Susan Lucci, 73, was a ball of emotions while talking about her AMC castmate John Callahan. John, who was also known for his time on the former soap series Santa Barbara, died at the age of 66 on Saturday, March 28, after he suffered from a massive stroke at his home in Palm Desert, California. “What a shock—I just learned the very sad news of the passing of John Callahan!,” she wrote next to a photo of him before talking about his ex-wife Eva LaRue, 53, and their daughter Kaya, 18. “John played the beloved ‘Edmund Grey’ on AMC— handsome, charming and adored by many. My deepest heartfelt sympathy to Eva and their daughter. John left us way too early — I am so grateful I got to work with him — I will always remember that ever-present twinkle in his eye.” Susan and John costarred on the ABC soap series for 13 years before he officially departed it in 2005. She was the only cast member to be on AMC for the entirety of its 41-year run.
Other stars from the iconic soap series have spoken out in the aftermath of John’s passing. Sarah Michelle Gellar, 42, who was part of the AMC family between 1993-1995, shared a touching tribute to him on her Instagram. “Get past the horrible eyebrows on me and you will notice the incredibly handsome man, standing beside, me at my high school graduation,” she wrote next to a photo of them together in the early 90’s. “That’s #JohnCallahan or better know to me as GP (but why I called him that remains between us and those closest to him). He stepped into a lot of moments in my life because I didn’t have a father to be there.”
John’s ex Eva also posted a heartbreaking message that included a pictorial of the good times had between the family-of-three. “May Flights of Angels Wing You to Your Rest my Dear Friend. Your bigger than life, gregarious personality will leave a hole in our hearts forever,” she wrote in part.
The Brooklyn, New York native had a long history in the world of daytime television that dated all the way back to 1984 when he made his soap debut on General Hospital. He’s best known, however, for his portrayal of Edmund Grey on AMC which he did from 1992-2005. John later appeared in Amazon Prime Video’s The Bay and Days of Our Lives. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.