Chris Robinson, the actor widely recognized for his long-running role as Dr. Rick Webber on the ABC soap General Hospital, has died at the age of 86.
His death was confirmed by fellow actor MJ Allen in a Facebook post, stating that Robinson passed away in his sleep on June 9 at his home near Sedona, Arizona.
“He had been in heart failure for some time, and is his official cause of death,” Allen wrote.
General Hospital paid tribute to Robinson on X, sharing, “General Hospital’s enduring legacy owes a debt of gratitude to Chris Robinson and his portrayal of Dr. Rick Webber. Our hearts go out to his family and friends as they mourn their loss. May he rest in peace.”
Born in Florida, Robinson began his career in the late 1950s, initially working as a stunt actor in films like Diary of a High School Bride and Beast From Haunted Cave.
During the 1960s, he made guest appearances on several popular TV shows, including Sea Hunt, 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, Combat!, Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, and Hogan’s Heroes.
That success carried into the next decade with roles in The Streets of San Francisco, Barnaby Jones, and Chips.
His breakthrough came in 1978 when he joined General Hospital as Dr. Rick Webber, the adoptive father of Laura (played by Genie Francis).
His character quickly became part of one of daytime television’s most memorable love triangles alongside Monica and Lesley, played by Leslie Charleson and Denise Alexander—both of whom also passed away earlier this year.
Robinson also became a familiar face in households through a Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup commercial, which famously introduced the line, “I’m not a doctor, but I do play one on TV.”
After his nine-year run on GH, he went on to play Jason Frame in Another World in 1987, where he was reunited with Denise Alexander.
He later joined The Bold and the Beautiful as Jack Hamilton, a role he held for three years. In 1994, he returned to General Hospital for Laura’s second wedding to Luke, in a storyline that brought back hidden trauma from Laura’s past involving her father and a nurse named Theresa Carter.
Robinson’s final acting appearance was in the 2022 comedy film Just for a Week.
He is survived by his wife of 14 years, artist Jacquie Shane-Robinson, and sons Shane, Coby, Christian, Taylor, Christopher Robinson, Christopher Lance, and Robb Walker. He also leaves behind five grandchildren: Ivy, Ava, Davey, Brooks, and Knox.
