drug problem, on the soap opera and appeared in more than 160 episodes between 2020 and 2022. He started out in “Army Wives,” a Lifetime drama series, in several guest roles, and went on to make appearances in “Westworld,” “NCIS” and “Criminal Minds,” among many other small-screen stints.
Friends, co-workers and fellow actors mourned the loss of a “spectacular human being,” as talent agent David Shaul told Variety, calling him “not just a talented actor who was committed to his craft, but a real moral example to everyone who knew him.”
“Standing for hard work, tenacity and a never-give-up attitude,” the agent said in a statement. “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.”
Fellow “GH” alum Jon Lindstrom was also bereft.
“When the tears slow down, I am literally sick to my stomach at this news,” Lindstrom said on X. “Johnny was one of those rare young men in this business who was kind, unassuming, humble, and always thought about other people. A talented young guy who just wanted to share that talent with the world.”