“General Hospital” fans will say goodbye to Luke in July. Actor Anthony Geary will retire after 37 years of playing the character on the ABC daytime soap opera.

The series isn’t letting Geary, 68, go quietly. “General Hospital” has been bringing back plenty of folks for the send-off. “Nashville” star Jonathan Jackson will return as Luke’s son, Lucky, while “The Originals” star Nathan Parsons will return as his other son, Ethan. However, Genie Francis’ coming back as Luke’s ex Laura has probably stirred up the most excitement.

Luke and Laura were a major couple on “General Hospital.” Their wedding episode attracted more than 30 million viewers and a guest appearance by Elizabeth Taylor in 1981. While fans love Luke and Laura, Geary would rather not talk about their glory days.

“It’s not my favorite time of my life, and I don’t think it represents me as a person or an actor,” Geary told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s kind of like whenever you are introduced they haul out a high-school graduation picture. It can be irritating.”

Nonetheless, Laura will play a big part in Luke’s final episodes. Check out a picture of the couple in their final scene together:

Francis previously teased that Luke and Laura fans would be very pleased with their final episodes together. “It’s going to be another Luke-and-Laura adventure,” she told TVLine. “There will be many fan favorites that we’ll touch on. I think it’s going to be a really nice bookend piece for the fans ... I think it’s a crowd-pleaser.”

Fans will get to see that “bookend piece” very soon. The actors wrapped filming June 23, and the Associated Press reported that Geary’s final episode of “General Hospital” will be shown on ABC Monday, July 27.

“General Hospital” is shown on ABC weekdays. Check your local listings for times. Are you upset that Luke is finally leaving? Sound off in the comments section below!

RELATED STORIES