General Hospital stars are sharing emotional tributes following the tragic death of their costar Johnny Wactor.
Wactor was shot and killed in Los Angeles on May 25 after he tried to stop three men from stealing his car's catalytic converter. Wactor was 37 years old.
Following the devastating news, General Hospital shared a tribute on Instagram, writing:
"The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor’s untimely passing."
"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."
Sofia Mattsson, who played Wactor's wife on General Hospital, commented on the post:
"We will miss you so much Johnny."
"One of the most incredible humans I’ve ever met ❤️"
@generalhospitalabc/Instagram
Mattson also shared her heartbreak in her own post, writing:
"My heart is so utterly broken… Johnny was the absolute best."
"So genuine. So caring. Incredibly hard working and humble."
"With a huge heart that spread so much kindness and joy. He always made sure everyone around him felt seen, heard and loved."
The captioned continued:
"I admire the man he was so much and I’m a better person for having known him."
"We shared so many special moments, both on and off screen, and I will forever cherish them deeply in my heart."
She finished:
"You will be so incredibly missed Johnny… I’m sure you’re already busy taking care of everyone up there ❤️"
Mattson shared a carousel full of photos of the two of them together throughout their years on GH.
Her fellow GH star Kelly Thiebaud commented:
"💔💔💔💔💔"
@iamsofiamattsson/Instagram
Thiebaud also wrote on X, formerly Twitter:
"Seeing his face on all the news outlets… still doesn’t seem real."
"My heart goes out to his family… i hope it brings you a small sliver of peace to know how much Johnny was loved."
"It’s just so unbelievably devastating."
Ashton Arbab, who played Dev Cerci on General Hospital, also took to social media to express his sadness over the loss of his TV dad.
"absolutely heartbroken while typing this."
"Johnny Wactor was not only my tv dad for more than 25 episodes on General Hospital but he was a great human, a kind soul, a inspiration on and off set and a one of a kind actor."
"His talents always surprised me and allowed me to learn so much from the craft just by watching his work."
"I am forever grateful for the time I got to spend and work with him. Feels like yesterday you were giving me a big hug and talking to me about life."
"May your soul rest in peace Johnny. Heaven has gained an Angel🕊️❤️"
Laura Wright, who played Carly Corinthos on General Hospital, shared on X, formerly Twitter.
"Heartbreaking 💔 What an incredible man."
"Deep love and prayers to Johnny’s family 🙏🏻"
And Kristen Storms, who played Maxie Jones, took to Instagram, as well, expressing her own shock and anguish.
"I’m in a state of disbelief and complete sadness."
"I don’t typically do posts like this, but Johnny was such a special person and it feels important (for me) to put these words out there."
She continued:
"To @johnnywactor ‘s mother and family, I am so sorry for your 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. 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."
"During his time on GH I witnessed him work hard and truly have respect for every single person in our building."
She finished her post:
"I just cannot believe that his life was stolen from him the way it was. My heart hurts. RIP Johnny."
Others on social media shared their heartbreak, as well, and sent their love to Wactor's GH family.
According to TMZ, Wactor was fatally shot after he attempted to stop three individuals from stealing the catalytic converter from his car in downtown Los Angeles.
Wactor was later pronounced dead at the hospital, according to KTLA. The three individuals have yet to be arrested or identified.
Wactor appeared on multiple television shows since 2007, including Army Wives, Westworld, Siberia and Criminal Minds, and appeared in nearly 200 episodes of General Hospital until his exit in 2022.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Wactor's manager, Marco Cuadros shared:
“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 pursued his dreams and achieved them, all the while remaining a good human being caring for others."
"I am proud to say I was Johnny's manager and friend. He will always be cherished in my memory.”
His agent, David Shaul, told PEOPLE Wactor was a "spectacular human being" and “real moral example to everyone who knew him.”
“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."
And in a statement to ABC News, Wactor's mother, Scarlett Wactor, called him a "beautiful soul."
"There are not enough words to tell what a beautiful soul he was. He was a kind loving son and brother, he lived life to the fullest. He set goals and went after them."
"There is a very large hole on our hearts and lives."
She also revealed how his last moments were actually an act of heroism.
After finishing a bartending shift around 3:25am in downtown L.A., Wactor reportedly stepped outside and saw what he thought was his car being towed.
His mom told Today:
"He said, 'Hey man, you’re towing my car.’ And when the person looked up, they had on a mask. And Johnny stepped in front of the co-worker, and he was shot."
Wactor later died in the hospital.
Scarlett added:
"I use the word 'hero.' I’m thankful that that person [who he was with] is OK—and that when he died, he wasn’t alone."
What a terrible tragedy. Our condolences to all who loved him.
